I’m not sure if this is only a thing for new expats but i’ve been seeing alot of travel youtube videos/ tiktok with new expats citing wokeness/liberal politics as the main reason for moving to Thailand.
Why do i find it unsettling?
I grew up in Thailand, MY WHOLE LIFE and moved to the US for college 2-3years ago. I can proudly say that my 20 years in Thailand, I’ve never met a full on homophobe but the same can’t be said in America.
From people calling me f***** after leaving a house party, to straight guys literally just making fun of my “gay voice” and laughing out loud to my face, not to mention the fact so many people make random assumptions about Thailand. eg. trans ppl in Thailand are brainwashed to be trans.
like do they not know that Thailand didnt have LGBT shows or anything until recently. Although, straight up homophobic interactions like this don’t happen daily but it’s at least monthly + subtle homophobia happens daily eg. straight guys in my dorm leaving the shared bathroom immediately as soon as i enter it.
During my freshmen year, I had to move to a different dorm because straight guys on my floor were straight up hostile and have made me feel unsafe in multiple occasions.
I experienced more homophobia during my 2-3years in America than I have ever experienced in my entire life outside of America. Everytime I go back to Bangkok, I can always expect it to be safe and welcoming to me, as a gay person. And the new wave of expats i’ve been seeing online is making me a little worried that there’s so many people who bring American political polarization to Thailand. I find that LGBTQ+ issues here are weirdly politicized, I just hope & pray that they dont bring that to Thailand. Thai people are generally quite kind & welcoming to everybody, would hate to see them get brainwashed by American influenced perspectives.
I’m curious if anything thinks that this will lead to a rise in hate crimes in Thailand?
