Stereotypical foreigners in Asia

Koh Pha Ngan. Photo: Jessica Rabbit / Flickr Creative Commons

Koh Pha Ngan. Photo: Jessica Rabbit / Flickr Creative Commons

One of the time-honored traditions of expat life in Asia is bashing other foreigners. Familiarity can breed contempt, and it is amazing how you run into the same kinds of people over and over again.

Sarah Grooms playfully took aim at these expat stereotypes in The Faster Times: The 11 foreigners you meet in China.

Anyone who’s lived in another country for over a year will recognize these characters, no matter where they’re living in the world.  As I read it, the article seemed to describe the progressive cycle of adapting to a new place.  Before I studied abroad, the coordinator told us we would go through periods of excitement, confusion, disillusionment, and hopefully acceptance and understanding at the end.

On a related note, there’s a certain kind of backpacker that is common in Southeast Asia.  A Canadian friend I traveled through Laos with sent me this video: Backpackers in Laos.  Compared to the The Faster Times piece, this one was a lot more damning.

At the other extreme, I’d like to add the stereotype of the suave, sophisticated expat.  This typically is someone with a cushy job in media or government who’s been stationed in the area for years.  This person speaks the language fluently, has contacts in all levels of society, owns a magnificent home filled with books and art, and has a wry but affectionate view of the locals. Sometimes this kind of expat can be snobby and aloof to newbies.

Jim Thompson is a prime example.  He was a former U.S. spy who set up a successful Thai silk empire. Thompson had his home constructed out of several traditional Thai houses, and it is now a popular tourist attraction in Bangkok.  His main claim to fame is his mysterious disappearance in the Cameron Highlands in Malaysia. Here is an 1967 Time magazine piece about him: Thailand: a walk into the jungle.

Have you met any of these 11 foreigners? Got another stereotype that was missed?  Share your stories in the comments.

Posted by | Comments (3)  | May 21, 2010
Category: Asia, Expat Life, Notes from the collective travel mind


3 Responses to “Stereotypical foreigners in Asia”

  1. Kyle Crum Says:

    There are people that we don’t agree with or don’t like all over the world. The only thing we can really do is act with grace and dignity; if enough people do it, that will be the majority and the stereotypes will be the fringe groups.

  2. Colin Says:

    I do agree that, as an ex-pat in Asia, I have generally less tolerance for newcomers. A 20-something boy from small town Ohio walks into my work who has literally never been to Asia before, let alone anywhere else in the US. I take him out to lunch and find it hard to sit through it. As he continues in this “us” versus “them” talk, I find myself thinking what exactly makes him think that I am more part of his “us” than the “them” I live in here?
    When you first come, you make sacrifices in friendship by hanging out with people and going to places which you normally wouldn’t at home, out of desperation and openness. That fades over time as you find your niche among foreigners and locals alike who are more your type.

  3. Isla Pergola Says:

    My husband and I have lived in both Thailand and countries in Central America as ex-pats and while its true that some people will go to great lengths to avoid the locals and other go to the extreme opposite, most farangs that we met in Thailand quickly got into the rhythm of the place or left. True there were many we won´t want to spend more than a couple of minutes with – but the same can be said about people back home…

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