More Observations from My July–August Trip to BKK

[FFbtm1974]

Sex has a way of breaking through social barriers in class-stratified societies, and this is particularly true among us gay men. In Thailand, those barriers remain impenetrable. We foreign tourists, and some of you residents, may encounter privileged Thais in a cigar lounge and exchange pleasantries with them, but I suspect we mostly meet refugees and migrant workers from rural areas. In my experience, both are proud and honorable, if somewhat fatalistic. On a couple of occasions, I had encounters with the educated urban middle class (not MBs). I usually invite them all (refugees, migrant workers, and middle class) to dinner, choosing a restaurant according to what I believe they would enjoy and where they would feel at ease. The first two groups genuinely appreciate both a decent meal and being treated respectfully by a farang. The middle class, on the other hand, resented me, or at least this is my sense. They never say it, but I imagine them thinking: “How is it that a middle-class farang from America can afford to visit Thailand, while I cannot afford to visit his country? Why is he treating me to dinner at a nice restaurant in my own country, rather than the other way around?”

I'm considering to relocate to Bangkok, but I can't simply dismiss what I sensed during my visit: the Thai middle class resents us foreigners because our presence reminds them of their relative economic disadvantage. Are they likely to act upon such sentiments? I hope I'm totally wrong and overthinking!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mauRICE]

8 minutes ago, FFbtm1974 said:

I'm considering to relocate to Bangkok, but I can't simply dismiss what I sensed during my visit: the Thai middle class resents us foreigners because our presence reminds them of their relative economic disadvantage. Are they likely to act upon such sentiments? I hope I'm totally wrong and overthinking!

You're overthinking. Firstly, what do you consider to be middle class?  It is a somewhat broad and not very useful label without further qualification. I have plenty of Thai friends who would describe themselves as middle class and travel at least once a year, including to various parts of the northern hemisphere.

Secondly, why would they even care enough to resent you and what do you imagine they'd do to you that's borne out of this supposed resentment?

[FFbtm1974]

47 minutes ago, mauRICE said:

You're overthinking. Firstly, what do you consider to be middle class?  It is a somewhat broad and not very useful label without further qualification. I have plenty of Thai friends who would describe themselves as middle class and travel at least once a year, including to various parts of the northern hemisphere.

Secondly, why would they even care enough to resent you and what do you imagine they'd do to you that's borne out of this supposed resentment?

I hope you are right. In KL, Westerners seem to be blamed for increasing prices, and before long, you will have mob riots. But you obviously know better, since you live there.

[mauRICE]

51 minutes ago, FFbtm1974 said:

In KL, Westerners seem to be blamed for increasing prices,...

No, they aren't. Reactions to the current state of the economy are a lot more nuanced than that and, as far as I know, no westerner in KL has been harmed for "increasing prices". 

[12is12]

Since u didnt cite any overt sign of resentment, maybe it - like beauty - is only in the eye of the beholder.....