Asian Sweetheart 2.0

“The other thing that is messed up with the news stories is that all the ones in the British newspapers call her Miss Thailand. There is no Miss Thailand contest.” What? You expect the news media to actually check for accuracy? Tsk, tsk.
She is a lovely young woman. The question of whether or not she speaks Thai is interesting. I hope you’ll let us know if you find out.

This is a very strange commentary to write about a beautiful Miss Thailand winner. As I have mentioned before AS, you seem to have a strange hang up or obsession with the matter of foreigners, and Thailand – notwithstanding your international travels and apparent international approach to a number of other issues.

If you examine the history of Thailand which I am not qualified nor is it appropriate for me to teach anyone on this subject (I merely mention it as a point of reference and comparison – not as an expert) you can clearly see that the blood of Thais has been mixed with that of neighbouring and far away countries, a fact which is celebrated and embraced by Thais, whilst still retaining the national pride which is worthy of being Thai.

In England, a place which I am certainly qualified to discuss, we also celebrate the fact that England is a multi-cultural place, where our blood is mixed as far back as Viking times, through to Roman times, and then the last 100 years, which with the onflux of immigration has seen British Indians; Afro-Carribean British and a whole host of different ‘types’ of people, all with being British as a matter of common pride.

When you discuss this beautiful lady above, your focus seems to be very much on her being ‘mixed’ anher language skills. Whilst the Chinese focus on teaching English to more and more Chinese in schools, and whilst Thailand’s English is improving through valient efforts of teachers, I can’t see why you take issue with the matter of this lady’s Thai language skills, or find it important to mention what type of passport she has – unless… you view that Thai people should be ‘pure’ Thai, and ‘pure heritage’ and speak ‘pure Thai’ and be 100% ‘Thai’. If you can define what being ‘pure is’ I can listen to your argument – but most dictators in the world who have passionately pursued the concept of ‘pure’, have failed but with the most horrific deaths and wars surrounding their pursuit.

I suggest you just leave this lady alone to enjoy being Thai, winning a Thai competition, and you focus you obsessions on something more productive and beneficial to the lives of Thais and foreigners than the quality of their language skills and how many passports they have. The same weird attack of ex-PM Abhisit for having been born in England were made – just like some crazy racists in the US tried to attach President Barack Obama’s nationality. It never stops – this strange weird style of attach of heritage. I hope my children don’t meet too many people with these attitudes in their generation – as they will be half Thai, half English – and will be brought up to love and cherish both cultures as much as they wish to

@Desmond –
I must agree that the idea of a Miss America who could not speak English is a little disconcerting to me, not unlike Abba having smash hits in America, while singing phonetically. But stranger things have happened.