search citypaper.net
  

					Also this issue: Fit to be Thai-ed -Howard Altman Eyes Wide -Bruce Schimmel Conglomovision -Bernie Sanders Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor

July 5-11, 2002

mailbag

Letters to the Editor

by the Readers

More letters on “Big Trouble from Little Thailand”

I read your article and frankly I feel that you underestimate the seriousness of the situation and how much of a potentially large problem exists.

For the past three years I have been living in Thailand and can assure you that it is difficult for a non-Thai to appreciate the depth of respect and admiration that the Thai people have for their King. He is quite literally beyond reproach and even to just speculate on his action is considered severe enough cause to be accused of lese majeste.

Quite recently two foreign journalists from the Far Eastern Economic Review were arrested and faced deportation for an article that made comments insinuating a problem between the King and the current prime minister. An Economist edition was banned because, although it contained positive information regarding the King, it speculated on his ill health and the possible outcome for Thailand in the event of his death. Talking about death or illness is considered to be bad luck and doing so about the King is intolerable.

If you go to see a movie in Thailand you will hear the King's anthem played, at which point everyone in the theater, without exception, rises to pay their respect.

Tearing up a Thai bank note is a crime. Why? Because the King's face is on every note. One must never stop a rolling coin with one's foot for the same reason.

At 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. every day the Thai national anthem is played on loudspeakers all around Bangkok and Thailand. Thai citizens are supposed to stop whatever they are doing during the anthem and listen. Who composed the anthem? None other than the King.

Why does the King garner so much respect when other members of royalty around the world do not? It's quite simply because he had dedicated his life to helping the people, especially rural and impoverished communities of Thailand, improve their standard of living. His dedication is shown through his actions, not through the superficial speeches of politicians. He is like a father to the entire population of Thailand, someone who steps in to protect his children in times of need but rises above the petty daily squabbles that trouble politicians, stepping in only when needed in times of extreme distress.

So here you have a revered leader, looked on by some as close to a living deity and looked on by all in complete respect and admiration. Do you start to understand now why there would be such a reaction when the King's image is toyed with so as to be used in an advertisement for a bar?

One would expect that anyone who would open a bar or restaurant that is themed after Thailand would know enough about Thailand to realize that such an image is extremely offensive. Or perhaps Sherry Levin is only thinking about the commercial side of things and doesn't feel any need to be concerned about the thoughts and feelings of those people, myself included, living in ŒLittle Thailand'.

Jeremy Winterson
via e-mail

Yes, the King does have a sense of humor, but we Thai do not, especially for this matter. May I share an example of parody? We can laugh when we read some jokes you make on your President because we understand the U.S. culture, and we also know that this country never had a King. But for Thai people the King is not even an authority figure who is untouchable. The King, especially this King, is part of our big family, little country.

It is unbelievable that the lady who runs the ad does not know the effect of her act. If she is doing a restaurant business bearing a Thai name to make profits out of it, at least she should have done more research before showing her creative sense of humor.

And you as an editor should have known better.

Piyawan Kullamai
via e-mail

From my point of view, you and the manager of the restaurant might not understand feeling of Thai people because you don't have a king and royal institution. I know and understand that in your country you have freedom to do anything you like. However, this time one's freedom has affected to all Thai people's feelings.

As a business student and educated person, I understand your situation and your right and also appreciate the rights and equality your country gives to all American people. However, I'm sorry to tell you that we felt bad to see that ad. It might be just one voice from a student in Australia but this news has been spreading among Thai people all over the globe. I can't say if it would have any effect to the business of Saint Jack's or not. Anyway, what I can tell you is, we, Thai people, love our king and we respect him at the most precious thing in our lives. And we would die for him.

I personally think the king might like this ad, but as a Thai, I'm sorry to say I can't accept it.

Pin Ochasanond

It may not look serious from American eyes to use one photograph for advertising something. It's serious when that picture is the King of Thailand. The one who used our king's picture is blind with opened eyes. She has never looked in front of the coconut shell. If she did that, she would learn that how much Thai people love their King. He is more than God, more than father, more than survivor, more than land and ocean, more than air for breathing. Thai people would die for their King. I can not tell you how much he means to us.

Editor, you as well, you allowed this to be printed in your paper. Are you insane or you have never recognized others as a human beings like you? Do you care about other people's rights? Or you think you can do what you want to do because you think you are American. I have never felt bad about Americans before, but today I do.

Please open your eyes to know other countries, don't cover yourself under coconut shell and think you are the biggest!

Sasiwomol Yamsuan

As a Thai national who had lived in United States for four years, I think I know about the mentality of both Americans and Thais. Americans may observe the St.Jack's ad incident as a joke and think the Thai people need to lighten up, as Ms. Sherry Levin said. But please know that this is a very serious issue for all Thai people. American people believe in individualism and freedom, and may never know how to love an individual human sacredly as Thai people love and respect their King. What we feel towards the monarchy is no nonsense. His Majesty the King has worked hard for the people and the country for more than half a century and that is the reason why Thai people love him wholeheartedly. You may ask some Americans who ever lived in Thailand to double-check this truth. Of course, the United States is too great a country to feel that "little" Thailand could do anything. But as a human, I think American people would like other people to respect and understand them as well. As a country, the United States still needs to have friends.

Sathana Kashemsanta

It is an unfortunate sign of the times that we simply can't say "I'm sorry" and retract the advertisement. The graphic clearly offends many Thai people -- the obvious thing to do is to simply drop the advertisement and go on. Is that so hard to do?

I suspect many Americans have a sinking feeling about the direction our country is going. But it's not just Enron, corporate greed, road rage, etc. Problems start with the smallest acts. Why do we trumpet our desire to be offensive over a more important need to occasionally attend to the well-being of others? It seems we are becoming a nation of self-indulgent adolescents that can't see beyond the narrowest of self-interest. How do we feel when foreigners treat lightly images that seem important to us?

Charles Miller

Being a regular visitor to Thailand, I understand the Thai people's love of their King and Royal Family. The King is a very kind and caring person and the Royal Family regularly work very hard for their subjects. As an American I am very ashamed of Ms. Levin's attitude in this matter.

I do not believe Ms. Levin has ever been to Thailand nor knows much about the country. Perhaps if someone starts a bar across the street called "The Holocaust Gas House" Ms. Levin would get some respect for others.

I do not live in Philly but my son does attend school there. He along with many other students will boycott Ms. Levin's business and I would urge others to do so until her racist and disrespectful advertisements cease.

Kent A. Kampo

I understand that in the U.S culture, you can make joke of any political figure without having to apologize. Thais have deep respects for the King, not just believing that he is "god" (you amazingly made it like a stupid belief), but because he has done so much for our country.

I don't have right to order a U.S person to run the ads the way I like, so don't Thai people. I just can't understand why you can't care about feeling of people in other countries outside your own.

What if we say putting the word "in god we trust" in your money is stupid because many of us think that there is no "God"?

Koon Silprasert

What if it was someone that you respect? For example, if someone makes a joke out of another person's parents or uses their pictures to make a parody ads, what would you say about it? Laugh?

The point might be the manager just wants her restaurant to be on the news.

V. Werawattanagorn

The King of Thailand is an intelligent person, and he does have a sense of humor. But you need to consider that respect for him is the greatest stabilizing influence in Thai politics in the 20th and (so far) the 21st century. The military junta which was in power in Thailand in 1992 was toppled by the king's deft handling of the situation. At the time, people thought that civil war was likely. Thousands of lives were saved by the Thai's respect for their king, because even the leader of the junta was willing to step down at the king's request. Please can you ask the owner of the restaurant to make a different ad? You really will be on the side of the good guys if you do this. The king of Thailand is definitely one of the good guys.

Mike Burns

This is clearly a case of cultural misunderstanding, which can easily be rectified with a apology and retraction of the advertisement. To give you perspective, this depiction of the King of Thailand may seem funny to you, but it is as crass as a depiction of a barbecue at Dachau to me.

Please accept that what you and Ms. Levin think is funny and entertaining is at minimum insulting to a great number of people. Grace is something which is needed here, not arrogance.

J.R. Conti

As an American who lived in Thailand about 10 years ago I thought I'd weigh in on the St Jack's ad controversy.

I find Ms Levin's "stunned" reaction to the criticism hard to credit. Anyone who "had no idea this ad would be offensive" does not have the necessary cultural understanding to run a Thai restaurant. Really, the ad is tantamount to serving beef vindaloo in a Hindu temple.

In Thailand, King Rama IX's photo is prominently displayed in all public buildings, business and virtually every home. The photo is usually complemented by votive gifts of flowers or incense or enshrined in elaborate religious displays. He is never referred to by his actual name. The veneration goes so far that there is a special vocabulary used for his everyday activities. For example, you don't just say "the king eats." There is a special word for "eat" used only in conjunction with the king. To use another, necessarily lower word for the king's action is treasonous. Of course, Rama IX uses ordinary language when he refers to himself, but Thais don't think less of him for it. If this seems strange to the secular, non-Thai editors of the City Paper, they should try explaining the doctrine of the Trinity to a Buddhist.

Thais absorbed Hindu caste structure and social norms into their Buddhist culture hundreds of years ago. The Thai royal family was accorded the sacred status of Brahmins. The caste culture was officially outlawed at the beginning of the last century, but Hindu priests perform ceremonial functions in the Thai court to this day. The king is still the embodiment of the state and his religious connotations are firmly tied to the patriotic self-image of Thais. Any guidebook will tell you as much. Some respect certainly isn't too much to expect of a Thai restaurant owner. No "disclaimer" can account for this mistake.

Ms Levin's decision to rerun the ad turns a disturbing display of ignorance into a race-baiting publicity stunt.

Scott West

I think I understand now why Philadelphia has such a hard time reaching its true potential. We talk about tolerance, thoughtfulness and diversity but we don't walk the talk in some very important ways. While I'm not attacking Sherry Levin personally, I have to question "What are you thinking?" Or are you?

It's one thing to unknowingly offend someone. The sensitive and caring thing to do when that happens and we become aware of it is to struggle to understand the reaction we've caused. Then to make amends or at the least to apologize and make every effort to never repeat the same offensive behavior.

Using the king of Thailand in an ad isn't something I would have suspected would offend anyone. But what I find most offensive now is that we've been made aware of the fact that it has sorely offended a number of people who value the relationship they have with us and our country and we're not taking action to rectify the situation. That City Paper has to even think twice about re-running the ad speaks worlds about our real interest in respecting diversity. That Sherry Levin plans to re-rerun the ad with a disclaimer adds insult to injury.

Find a different parody that won't insult something/someone others hold very reverent and sacred. Show not only Thai natives and decendents that respect for their sensibilities is important but be a role model for others. It could be race, gender, class, sexual orientation, political leanings whatever -- let's start to demonstrate that it's not just all about us. Yes, we have the right to free speech. But I think we also have an obligation to be thoughtful of those around us be it our neighbors, co-workers or world neighbors.

Let's start to make the Ugly American steriotype a thing of the past!

Lois Morris

Print the ad. Who do these Thialanders think they are? This is America and this is a matter of freedom of expression and speech.

James R. Kaump

Now read some of the more expressive unsigned letters.