A Thai cosmetics company quickly pulled a video in which an actress wears blackface and promotes a skin-whitener with the slogan: “You just need to be white to win.” The retraction did little, however, to stem a debate the ad ignited about the regularity of racist advertisements in the Southeast Asian country.

The online ad for the new product called “Snowz” featured porcelain-skinned Thai movie star Cris Horwang talking about being an aging actress in a competitive industry.

“If I stopped looking after myself, everything that I have worked for — all the investment I have made to keep myself white — would disappear,” says the 35-year-old actress. “New stars would replace me, I would fade away.”

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