Your Father's Name

[Guest]

>>>Or one I used on a longtail boot captain who made a disparaging remark about one of my friends (female - not girlfriend) "Mae mueng bpen sohpaynee nahn riplao?" I thought he was going to blow a gasket as all his mates started laughing hysterically at his having been one upped by a farang. I think I remember one asking him "jing mai?" To which he let off with a spray of expletives. My friends and I made our exit while he was occupied defending his now broken honor with his mates.<<<

 

 

jeesaz - a miracle that you got out alive from that one!

 

 

 

[kamui]

Any translation service for this thread available for non-Thai speaking people like me? I really would like to know how you insult the peopele. :hubba:

[Brink15]

jeesaz - a miracle that you got out alive from that one!

---

 

Not really.

 

a. he was a younger guy who was fairly new and trying to make a place for himself in a group of long time boat captains.

 

b. I smiled as I said it.

 

c. I knew many of the other captains from diving and several relied on dive trips for income. Although I never used this guy again.

 

d. had he decided to get violent he would have been on his own - not the kind of odds the younger guys like - at least there at that time.

 

e. my main concern was being ambushed later but a quick word to the kamnan of the younger guys made sure that wouldn't happen.

 

All in all pretty easy. Now would I do the same in front of a bunch of motorcycle taxi drivers in BKK? No f**king way. Although I might respond with a "kortoht na krup. Mai don poot mai supahp, na krup. Kao mai chai poo-ying bar. Kao bpen puuen pom. " Or words to that effect.

 

[Brink15]

Um, yeah we could translate this stuff for you but realize that these are very nasty insults and could very well result in getting you into severe if not fatal trouble in Thailand.

 

For instance "Mae mueng bpen sohpaynee nahn riplao?" means "has your mother been a whore for a long time?" On top of that "mueng" is a very impolite form of "you."

 

Unlike in the West where you might have a guy take a swing at you, in Thailand it could easily end up with the insulted party and a dozen of his friends stomping you to death.

 

Unless you live there and understand the potential consequences I would suggest avoiding the use of these phrases.

 

If you want to take the piss with a Thai it is better to do it in a polite way and only when you are confident of the outcome.

 

Often it is easier to be polite and make the person look foolish then to curse them out and risk violence.

 

One of my favorites for annoying touts is "Wun-nii pom mai ow nah, bangtii pom ja ow chaht naa." or "Today I don't want it, maybe I'll want it in my next life." Sort of slagging him off without blatantly insulting him. And usually makes him lose a little face with his friends.

 

Another slightly more insulting, but not totally rude, saying is "pop gun chaht naa." or "see you next life."

 

[Guest]

yeah, one has to be very selective where, when and how one picks a fight.

 

my best one was when i took a taxi opposite the lumphini stadium. i did not realise until i was in that the bloke was one of the patpong drivers on his return journey. he refused to switch on the meter, and i called him all sorts of stuff. it was just me and him. first he looked at me very violently but then after realising that i had maybe 15 kilos on him the indexfinger came out of his clenched fist and he wispered something like 'nisai mai dee'... :hubba:

 

yeah, once a while you get the opportunity... :hubba:

[Guest]

only if you are hundred percent sure that you have local back up (not farang-local, local-local!) you should consider getting into a confrontation here. as brink said, harmless insults can start here easily a chainreaction you don't want to start.