[For Siam sake!] SIAM LOOKS WEIRD

[ichibang]

This is taken from guidemwit 2K FORUMS

[According to this clip
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bS0hWuqQHIk&hd=1

at 1:40 So weird to see those head statue...
It looks like it come from Khmer Empire... not Siamese Empire !!!
I am Thai people (Thailand is the modern name of Siam)
and I am certain that there is no head statue like that in Siam culture...
Let's research on these topics

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sukhothai_Kingdom
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sukhothai_Historical_Park
http://www.thailandsworld.com/index.cfm?p=194
http://th.wikipedia.org/wiki/ไฟล์:Buddha_sukhot haistylb.jpg

P.S. Ramkhamhaeng the Great is in the Sukhothai Period (1238-1438)

We are Buddhist society... many architecture was inspired from the Buddhism Religion. So, WAT (temple) and BUDDHA STATUE are one of the most easy-to-see icon of Siamese culture. And I think you should add them to the background
(and I already saw a blur Sukhothai Pagoda in the background as well )

We will absolutely not cut the Buddha statue's head ! or make it a garden sculpture... that is a black market goods
I think it is my responsibility to correct some mistakes.

And I believe in you, Firaxis, that you can make this game as historically accurate as it really be. ]

I am also Thai citizen.
And what is happening to my king is a disgrace!!!.
It it not only incorrect but the king face is not even Thai people.
He looks like Chinese. or if he looks like Thai people there is only one man.
He looks like"The most notorious exile criminal who ignited Thai civil war "THAKSIN"!!!.
This is intolerable.

Please correct these error! Make our king face look like Thai people.
It is easy! just surf the internet and fing some Thai actor and adapt it to our king
face!! Or just find picture of king Ramkamhaeng's statue. Or if you dont have enough
Time, justmake the king's eye bigger make him smile more beautifully
HIS PRESENT SMILE IS UGLY it is not siamese smile!


Please I beg you Firaxis! Do something for the sake of 60 million Thai people
and over million game players.

 

[Mercade]

Welcome to CivFanatics, Ichibang.

 

[Tee Kay]

Probably just another case of "as long as it looks foreign"

We will absolutely not cut the Buddha statue's head ! or make it a garden sculpture... that is a black market goods

Indeed, that's taboo. But who's to say that statue is actually of the Buddha?

I am also Thai citizen.
And what is happening to my king is a disgrace!!!.
It it not only incorrect but the king face is not even Thai people.
He looks like Chinese. or if he looks like Thai people there is only one man.
He looks like "The most notorious exile criminal who ignited Thai civil war "THAKSIN"!!!.
This is intolerable.

Heh, all Asians look the same to white people.

Also, Thaksin is actually of Chinese-descent.

Please I beg you Firaxis! Do something for the sake of 60 million Thai people
and over million game players.

I doubt whether the game will get pass the censors in Thailand anyway.

 

[ichibang]

Now Thailand is in POLITICAL CRISIS! There is hatred every where.

and It is Thaksin that triggered it, many people hated him.

Having our king's face like Thaksin might get this game banned in Thailand.

I know that this is not a serious issue for Firaxis, but just have some mercy for

Thailand! I dont want my king be humiliated.

Here is the picture of King Ramkamhaeng in wiki. Even you are foreigner

I think you could easily see differences between in game king and real king.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ramkhamhaeng_the_Great.jpg

Please do something! at least remove that sculpture(I think it is Brahmā

god from hinduism) Siam is not hindu empire. I am going to post my king face

in Thai website anyway and wait for the reaction.

(Lese Majeste law has even banned youtube one time in Thailand because there is a video that humiliate our king)

 

[NedimNapoleon]

They do get mixed up with civs, i also noticed that Ragusa is an Italian city state

 

[sumit1207]

He looks just like that alien Khmer guy from BtS, but with more of a "baby-face."

 

[Tee Kay]

They do get mixed up with civs, i also noticed that Ragusa is an Italian city state

Seriously? Wow...

 

[guidemwit]

Thanks, Ichibang, for linking this thread from 2K forums.

Firaxis, please, when you add a civilization to your game, please make it as good as other civ. I see some civ have so many info leaking through many websites, but some are rarely mention... some has a very beautiful face, costume and background, but some has only grass and sky. What would these mean? ...

 

[guidemwit]

Please do something! at least remove that sculpture(I think it is Brahmā

god from hinduism) Siam is not hindu empire. )

I think it looks like some head at Khmer's landmark, Ankhor Wat.

 

[Pagal]

Please do something! at least remove that sculpture(I think it is Brahmā
god from hinduism) Siam is not hindu empire. I

While Ramkamhaeng wasn't Hindu, Hinduism has had an enormous impact on Thai history, and there are many Hindu temples in the country...

 

[Grav]

It is Thaksin that triggered it, many people hated him.

Well, the red shirts would disagree with that, and just as soon point the finger at the yellow shirts. Regardless, Thaksin is fuel to the fire, so I agree that it would not be appropriate to have the king imaged after him.

 

[CHEESE!]

Wow. He does look a lot like Thaksin. Bad move, Firaxis.

 

[guidemwit]

While Ramkamhaeng wasn't Hindu, Hinduism has had an enormous impact on Thai history, and there are many Hindu temples in the country...

Only some (or maybe, few) religious rituals that we have influenced from Hinduism
Not our architecture, statue, costume, etc.

For more info:
estimate number of Buddhism Wat in Thailand : 20000

 

[Arayuth]

I am Thai myself too.

Please REMOVE that statue head.
We worship the Buddha and don't use hindu god head for decoration.

and CHANGE our king face. Or just remove our civilization[Siam] from this game.
It look alike a terrorist someone who is still at large as he fled from the law.

Please do more research. or change Siam to Khmer for your convenience.
Our people are quite sensitive on this aspect.

 

[Thormodr]

Hopefully something is done.

My girlfriend is Thai and I am moving to Thailand for a year in September. Besides it being insulting to Thai people in general, it would really suck to not be able to play ciV while I am there because of the Siamese leader looking like Thaksin.

Speaking of such things, I preordered the game on Steam. I am in Vancouver, Canada currently. Will there be any problem downloading the game via Steam when I am in Thailand? (I will arrive in Thailand before the 21st of September) Providing it is allowed in the first place into Thailand.

Furthermore, if the game is allowed, I'd like to meet up with Civ players in Thailand to play or discuss strategy or just hang out. Anyone interested can PM me.

 

[Frank Drebin]

there's always something to get upset about i guess.

 

[Mercade]

there's always something to get upset about i guess.

Maybe so, but the Thai people and government take their king very seriously. Westerners have no idea until they visit the country and see the amount of pictures that are in the public arena (see below photo I took 2 years ago). There isn't a single person who would publicly mock the king or say anything that would even remotely be perceived as disgraceful or ilsulting.

Having said that I fully understand the sensitivity of the Thai people towards this game, and the genuine fear that the government will not allow distribution because of the way the Siam monarch is displayed and the conflicting religious background images used.

Spoiler :

 

[ichibang]

Hello every one!

I think that complaining about Siam would not do anything better

Any one knows if there are any way to tell Firaxis directly about this problem

I would be very grateful

Thanks in advace!!!

 

[Tee Kay]

Firaxis/2K's representatives do read this forum.

Though they probably won't do anything about it.

 

[Windsor]

Having said that I fully understand the sensitivity of the Thai people towards this game, and the genuine fear that the government will not allow distribution because of the way the Siam monarch is displayed and the conflicting religious background images used.

All the more reason to keep it controversial.