A Study of Development and Reproduction of “Hatred” in Thai Society

Abstract

The purposes of this study were to: 1) study the cause, development and reproduction of various forms of hatred that have occurred in Thai society through the changing social context of each era, and 2) study to find out solutions and ways to cope with the problems arising from the present significant increase in hatred. This research employed a historical methodology, with data collected through document analysis of both primary and secondary sources. Historical methods were used to verify the validity and reliability of the data. Although hatred manifests in many forms, this study focused on three specific dimensions: political ideology, ethnicity and race, and gender and sexuality. The research results found that differences in political ideologies have led to a series of conflicts and violent incidents. Also, the concept of “Thainess” caused ethnic prejudice. In the aspect of the belief in gender that there were only males and females, this caused prejudice towards groups of different sexualities, such as gay. However, the main obstacles in solving the problem of hatred in Thai society were the lack of knowledge and information, and dwelling on one’s own ideas. To solve these problems, the most significant step was to build reconciliation and cultivate the idea of equality as human beings who are not degraded, despised, or divided into lower classes.