BANGKOK — David William, an American English teacher living in Thailand, has released a video expressing his dismay at the fierce criticism he faced after condemning Apple’s ad “The Underdogs: OOO (Out Of Office)”, which was filmed in Thailand. In an interview with CNN, he reiterated his opinion that the Apple commercial portrayed Thailand in a negative, outdated light that did not reflect reality.
Initially, David received a lot of praise from Thai internet users. However, the ad later became a political issue, prompting Apple to remove the ad from YouTube. This move sparked another wave of criticism. Some argued that removing the ad would harm investment prospects in Thailand.
Vichai Matakul, a writer and creative professional, commented on Apple’s decision to remove the controversial ad. He explained that Thailand has lost a valuable reference from a creative and production point of view. The movie showed new perspectives of Bangkok that went beyond temples, Chinatown, Cowboy Alley or Pattaya.
“The loss of such a reference is significant because future filmmakers would have used it for their research. This movie had excellent footage for future projects. Now Thailand could be discussed as a problematic filming location because of the problems Apple has had in the past. Other locations might be preferred to Thailand.”
He also noted that the Thai production team had missed important opportunities. They had previously been hailed as the “GOAT in Southeast Asia” Now that the movie is gone, the hard work of the great Thai team remains without visible results. He sarcastically asked if “the foreigner with a Thai heart” (referring to David) would understand the gravity of this loss.
On August 4, David William posted a video on Facebook in which he responded to harsh criticism of the incident on CNN and Apple. He was accused of pretending a “foreigner with a Thai heart” who was only out for personal gain through likes, views and followers, with no real goodwill towards Thailand. Some even said he was making fun of the gullible Thais who believed in him.
David expressed his deep sadness and admitted that he cried when he first read the criticism. He feels he is Thai and does not identify as American. He has a house in Thailand and is always defending the Thai people in his content. Despite his defense on CNN, he faced backlash.
“My only question today is: What do I have to do for the Thai people to accept me? What do I have to do for the Thai people to see me as an equal? Just because I look different, does that mean I can’t be Thai? This has really shaken my self-confidence and hurt my feelings. I want to tell Thai viewers that I am serious about this content. I stood up for Thai people on CNN because I thought it would make them love me and accept me as one of their own. I apologize to anyone who was offended,” he said.
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