Being Black in Thailand | Does Racism Exist in Thailand?  

So glad I grew up in HawAii, we have so many different cultures, religions, food, languages. Unfortunately we do have racism there, especially if you are white, now that’s a twist. My daughter in law has dark skin and I was so shocked and frankly disgusted that when she would date someone they didn’t introduce her to his family, he was ashamed to be seen with her. She is gorgeous. My son is also from HawAii and he is very open minded.

I have been meaning to send you a message about your RU-vid videos for some time Sorry to have been lazy about this. You vlogs are excellent and many news agencies could use your videos as serious commentaries. I particularly like the vlog on the guy who helped the Japanese prisoners of war, the story of the half Thai guy and the latest on racism. Maybe you should present you vlogs to news agencies to see if they have projects you could work on., Seriously you are a very intelligent and talented young man. I am an old guy originally from the UK, living in the US and am married to my Filipina wife for over 15 years, a different culture from Thailand but with some things in common. Thanks again for your vlogs and I look forwards for more.

Hi, I am thai, I feel sad that you got that treatment, but to point out one thing you say. On the bus, We normally not sit next to someone we don't know. Maybe they just don't want to bothering you. Sometime cultural different is something foreigner don't get. I am against racism, I would be happy If you have a nice place to live now. I am so sorry for act of thai people.

I study, work ,and live in UK almost all my life. My experiences of racial discrimination (every single day) made me stronger. There's always racial discrimination every walk of life. FYI ; I am a physician specializing in children and babies. Being Asian , people expected me NOT to be a doctor let alone to be a high ranking doctor. It always pain me to see their disappointment when they found out that I am the most senior person in the team. Feel so sorry for the racists !!!

A considered and well made video Pete, thank you. Bryan is an observant and insightful commentator. I really enjoyed this approach to your content. Well done !

Love your channel, great relaxed interview style and you're always very respectful. I moved from Ireland to Spain to live, and work in Gibraltar in 2012, 3 years ago I moved to malta, never really encountered any prejudice in spain/Gibraltar other than getting shafted by landlords but I have been told to go back to my country a few times in Malta, I don't know, not sure I count it as racist as a foreigner we are always somewhat on the outside, bit it's still the EU. However, what the Africans experience here is against human rights, simple as. Paid less than half of Europeans and given the most dangerous horrible jobs. A lot of these stories can be found online, people are always shocked when I tell them.

Great conversation Pete and Bryan, thank you so much for putting more light onto this sensitive matter. But I think in some parts of Thailand racism is in born..

Quite a weighty topic we discussed. Thanks for having me on, Pete!

My daughter is Thai, is white and is the victim of racism EVERY time we go out together.

I have had only one bad encounter a few years back when having dinner one night. When I overheard two Thai women walking past my table. One said in Thai guessing I could not understand her. I no sit with foreigners. I almost lost my temper but decided it was not worth a response. More than once and it is always young Thai women when speaking Thai they suddenly do not understand me. One easy way to solve that problem is to insult them in Thai. Oddly now they understand every word I said. Perhaps there might have been other times with entering national parks when I was asked to pay more but have never had a Thai say anything directly towards me. At the parks, I tell them I either pay the same as a Thai otherwise no. That is one of the benefits of understanding Thai you can hear the Thais talking about you as you walk past. I can honestly say have never heard anything negative they are mostly curious as to why I came to visit their town. Sorry, Brian, you had to deal with that. You are a good soul no matter what color you are.

I don't want to trivialise the subject matter as it's serious but ...I'm white , blond Caucasian, with a little hair on my arms. I recall a time when some Thai children stroked my arms and exclaimed " LING! LING!" Translates as Monkey Monkey . We all laughed. It was the innocence of childhood self expression - and many years ago - so no offence taken 😀

What your seeing is two human beings talking about real life issues outside of the governments domain. You see, governments pretend to be on your side but in actuality they are they to devide. When you control perception, you control the mass so that the mass doesn't come back to hunt you which in turn keeps order and obedience while giving you only a little piece of the pie. I've only ever been to Thailand and live hear 6 years now but to see the massive gap in inequality is just mind blowing. Brian sounds like a nice man and best of luck to you and your family. The thing with Thailand is, people are still living in old times and the fact that Thailand doesn't share a universal language just adds to the downfall. So, when you see another immigrant living and working in Thailand,this can be a huge huge shock for many many Thai because they are so distant from the rest of the world. That's my take on it please feel free to share your thoughts. Thairish times great video and also raising awareness.

I'm so happy that you did this video! I'm making plans to visit Thailand and as a black woman from the United States, I have been told that if some Thai people realize that you have an American accent versus an African accent, that you are immediately treated better, however, this is just as disgusting as the outright racism. I can't be ok with you treating me well because I'm American, but then treating people from my ancestors homeland like trash. As long as the government let's me visit a country, I refuse to let someone's racism keep me away if I want to be there! I do however understand that this treatment is not the totality of Thai people and that they have an excellent reputation overall of being extremely friendly and nice to foreigners. It's really a shame that for all of the progress that humans have made over thousands of years, we still can't seem to get over racism that unfortunately exists all over the world and the differences among us instead of treating each person individually. There is a long list of my attributes that should come before my skin color.

I’m a African American and got nothing but love in Thailand

Moral of the story don't let all the smiles fool ya

I'm brown and not 100% "black", but I'd agree that the worst racism is in teaching jobs (which is still not insurmountable by any means). Outside of that, if you are willing to learn Thai language there are so many people willing to be your friend and I had a great time there. I met a family that took me in and taught me more about the language and culture and helped me find an apartment. Of course part of it depends on who you are. If you are willing to adapt to their culture and play by their rules everything becomes easier. If you don't like their culture or language then maybe it is not the place for you (not talking to Bryan, but anyone reading)

hi Pete,Bryan curiosity does not excuse Rudeness or Ignorance,, very interesting vid, 🙏🙂👍

Great interview Pete , as always Mo Chara very interesting topic 🇮🇪🇮🇪🇹🇭

Don Lemon (African/American Newsreader) interviewing Morgan Freeman (African/American Actor): Lemon - "What, in your opinion, is the single biggest thing we could all do, to combat racism?" Freeman - "Stop talking about it". Don Lemon was clearly gutted. He had hoped Morgan would say "Kill whitey", or something along those lines.

In Thailand it's the most known rule not to touch a person's head. Anyone who has visited there knows this . The vogler is acting stupid. Like he doesn't know.

I noticed being treated differently during COVID. Some Thais would move away from me because i looked different. It's base ignorance. If it is innocent that is one thing, if it is malicious then it's a problem.

I have had people grab my hair, arm feel my skin, during Sokran some guy hit me. Thailand is racist, but Ive realized that it is based on how dark you are. Thank God that there are clinics here that help you bleech your skin because Im going next month. My experience in Africa has been a nightmare

Love your channel and the interviews, you have a new subscriber in me. I am so sick of the racism experienced worldwide, but lots of of power in the media, so much of it could be squashed, because ignorance is only washed away with enlightenment. Many are just looking to live, not survive in a racist climate, but horrible in America. Hopefully the light bulb comes on for many. Thanks for another great interview!

A lot of east or central Asians don't like dark skin. I am not sure why that is.

Pete your a top man, and its great to hear his story as well, Bryan just ignore the haters mate- and keep carrying on with your life there is more to the world than haters, enjoy mate and all the best.

Bryan and Pete, I found this interview to be quite insightful. I liked how you both handled this interview. Well done to you

Great Interview. Respect to both of you.

I respect his thought (even though I think some of his experiences are just cultural difference). Not to say he's right or wrong but, to anyone who are interested about racism in Thailand, I recommend to also watch this video titled "The Truth About Racism in Thailand" on youtube channel "Brett Dev". The interviewee talk about it starting at around 24:25 on the video. Btw, I'm also Thai.

I haven’t had any racism from Thais. But I have experienced it from ExPats

Sometimes racism is taken as an excuse when some people don't get what they want then they will blame others. For me it will be called racism or not depends on the context culture and people involved. It cannot take what is going on in a society to judge all others.

I am Thai American living in US. You have to understand Thai customs majority of Thai have fair skin and to see someone totally dark skin they are just curious why Black person looks so much different. I don't think Thai look down upon Black it's more curiosity than intending to insult. That's in general are very friendly and nice people.

Your questions were spot on mate! Well done 😃🙏🏼

Most foreigners are generally 'despised' and 'suffer slurs '-- if the locals are sure they won't understand the language!!!!. I'm often referred to in Thai as 'the Farang' I know its not supposed to be offensive , I find it rude! When young kids point me out to their family and shout 'Farang' --I just smile and sometimes reply: 'Hello Lao' Thai's don't like that and its shows them you understand a bit of what's happening! Bryan will be in a tough place! Good luck to him! Xenophobic for sure ! Speaking Thai certainly is a good 'leveler'! Just don't swear in any language! Don't learn Thai swear words--That's a ticket to a fight!

I’ve been all over Africa and I have blond hair. Many, many people touched my hair. But I guess it’s context. Because they made me feel so welcome. I was never offended by it.

No such thing as racism. There are always hateful people who finds reasons to hate. Don't need to bring that victim mentality to Thailand.

Great topic

Oh ffs can we please have a fkn break from this racism BS.

Who the Thais think they are to discriminate? They themselves are third world citizens and shouldn’t overestimate themselves

Is it legal like in the UK? To take photos in public

I grew up in England and I moved to America when I was 15 years now I have America, UK and Africa accent i switch my accent ON and OFF whenever racism is knocking on my door in Thailand Brazil and DR , and I realise that this people don't love me as black person but they love me because I have America and UK accent, One time I fought to rescued my fellow African in Thailand all because of my America passport and accent... wakeup black people we don't have love and they clearly don't appreciate us everywhere we go but I felt slightly different in Philippines because most of them love black men

With all due respects to Brian, I due think he is mixing racism in the context of hate against blacks of African ethnic groups which is prevalent more in the West with discrimination to darker skin (more details below) that exists in Thailand. Before going on I admit that I am Thai myself, but I have traveled and lived in N. America for many years before settling down in my home country. In Thai culture and history, we are a society that is well acquainted with serfdom. Although, the common people of Thailand in the past were not really, serfs, we did however practiced and understand working hard in the agricultural fields, paying taxes to a centralized power and we always pay utmost respect to our royalties. Even in the past, families whom were given administrative powers were paid with much wealth (monies, land, etc.) and they in turn owned farms, where they employed the commoners to work in the fields. The wealthy stayed indoors and administered wealth, while he commoners worked in the fields. As a result, we see that commoners were usually darker skinned than the wealthy. As time went on, it has come to be a belief that having fair skinned reflected your family well-being in terms of wealth (as well as more beautiful), therefore, the lack of a need to work in fields. This is where the so called "racism" comes from. It is not really racism in the same sense as in colonial West. It is a discrimination against people of different classes, all based on the perceived holding of wealth for that person (or their family). This same belief and customs seem to be carried forward to Thai society today towards migrant workers, and the latter do rightfully complain a lot about it. So my thought is that if Brian would have understood the history of Thais more, he may not be so quick to judge situations he may have come across. I hope I was able to clarify the key issue here.

Excellent!

If you feel uncomfortable, maybe you should consider moving? You shouldn't move to a foreign country and automatically expect or demand that people accept you. Based on his accounts, I think much of the "racism" us in his head. And to blame the Thai people of racism based on comments on an anonymous forum when you don't know if the poster is a local Thai or a white foreigner is just outright irresponsible and insulting. Thailand has very strict libel laws.

Deep conversation. 🙏🏾🙏🏾💚

During that time Thailand was virtually Covid free and that African visitors were the first to escape the government quarantine when Covid was very serious in Africa. We want ours country to be safe, stay safe. Don’t blame it on us if we are mad.

That was quite a serious topic and in fact a very true topic. Both of you handled it with great maturity and objectivity. Bryan is a really tough nut and a wise guy despite his happy go lucky persona. And your channel covers some serious topics that many Thailand based vloggers don’t. Subscribed to both of you guys channel. Thanks and keep up the good work.

Peace and love

Ask urself if not happy. Leave Thailand. U r not honest to yourself It s Simple. Thailand never force u to stay or leave . Ask yourself again n again. Anyway not a nice issue to be discussed. The discrimination never be a serious matter in Thailand

A nice auld long handshake there at the end

Color don't make the heart ❤️❤️❤️😢

I will say little more. is there racisme in Thailand, yes i said that and i mean it, one time a motorcycle taxi nearly drove me down, i saw him some times and it was not difficult to see on he's face and he's driving what he was thinking about me, and i have other experience, i love thais and Thailand, yes sometimes it anoy me when i have such experiences, but in other way i sometimes understand why they not like farlangs, i think farlangs have a bad reputation around in Thailand, i not blame thais for having nad thoughts about us, when this is said i ofcause also have so many nice experiences with thais, they normally so cute, helpful and friendly, thats what i like about thais.... I hope it will be like that when i come back again Rak Thais RAk Thailand samer 999 to Thailand in the future....

Thank you for doing this interview. I wish other foreign youtuber from westerners or Asians from the US will tell the truth about racism in Asia.. But it's sad when I saw one Asian from US RU-vidr is becoming racist himself just like some Thai people and saying how Americans are racist. But if you reverse the situation Asians in generals are 3 times more racist for people that come from a less developed country compared to the US.

Wow another fab interview. I am impressed by the scope and breadth of interviewees. I really loved this one.

None of what he mentioned seemed particularly 'racist'.. - WW

We are all human making a big deal and curiosity about a person of the opposite colour is very rude and uncivilized. Very Kai colo in Fiji term

Question? Do black/ African people get called farang

Sadly, here in Thailand, the darker your skin, the lower your class.

Cultural differences. They were not being racist. Most Thai people have never even seen black people, let alone perceiving that as being "bad" or "good". Not to mention the whole region have been heavily influenced by western influence for decades (which lessened the racism further). Black people are absolutely welcomed and sadly even more than some neighboring people. Sorry for whatever bad things happened. We're just fellow people trying to live our lives.

There's racism everywhere in the entire world.

So is there racism in Africa against non black?

about the situation on the train, even thai people we will sit and leavw a vacant chair bebtween an acqeuntance. maybe its not about who you are. and newspaper not much thai people have read.

Old people where I am from are intrigued by white peoples hair and like to feel it. Doesn’t mean they are racist, just curious.

As a Black woman who has lived all over Southeast Asia, can confirm that there is definitely discrimination and racism. I have found that Thailand and Malaysia are the better of the SEA countries in this regard. Cambodia is, by far, the worst. It's worse than just a "Thai only" policy for certain jobs and goes as far as a "no Africans allowed" policy for certain things in Cambodia. My friend had a hard time even finding a football team to play on in Cambodia because many had a "no Africans" policy smh.

Not only physical differences leads to racism, but also political views. Many conservatives try to convince others that pro-democracy people are bad, they hate our motherland. They don't quite agree about the idea of global citizen but rather claim Thailand is different from the rest of the world. It'd better stick to its own root and no need to change. Those who want to change, they should leave the country. Interestingly, many of the middle-income people with good education are found to be in this category. Hence, education may not help improve this problem in Thailand.

Isn’t it funny, he can say to Pete you will disappear in the snow but we can’t say you will disappear in the night

I think he doesn’t really understand racism and curiosity and culture differences.

Does racism exist in Thailand? You bet it does, thais in general are obsessed with white skin, they equate white skin to intelligence and wealth. That's why as an expat I've never had any issues getting thai women to go on dates with me when I'm in thailand and I'm not talking about women on the streets either. I don't know what experiences dark skinned foreigners had in thailand when it comes to attracting thai women but I would imagine they would have more difficulties than light skinned men. It helps a lot if you can read, write, and speak the language. You can break down that artificial barrier they put up more easily if you can speak to them in their language. That's why as soon as I decided thailand is gonna be my go to vacation spot for many years, I signed up for classes to study their language and customs the first chance I got and that was more than a decade ago.

Maybe not racism in the classic sense , buy surely some sort of double standards towards foreigners

Karibu Bwana, wahutu hapa situki Falang uta kidogo.

I read before living in Thailand that it's very offensive to touch a Thai person on the head. Never tested it. True? I'm completely bald and people all over SE Asia would want to touch my head. I didn't mind. I'm white but get taken for Hispanic or Middle Eastern often even in the US. Guess context is important.

5:20 That should hardly make you feel bad wtf. The same exact thing happened to me in Vietnam in 2020 and i totally had empathy for the people that moved away from me because i'm a foreigner and actually my gf told me what they were saying about me. That's honestly no big deal. In fact anything that doesn't involve violence is just water off my back. Jesus christ people really don't have any real problems when they moan about this.

Go back over 30 years when i was 1st visiting Thailand they were very racist. now not so. Perfect example was when i was a young lad 30 years ago in Pattaya they would'nt look at another dark skinned person. The economy and demographics have changed, Thai ladies in the trade will now take money from any nationality. Educated Thais see other Asians as equals.

Not all examples you mention are racism. Some of us might find African intimidating. Generally Africans/Caucasians are taller, bigger than Thais and unfortunately most news about African in Thailand are not good. Many movies and TV series didn’t help either. Also It’s true that Thais obsessed with “white”, we have whole aisle of whitening/brightening skin products in supermarkets as proved. A colleague told me she went to study in Chiang Mai university in hope that northern climate would help make her skin fairer. And that was 25 years ago! I guess in the past skin color shows wealth, rich people stay indoor and has paler skin while farmer/labourer work outdoor and become darker. So it is not racism, it is probably trace of hierarchy that still exist in modern society. As Thai woman I understand racism since some foreigners seem to think that all Thai females are bar girl or equivalent. Well nobody is perfect and Thailand is not for everyone. I just hope that you have more pleasant experiences while staying here than the unpleasant one.

Many have observed the bad treatment dished out to darker skinned provincial Thais by light skinned ethnic Chinese Thais. Plus the commercials for skin lightening cream and portrayal of dark skinned people in the Thai media is certainly concerning. As far as European/White and Japanese and Koreans being subjected to bad treatment I think it’s economic. All such foreigners are seen as wealthy and exploiting them is considered a fact of life and not bad in any way.

how much weight have you squatted ? I saw the size of your upper legs.

The country that they are talknng about is Niegeria

I think it's a little different for black Americans compared to blacks from Africa.. Americans get treated differently..

Am a person of color and visited thialand ,I never experience racism.some people would look because am a foreigner,and when I use the btm people sat next to me.no one felt uncomfortable.then again,am the last to notice.

Hi Pete, as you know in Thailand have no racism problems. Thanks for your VDO, I am Thai and like to listen English speaking.

No one should be made feel different or inferior, change is slow but I’m optimistic that attitudes are changing with each new generation. Good interview he is a great guy . Kenya is a wonderful place I have been lucky enough to travel around Kenya. Kenyan people have a warrior spirit like the Masai warriors and such a kindness too .

It has a lot to do with the class system in Thailand

I'm Thai my friends, let's me explain about Thai skin and whitening things. 90%++ of Thai people who care about the color of the skin are women, and I have to say that the white skin Thai girls want is not a Farang white or Europe white. I know some Farangs thought thai people want to have white skin like Europe people but they are not my friends. For Thai people we have a very hot sun so if you have to work against the son our skin will burnt and become black but not Black like african it's black like burnt and for Thai people if your skin's burnt and become black people would think you are a low class labour or you are a homeless so most people especially women doesn't want their skin to become black that's why there are a lot whitening products here. For me black skin(african) is the same as white skin because our skin is like in the middle of you guys but when our skin burnt and goes black it's really weird. And for the white skin most Thai girls want and thought it's beautiful is white asian like Korean people it's asian white looks like zombie white not white like farang. Just look at some white Thai girls thieir skin are more light and some of them even more white than farang. For black people problem in Thailand I have to say Thai people don't really racist my friends but I know a few Thai people start to afraid black people because it's a lot of bad news about black people scammed Thai people and there are tons of sufferer, many black people came here and like to steal, also a lot of Thai people who do business with African were cheated. There are countless cases that people post on the internet my friends and that's why people start to afraid black people here. But like I said there are just a few people my friend. I hope these problems will be decrease in the future. Hope you guys have a great time in Thailand.

OMG!!! There is definitely discrimination in Africa….I lived in central Africa for six years and had the opportunity to travel around on holidays. Unfortunately African countries face tribalism where a tribe may have a different language or dialect and customs. Many (most?) Africans will identify with their tribe than their nationality. These divisions in numerous African countries ( including Kenya) creates corruption and political instability within a nation. And I had the same “experience” as Bryan in March - May 2020 when many Thais ( including the infamous health minister) was blaming foreigners for spreading Covid; thus, many times I had people choosing not to sit 2 chairs away from me in a bank but preferred to stand ( while waiting) or same experience on the Skytrain.555

Racism exists but mainly against their Burmese,Cambodian and Lao neighbors. Although as far as Asia goes Thailand is one of the least racist countries. If you want to see real racism & xenophobia then visit China or even Korea. China has to be the most nationalist and racist country in Asia if not in the entire world.

I conduct like myself as a Gentleman,while in Thailand and I’m treated like one. But I do experience occasional feelings of alienation and disgruntlement . Which is understandable,but then I realize that nobody forced me to come here. I am a guest and not an invited one.

The main problem is that some Nigerians stain the reputation for all black people.

This is a better discussion then I was expecting. He's an intelligent thoughtful guy. Stay blessed, both of you.

I spent a week in Chiang Mai. I had a fantastic experience! The people are respectful and friendly. I loved it there. I was in Bangkok for 1 week. It was okay save for the hostel (Yaks House Hostel). They would discriminate against me on some issues such as not cleaning my room or giving me fresh towels (I had to remind them everyday to do so), overcharging me for the hostel deposit fee, not giving me a menu or very sluggish service compared to other Caucasian customers at the restaurant, asking for payment on my meal order before serving me food etc. I commented on the discrimination and rated them poorly on account of this. In 2022, shame really! Of course not all human beings are racist but some cheap & hateful people are racist!

My Daughter is half thai in Thailand 🇹🇭 the thai kept saying pure cow means white and kept taking pictures of her

Pete, you must know that Asians living in USA., Europe and Australia are getting some levels of prejudice and discrimination, here in Thailand the issue is very mild so no need to over-dramatize it.

If you want to experience racism come to the US LOL there's plenty of racism for you here LOL

I’m 6 minutes in, and I’m sure I will edit or write something else. If someone doesn’t sit next you in the middle of a pandemic because the Thai government say the onicrom variant is coming in from Africa, that is not racism it’s sensible

Great Channel - love the interviews and different creative topics. I’m American and Lived in Asia for the last five years. During the beginning of COVID locals didnt even want to come close to me. Im going to have to push back that people not wanting to sit by you during COVID is racist. Thats not saying racism doesn’t exist here but I think there are much better and obvious examples that we have all seen

I should travel to Bahia state in Brazil on my next trip. My future trips to Thailand will be strictly for Muay Thai. I been visiting Thailand for the past 10 years but watching this videos kills my interest to visit Thailand little by little. All what it takes 1 negative experience to destroy all what was good in countries where most citizen are homogenous.

This stuff makes me sick. I lived in Puebla Mexico for 3.5 years where I experienced this and whenever I would tell the locals about it, they tried to make me think it was my own imagination and that I just needed to work on my self confidence. I will never live in another country and subject myself to this. I’ll stay home in the US and take my chances

I am African American living in Thailand. I am light skinned and sometimes thai's wonder what ethnicity I am. Some even think I'm thai as I have lighter skin than many thai men. But my experience the last 5yrs has been wonderful. I'm also a big spender so I get the royal treatment when I go anywhere. I respect and admire the culture and even speak thai. One thing about me I'm a nature lover. So going to Pattaya/ Patong and bangkok is not my thing. Long live thailand khop khun khrup. Be kind be good to each other.

In Thailand light skin is preferable and this reflect through the society.

Hello Pete, I cannot understand, if Brian says that Thailand is a prejudice country or the thai's are racist. My mother was born in Kenya. My grand parents had some kind of plantations in Kenya employing all African workers. But when the trouble broke out in Africa. My grandparents had to flee Kenya with their children, because they were scared for their lives. Thai's are the most polite people I have come across. They are always smiling and very helpful. My grandparents were Portuguese decends. I love Thailand. If I could live in Thailand. I would be the happiest man on Earth.

ABSOLUTELY! That opening scene! To see what they say about Africans in the comment section of BKK post, including apparent physician (Thai women who are the most blatantly racist in this country) is dehumanizing.

Interesting because as a black man, I’ve never experienced any racism in Thailand, Cambodia, or even the Philippines 🤷🏾‍♂️ in fact, all the Southeast Asian countries is my first countries to vacation before the pandemic - I’m in Pattaya right now and everyone is nice to me, so maybe it has a lot to do with the attitude of the person crying about racism.