Is Amanda Obdam a real Thai?
Amanda Chalisa Obdam (Photo: Wikipedia)
Thailand's Amanda Chalisa Obdam may not have won a Miss Universe 2020 Crown last week, but the debate over her Thai identity was reignited.
The first were those who found Amanda's political attitude un-Thai. Amanda had previously tweeted in support of the right of monarchy reform protesters to demonstrate. In a highly polarized political and ideological climate, some ultra-royalists view monarchy reform protesters and their supporters as "nation haters" or "chang chart" in Thai.
This is an attempt to monopolize what Thainess means ideologically. While the Miss Universe Competition was broadcasting live from Florida, some tweeted curses at Amanda, wishing she would be eliminated as soon as possible, and mocked her after only making the top ten. Others went even further with harassment and degrading language.
It is clear that these people do not see Amanda as representing Thailand in the competition because of her ideological attitude. For these ultra-royalist conservatives, there can only be one way to be a true Thai and that is to worship the monarchy.
In February, the beauty queen tweeted from her account @amanda_obdam in Thai and English: “How can we talk about love when there is still violence in the streets” with pictures of riot police cracking down on demonstrators who want to reform the monarchy.
The incident stripped her of her role as a goodwill ambassador for the Department of Mental Health.
Narrow government agencies and some Thais try to label Thais who hold different political ideologies as un-Thai and therefore as nation haters.
On the other hand, the eternal question is raised again whether a Eurasian, representing Thailand in an international beauty pageant, is Thai or Thai enough or not. Is Amanda really Thai or Thai enough since she is Thai-Canadian of Dutch, Thai and Chinese descent?
When Amanda was crowned Miss Universe Thailand 2020 last October, she was asked about her complex identity. “I was born from a Thai mother, I couldn't have been more Thai. So I present myself with all my Thainess, because I am Thai,” she said.
I am happy to report that this issue is becoming less and less relevant among Thais these days. It is only a small minority who say that she is only 25 percent Thai, because her father is Canadian of Dutch descent and her Thai mother has 50 percent Chinese blood and thus does not meet the requirement of Thai racial purity. Thai racial purity is basically a myth and does not correspond to reality.
Thais are people of different ethnicity even before the arrival of Europeans. In the northeast are people of Laotian and Cambodian ethnicities, in the deep south are Thai Malay Muslims. Many Chinese migrants, especially their descendants, have become "indigenous" and long since intermarried with Thais of other ethnicities. Trying to find pure Thai blood is difficult, if not impossible.
On a side note, a Facebook friend who is Thai-Indian once wrote that when asked by a Thai if he is Thai, he replied in Thai, "I was assembled in Thailand from imported parts", using the analogy of used by the automotive industry.
It seems to me that Thai identity is fundamentally tied to a common Thai language, standard Thai and its regional varieties, and a common experience of years if not decades spent in this parochial society.
I would say that many migrants, whether from Asia or abroad, who have been in Thailand for more than a decade and who speak Thai fluently, should also be considered one of us.
Think of the LGBT struggle for acceptance for the third, fourth and fifth gender. It may help to understand that just as there is no single sexual identity, there is no single Thai identity.
Struggling against narrow and hegemonic Thai identity – political or racial – is still worth it.
Don't let anyone tell you you're not Thai, or Thai enough, because of your looks. Don't let anyone tell you you're not Thai or hate Thailand because of your political beliefs.
Source: Opinion article by Pravit Rojanaphruk of Khaosod English
The well-known story, whoever does not fit into the ideal picture of the “khon die” or “good people” is told not to belong. Step back in the line or else… Do we know from more than 100 years ago (Lao from the north and northeast are not Thai), Chinese migrants who had to change their name, the imposition of the Thai language at the expense of the languages from local areas themselves etc.
All nonsense of course. Since the beginning of time, people have been dispersing, mixing and exchanging customs and things. Something like race or nationality is therefore a sea of jumbled differences and similarities. You can do it if you want to go wild with the blunt ax, but that's about it. 'The Thai' or 'The Dutchman' does not exist. It remains a weak accusation: you behave differently than I want, than my club wants. Me, our club are good. You step over the line, then you're wrong. Repent or we will denounce you. Us versus them…thinking like that doesn't make things any better.
So Prawit is right, if you don't fit into the ideal picture you are just as good (or less) a Thai. Actually, it's just a sign of powerlessness by displaying 'you're not *our group*'. It is not a rational argument, not a basis for a healthy discussion about how we can make society better and let as many people as possible enjoy a decent life.
Check it out, she is of 'German blood' too! So what percentage is still Thai? And don't the Thais come from SW China, among others? Don't they all have some 'yellow' blood too?
The Thai is extremely nationalistic and, as Pravit points out, the ultra-royalists who rule in traditional Thai circles can make and break it and break it is their motto now. If she had not said anything about the demonstrations, she would have been acceptable to that group.
We all descend from the first people in the horn of Africa and there is also a piece of that in our genes... So how pure are we really?
Very important, this discussion.
You see a (nasty) discussion like this all over the world: in the US it called Black Lives Mater, in France the riots in the banlieus, Germany has the AfD, and Wilders is not averse to it either., etc.etc. etc. Big intolerance. The only way to silence these kinds of sounds is through mixing.
“In all the territories he subjugated he appointed new Persian rulers who were well disposed to him. To ensure his power, Alexander founded here and there cities, almost all of which he called Alexandria and populated with Greek and Macedonian army units. He had his men married to local women to strengthen the Greco-Macedonian hegemony.”
Perhaps Prayut and Prawit should take an example from one of the greatest generals in history, Alexander the Great. To strengthen his hegemony and subdue the local population, he had his men marry local beauties. And his generals were ordered to marry the local princesses. But I'm afraid they've never heard of Alexander the Great.
Prayut and Prawit may not have heard of Alexander the Great either. The kings in the Chakri dynasty (and often before) in particular Rama IV and V applied the same strategy as Alexander applied: they married women from the surrounding principalities.
Long ago it was also very common in Europe for monarchs/princes to marry neighboring daughters of the royal blood, mainly (I think) to avoid inbreeding.
Alexander the Great's strategy was not the same. He encouraged his men to marry local women and more or less ordered his generals to marry local princesses. Goal: more stability in the conquered country, fewer revolts against the oppressor.
It seems that the Russians in Syria are also strongly encouraged to marry Syrian women. If the Russians then withdraw all their support for Assad, thousands of Russians will certainly remain behind.
Surely there are brilliant Thai doctors who can extract from Amanda Obdam's DNA the specific genes that contain the Thai identity. I think the Thais better embrace this lady and be proud of it. But that must be an un-Thai idea.
Beautiful woman but if I saw her on the street I wouldn't say she's Thai.
A typical luk krung. Admired by the people but loathed by those in power.
Just like the real Dutchman doesn't exist, the real Thai doesn't exist either.
The Thai is originally the Siamese as they were then called, who moved south from the southeast of China in search of new land.
There they soon mixed with the Lanna, Loa, Khmer and Burmese entities.