A Thai Twitch streamer experienced multiple instances of racism in Brussels, Belgium, all of which were caught on camera.
The first encounter: Ppim, an IRL (in real life) travel streamer based in Bangkok, was livestreaming while walking down a Brussels street at night when a group of men approached her and repeated the Chinese greeting “Ni hao.”
“I’m not from China,” she can be heard telling them during her livestream. “You stop saying ni hao, OK? That’s f*cking racist.”
However, rather than apologizing, one of the men presses his hands together in a praying gesture and says “chiring chiring,” while another says, “F*cking racist, you,” causing the group of men to laugh.
As they walk away, another man from the group approaches Ppim again and attempts to put his hand on her shoulder while repeatedly saying “ni hao.” Enraged, Ppim backs away and yells, “Ni hao? F*ck you, I’m not from China, I’m from Thailand, man! You f*cking educate! Not everybody is from China. F*ck you! You f*cking b*tch!”
Twitch streamer experiencing racism in Belgium pic.twitter.com/7zpxOlRH97
— Dexerto (@Dexerto) July 12, 2023
The second encounter: Around five minutes after the first encounter, Ppim enters the lobby of the hotel she’s staying in and explains what happened to the front desk clerk. Instead of sympathizing with the streamer, the clerk tells her she “looks Chinese” and that she has small eyes. Exasperated, Ppim tells the clerk that his insinuations are racist and also suggests that he educate himself.
Twitch streamer @ppimirl experienced racism again at her hotel in Belgium pic.twitter.com/U8NKudterX
— Dexerto (@Dexerto) July 12, 2023
The streamer later tweeted about her experience, writing:
How is be normal for staff that work is the hostel said I have small eyes and iam from China ???? I don’t hate China but this so f*cking disrespectful and I got 3 time today people said “ Ni hao” to me is this normal? I’m so f*cking piss today.
How is be normal for staff that work is the hostel said I have small eyes and iam from China ???? I don’t hate China but this so fucking disrespectful and I got 3 time today people said “ Ni hao” to me is this normal ? I’m so fucking piss today
— ppim in Belgium 🇧🇪 (@ppimirl) July 12, 2023
In another tweet, Ppim explains that the incident involving the group of men was not the first racist encounter she had that night. She claims that earlier on, another stranger had passed her on a scooter and likewise shouted “ni hao.”
Thank you for many people are stood up ! and after see idiot comments can see how a lot of ignorant and think this is normal , the reason I look mad because some kind also pass by with scooters and shouting “ no hao” not funny https://t.co/TiX91MofS7
— ppim in Belgium 🇧🇪 (@ppimirl) July 13, 2023
Reactions: Reactions from Twitter users ranged from sympathy to frustration.
“As a Belgian I’m here to say we don’t claim them,” wrote one user.
“Really sucks this happen to her. People need to be more respectful. Crazy how people will tend to try others nowadays,” another user said.
On the other hand, some commenters blamed Ppim for the interaction.
“Could have just said it back and went about the stream. Just had to entertain the viewers though,” wrote one user.
“Twitch streamer goes outside of the US and is shocked the world isn’t like the US,” commented another.
