Question - Expats who speak Thai, ever pretend you can't and...

[Flashermac]

http://www.omniglot.com/language/phrases/lao.php

 

http://laolanguage.vislao.com/basic_fold/basic.htm

 

 

[Encore]

If they're isan, instead of MaiPenLai, just say "Boh Pen Yang Dohk", kind of casually, then wait for a reaction.

 

It means the same, but will generate even bigger surprise.

[Guest]

Can't do it, can't bring myself to fake it...I learn languages to communicate, and that desire for communication always ends up overtaking me.

 

The other consideration--and I know lots of people will disagree with this one--is the overarching goal of maintaining harmony/preserving face in Thai social interaction.

 

If I were to let someone say a bunch of bad/snide things about me in front of me, and THEN spring the big surprise on them that "hey, I speak Thai!"...well, they would seriously lose face in such a situation, and I just won't let that happen.

 

Say what you want about Thais and the way they behave--and believe me, I have my share of criticisms--but when I'm in Thailand, I play by their rules.

[tartempion]

If I were to let someone say a bunch of bad/snide things about me in front of me, and THEN spring the big surprise on them that "hey, I speak Thai!"...well, they would seriously lose face in such a situation, and I just won't let that happen.

 

So they could make an ass out of you but you won't let them lose face by showing your capacities...

 

I grew too old for such games and usually give a hard time to anyone trying.

 

Anywhere I go I play be MY rules, was stopped by customs at CDG last month, gave them 15 minutes of my time, they lost face believe me.

 

Had a bunch of cops stop me on a provincial road, one asked in Thai if I could speak their language to which I replied in their own turf "I can not speak Thai" We all had a good laugh and I went on my way.

i

[Stickman]

I have heard stuff I was not supposed to many times.

 

Once concerned an order I had made in English in a restaurant for a chicken dish. The staff talked amongst themselves and said that chicken had run out but they would use pork. At that point I piped up in Thai and they shrunk in shame!

[MooNoi]

When I lived in Bangkok I sat next to 2 Thammasat uni girls waiting for the bus to work and was listening to them speaking in Thai and wondering if farang cocks were really bigger than Thai cocks!

 

 

I couldn't help myself and when I turned around and said "farang yai maak loey... nae nawn Jing Jing loy percent!" they nearly died of shame and turned the red of a fire engine.

 

Ha!

 

Another time I was in a songthaew (baht bus) in the deep south. Obviously the only farang in the songthaew as well. It was full of middle-aged and old ladies coming back from the market. One of them sneezed. Another one said "farang mai ahp naam" ("the foreigner hasn't had a shower"), which had them all in fits of laughter.

 

When the laughter died down I looked at the lady who said it, smiled and said: "Khaw thawt na khrup, Pee... farang sa-aht na khrup... ahp naam laew, wa-nee don chao!" ("Excuse me madam, but the farang is clean, I had a shower this morning").

 

She started wai-ing all over the place and the other ladies looked rather embarrased.

 

Som nam na! (Serves them right!)

[Vintage_Kwai]

Ratchada,

Agree with the bit about learning languages to communicate, and can see where your enthusiasm gets the better of you when you feel you're still in depth. I've learnt to curb that urge.

 

I don't disagree about the 'harmony and face' bit either, however... in a normal situation.

 

If you've let people start talking bad in front of you, you're not communicating.

One of the first questions newly introduced Thais will usually ask is 'how much can he speak?' to gauge your level and to adjust their behavior. It's also not usual that someone will start talking bad about you in front of your face when you've just met someone for the first time.

 

Now, if they're talking bad about you before you've even met with them :alert: , you're rubbing elbows in the wrong crowd, and is definitely a lot safer to keep your mouth shut.

 

Bar environs, perhaps? The girls have already mentally gauged the size of your organ in relation to the size of your wallet as you part the door curtains to enter. Expect snide remarks. I'm usually not in there for the conversation

 

 

[Old Hippie]

Years back, Cent and I were at Khao Panum Rung, in Buri Ram, and a group of school kids were talking about how fat we were and a few other things...not really nasty shit...but...so I started to speak my crap Thai to them, got the wais and "Kaw Tawts" Said "Mai bpen Rai" they wanted pictures with us etc...it was fun...

 

Flash foreward a few years, was in Walgreen's in Sausalito, heard a few women yaking in Thai, said a few things, and made friends, still see them at Thai events...it does help to speak a language, even if it is poorly.

[Pescator]

I don't pretend, but there are times I simply may not tell them.

 

Yeah, I am with you on that.

If I am not asked or not addressed, why should I tell?

 

I don`t really recall having overheard any conversation about my person except from being referred to as "farang".

Well, I am a farang, I can live with that.

 

I do however remember an incident where I sat in a songtaew heading for Sangkhom or Chiang Khan in Loei with a bunch of thai people.

Next to me was sitting an old thai woman chewing betel and entertaining the entire lot with all kinds of shit.

She was not quite "Dtem Baht" I expect.

Not exactly the sharpest blade in the drawer.

But quite harmless and non offensive or so I thought until she suddenly turned her attention to me who was laying low and trying to relax with my eyes closed on a long journey.

She all of a sudden pulled the hairs on my leg - yes, I travel in shorts, fell free to flame me - and exclaimed with a huge grin: Muan Ling Loey.

Just like a monkey. The Songtaew roared with laughter, nothing like slapstick comedy in Thailand.

For just a moment I played with the thought of pulling her saggy breasts and say:

Muan tung taow haeng loey.

Just like a pair of dry socks.

 

Well, it was harmless and I just smiled at the old lady and closed my eyes again.

 

 

[dave32]

Ran into several situations in Berlin where I overheard conversations towards the American soldiers or tourists that were in our immediate company at the time. Some harmless and funny, others a bit surprising. It wasn't that the people around were worried about me understanding, they just didn't know I was an American. Don't think I could get away with that in LOS.

 

Even though I've been there only a handful of times, there have already been several occasions where I wished I had a grasp of what was being communicated around me. Oh yes.

 

Working on it, but I'll never reach the level of fluency of some of you guys.

 

Thanks for sharing.