Tourist’s racism allegation against Phuket 7-Eleven worker divides social media

A Black tourist’s accusation that a 7-Eleven cashier in Phuket treated him differently because of his race has divided social-media users.

In a TikTok video posted on the tourist’s fourth day in Thailand, he shows a partly eaten sandwich before returning to the convenience store to confront the lone female cashier. The cashier reheats the food but, according to the video and the accompanying account, does not apologise, offer a replacement or make eye contact. The tourist describes the treatment as anti-Black bias.

The video drew thousands of comments from travellers, Thai residents and foreign residents. Some Black travellers and long-term residents rejected the racism allegation, saying their experiences of Thai hospitality had generally been welcoming. The tourist also says at the end of the clip that he had enjoyed his trip and did not consider all Thai people prejudiced.

Other commenters attributed the cashier’s silence to anxiety about speaking English and Thai social norms during confrontations. According to Rawai News, viewers said filming service workers during a minor dispute can cause discomfort and conflict with local expectations around privacy and public confrontation.

Privacy advocates and local observers also criticised the tourist for recording a low-paid service worker without consent. The report said convenience-store staff in tourist areas may work alone while handling deliveries, payments and hot-food orders, and that a complaint made in rapid English could leave a less fluent worker unsure how to respond.

It added that looking down or remaining quiet during a dispute can be intended as deference or an effort to de-escalate, although visitors accustomed to direct apologies and eye contact may interpret the behaviour as hostility.