Getting Screwed

There is a quote in the popular crime novel set here in the City of Angels (Krung Thep) called ‘Bangkok Eight’, that goes something like this:

“Foreigners come to Bangkok to feed their souls. They are empty vessels who fill their own lives with shopping malls and burgers, then come over here for the cheap women and fake watches. Like the hungry ghosts we superstitious Thais still believe in, farang come here with a distant stare in their empty eyes. They come here to screw us – in every sense of the world. But in the end they only sell themselves.”

That may seem to be a harsh summation of all the west has to offer, but spend enough time around the tourist and sex-trade areas in Bangkok, that I call my neighborhood, and you can see where the sentiment comes from. You do not see the best we have to offer.

Sorry but most tourists in my neighborhood are old, fat men here for not much more than a couple of days of sleaze. Actually most Thais don’t judge this too harshly on the surface – they are very open to prostitution themselves (95% of the sex trade in Bangkok is actually for Thais – prostitution is a way of life here) and most realize the huge economic inflows that this brings to local and regional economies. Besides, Thais don’t get too hung up about sex.

But dig a little deeper and you realize this is the face of the west that many see in the east – and this is the perception you will wear while you are here – like it or not. Like anywhere in Asia you find yourself viewed through prisms such as the ugly tourist or the violent/ competitive TV show – forever dividing the world into strong or weak, winner or loser. The result is that many Asians think you are here just to hit and run. It’s masked with politeness and smiles, but it‘s always there. The expectation is that you are here to screw the locals for all they are worth. It’s nothing hostile – just a feeling you get. walking on the street, dealing with Thais in shops, or in the office. And I think the west pretty much has itself to blame.

Not because that is all that we are – but for presenting ourselves like this. As someone who is in the image business – I totally understand the perception. What do we expect if that’s all they see and hear about us? The west has a huge image problem in Asia. We are darkly viewed as consumer driven, violent and lacking any real belief system beyond personal success. And we are losing the war, the hearts and minds of Asia, very quickly.

The Chairman of DDB worldwide in the Us (DDB was my former employer) Keith Reinhard smartly recognized this problem, in particular for American companies. Last year he formed Business for Diplomatic Action, a nonprofit organization that is trying to combat anti-Americanism abroad after doing some worrying research on the topic. Their research highlighted that:



1) American companies are seen as exploiters and they take more than they give back; 2) American companies promoted values that are in conflict with local cultures, mores and religion; 3) Americans are viewed as insensitive and arrogant-Americans assume everyone wants to be like them; 4) American companies only want to sell.

You could apply that research here to most western companies, and pretty much to all Farang!! The challenge has grown immensely with situations such as the Iraq war, but importantly he’s said the solution is NOT to make TV ads to change these perceptions. It is about encouraging real change.
Mr. Reinhard is fighting back with a comprehensive program of ideas, including a booklet of dos and don'ts for youngsters traveling abroad; English-language classes for those in other countries; a reality show; and several documentaries highlighting the good that American corporations do. He is even contemplating rap sessions for young people led by hip-hop artists.
Bravo for him What I’d add to Mr Reinhardt’s ideas though is that the west needs to help communicate what else is good about us, beyond our commerce, out here.

When I tell people here I’d gone to an art gallery on weekend, they were surprised I ventured beyond shopping malls. If the west is to change our perception here it will be about demonstrating the things that make us different – our art, science, philosophy and culture. It’s only when people see and hear these things can we change their view on us.
Somehow in the rush to sell big into Asia, we have forgotten to balance our image with other elements of our culture.

It’s weird – how being abroad can make you re-define who and what you are. I find myself defending the west quite often – explaining what it is that I value beyond our business strength. The irony is that as Asia grows in economic power – these other facets of our culture are the things that most define our difference, and our strength.

Many countries in Asia can learn much from our own developments in thinking, in science, in art and philosophy – and in turn we can learn much from there’s. But you get the feeling that westerners comes here thinking we have nothing to offer in this regard – that the magical east has all these answers. One look at the lack of soul in Singapore, the single minded money lust in China, or lack of freedom in Thailand should give us pause for thought.

There is more to sell Asia than burgers and beer, and perhaps there has never been a better time.