Since a lot of Kelantanese I met during my fieldwork asked me why I'm interested in Patani when I'm Indian, I couldn't help but to ask them if white researchers got the same question. One of the replies was "But white people don't have culture that's why they come here."

Another hilarious incident was at a kedai songket in Penambang, a French tourist started whitesplaining to the pak cik who owns the shop about how Patani Malays should be grateful to the Thai state. The Pak cik retorted “You shouldn’t talk when you don’t have a clue about this.”

Correction the tourist was Austrian. And pack cik continued, “Since you’re Austrian you should know better right? The Germans invaded you.” Pak cik songket was savage AF. I will never forget him.

This tweet is picking up traction so I’m just going to plug the name of the shop and the location. The songket is expensive but batik more affordable!

Cik Minah Songket & Batik, Penambang, Kelantan.

350, Kg Penambang, 15350 Kota Bharu, Kelantan https://g.co/kgs/NwroUY