Thaispeak

[Guest]

BP-

Good stuff, my man.

A few observations.

1.I have ICQ and I receive a lot of requests by Thais to practice their English with me. I know ICQ isn't real life, but your English teaching heart should be quite satisfied in knowing some students try to make an effort to practice their English.

2. "Have you eaten yet?" I thought I was the only one who finds this annoying. Hahaha. I could have eaten with the person who asked this question five minutes before and then they will call me and the first thing they say is, "Have you eaten yet?" Well, yes I have, just now with you. Another couple of all time favorites are "Who are you with?" and "Where are you?". And they ask these questions knowing who I am with and where I am.

3. Another one I get a kick out of is when right after I get a compliment on my Thai speaking abilities from someone, s/he starts speaking to me in rapid fire Thai, thinking my vocabulary is as rich as a dictionary. Slow down there puppy! I know basic greetings and salutations and swear words. I don't speak the King's Thai.

4. One I just go yesterday was while shopping for wine at Villa Market, "Do you speak Lao?"

Huh? Why the hell would I know how to speak Lao? I take great pride in the fact that I can't speak any Lao. It always warms my heart when I get complimented on my Bangkok Thai.

5. I never get the religion question, but I am often invited to "Pai wai phra" and "Pai tamboon", which if my Christian fundamentalist mother knew about, she would burn me at the stake for idolatry.

6. I always get the Price is Right questions.

Everybody and their mother needs to know the price for everything. "How much did you pay for those Hall's?" 2 baht. Oh ho, good price.

7. Concerning weather, I am the one always talking about it. "Is it going to rain?" "Is it going to flood?" "God, it is fucking hot today. What do you think?"

Late,

Raddemo

[Guest]

Iaxia.... originally quoted by Iaxia:-

quote:

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There's been many posts on this board before about people visiting Thailand purely for the nightlife scene - and the idea of visiting temples, museums etc is pretty much a joke, or only done to show people back home they did actually leave Nana once in a while. That has to be as much a 'lack of cultural interest' as anything the Thais do.

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Some of us live and work in LOS we do not spend all of our time in NEP etc. Those "holidaymakers" who just come for the sanuk miss out on some great sights and experiences.

 

Give your dick a break, visit some of the alternative things to do in LOS.

[Guest]

quote:

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We have 18 people in our company and at least 4 of them ask me every day "how are you?" and this since 10 years.

So I think one is wrong to state, Thais never ask this simple question.

Didier

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Yes, company Thais might well say it to you, but you can bet your bottom dollar that they don't really feel 'comfortable' saying it or at least they didn't at first. Fact is, when you first joined the company, you probably went around saying it to everyone and they cottoned on to the fact that this is how you like to be greeted (as a farang).

For the record I've taught something approaching 12,000 Thai people (mostly 18-40 years of age) and I meet new Thais every day (many of them work in companies) - and less than 1% have ever or do ever ask me how I am.

Most will say either nothing or sawatdee.

[Guest]

Nobody talks about the weather here in Los Angeles either, it is the same every day so what is the point. Probably a similar problem in Thailand. What is the point of everyday saying "lon mai?" everyday.

[ThaiHome]

Originally posted by Khun Sanuk:

"Thais are far more likely to ask you where you?ve been or the incredibly annoying ?have you eaten yet?? "

I found this far more common in Singapore then in Thailand. I think it is a Chinese thing or something...

[Guest]

Here is a way to deal with it:

"hello, have you eaten yet?"

"I'm fine thank you"

[anonymouse]

The one I've seen in all the Thai phrase books that I've never actually heard in Thailand is "pleased to meet you" - which is something like yin dii tii dai rujak. Ever heard this one used?

[luckyfarang]

anon-

You may hear a shortened version of this occasionally, but it is formal and sounds stuffy.

[Guest]

I often encounter middle aged male thai in Isarn and some of them does certanly want to know everything about me and my family and my home country Denmark. They will ask everything from salary to prices to weather to agriculture and sundry in my country. It does get rather boring to answer all those questions sometimes.

So better off village people are certainly not shy like many thai people in Bangkok.

Paul

[zanemay]

This is such an interesting thread!

The weather: It amuses me to no end that on every hot day my Thai friends are complaining, "Rawn. Mai chawp." (Hot. No like.) And look really put out to boot. I tell them, "Look this is Bangkok. It's said to be the second hottest big city in the world. It's hot every day. It's your city. Stop whining already!" But for the record, I have an African room mate and it's been hot in California a few days and he's whining. "But you're from one of the hottest places there is ... you should love this!"

Art and Museums: IMHO the Thais are obviously not up to speed. Almost all art revolves around the religion. Just like western art in the beginning. Once I've seen 10 beautiful roofs or 10 wonderful Buddhas, I've had about as much as I need for awhile. But dead white guys in the Louvre or the British Portrait Museum - I can look at them for days! The Thais love them temples and Buddhas but hate looking at dead white guys. Makes sense to me.

Plays and literature: Mostly old traditional stuff retold and retold. Not so interesting to the westerner. But the soap opera has reared its ugly head high! Not so interesting to this Westerner.