British Tourist Wearing a Mankini in Chiang Mai Shocks Thai Netizens

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Every year during Songkran, there is always “outrage” about pictures and videos of Thai girls or ladyboys dancing topless in the street. This year there has only been a few so far. But the picture that has raised the most eyebrows is of a British tourist wearing a mankini at a Songkran event in Chiang Mai. I think dozens of pictures have already been posted on social media of “Borat in Thailand”.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDycJY48rjs

This morning I translated a tweet from the Thai media claiming that the police will arrest anyone dressed in a mankini. Up until now his identity has been unknown, but the foreign tourist just tweeted to me:

RT @JJACCKOO: @RichardBarrow @ittipat_Rw Hey keep posting. Loving the pics of me. Just thought you should know I got a high-five off a police officer đŸ˜‰

That possibly could be true as judging by the video clip there was a lot of interest in this British student from London. I’m sure the police would have been amused too. However, Thailand has by-laws that forbid going shirtless outdoors in the city. People have been fined before in parks for sunbathing. Though obviously it would be bad for tourism if they did it often. But in this case, it’s more indecent exposure. A quick search on Google and I found Western police arresting people dressed like this.

I’m not sure if the Minister of Culture knows about this yet. If so then the police might be pressured to make an arrest, though the fine is small. But they won’t find this Brit out and about tomorrow as, according to a post on his Facebook page, some locals ripped off his mankini today. “They were like a pack of wild frikking animals!! Why is there always someone that feels the need to ruin the fun?” he said.

25 thoughts on “British Tourist Wearing a Mankini in Chiang Mai Shocks Thai Netizens

  • July 4, 2013 at 1:20 pm
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    Who cares if this guy wore a mankini, this is Thailand, the land of the freakish and is able to attract many thousands of weird foreigners every year. I don’t see anything wrong with that per se, because it’s something to be expected in this country, particularly during Songkran. Everyone knows that foreigners come to Thailand for it’s women, sex, (relatively) cheap food, lots of traveler related activities like drinking and partying so why would anyone even notice this guy? I thought there would be many mankini Borat wannabes in Thailand not only during Songkran but during every Full Moon Festival in Phangan and in general throughout the entertainment zones of Thailand. This is not newsworthy for Thailand – maybe if it happened in Myanmar or Saudi Arabia or another conservative society but Thailand…come on, this is where the party’s at!!

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  • April 21, 2013 at 12:53 pm
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    When in Rome, do as the Romans do….

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  • April 19, 2013 at 8:06 am
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    Tasteless for sure, feel embarrassed for him, but hey this is Thailand, anything generally goes. Especially during Songkran. Its harmless, that’s the main thing. Thais will be indignant which Is all part of the hypocrisy, being a country that tolerates prostitution so obviously, coyote dancers wearing hotpants smaller than a pair of knickers

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  • April 15, 2013 at 11:10 pm
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    Just learned, it must have been “spasibo” (Russian for “Thank You”).

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  • April 15, 2013 at 11:06 pm
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    British?
    Well, maybe naturalized.
    Never heard such an accent from British people.
    And why did the other person greet him with “spassiva”?
    To me, he is Russian.

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    • April 16, 2013 at 7:51 pm
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      It not a very Russian thing to do though. The Russians I know would punch this guy in the face. Then again, most Brits might think it’s funny, but they probably wouldn’t have the gall to do it in a quite conservative country on a religious holiday.

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      • April 17, 2013 at 5:45 pm
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        Not a very Russian thing to do, huh, to run around in a mankini? Too nice perhaps.. then again if they’re so nice and respectful as you seem to suggest, why then ARE they the sort of people who’d just punch a guy in the face who did do such a terrible thing? Not sure they’d want you as their lawyer, whatever the’re ‘like’!

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      • April 17, 2013 at 5:45 pm
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        Not a very Russian thing to do, huh, to run around in a mankini? Too nice perhaps.. then again if they’re so nice and respectful as you seem to suggest, why then ARE they the sort of people who’d just punch a guy in the face who did do such a terrible thing? Not sure they’d want you as their lawyer, whatever they’re ‘like’!

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  • April 15, 2013 at 1:25 pm
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    It is funny for all the people and for himself too. So it’s nice. For local people it’s also exotic to see like this the white blond guy. I think that it’s respecting in specific way the Festival and must encourage this by organizing the Farang defile …

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    • April 16, 2013 at 7:48 pm
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      No, it’s not. The overwhelming majority of reactions have been of disgust and outrage. Some see the funny side, until they’re reminded what happens to your culture when this kind of shit is tolerated and encouraged. Especially on what is supposed to be a Buddhist holiday.

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      • April 16, 2013 at 9:26 pm
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        Oh purlease, it stopped being a Buddhist holiday years ago, now it’s just an excuse to get idiot farang spending money on mankinis, water pistols and beer.

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      • April 17, 2013 at 5:21 pm
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        SOME OF the OLDER ones get ‘disgusted and outraged’ cos they think they should.. most do not! The younger generation definately do not! Pointing out that this is a Buddhist Holiday, like such things disrespect it.. well, you’d have to ‘have a word’ with just about every Thai then!.. what is it with people that get ‘offended’ on the behalf of others? Live your own lives folks, deal with the ‘crap’ that come your if and when it does.. and let everyone else get on with theirs without feeling like you have to take a stance on it!!!

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  • April 15, 2013 at 11:49 am
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    Two years ago, there was the ‘outrage’ of girls daring to wear spaghetti-strap dresses. Several hundreds of people died that year in drunk driving and other traffic related incidents. But never mind, because the Royal Thai Spaghetti-Strap Police task force was formed.

    One year ago, there was the outrage of girls dancing topless in pick-up trucks. Several hundreds of people died that year in drunk driving and other traffic related incidents. But never mind, because the Royal Thai Coyote Dancing Police task force was formed.

    This year, there is the outrage of a Farang dude wearing a mankini. Several hundreds of people will die this year in drunk driving and other traffic related incidents. But never mind, because the Royal Thai Mankini Police task force will undoubtedly be formed, to save us all from this horror next year.

    Anyone else mind the 800 pound gorilla in the room? đŸ˜‰

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    • April 16, 2013 at 7:46 pm
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      What utterly moronic logic. No one voluntarily crashes their car and kills themselves and it’s almost impossible to police pre-emptively. You simply have to set harsh penalties and hope only a few people are stupid enough to drink drive and suchlike.

      On the other hand, public indecency is both voluntary and very easy to police. It also sends a (very justified) message that it’s *not* appropriate public behaviour.

      I think you should take a step back and re-evaluate your thinking.

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      • April 16, 2013 at 10:12 pm
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        Ok, the kindergarten version:

        “I find it ironic how much ‘outrage’ things like this cause every year, compared to the more important challenges associated with the festival.”

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        • April 16, 2013 at 11:28 pm
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          The purpose of outrage is to shame people into not doing it again. It works quite well, but you cannot shame people into not dying, since it was never their intention anyway. People do get outraged at drunk and careless drivers but I think death is more than ample warning not to do it again.

          The kindergarten version:

          The media likes titties. The media likes outrage. Just because something is widely featured in the media doesn’t mean it’s getting any more attention than it deserves from the authorities.

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      • April 17, 2013 at 5:32 pm
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        The drinking that causes so many of these accidents and death is voluntary and far, far worse than running about in a thong on Songkran!! Think your point is the ‘moronic’ one if you think that those who cause/ are involved in accidents are all involuntary ‘victims’ somehow or even if you didn’t get that the point made was that we always look at the wrong perspective or issue!

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    • April 17, 2013 at 5:01 pm
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      Now, THIS IS a serious point! Think those getting up in arms over nothing – well, virtually nothing, just a bit of wet, green, cloth! – are taking the moral ground about that which doesn’t matter, just to have a negative input regardless that there are some REAL issues out there!!

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  • April 15, 2013 at 10:32 am
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    Sorry to say this is one of the worst things i have ever seen in thailand , more sorry that he is also British

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    • April 16, 2013 at 7:52 pm
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      No worries. I think most people realise you can’t judge a country by it’s lowlifes.

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    • April 17, 2013 at 4:47 pm
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      ‘Sorry to say this is one of the worst things I have ever seen in Thailand…’??? Question has to be asked, have you ever even been out your room? How offended can someone be over someone having a lark, doing nothing more than joining in the revelling in his own way?.. Personally I think he could have thought up a better way to hide his water-pistol!!! :>)

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  • April 14, 2013 at 8:44 pm
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    These Brits all are the most retarded people in the world ! Some even dare to complain when immigration asks them to pay few baht for the good service provided !

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    • April 16, 2013 at 7:42 pm
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      Generalisations like that are probably more “retarded” though…

      To be fair, British mainstream culture *has* become very trashy but attention seekers and hooligans are always going to be the ones getting a disproportionate amount of (bad) press.

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    • April 17, 2013 at 4:55 pm
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      What do you know about ‘these Brits’? Retarded? Nice words, what a knowledgable, pleasant person you must be!!.. You’d need a brain bigger than the sort that goes on a rant over someone running round during the water festival in a thong (rather than the tragedies happening on the roads, for instance!) to make ANY sort of call on ANYONE!!!

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