hall Posted August 27, 2001 Report Share Posted August 27, 2001 As a way of improving my written thai I correspond with six thai ladies - some bar girls - some not. After nearly a year of writing I have noticed a distinct trend in the replies. I may ask several questions in my email/letters (other than the usual platitudes) but invariably I receive an answer to only one question. Time after time the pattern is repeated - ask six questions -- get an answer to only one. Usually the first question I ask. Is their concentration level such that two questions at the same time is one too many!! The questions are not rocket science e.g. "how did the recent floods affect your village" or "is the thai movie 'Killer Tattoo' still showing in Grungtep". Not too difficult to answer I would have thought! I now ask only one question per contact and this seems to work but I was interested to know if others on the board have this problem. Cheers Hall [ August 27, 2001: Message edited by: hall ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pattaya127 Posted August 27, 2001 Report Share Posted August 27, 2001 YES! (but on the phone it's worse, because i have to repeat the question 3 times,I mean after she answered it already!!!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
think_too_mut Posted August 27, 2001 Report Share Posted August 27, 2001 I found that as well. Then, started writing my two questions within the first window, thought she did not know how to scroll up the message. Only then she started answering more than one question but never all of them. She also said he would have someone to punch the response in so it would have been a long exercise if she went through everything I had asked. Watching me in the hotel receiving hundreds of messages (business, of course) a day and responding to many of them easily, made her eyes shine wide open. She admitted that compiling a 15 lines message takes her 3 days. Even after that, boy, you should see that spelling and typos. If they can speak what we say "reasonable English" that does not mean they can easilly read or write what they can say. Frankly, computer literate farangs can't believe how demanding it is on the girls to handle what we can't live without. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 27, 2001 Report Share Posted August 27, 2001 hall, I thought I only had this problem. If you have read any of my postings you will know that I haven't yet been to the LOS. September will be first for me. I have meet some girls on bangkok chat, and have the same trouble with getting a answer to a single question just asked on chat. Its just like "pattaya127" said, I ask the same question 2 or 3 times. The answers are off the wall. Some of these girls work in offices and are university students. Don't flame me, because I know they do lie about what they do. I have gotten their email address and like you said, I ask them maybe only 3 or 4 questions. The answers I get are not even for any of the questions I have asked them. I think the best way to handle this would be, to let them answer first and then make up the question for their answer. I don't think the problem is because they don't understand the question. Maybe its attention spand. I don't have a clue. I also agree with "Lazaro" on how demanding it must be on the girl. I'm very patient in my emails. I'm sure it takes them hours just to receive and send a email from home. I'm not talking about love letters that need to go to the translator either. We do take alot for granted. LeoTex [ August 28, 2001: Message edited by: LeoTex ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 28, 2001 Report Share Posted August 28, 2001 quote: I thought I only had this problem. If you have read any of my postings you will know that I haven't yet been to the LOS. September will be firt for me. I have meet some girls on bangkok chat Bangkok chat? What is the web address for that? Regards, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 28, 2001 Report Share Posted August 28, 2001 Ultraviolot, I hope its ok to post that site here, with all that going on. The site is "www.bangkokchat.com" If you have a problem just send a private message. Or send me a email TexasL@att.net LeoTex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hall Posted August 28, 2001 Author Report Share Posted August 28, 2001 Thanks for your posts guys. Think this is (once again) going to be filed under TiT !!! Have a great trip Leotex you lucky B ! My next trip 6 months away aaarrrrggghh. Cheers Hall Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pattaya127 Posted August 28, 2001 Report Share Posted August 28, 2001 quote: Originally posted by LeoTex: hall, I have meet some girls on bangkok chat, and have the same trouble with getting a answer to a single question just asked on chat. Its just like "pattaya127" said, I ask the same question 2 or 3 times. The answers are off the wall. Some of these girls work in offices and are university students. Don't flame me, because I know they do lie about what they do. I have gotten their email address and like you said, I ask them maybe only 3 or 4 questions. The answers I get are not even for any of the questions I have asked them. I think the best way to handle this would be, to let them answer first and then make up the question for their answer. I don't think the problem is because they don't understand the question. Maybe its attention spand. I don't have a clue. LeoTex [ August 28, 2001: Message edited by: LeoTex ] This is the great LOS mystery, not just with the girls. They seem to hear but not listen, or listen but not hearing! Seriously, i think it is part of the asian way to always make the talking more important than the content, almost. When i was doing a little business (very little), i quickly learnt to make a lot of small talk and not get down to business right away. I must say it makes life very pleasurable that way. About the chat girls, i just think they are not used to being asked precise questions, and as thais go, they just go back to proper, unconsequential behaviour rather than step up to the plate. Apparently, we sound very strange to them!.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 29, 2001 Report Share Posted August 29, 2001 pattaya127 I think you for your insight in basic communcication with Thais. I have been making all my comments with regards to only writen exchanges, not verbal. I haven't even considered verbal questions and answers. The other day I was online chating with a girl in BKK with it going about the same as we have all posted. She gave me her moble phone number for me to call her when I was in LOS. We are going to meet for lunch on my third day in Bkk. While we were on chat I grab my cell phone and dialed her number. Besides her being surprised, the coversation was even harder than the writen one we were having online. Got off the phone and back to the writen as fast as I could. I guess the light bulb just went on, hello! I now realize the bigest problem is her understand of English, writen and verbal. This girl has a formal education. I can only guess how it would be for a bg with no formal education. She learns English from her customers. She can speak but would not have a clue on the writen words. I think you hit the nail on the head when you said "Apparently, we sound very strange to them", writen and oral. Sooner or later if you keep asking, you will get the answer to the questions. LeoTex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted August 29, 2001 Report Share Posted August 29, 2001 Very good point that BGs learn 'beer bar english' and not formal learned english. I had a book and thai/english tapes in my room and one of my 'girlfriends' loved listening to the tapes and the translation. Perhaps I'll bring one as a gift. She got a kick out of it and mimicked the english translation. To address the original question. I found the same thing also. I just got used to it and if I thought my question was important enough I kept asking it in the next e mail as the first question. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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