When I fist came to Thailand I still had a beard. Nobody in a western country or the tourist centers in Thailand ever looked different at me for having a beard I think.
But in Korat I was soon aware that children looked suspicious at me and preferred to keep some "distance for safety". The regular adults were still friendly but maybe a little reserved. In the academic community I couldn't tell a difference.
One of my first thai friends, a teacher at an elementary school, explained to me that this comes mainly from the cartoons on TV were the villain always has a beard. Besides that people just are not used to dark beards, since younger men don't have much growth of facial hair here.
When old men have a grey or white beard they're considered as wise or as philosophers, since these are usually depicted with full grey or white beards.
Whiskers on the upper lip are considered as stylish; some of the Kings have whiskers on their pictures, which are just about everywhere. So people are used to those.
Anyway it was kind of hot with a thick beard in this new climate for me. So I parted from it with the result of having to shave every day. Got used to it. The people around me, especially Thais, kept teasing me for a while but it was apparent that they became more open to me. Also I didn't notice children staying at an extra far distance from me anymore. Though of course I was still the farang they just had to be curious about though not suspicious anymore of maybe causing harm to them. They started circling closer around me then.
