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Wednesday, April 23, 2025
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“Ni Hao” or Not: When Misplaced Greetings Become a Flashpoint for Racism in Thailand

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A simple greeting has sparked a complex debate in Thailand — is saying “Ni hao” to a Southeast Asian person, who isn’t Chinese, an innocent mistake, or a subtle form of racism?

The debate began on 20 April, after an incident involving Siranath Bhiromphakdee, also known as Sai Scott, a 26-year-old Thai environmentalist and social media figure, went viral. At the time, he was still serving as the former advisor to the Director-General of Thailand’s Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation.

The confrontation, caught on video, happened on a beach in Krabi province, where Scott came across a Russian couple who had entered an island that was temporarily off-limits for conservation reasons.

When he informed them they were violating conservation rules, the Russian man replied with “Ni hao,” the Mandarin Chinese greeting for “hello.”

Scott, upset by the greeting, firmly told the couple to leave immediately. 

“I don’t care if you come from anywhere in the world, but to come to Thailand and not even have the respect to know the difference between Thailand and China is extremely racist,” Scott later wrote in a Facebook post to his 213,000 followers.

“Something as small as saying ‘Ni hao’ to a Thai person is not only disrespectful to Thais, but to Asians as Asia is not one nationality,” he continued, comparing it to confusing England with Russia.

A Heated Cultural Debate

Reactions on Thai social media were largely supportive of Scott’s stance, though a few differing opinions did emerge.

Many users, both Thai nationals and expats familiar with Southeast Asian culture, criticized the tourists’ behaviour, calling it “ignorant” and “disrespectful.”

One of the most vocal supporters was David William, an American teacher affectionately known by his followers as Kru David, who has taught English in Thailand for years and boasts nearly two million followers on Facebook. 

“They [Westerners] typically feel like, ‘I’ve got money, I can do anything, and I don’t need to respect the locals,’” he said in a video response. 

“They said ‘Ni hao’ to the authorities. This is definitely a racist move that Westerners usually use to stereotype that every Asian person is Chinese—and it is utterly unacceptable.”

Although he condemned the tourists’ behavior, David was careful to point out that not all Westerners act this way.

Thai and Regional Perspectives: Misunderstanding or Malice?

Among Thai nationals, opinions were nuanced but largely supportive of Scott. Poj Preechagool, a 24-year-old student at Khon Kaen University, interpreted the Russian tourist’s use of “Ni hao” as a clear instance of racial stereotyping.

“The tourists weren’t even Chinese, and they said ‘Ni hao’ to Sai Scott. If you ask me, they were definitely being racist,” Poj said.

Poj emphasized that context matters, but said that in this case, the action felt personally offensive. He pointed out that Sai Scott’s uniform should have indicated that he was an authority figure.

He also noted that visitors to Thailand are typically exposed to local greetings early in their trip. 

“Tourists should’ve already heard Thai greetings like ‘Sawasdee krub’ or ‘ka’ when they boarded,” he said. “Something like this [being greeted with ‘Ni Hao’] can be taken as a personal attack.”

While acknowledging that intention and setting can affect how such situations are perceived, Poj said he distinguishes between genuine mistakes and mockery. If someone were to misidentify him as Chinese at an airport, for instance, he wouldn’t take offense as long as it wasn’t done mockingly.

“If someone said it as a joke or clearly intended to mock, I’d definitely take offense,” he said. 

Russian Teacher Questions Use of “Farang” Amid “Ni Hao” Debate

While many supported Sai Scott’s decision to confront the Russian tourists, the debate sparked broader discussions online—particularly among foreigners—about the use of the term “farang” in Thailand. Some argued that Thais should reconsider referring to Westerners, especially white people, by this term, which loosely translates to “French” in English but is commonly used to describe all Western foreigners.

One of the more vocal participants in this conversation was Sergei Sychoff, a Russian language teacher known on TikTok as Gei. In a video that quickly gained attention, he shared his personal perspective on the situation.

According to Gei, the phrase “Ni Hao”—a common Chinese greeting—is not inherently racist. He explained that simply saying it and laughing does not automatically imply a racist intent. To support his point, he drew a comparison to how Thais often refer to Westerners as farang.

“Thai people often say ‘farang’ and laugh, like ‘farang wants to buy something’ or ‘farang eats farang (guava or French people in Thai)’,” said Gei

“I didn’t see it as racist. I just thought it was a bad joke. If you’re angry at someone for saying ‘Ni Hao’ to you, you should stop using the word ‘farang’.”

Gei’s comments received mixed reactions. Some viewers agreed with him, arguing that the intent behind words matters when interpreting whether they are offensive. However, the backlash from Thai viewers was louder and more pointed. Many urged Gei to learn more about the historical and cultural context of the term farang, emphasizing that it’s generally not used with racist intent in Thailand.

As criticism mounted, Gei deleted the original video and later posted an apology.

What began as a debate over a casual greeting has since evolved into a flashpoint in cultural sensitivity. In regions where national identity is deeply rooted, even a seemingly harmless mix-up of cultural references can feel less like a mistake—and more like a form of erasure.

Voices from Neighboring Laos

The controversy surrounding the use of “Ni Hao” in Thailand didn’t stay within its borders. In neighboring Laos, a country with cultural and linguistic similarities to Thailand, the incident also sparked discussion about how Southeast Asians are perceived and addressed by foreigners.

Sengdao, or “Dao,” a 25-year-old Lao national who asked to withhold his surname for privacy, expressed solidarity with Thai sentiments. For him, the issue wasn’t just about a greeting, it was about the broader disregard many foreigners show toward regional identity.

“I’d be very angry. Even if they were my friends, I’d still be pretty upset,” he said. “If you come to my country and choose to speak a completely different language, it shows disrespect.”

Dao emphasized that Southeast Asia is not a monolith. While Thailand and Laos share aspects of language, religion, and cultural traditions, being mistaken for another nationality, particularly in a dismissive or mocking tone, can feel like a denial of identity.

“Foreigners should educate themselves about the countries they visit. Asia isn’t just China,” he said.

Like many in Thailand, Dao supported Sai Scott’s decision to intervene, calling it an important stand for cultural respect. 

Evidently, the conversation didn’t stop at Thailand’s borders, it sparked side debates across Southeast Asia, including in neighboring Laos.

In places where culture and national identity mean a lot, even something as simple as using the wrong greeting can raise bigger questions about respect and recognition. 

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