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The dark side of skin whitening in Thailand

Bangkok, Oct 22 (EFE/EPA).- The winner of this year’s Miss Grand Thailand beauty pageant has become the target of discrimination on social media for her darker complexion, a deeply ingrained issue in the nation that academics are referring to as colorism. The pejorative messages began when Pacharaporn "Nam" Chantarapadit, who won the competition in September, voiced her support for pro-democracy student protests in Thailand. (Camera: GASPAR RUIZ CANELA).B-ROLL OF WHITENING PRODUCTS ADVERTISEMENTS IN BANGKOK, THAILAND.SOUND BITES: GORAWIT TANOMSAT, 29-YEAR OLD ACCOUNTANT AND KAWINTHIDA, 18-YEAR-OLD STUDENT (IN THAI). TRANSLATIONS: 1. GORAWIT TANOMSAT, 29-YEAR OLD ACCOUNTANT.I feel that whitening products have been Thai market for such long time because of Thai beauty beauty standard. All women want to have white skin because they think it is beautiful. It becomes a trend as the original Thais do not have white skin. Also, Thai men like white-skinned women, so maybe it's a way of satisfying their appreciation.I think that deep down there's a little bit of discrimation, although some people do not acknowledge it. We can especially see that from the whitening products, which makes one's skin brighter or whiter. That is already a form of discrimination. 2. KAWINTHIDA, 18-YEAR-OLD STUDENT. I think the discrimination is so obvious. People with white skin are always considered beautiful or pretty, even if their face is not. If you have a beautiful face, yet a dark skin, men will often think that you aren't beautiful. And that is not a right because everyone is beautiful in their own way.