... bought or sold in Thailand passes through the hands of one or more Chinese middlemen" (Coughlin, 1960, p.2). It was for this reason many Thai people felt an animosity towards the Chinese, due to feelings that the Chinese were taking over Thailand. This may have been why some Chinese like Ying's father and grandfather were discriminated against when they first came to Thailand. But the level of discrimination decreased significantly after marrying Thai women and adopting their surnames to increase social and business opportunities. Name changes are also useful when "dealings with the government are anticipated-an application for an export permit, say, signed with a Chinese name may be rejected out of hand, or inordinately delayed, while the same application with a Thai name will receive better treatment" (Coughlin, 1960, p.71). For this reason many Chinese men coming to Thailand ignored their Chinese roots and adopted the Thai culture and therefore ...

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