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Whistle-blowers in uniform

Travelling around Thailand, you see them everywhere. Donning military-style uniforms, they help you park and watch over who enters compounds, residences, government offices or shops. They help drivers push their way into seemingly endless streams of traffic while continually emitting short but intense bursts on their beloved whistles. The uniform and the whistle are the security guard’s essential necessities. Without them, he would feel lost. And so would we.

Security is huge business in Thailand. This multi-billion baht industry employs over 200,000 personnel, and companies are often run by influential army officers. They take advantage of Thai people’s deference to anyone in uniform and authority. Who would dare question the orders of a security guard and his whistle? While some private businesses such as gold shops and housing estates may indeed have some practical use for the men in uniform, hiring a security guard is frequently a matter of status.

This is of no small significance in Thailand. You can gain as much ‘face’ from giving the impression of having a lot to protect as from the actual possession itself. A security guard can elevate the status of even the plainest building to heady levels. Just make sure you have an impressive fence and doorway, put up an ornate name sign with something lofty such as ‘Chateau’ or ‘Mansion’ in the title and a uniform to complete the illusion.

While in the west, uniforms have become fashion accessories; in Thailand, they still command much respect and rarely will anyone doubt the authority of someone in uniform. Add to that the whistle, which speaks in a language that is little understood, least of all by the whistleblower himself, and you have a figure with some real clout. In Thailand, noise is good; noise means you’re doing something. The security guard’s day often consists of waving his gloved hands and filling in registers, but saluting big shots or those who think they are is also an important part of his duties, before or after taking a discrete snooze.

The housing estate where I live naturally employs a number of more or less diligent gloved ones. I have a sticker for both my motorbike and car to show I’m a resident of this estate however no one has ever bothered to check the sticker. When I enter in my car, I routinely get a salute even though the guard can’t see me due to my tinted windows. When I enter on my motorbike, I get ignored. There’s just no ‘face’ in a motorbike anymore.

The concept of sanuk (fun) is all-important in Thailand, even when it comes to work. Sanuk can really only be had in a group, so imagine the poor security guard sitting alone in his booth all day. If he’s lucky, he may have the chance for a quick chat with a maid or pizza delivery boy. Some may even be daring enough to practice their few words of English with any foreigner who makes his way past their post.

What keeps him going? Apart from duty, salary and stubborn patience, the uniform gives him a sense of pride and purpose. The face of the uniform must be held up at any cost. Occasionally though, it may experience a brief slump when our sentry succumbs to the heat and boredom and sneaks in a few winks.

Interestingly, the epitome of security guards as known in the west - the bouncer, is not a concept in Thailand. First of all, refusing entry to anyone would result in an instant loss of ‘face’ and the possibility of this would leave the establishment with nobody lining up to be refused anyway. Second, Thais have a finely tuned sense of hierarchy and are fully aware of their social status and would not even want to enter a place where the clientele is likely to belong to another class. If you do want to gatecrash, just dress the part and walk straight past as if you belong and chances are you’ll not be challenged.

So, next time you walk past a gloved one, don’t just ignore him. Smile, say thank you and make his day. He’s more than just an ornament.