Pescator Posted December 30, 2003 Report Share Posted December 30, 2003 Are any of you "guilty" of that? I guess you know what I am talking about. Sometimes you will hear thai people giving less favourable comments on farangs when they are sure they do not understand. Do you chip in and join the party at the expense of the unknowing fellow farang? Say you are at a dinner party, there is this hot chick whom you really fancy. Problem is she is talking to another farang instead of the obvious choice :: Will you try to get the upper hand by switching to thai? When you wait in a line at e.g. a hotel desk/travelling agency/restaurant whatever would you try to get the clerk`s attention by talking to him in thai in order to cut the waiting time short? There could be all kinds of situations where one could take advantage of being able to speak thai well at the expense of non-thai speakers. Could be interesting to learn if you do and if yes, in what siutations. Cheers Hua Nguu Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torneyboy Posted December 30, 2003 Report Share Posted December 30, 2003 Hi Great post. Yes..many One is at the Airports ..say Chiang Mai/Chiang Rai etc...they call for boarding..by flight number in Thai first...get the jump on the falangs :: Also at Detak offices while waiting to pay a bill you are called in numbers. In the lift with some hotel staff that won''t to get to a higher floor before letting you off...i speak up ...very surprised at the time. And shopping is the best...how much is this? mutter mutter...falang .....charge this.....no way etc etc. If my wife is with me she would just Explode Great fun IMHO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 31, 2003 Report Share Posted December 31, 2003 Well.......Phom phuut pasa Thai nit noi, but is totaly crucial in getting the best deal from a b/g. And having fun with them also. They will always be more comfortable being with someone who knows a little Thai. And from vendors, tuk tuk drivers, etc., as well. As soon a Thai person knows you have been around, and know a little of the language, prices get much more down-to-earth. But the best is pretending you know nothing, and then start speaking Thai. Spend an hour in a bar, and then ask the girl, "Khun aayu thao rai"? in perfect tone. Some of the reactions are hilarious. Some will automaticlly answer in Thai, and then realize the situation. :: Some will be immediately shocked. In all cases, the eye's get big with a shocked expression. "How can speak Thai?" I use it to my advantage at every opportunity. Nowhere more, than in Thai chat rooms. The ultimate ice-breaker. But now that I'm taken :: I need to use mostly to communicate with g/f's grandmother in AngThong in a few weeks, when I meet her. I'll have to work hard in the next few weeks to not blurt out, "Sawatdee Khrap. Sabai dee rue plao? Khun chue arai Khrap? Phom chue HT. Khun raakaa thao rai, khrap?.......raakaa lot noi dai mai" :: HT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.. Posted December 31, 2003 Report Share Posted December 31, 2003 Absolutely, every chance I get. It is not taking advantage of a situation, just using all the tools at your disposal. It is great in business, but the opposite. I will not speak any of the languages I speak (Thai, Bahasa, bit o'Cantonese, Mandarin & Japanese) while in business meetings. Only English. Never fails that someone will tip their hand due to arrogance. This is a *classic* Japanese negotiation strategy and one I learned the hard way when living there Cheers, SD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whosyourdaddy Posted December 31, 2003 Report Share Posted December 31, 2003 Not really.. I understand much more than I speak. Can watch most Thai dramas and everyday conversations, but dont speak Thai much anymore. Conversations get sometimes interesting with friends/wife speaking thai to me and I will answer them back in English. Get some weird reactions from bystanders. Most of the time I will speak in English if I know the sales person/ hopital employee, work mate etc is comfortable with the language. If I notice they are struggling, i will switch to Thai, much to their relief. I have studied the language long enough that I have given up on looking for chances to practice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 31, 2003 Report Share Posted December 31, 2003 Simple answer: all the time! Why bother learning a language if you don't use it to your advantage?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pescator Posted December 31, 2003 Author Report Share Posted December 31, 2003 Well that goes without saying. However, I can see that I didn`t express myself all that clearly. What I meant by taking advantage was taking advantage at the expense of say an unknowing fellow farang. By the examples I supplied in my intial post you will probably get my drift. Cheers Hua Nguu Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 31, 2003 Report Share Posted December 31, 2003 Hua Nguu said:Well that goes without saying. However, I can see that I didn`t express myself all that clearly. What I meant by taking advantage was taking advantage at the expense of say an unknowing fellow farang. By the examples I supplied in my intial post you will probably get my drift. Cheers Hua Nguu I have no qualms about taking that advantage. Gotta play with all your cards, right ...? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markle Posted January 1, 2004 Report Share Posted January 1, 2004 At the moment I make a point of speaking Thai in front of falangs who don't because I'm in the job market and my Thai language skills are one of the things I'm trading on. I've rarely used my Thai at the expense of another falang and I'm certainly conscious of speaking Thai in front of nonThai speakers, that it's a bit rude. I think most falang would cotton on if you suddenly took off with a girl that they'd been talking with for hours, or everyone is laughing at a joke that seems to be at their expense. one thing I do do is to hang back and not get involved even if another falang is having trouble being understood/getting what they want. just don't want to 'seuak' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 1, 2004 Report Share Posted January 1, 2004 Markle, you're clearly a better man than I! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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