What a xenophobic, or more accurately a ‘sinophobic’, week for Thailand, particularly Thai netizens.
First, was the loud cries of condemnation against a large billboard solely in Chinese language found in the heart of Bangkok’s Huai Kwang district offering potential Chinese customers to purchase passports and nationalities from four countries: Cambodia, Indonesia, Turkey, and Vanuatu. PM Srettha Thavisin felt compelled to visit the site in person and the billboard was quickly removed to ease the anger of Thai netizens. Two Chinese behind the ads quickly left Thailand, one slapped with a fine for 5,000 baht, and both told they are no longer welcomed in Thailand.
Just two days later, photos of a Chinese supermarket with a large sign in Chinese and smaller sign in Thai in Korat, Nakhon Ratchasima province, with virtually all goods made in China, spread on social media. Again, after a day, the supermarket, which was located just a short walk from the much-revered statue of Thao Suranari Monument, mysteriously shutdown.
What is going on? Why are some Thais becoming very upset, outraged even, and so fragile to anything from mainland China, particularly given that Thailand has a long history of centuries of gradual migrations and assimilation of Chinese migrants whom their children, grandchildren, (including this writer) became Thai?
The fears expressed on social media is that Thailand is becoming an economic colony of China, or a vassal state or China, if not it has already become one. What is more, they think corrupt officials and some politicians are enabling the takeover, which includes illegal businesses and activities.
Here are some of the reasons which they differ from the past waves of Chinese migrants to Siam and what eventually became known as Thailand:
The Wealth
Most are not migrants. They are not destitute or illiterate unlike the past waves of Chinese from southern China that made up the ancestors of Thai-Chinese today. They are fairly educated, with capital to invest, with technology and the might of a new superpower that is China in 2024 behind them.
The Speed
The ease of traveling, transportation, and communication means the speed of change is very rapid and the number of the new waves of Chinese in Thailand (not including Chinese tourists) is overwhelming.
The Style
They have little desire or inclination to really assimilate. Just like most of the millions of Chinese tourists who constitute the largest group of tourists in Thailand, they use Mandarin, and some expect us to understand. Some find some of them brash, loud, and inconsiderate.
The Scope
They are into many businesses, including de facto taking over local private universities. Or think of new EV plants in Thailand. It appears they could just do business with the most minimum use of Thai workforce and partners – or use them as proxies.
These are but some of the key differences. Thailand is not alone in the Southeast Asian region with such anxieties, however In Singapore, according to an opinion piece on Singapore’s Straits Times newspaper on Thursday, its government earlier in July blocked a network of 95 X accounts that “accuses Singapore of being a vassal state of the Communist Party of China.”
The key person behind the spread of the accusation was identified as Mr. Guo Wengui, a self-exiled Chinese businessman in the U.S. and “staunch critic of Chinese leadership and convicted fraudster” who alleged that “China was involved in the [recent] selection of Singapore’s fourth-generation leaders.”
Here in Thailand, we do not need to wait for a Chinese person in the U.S. to make such an allegation. More and more Thais do it themselves as they believe China’s growing influence is no longer benign if not even nefarious.
Thais and Thai-Chinese should not overreact. China is not going away, and Thailand cannot afford to become a hermit kingdom.
We will have to better adapt with the new reality in a calm and collected manner and publicly discuss how best to manage the rise of China. Let’s start from there instead of spreading xenophobia which leads to knee-jerk reactions.
