luckyfarang Posted March 25, 2005 Report Share Posted March 25, 2005 <<<AI HEE-YAH (A hiah is a monitor lizard. Don't ask me why it is an insult, but it is fighting language!) >>> What really gets me, Flasher, is that every Thai is familiar with this insult, but nearly all have never seen a monitor lizard, and don't even know what HEEAH(f) means! Very poor content on that website, obviously made by someone who knows very little Thai. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted March 25, 2005 Report Share Posted March 25, 2005 A monitor lizard is a fascinating creature, distant cousin to the Komodo dragons. It looks like a baby dinosaur maybe -- and is completely harmless. Yet Thais may freak out when they see one and do their best to kill them. Their reaction has always puzzled me. Then again, lots of upcountry Thais want to kill virtually everything they see. So much for Buddhism. p.s. My wife was amazed at the squirrels running through the trees at my home in the States. She said that in Thailand people would try to kill them. Instead, my parents put out feeders for the squirrels and wild birds in the winter. (It was a bit odd when the possums started showing up to empty the feeders every day.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pescator Posted March 25, 2005 Report Share Posted March 25, 2005 luckyfarang said:<<<AI HEE-YAH (A hiah is a monitor lizard. Don't ask me why it is an insult, but it is fighting language!) >>> What really gets me, Flasher, is that every Thai is familiar with this insult, but nearly all have never seen a monitor lizard, and don't even know what HEEAH(f) means! Amazing, the monitor lizzard is found all over thailand and is quite common. I`ve seen dozens of those particularly in the south. There are even a couple of large ones freely roaming the grounds of the suan sat khao din in Bkk. Khao Din Zoo. If you try to refer to the Heeah as Dtua Ngun Dtua Thong or Dtua Heeah mayby you will have more people know what you are referring to. Every so often you will have people correct you when you use the word Heeah, Dtua Ngun Dtua Thong gives "better mileage". I`ve tried to get an explanation from thais more than once as to why the Heeah is believed to bring bad luck. Never got much of an explanation. But it is not just upcountry folks who believe in this bad luck thing, I recall reading in the BKK Post a couple of years back, how the staff at a political party`s head quarter found this lizzard in their garden. And much speculation was made if the opposing party had planted it there on purpose :: Very poor content on that website, obviously made by someone who knows very little Thai. Probably a juvenile who gets a kick out of writing obscene words :: cheers Hua Nguu Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.. Posted March 26, 2005 Report Share Posted March 26, 2005 Hua Nguu said:I`ve tried to get an explanation from thais more than once as to why the Heeah is believed to bring bad luck. Never got much of an explanation. But it is not just upcountry folks who believe in this bad luck thing,... Which goes to show that not all Thais believe the same thing. My wife says that seeing one, or more specifically, the first person in a group who sees one, will be lucky for that day! BTW, there are several that live in Lumpini Park, too, including one ~3M monster. I like 'em, think they are kewl... Cheers, SD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mano_poderosa Posted March 30, 2005 Report Share Posted March 30, 2005 Thanks, now I finally know why all of the ladies (and a male bartender) in my favorite Nana bar scream and scamper away like schoolgirls when the owner places a largish rubber lizard next to them. Manos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dexi Posted April 15, 2005 Report Share Posted April 15, 2005 Yes,I`ve seen one swimming in the lake at Lumpini,was with my first tgf at the time ,she saw it first...BTW,I overheard a chap talking on his mobile referring to himself as " heea ",but with a low tone...the tgf told me it can be used for a male of high status and now often refers to me as " hee-a "...is this correct ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pescator Posted April 15, 2005 Report Share Posted April 15, 2005 I was told that the word you refer to is similar to Pii in thai, but I believe it is used only by people of chinese origin. Cheers Hua Nguu Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 19, 2005 Report Share Posted April 19, 2005 "Heea " is commonly use to adress people of senior position in trade, or actually business owners. My last regular date after several fruitless lessons and big laughs strongly recommended me to stick to "Nay Hang", in big part to avoid any confusion with "Hee Hee Ia " ... :: ...most indians I know take the same careful approach and we're mostly adressed that way as well... How many more years before I get thai prononciation right?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted April 19, 2005 Report Share Posted April 19, 2005 People still say NAI HAHNG??? Old timers -- even older than me! -- told me that was the term of address for all Farang men say before WWII. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 19, 2005 Report Share Posted April 19, 2005 yep...they say it a lot, but it may be restricted to gem trade... even over the phone when we call some company we're adressed that way, indeed it seems most western and indian bosses are adressed that way while thais are mostly adresses "Heea". I definetely missed some subtletlies here but be sure I hear it a good hundred time a day when on buying trip Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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