Rob Jetten’s victory in the elections was received with great enthusiasm internationally. What caught the attention of many Thais is the prominent tattoo on Keenan’s arm with the word ‘Ubuntu’ written in Thai.
‘Ubuntu’ is not a Thai word, but an African philosophy. It means something like: ‘I am because we are’ and revolves around values such as community, cooperation and interdependence.
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‘Moral quality of man’
Ubuntu comes from cultures in sub-Saharan Africa, especially among Bantu-speaking peoples in countries such as South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Mozambique. The term exists in several African languages.
In a 2018 UNESCO article entitled ‘I am because you are’, Ubuntu is described as ‘a moral quality of human beings, as a philosophy or ethics, as African humanism and as a worldview’.
‘No idea what it means’
Keenan, an Argentinian hockey player, has gone viral on social media in the Southeast Asian country with his tattoo. “I have no idea what it means, but it suits him,” laughs 28-year-old Ying.
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In addition to the positive reactions to Jetten’s victory, in Thailand, in addition to the tattoo, there is a lot of attention for Jetten and his intended ‘first husband’ as a gay couple.
Various newspapers and magazines such as ELLE Thailand extensively portray their love lives with photos from social media.