djjaguar64

You are right POSTER, they treat people differently. We were checking in for our Business class flight back to SIN from BKK with my sisters and we got a SURLY checkin agent, who would bark, WAIT.

There were seats but they never invited anyone of us to have a seat while they processed our check in. I noticed they were running around the caucasians like little puppies.

That is unfortunate but that is the THAI mentality I guess or I should say the ASIAN mentality in general. White is good, color is second class.
Even onboard their plane I noticed this, especially in Y class.

So SAD but True.

SethLevy

I have found this type of discrimiantion rampant in Thailand and other asian countries, including Japan, Korea and Vietnam. In Thailand, it is almost a crime to be Thai and check-in for a flight or into a hotel, unless you look rich or well to do. I have noticed that if you are Western (black, white, latin, whatever, you get better treatment than the locals). If you are black and look well-off they will roll-out the red carpet, if you are white in in J or F, regardless of what you look like or are wearing, they roll-out the red carpet. The only Thai people I have seem them roll out the red carpet for are the very high society looking types.

dannybhoy

The above observations are interesting as it sheds light on my recent experience in BKK, although not flying TG. Although I'm S'porean ethnic Chinese, I'm often mistaken by other ASEAN nationalities in the Middle East as being of their nationality, especially the Pinoys - something to do with my construction worker-like tan and somewhat working class wardrobe I guess. Anyways, during my recent experience in BKK, I was first in line at the TK J counter, where I was made to wait for an inordinate amount of time before being attended to. To be fair, most of the Thai TK staff (including those at the J counter) appeared to be in an "all hands evolution" processing a large tour group contingent of Europeans (could be Turks or Russians). But the strange thing was that I felt that I was invisible to the counter staff, like I was never there. I've been to my share of notoriously poor customer service holes in the Middle East and while I've been ignored, these were the kind of "I acknowledge your presence but I can't be arsed to serve you" kind of ignoring. Prior to being served during that time in BKK, I was never spoken to, not even a "Bear with us for a moment sir while we process this tour group"). So maybe prior to attending to me, it is possible that the Thai ground crew thought I was the wrong sort of Thai. I do recall that I thought at that time the counter girls were remarkably pale for the region, almost northern China like. Then again, maybe it was just also poor customer service or the counter girl in question didn't like S'poreans since her decided lack of warmth when attending to me reminded me more of a S'porean than a Thai. All this came as a surprise to me since I've only been to Thailand once since my military service 14-15 years ago. Ah well.

lokijuh

Can't comment on TG, but I have observed on board my many SQ flights there almost seems to be a pecking order of treatment. At the top of the list Caucasians, but not far behind are Chinese/SE Asian/Japanese (but only subtle differences in treatment) and then it is noticeable that at the bottom of the pecking order are people of Indian origin. That seems to reflected not only in the airline but more generally across Singapore. This is speaking as a caucasian observer but I may be wrong!

NYCbustravelguy

Not sure if people noticed, but I have, that almost all of the TG FAs (male and female) are not your typical looking Thai. They are all fair skin and not very dark. The man and woman in the safety video don't look thai at all, rather like they are from China or Japan. I am sure this was done for a reason/

BKKROP

Hi Milpsy, and welcome to the board.

I have seen it happen, and I understand what you are saying. I have been so embarassed with staff fawning over me, I have said to serve "this lady here first, I need to fill out this form" or something like that. I do not believe it is a TG thing, but it is worldwide, and in different countries and cultures, we all are treated differently. I can recall when England stopped allowing Australians in through the direct line (showing my age), I was so upset that I had to queque in the "others" line and be treated just so so .

Hotels are even worse, one of my managers has a Thai friend, and they insist that I check them in, otherwise they are given the third degree. Somehow they resent their own doing well or being treated well and maybe it is like us too, how often have you heard, "I'll bring him/her down a peg or two".

Mind you, I wouldn't be the first to comment that Australian passport control and customs treat us like criminals when we re enter the country, some of the questions they ask border on invasion of privacy, whereas when we enter Thailand it's a smile and have a nice day. Don't take it too personal, one of my worse complaints with TG, in the end they took the side of their nationals, so there is an upside, regards bkkrop

pueywei

Makeup works really well.

Let's just say that many east asian females generally don't go to the beach for a tan. If they expect to be exposed to the sun for some time, expect them to be generously covered in very high SPF sun block lotion.

NYCbustravelguy

I meant TG does not have (or hire) many darker skin (and I am not talking about tan)) Thai men or woman as FAS.

TGflyer

They do, one of the FAs in my recent flight had a darker skin tone than most FAs.

mcgahat

Yep, I know of no preference of light skinned FA's in TG's hiring at all. My wife has a dark complected friend that works for TG and she would have mentioned it to me if TG made it more difficult for darker skinned tha's to work there.

Some people do equate darker skin with less education but I think TG does just look at resume, education etc when hiring.

ddrewboy

I chalk this one up to the IwanttobewhatIamnotigitus. Europeans want to look tan and Asians want to look pale syndrome. Evident by all of the whitening cosmetics in Asia and tanning cosmetics in the western world. I, on the other hand, is quite proud of my tanned skin

regards,
drew

MAN Flyer

Well, if it's any consolation to the OP, I got the opposite earlier this week.

Flew BKK-FRA in F. Started with the usual filling up of the F cabin with people who weren't ticketed there. There was supposed to be three empty seats in F, but of course this being TG they always miraculously manage to sell those spare seats in between check in closing and aircraft departure. I don't know how they do this, it's a truly incredible skill that other major airlines can surely only envy... Anyone flying TG in F ex-BKK would think they are absolutely booming as the F cabin is always full.

Anyway, the gentleman who brought his friends to F that looked like they should have been in another cabin was doted on by the crew, unlike most of the rest of us. They came and made us drink up our pre-departure drinks while they stood at the side of us - I suppose we should be glad we even got one as the doors had closed before they even thought about offering any - and then went to the galley, got the Dom and re-filled the glasses of these three, right in front of the rest of the cabin who's glasses they had just demanded !!.

The service was appaling for First Class, which is a shame as the one a few weeks ago had been excellent and the one before that pretty good to, so I thought things were starting to improve.

Instead it just reiterates the fact that TG crews are very hit and miss, especially in F.

djjaguar64

The friendliest and best TG ex-crew I ever met was on CX, from BKK to SIN. And just if it pleases anyone, she was a slightly darker shade. Boy did she serve me well. Non stop wine, discussed the main course, etc. She was the best. I also wrote a nice note for her service. .^

NYCbustravelguy

I said they do not hire MANY (many is not none or any). 1 or 2 darker skin FAs out of 12 on a 747 (when compared to # of daker skin people in the rest of Thai society) = not many, but is still more than none. I have had more than a few darker Thais tell me they could not get hired by TG b/c they were too dark.

moocherx

After spending a fortune investing in Thailand, "giving away" 51% of my company to a group of random Thai acquaintances (for that is the law...), I'm happy to take a few small perks, like being smiled at by checkin.

If Thai's want equal treatment as westerners - I couldn't agree more. Bring it on! Can't wait to own my company, own my house, pay the same for tourist attractions... etc. etc.

Or, just suck it up.