Dealing With Racism In Thailand Question Answered

Hinzugefügt: 2026-06-01

[00:00:00]I got a comment on my last video that I wanted to address directly because I think it represents a mindset that a lot of people have and it deserves a real answer. The comment said, "You might as well stay in the USA if you have to deal with that crap. What's the point of moving abroad if you've got to face racism? At least you have some rights here in America. You don't have any rights in Thailand or anywhere else for that matter."

[00:00:25]I want to start by saying, I hear where that's coming from, legit. Because on the surface, it sounds logical. If racism follows you, why leave?

[00:00:36]But I want to pull that apart because there are a few assumptions buried in that comment that I think are worth examining. Now, the first assumption is that racism anywhere else is the same as racism in America. It's not. And in many places, it's not even close. That doesn't mean it doesn't exist. It doesn't mean it's not frustrating when it does show up. But the texture of it is different. The stakes are different.

[00:01:00]The history is different. In America, there's a specific and documented relationship between black men and law enforcement that has resulted in deaths, incarceration, and generational trauma at a scale that is not comparable to what I've experienced in Thailand in over 12 years of living here. That's not me dismissing racism abroad. That's me being precise about it. The second assumption is that making a video about how to handle a traffic stop in Thailand means I'm suffering. It doesn't. I made that video because knowledge is power.

[00:01:35]I'm trying to help brothers move abroad.

[00:01:38]Knowing how to navigate a situation calmly and confidently, wherever you are in the world, is a skill. That video wasn't a warning that Thailand is dangerous for black men. It was a resource so that if you do get pulled over, you already know what to expect.

[00:01:52]That's not fear, it's preparation.

[00:01:55]And here's the thing. I made the video for any country I live in. I'd make it for France, Japan, Brazil, Kenya.

[00:02:03]Understanding local law enforcement culture of a country you're living in or visiting is just smart travel. It has nothing to do with whether that country is worth moving to.

[00:02:13]And the third assumption I'm seeing, and this is the one I want you to I want to spend a little more time on this one is America is the baseline. That the rights you have in America are the gold standard and then everywhere else is a step down. I want to respectfully but firmly push back on that because I've lived outside of United States for over 18 years total and the last 14 years consecutively. I've visited more than 95 countries and what I can tell you is that rights aren't just words written in the constitution. As black men, we know better. Rights are lived experiences.

[00:02:48]Rights are whether you feel surveilled when you walk into a store. Rights are whether your presence in the neighborhood causes phone calls to be made. Rights are whether a traffic stop feels like an inconvenience or a threat to your life.

[00:03:01]When I weigh that up against my experience living in Thailand, Thailand wins. Not because Thailand is perfect, it's not. Nowhere is. But because the daily reality of being a black man in Bangkok, for me personally, carries a different weight than a daily reality of being a black man in America.

[00:03:21]That's not an attack on America specifically, it's an honest accounting of my life outside of America.

[00:03:28]So to the person who left that comment, I'm not here to tell you you're wrong for thinking it. But I encourage you to interrogate where that idea comes from.

[00:03:37]The idea that black people in America should be grateful for the rights we have there rather than seeking more, seeking better, seeking different.

[00:03:46]That's a ceiling, not a floor. I left because I refuse to accept that ceiling.

[00:03:50]And if you're watching this and you're considering moving or making a move abroad, I want you to know that the question was never where is zero where's racism zero. The question is where can you build the life you want on your terms with the most peace, the most freedom, and the most opportunity. For me that answer has been Thailand for 12 years and counting.

[00:04:10]So, if you're new here, I'm Eric Prince and I'm a Nomad. Here I talk about travel, expert life, and what it really looks like to move through the world as a black man. So, drop a comment and shoot me any questions you might have and leave the world better than you found it and I hope this video helped.

[00:04:27]I'll see you next time.