timmyp

This is why I am not sorry the Atom Bombs were dropped - my only regret was there were only 2, and not dropped earlier.

Wonderful commentary for the 70th anniversary this last week of both bombings.

A couple of years ago I translated three of POW death certificates issued by the Japanese military during their time in Thailand. The three POWs were Australians. According to the records, one died of malaria, another from dysentery, and another from an air raid.

Clearly If the 3-year-old boy were armed, he could have defended himself.

It would have at least made the 11-year-old think twice before pulling out his gun, fearing that the 3-year-old might be armed as well.

The report also noted an increase in rapes being committed by men against their elderly mother-in-laws, “often older than 80 years old"...

Often?

Sorry to state the obvious, but an attempt at censorship isn't going to accomplish anything.

I struggle to believe that these Japanese companies will be so ignorant not to distinguish between the markings of the Yakuza and those of the Buddha.

Of course they can tell the difference, but Japanese employers still lump all tattoos together in hiring. Attitudes are starting to change in Japan as they are everywhere. There are just so many people with tattoos now (even in Japan, which has been so strictly against tattoos). More employers are saying "visible tattoos", while before it was any tattoo, no matter how hidden. And public baths, swimming pools, and beaches, etc. are overlooking smaller tattoos. As things become more open, the conservatives are pushing back and trying to get more explicit no-tattoo policies, lumping any tattoo in with yakuza wabori.

The same attitude change was seen with long hair, and then later piercings. Soon it will seem silly that people cared about tattoos... youth will later push some other insignificant rule of society, the conservatives will cry out against it, and those attitudes will finally change too.

I agree, Rama IX expressway to Din Daeng, then get on the Don Mueang Tollway.

It depends on the smell. There are different stinks... I think generally people smell because they aren't bathing properly.

Unless you have a rare problem, sweat doesn't stink. But old sweat does. Some people just don't shower, or don't use soap in the shower. Oils on the skin can trap in sweat and bacteria, so if the person doesn't scrub or use soap, then it's going smell, despite going into the shower and getting wet (because the oil needs to be scrubbed away or removed with soap).

This is an extremely hard thing to approach with people, I don't blame you for being hesitant. Some people really relish telling others off, it fills them with glee, all under the guise of being open/honest/direct.

If it's a fish stink, it could be this:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trimethylaminuria

I had a coworker with that... pretty nasty.

I know several Asian American/Brit teachers working here. They use their home country passports and don't have a problem.

I would second that! It all depends on the school, but the first few posters are making untrue blanket statements. My kids go to a top flight international school and there is Asian brit and a few Asian Americans teaching there. They get paid the same and the parents don't seem concerned at all.

I know Asian-Americans and Asian holding UK passports who are qualified elementary or high school teachers in their home countries, and are teaching at international school that recognize their credentials. They are getting paid just like all the other qualified teachers.

But if you are of Asian descent and trying to get a job in a school that doesn't require you to be a certified elementary or high school teacher in an English speaking country, then you will be paid significantly less than white teachers. This is no secret, most schools will probably tell you this up front.

Nothing brings out a flood of Thai Visa posters like the mention of penises. Posters' obsession with the supposed size of Asian penises (compared to the implied size of their own accouterment) certainly reveals more than the posters may realize. I guess it's something about which many posters have done exhaustive "hands-on research."

Freud must be spinning in his grave.

Not just on TV. It's surreal how much farang men bring up the topic in conversation. They feel so smuggly superior to Asians, and they feel they have experience and science to back up their beliefs.

Japanese men often bring it up in conversation with me. I always change the topic. There is a great South Park episode where Japanese toy manufacturers try to take over the world. Those Japanese manufacturers keep bringing up penis size, and the non-J people become entranced by the conversation of "your penis is so big, but my penis is so small." Aside from being a funny storyline in its own right, I think it is an allusion to the conversation you will often have in Japan. Animator Tray Parker lived in Japan.

Can't blame the guy. Just normal brain damage from the stress of a senior post in Japan.

Generally, the guy posted at the top in Japan is one of the most incompetent ones in the office. It's always been a mystery to me why this is the case, but president of a company, principal of a school, head manager of department, etc. generally do nothing but water plants and pick up garbage. The next-in-charge is usually the one who does the real work and keeps the operation running. There are exceptions, but they definitely aren't the norm. This bureau chief is certainly consistent with that.

Just got back. Awesome show, highly recommended. The acrobats, the comedy, the musicians, all amazing. It just blows my mind what these performers can do. Monday night is the last performance. The closer you sit, the better.

If you can't see them this time, keep it on life's to-do list for the next opportunity.

Just brush your teeth after you drink coffee.

I drink a full pot every morning, but just that so that it doesn't disturb my sleep. I brush my teeth immediately after drinking it. As long as you are brushing properly (little circles, etc.) and spending enough time on the front teeth, there will be no yellowing or darkening from coffee.

I became particularly conscious of this as I got older. As long as you brush your teeth right after drinking coffee and do a proper job, there won't be any staining.

I'm sure you're aware that there is powdered caffeine, too, if you just want the stimulant.

>When asked in a TV interview how he managed to survive, Mr Reyes showed a

>tattoo on his arm with the inscription: "God, don't abandon me."

I gotta get one of those tattoos...

...then start diving off balconies for a proper rush.

Does this contribute to the argument that there is a greater likelihood that a gun will be used against the owner rather than self-defense?

Or used against the owner in self-defense... points go to both sides of that debate?

Sarcastic singing ? That could take off, I know I would listen to it, maybe even dance to it sarcastically...........................

I have seen three different people sing this for a laugh. Once was one of those pass-the-guitar-and-sing-along circles that Thai folks love, and twice at karaoke. Oh, saw it a fourth time at a drama circle warm-up where each participant had to do something silly. The people who I saw do this aren't particularly political, they are just somewhat anti-authoritarian. Nobody discussed the song afterwards, and people smirked a little as if to say, "ha, ha, funny choice" while the song was sung.

There are three versions played on the radio these days: the original, a "new" version with even more fancy production and more popular signers joining in, and a version sung by a chorus of children.

Can someone tell me the name of first song?

I think using the International Phonic Alphabet is fine (IPA). If you don't know it before starting to study Thai, then you'll have to learn it, but it's transferable to any other language, it's fully accurate, and it can ease the pain of learning the Thai letters.

Right... though for me IPA for Thai would also fall in the category of 'so complex that you might as well just learn the Thai script'.

I Wikipedia'd it, and for example "Chang Phuak" would become: tɕʰáːŋ pʰɯə˩k

At that point I think I might as well learn the Thai. And I'm not actually sure I was able to get the low tone marker correct in Phuak.. (˩ ?) (Which incidentally I wouldn't need to worry about when just using Thai script, as the low tone is already established just by virtue of starting with a high class consonant and a dead (k/p/t) ending.)

(Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_Thai_and_Lao ; as an aside, this is also a great page to see Thai and Lao similarities side by side)

And it can get even more awkward, such as the ISO 11940 standard used by Google Translate. This manages to turn "Chiang Mai" into "Cheīyngh̄ım̀". (Yes, really.)

^ Well, maybe as a go-between between using the full alphabet versus a transliteration system based on Latin characters. The latter is completely pointless, and they are all either very imperfect, or so complex that you might as well learn the real thing.

Focussing on the more common consonants could flatten the learning curve. I'm not sure I'd actually throw them out, but rather focus first on words that don't use the less common ones, and introduce the rarer animals later. I was mostly replying to the notion that all 44/42 consonants contribute something unique in defining sound; they don't.

I think using the International Phonic Alphabet is fine (IPA). If you don't know it before starting to study Thai, then you'll have to learn it, but it's transferable to any other language, it's fully accurate, and it can ease the pain of learning the Thai letters. To someone who doesn't know the IPA, it may seem like too much extra unrelated stuff to learn, but it's quite similar to what you are already familiar with in the roman script. Also, it will come in handy when: 1) reading words that have exceptions (that includes inherent vowels, long/short vowels that aren't indicated in the Thai spelling, and tone exceptions), 2) looking up words by the sound when you don't know the spelling (as Benjawan Becker's "Talking Thai Dictionary App" allows)

I learned the letters from the very start. But I don't think that's necessary to do. You definitely gotta learn to read early on, but I think it's ok to put it off for a few months in the beginning. There are alot of rules to learn with the Thai alphabet, so it makes more sense to me to concentrate on basic vocab and speaking in the beginning, then move on to reading and writing.

But definitely don't bother with some goofy transliteration system that doesn't accurately reflect the pronunciation, that will screw you up in the long run for sure.

Go to school and study properly. I cannot stress that enough.

Everybody who speaks Thai at any decent level will tell you the same thing.

I promise that 3 months at a proper Thai language school with a half-a$sed effort will get you to a higher level than people who learned to speak with bargirls and claim to be proficient with their 30-word vocabulary.

Those really aren't the only two choices. (School vs bargirls)

So therefore I disagree. It's not like schools teach you anything you can't find from other sources. (Books, etc.). Then you supplement that with as much real life practise as possible, ideally from a wide range of people of all ages/classes.

If someone knows how to go about learning a language and is a dedicated self-learner, then they can reach even a high level of proficiency without instruction, I agree.

Perhaps you are one of those people, Winnie, and not just an ordinary khwaai (I'll assume your name has long vowel by your avatar, and not a short vowel cuz that means, well, you know already, I'm sure).

I think that's too much to expect of someone, and unrealistic if people think they can do it themselves (again, unless they really know what they're doing).

You definitely gotta learn a language in a way that you feel good about, so if it's someone who really hates hates hates going to class (and you really gotta go to class to determine this) then learning from books or the internet might be the best way. But without some instruction from a properly qualified Thai teacher (i.e., not just a native speaker, whose demerits you described in your post), then the learner is going to hit a brick wall, or learn things in a very wrong way.

Nobody just "picked up" Thai. They studied (with a book, on the internet, or at a school, etc.), and tried to speak it. People who claim they just picked it up are either lying to look clever or their Thai is atrocious (and can only impress people who know zero).

An English guy I know, speaks Thai very well, I have watch and listened to him talking on the phone to a Thai, he just picked it up by himself, no books or classes.

So you may have met an incredibly rare exception, but extensive experience suggests to me that either you don't know how unintelligible your English friend's Thai really is, or he actually hit the books pretty hard, and just isn't admitting to it.

Some have talent for languages some do not....Although I can sing so can mimic and pronounce well enough......

Forced to take languages in school - could not get it down....

I'm in the some have no talent for languages category.....

It's not about talent or ability to learn a language, it's all about how much you study. If you don't study, you won't get anywhere.

Nobody just "picked up" Thai. They studied (with a book, on the internet, or at a school, etc.), and tried to speak it. People who claim they just picked it up are either lying to look clever or their Thai is atrocious (and can only impress people who know zero).

I understand people not wanting to study, but don't blame that on a lack of ability.