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Burger King's 'Whopper Virgins' Documentary Takes Whoppers to Remote Places
OK, the whole Burger King vs, McDonald's commercial thing in Chiang Mai was unfair from the start. Thailand is still a Kingdom, as the "Constitutional Monarchy" and Democracy concept is still having fits there, as demonstrated by the recent protests. The Thai all "Love the King." (As they are constantly exhorted to.)
The people really do have a deeply ingrained respect for their benevolent King Bhumibol and he is the world's longest reigning monarch. So, "Burger King" as a brand is already much more likely to garner the favor of the average Thai, especially the Hill Tribe types. The Thai King has taken special interest in them and their welfare.
All this to say, there are also Lese Majeste laws in Thailand and maybe the Hmong and Karen tribals were afraid to offend the "King." (Hey even the Burger King can be rather intimidating, perhaps you have seen him with his big plastic head lately, running around the NYC streets "reverse mugging" people, and also playing in the NFL!)
And, as far as our self-righteous fears of "contaminating" the poor Chiang Mai hill tribe folk and Whopper Virgins: They are not so naive as you might be led to believe. They have a long history of sojourning en masse to the Chiang Mai and Bangkok night markets, where they sell (rather insistently) silver jewelry, hats, and wooden frog noisemakers. At least it seems that they have given up the opium trade, for now.
There has been a McDonald's and Burger King in Chiang Mai for more than a decade, and no harm to the economy has resulted. Most of us real foodies will opt for the independent noodle stall any day. But here's a news flash: The pizza places in Thailand now offer a pizza with a crust that's STUFFED with hot dogs! Now that is Western culinary decadence at its finest.
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OK, the whole Burger King vs, McDonald's commercial thing in Chiang Mai was unfair from the start. Thailand is still a Kingdom, as the "Constitutional Monarchy" and Democracy concept is still having fits there, as demonstrated by the recent protests. The Thai all "Love the King." (As they are constantly exhorted to.)
The people really do have a deeply ingrained respect for their benevolent King Bhumibol and he is the world's longest reigning monarch. So, "Burger King" as a brand is already much more likely to garner the favor of the average Thai, especially the Hill Tribe types. The Thai King has taken special interest in them and their welfare.
All this to say, there are also Lese Majeste laws in Thailand and maybe the Hmong and Karen tribals were afraid to offend the "King." (Hey even the Burger King can be rather intimidating, perhaps you have seen him with his big plastic head lately, running around the NYC streets "reverse mugging" people, and also playing in the NFL!)
And, as far as our self-righteous fears of "contaminating" the poor Chiang Mai hill tribe folk and Whopper Virgins: They are not so naive as you might be led to believe. They have a long history of sojourning en masse to the Chiang Mai and Bangkok night markets, where they sell (rather insistently) silver jewelry, hats, and wooden frog noisemakers. At least it seems that they have given up the opium trade, for now.
There has been a McDonald's and Burger King in Chiang Mai for more than a decade, and no harm to the economy has resulted. Most of us real foodies will opt for the independent noodle stall any day. But here's a news flash: The pizza places in Thailand now offer a pizza with a crust that's STUFFED with hot dogs! Now that is Western culinary decadence at its finest.