Possible Racism?
Over the past two weeks, my mom and I have been vacationing in the south of Thailand. I’ve been living and working in Bangkok, so I was really looking forward to seeing her again and finally taking a proper break after months without time to travel.
Unfortunately, instead of being able to fully relax, we encountered several uncomfortable situations that affected my overall experience.
At the first island and hotel where we stayed, I consistently felt unwelcome. The staff and manager would primarily acknowledge my mom while ignoring me during interactions. At first, I tried to brush it off, thinking someone might just be having a bad day. However, as the week went on, I began to notice a clear pattern. Staff would greet my mom warmly—smiling, making eye contact, and even initiating small gestures—while completely overlooking me.
One moment that stood out was when a server brought my mom a drink and wished her “Happy Songkran” without acknowledging me at all. This was especially confusing because the same server had previously served me alcohol when I ordered. That incident made it difficult to ignore what I had been sensing, and it left me feeling uncomfortable and excluded. Although there were a few staff members who treated me kindly, those interactions were the exception rather than the norm.
At the second hotel, the staff were much more welcoming and treated both my mom and me with equal respect, which I appreciated. However, I still felt uneasy at times due to the behavior of other tourists. People often stared at us, particularly when we were together, but didn’t engage or speak to us. It created a sense of being watched and made it difficult to fully relax.
Overall, what was meant to be a restful and enjoyable vacation ended up feeling overshadowed by these experiences. As a woman of color traveling with my white mother, the difference in how we were treated was noticeable and, at times, disheartening. Am I overthinking what I went through? Has anyone else experienced this?