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Boels apologizes for Buddha toilet decoration

By Editorial
Posted in Reader Submission
Tags: ,
January 22 2013

Editorial: Incoming message from Boels Verhuur:

Dear Thailandblog editors,

In response to the news item 'Thai angry about Buddha statues on Dutch toilet', here is the following. The Dutch Embassy in Bangkok contacted Boels Verhuur in the Netherlands, which had placed the bio toilets with images. We hope you can pass on the following message to the public:

We have received your email regarding the image of Buddha on one of our toilets.

As you indicated in your email, there is a certain degree of tolerance and freedom in expression in the Netherlands.

As a company, we have not considered the impact that displaying a beautiful picture of Buddha on a Biobox toilet could have in, among others. Thailand.

We have therefore immediately decided to remove this Biobox from the market to avoid further escalation.

Through this impersonal way we would like to apologize to the Thai and Buddhist community for this action.

Yours faithfully,

Boels Rental BV

Yvo Hoppers | Manager Marketing & Communication

Number of times read: 201

9 responses to “Boels apologizes for Buddha toilet decoration”

  1. hansgelijnse says up
    22 January 2013 at 11: 17

    Apart from a discussion about the tastelessness or offensive nature of these bioboxes: I find the intervention/mediation of the Dutch embassy quite remarkable. Doesn't this set a certain precedent for government interference with freedom of expression and expression in the Netherlands? The fact that Boele is going to remove the images does not alter that question. That company just chooses eggs for its money.

  2. Jacques says up
    22 January 2013 at 11: 53

    Part of the ambassador's job, Hans. I am satisfied with such an active diplomat who keeps a close eye on Dutch-Thai interests. Not only in Thailand but apparently also in the Netherlands.

    • Jacques says up
      22 January 2013 at 13: 21

      I don't know the trade-offs either, Hans.
      I only read that there has been contact between the embassy in Bangkok and Boels Verhuur in the Netherlands. And then I think that was done in a sensible way, given the outcome. I think it's positive, an ambassador with such a view on his duties.
      After all, he is ambassador of the Netherlands, not of Amnesty International or something like that.

      • Ferdinand says up
        22 January 2013 at 21: 25

        Als hij ambassadeur van Nederland is, zou hij wellicht de Thais er op kunnen wijzen dat de meeste Nederlanders ongelovig zijn, geen enkel pro- of negatief gevoel hebben bij Boedha of andere religeuze of levensbeschouwelijke afbeeldingen. Een dergelijke afbeelding alleen als leuk plaatje, kleur of sfeermaker zien. Niets meer of minder dan een decoratie en dat de meeste Nederlanders er geen seconde van wakker liggen.

        Als je in een land als Thailand leeft, merk je daar dat de meeste mensen totaal niets weten van andere culturen en vaak ook niet in geinteresseerd zijn. In Thailand kun je je gedragen overeenkomstig de Thaise cultuur en regels en anders vertrekken of vervolgd worden. Aanpassen is het motto. Terecht het is hun land.

        Think that the ambassador's action is more motivated by trade interests, money! Well, that's what it's for.

        I appreciate Buddhism mainly and mainly because it does not impose anything on me and generally does not condemn another. Other than that, there is nothing special about it and Buddhism is just as important as any other good way of life.
        Don't understand why we have to deal with beliefs and beliefs so cramped.

        A picture of a politician, our queen a historical figure or of one of the thousands of gods that the world knows, means only a picture to me, is allowed on those other bio boxes that have not yet been colored and if they want one picture of me (but that's definitely not very decorative).

        A nice image on a toilet in the Netherlands is a nice image on a toilet in the Netherlands and nothing more and if you realize that you won't hurt anyone at all. It is in the minds of those people themselves who feel something about it.

        Try to convince a Thai politician of our ideas about a free society, you could encounter a lot of misunderstanding and get a response that Thailand is Thailand and Thai standards apply. Probably rightly so.

        Onze ambassadeur zou dan ook beter de verdediging van onze vrijheid in Nederland op zich kunnen nemen. Maar als gezegd; Handelsbelangen brengen meer geld op.

        • Maarten says up
          23 January 2013 at 06: 39

          It is not important to me that the Dutch have no feeling for Buddha and that Thais are not interested in other cultures. A better world starts with you, so why put a picture on your product that could hurt others? There are so many beautiful pictures available that don't hurt anyone. If people around the world take each other's sensibilities a little more into account, it will save a lot of unnecessary conflicts.

          Moderator: Last sentence removed, irrelevant and not allowed.

  3. Pim. says up
    22 January 2013 at 12: 05

    Boels make something fun of it.
    For example, a peeing cop with a nice slogan.
    If you do something like pee here, the police will also have fun.

  4. Fransamsterdam says up
    22 January 2013 at 12: 50

    I have sent photos of a Dutch cow shed to the ambassador in India.

  5. HansNL says up
    23 January 2013 at 09: 58

    Maybe I can also throw in a penny?

    The fact that the NL Embassy, ​​whether or not via BuZa, has thought to inform Boels of the commotion that had arisen in Thailand due to the toilets with images, initiated by Thais in the Netherlands, is only fair.
    Whether that is the function of the Embassy I do not know, it seems to me that everything should go through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

    Whether it would be the task of the Thai Embassy in The Hague to approach Boels, I have the impression that this is not possible.
    I think the road to the Thai Embassy is definitely via BuZa.

    Incidentally, there are many countries where Buddhism is present, it seems to me that not only Thailand should ring the bell.

    Whether this case can be compared with the reactions of a famous or infamous global long-toe club?
    Which came first, the egg or the chicken, or is the cartoon and film craze an answer to the often explosively out of hand expressions of love of the above-mentioned club, or is it the other way around.

    What do you think?

    It is inconceivable that the Buddhists would express their displeasure in the same way as the Global Long Toes Club.

    The fact is that my second or opposite knee was indeed slightly displeased, while she is well aware of how things are in the Netherlands.
    The breaking point is not the image of Buddha, but the unfortunate grasp of image and mobile space.

    I think.

  6. says up
    23 January 2013 at 11: 24

    Thanks everyone for the replies, we'll close the discussion.


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