Thai's addressing farangs by their name?

[preahko]

Is this a common Thai trait..(not including BG's!]

 

Seldom do I encounter Thai's that address me by my first name. I know the names of those I encounter often and address them as Khun _(their name), but while they may know my name, it's never spoken.

The few exceptions are Thai's I've know a long time and sometime socialize with.

Do you have similar experiences...?

 

In most SEAsian languages (including Thai) it's not polite to use a person's name as 2nd person pronoun when you're talking to them if they're older than you or of higher status.

 

Since most Thais do, to some degree, think of almost all farangs as high status, it's rare they'll use just your name to address you.

 

It is okay to address someone older than you with their name if you preface it with a kinship term (brother, uncle) or the hyper-polite "khun". But they generally have to be speaking Thai with you in the first place (at least for the kinship terms).

 

 

[Pescator]

Basically that you are in the same (general) age bracket as the person addressing you

 

"P" Corinthian.....similar age bracket

 

It's also Male and female specific.....

 

Female...( I think!!)

Nong ...much younger

Na .... a bit younger

P ....... similar age bracket

Pa....Older

Yai... Very farkkn old

 

 

Pee and Nong (older sibling/younger sibling are not gender specific.

 

As Waerth outlines, it is either age or status related. And you really need to be thai to figure out how it works exactly. Which factor is the decisive one? I sure dunno.

 

They often use terms of kinship to refer to one another or to adress one another. They may be family and they may not.

A never ending source of confusion.

 

Nuu (little mouse) is usually used by young women or when adressing young women. But young boys may use that term too.

 

Na is aunt, (younger sister of mother) so is Pa (elder sister of parents)

 

Paa with a high tone is also used for Dad.

Por/Mae father/mother or used when adressing parents in law or just a title of respect.

 

Lung is uncle.

 

Yaai is maternal grandmother, Yaa paternal.

Dtaa is maternal grandfather, Puu paternal.

 

All of these pronouns may refer to either kinship, age, status or respect.

 

Very fucking old: Tao=geriatric, unisex.

My father-in-law, God rest his soul, adressed my mother-in-law as Tao.

 

My brother in law is Puuyaibaan. I remember one time when I adressed him by his name: Somsii.

He sure didnt appreciate that. Well, tough luck buddy.

He wanted me to adress him as Khun Puuyaibaan.

Friends of his used that title or Por Sii, although they were actually older than him.

 

Even today nobody uses my real name when adressing me. In fact I seriously doubt if they know it.

I acquired a thai nick name when visiting the village for the first time and everybody sticks to that, the missus included.

My nick name is not exactly flattering, but neither is the missus`, she has been using a different one for many years. But not in the village, where everybody knows her by her real name.

Whenever she uses my nickname, I retaliate by using her original one.

Yes, we do have a lot of fun.

[ozpharlap]

I think I have told this story once before, but here we go again.

 

I drink at the Downunder bar on soi 7/1 Sukhumvit.

 

Anyway, I am known there as Big John (Ps, I am not tall, and I wish).

 

Well one day I am having a quiet drink, I tend to like a beer in the early morning, rather then being a late drinker, but I digress. An old friend had just landed and came to meet me. He fronts up and says, "Hey Greg". Well my favourite little bar staff looks at me as if I had played up behind her back, tears seemed to well up in her eyes. She says, "Your name is Greg, not John?" and "Why you tell me John". I look at her and say, "Okay, say my name, Greg". She utters something completely different. I repeat to her, "Say my name". She attempts to pronounce it again, 2 or 3 times with little success. Then, she just smiles at me and says, "Want another drink Big John".

 

It was humorous to me or you had to be there

[Redbaron]

Love it! Greg/John... I'm in the same boat, most call me Jack

[shygye]

... just don't call me late to dinner!

[preahko]

Basically that you are in the same (general) age bracket as the person addressing you

 

"P" Corinthian.....similar age bracket

 

It's also Male and female specific.....

 

Female...( I think!!)

Nong ...much younger

Na .... a bit younger

P ....... similar age bracket

Pa....Older

Yai... Very farkkn old

 

 

Pee and Nong (older sibling/younger sibling are not gender specific.

 

As Waerth outlines' date=' it is either age or status related. And you really need to be thai to figure out how it works exactly. Which factor is the decisive one? I sure dunno.

 

They often use terms of kinship to refer to one another or to adress one another. They may be family and they may not.

A never ending source of confusion.

 

Nuu (little mouse) is usually used by young women or when adressing young women. But young boys may use that term too.

 

Na is aunt, (younger sister of mother) so is Pa (elder sister of parents)

 

Paa with a high tone is also used for Dad.

Por/Mae father/mother or used when adressing parents in law or just a title of respect.

 

Lung is uncle.

 

Yaai is maternal grandmother, Yaa paternal.

Dtaa is maternal grandfather, Puu paternal.

 

All of these pronouns may refer to either kinship, age, status or respect.

 

Very fucking old: Tao=geriatric, unisex.

My father-in-law, God rest his soul, adressed my mother-in-law as Tao.

 

My brother in law is Puuyaibaan. I remember one time when I adressed him by his name: Somsii.

He sure didnt appreciate that. Well, tough luck buddy.

He wanted me to adress him as Khun Puuyaibaan.

Friends of his used that title or Por Sii, although they were actually older than him.

 

Even today nobody uses my real name when adressing me. In fact I seriously doubt if they know it.

I acquired a thai nick name when visiting the village for the first time and everybody sticks to that, the missus included.

My nick name is not exactly flattering, but neither is the missus`, she has been using a different one for many years. But not in the village, where everybody knows her by her real name.

Whenever she uses my nickname, I retaliate by using her original one.

Yes, we do have a lot of fun. [/quote']

 

Actually Na is either uncle or aunt (younger brother or sister of mother); the corresponding term for father's younger brother or sister is Aa. (Though in Lao, Aa is female only--younger aunt--and Ao is used for younger uncle)

[khunsanuk]

Hi,

 

"Even today nobody uses my real name when adressing me. In fact I seriously doubt if they know it.

I acquired a thai nick name when visiting the village for the first time and everybody sticks to that, the missus included."

 

That sounds awfully familiar

 

Sanuk!

 

[Flashermac]

My wife's nephews when they were younger always called me Aa [name]. At work - and even where I live, since most know what I do - I am always Archan [name] or just plain archan. It always amuses me when taxi drivers suddenly realise my occupation and immediately change their term of address and become more respectful. As a Thai colleague said to me, "Thais think 'archan' means something special, but it doesn't." Let them keep think it does though!

 

 

 

 

[waerth]

I personally feel the term Ajarn is inflated. My boss is being called Ajarn, while he never even finished a school .... and the annoying thing is in arguments he always uses it ... Thais say I am an ajarn you know so I know it better ... very irritating when you try to explain to him Doi Inthanon is in Chiang Mai and not in Lampang and that the Mekong flows into the ocean in Vietnam, not Thailand .... . Two things he said on stage yesterday when we performed in Suan Amphorn hall for the alumni of Suan Sunantha Rajabat University. I tried to tell him afterwards, but no he is the Ajarn and he is right and all Thais agreed with him ...

[Flashermac]

The word comes from Pali or Sanskrit (forget which one) and originally refered to a learned monk. Since schools once were in monasteries and all teachers were monks, teaching monks got called acharn (whichever spelling you wish). It later got carried over for teachers in schools outside of the temples. However, it is the title only of a teacher who is a university graduate. Teachers without a degree are simply a khru (from guru). It also forms the hierarchical titles of university teaching staff - acharn (lecturer), rong satrachan (associate prof), phu-chuay satrachan (assistant prof) and satrachan (full prof).

 

When properly used it does tell you something about the person. However, I have no idea why your boss claims the title. Presumably he insisted on it himself and the others go along with it. Or maybe he has an honorary degree from somewhere.

 

p.s. Ever heard of "Colonel" Tom Parker? He is famous as Elvis Presley's agent. Parker's real name was Andreas Cornelis van Kuijk and he had come to America as an illegal immigrant. He served in the US Army but was never more than a private. However, he had helped the governor of Louisiana in a campaign and was given the honorary title of colonel in the state militia. The ex-private - who had been discharged from the Army as a nutcase - thereafter insisted he always be called Colonel!