Ajarn

Nov. 26 is the main night to loi your krathong... Here are details and dates of individual Loi Krathong celebrations around the Kingdom...

http://www.loikrathong.net/en/activities.asp

I wouldnt use khaw/khau.....this means to beg more than want

as in ...Khon Khaw Tahn.....the term for a beggar

Still, a basic and common polite request form, and you are NOT begging in the sense that you are a beggar begging for money if , for example, you say, "Kor duu menu noi, khrap" You are simply being polite. Try it sometime. I promise no Thai will think you're kissing ass because you are requesting a menu...

ขอ [V] ; ask for; beg for; request for; ask; beseech; implore; plead

Syn. ขอร้อง, วอน , อ้อนวอน , วิงวอน

Def. พูดให้เขาให้สิ่งที่ต้องการ

Sample: เด็กที่น่าสงสารมาขอเงินไปซื้อยาให้แม่

Yes, more religious bigotry, more religious hatred, more religious ignorance, more religious righteousness, more religious violence.....

That's the answer?

......or are they smiling at me for a very different reason... ...!!!

Rags

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Hey, just enjoy the smile. Yaa kit maak

A word of warning, some posts quoting prices seem not to have 1st Class insurance, with Bail Bond. As you know this is essential for a falang car driver.

I've been told that if a car is more than 7 years old, you can't get 1st class insurance...

I obtained 1 class with Bail Bond for a 10 year old pickup. Insurance via AIG agent. Had a minor accident, not my fault, and AIG handled the whole repair process without any delay or issue/s

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And did that include the Theft Insurance? I was told the above was true because of the extremely high incidence, in the past, of insurance fraud on older vehicles, i.e., people would buy 1st class insurance for one year on an old vehicle (often a clunker, they reported in the newspapers then), then drive it across some border and sell it, later reporting the theft for full reimbursement that was the same, or higher value of the car...

Maybe it's that some places still do offer the full package for older vehicles, or maybe they've wittled it down to be more like second-class insurance, but with a higher price to you, still labled as '1st class'

I am learning the Thai alphabets myself from my books and tapes and trying to write Thai. It is a bit boring. But at least, I found I started to like this language.

A.

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A very good point you made about starting to like the language now....

I felt like I had to 'pay my dues' when learning Thai before I could get to really enjoying and appreciating the language. In all my AUA classes, there was always a fairly high percentge of farang drop-outs, saying that it was 'too hard', 'too boring', etc...

Motivation is the key. Either external, like needing to learn for living here, or internal motivation, i.e., you don't REALLY need to learn Thai because your environment is mostly English-speaking or your wife is a perfect translator already, but you'd like to learn more about your adopted country and better communicate with the locals...

For me, my motivation was external. When I settled in here many years ago, there were very few Thai who spoke English. If I wanted to eat, I had to learn Thai. And since I truly do like to eat, learning Thai was my only reasonable option.

I think self-study is usefull in theory, but not as much in the real world, in my experience. Take a class like at AUA if possible. A good teacher who can give you a good foundation in the language, like teaching the historical origins, alternative meanings, word-form logic, etc., is incredibly valuable to your future learning. Of course, practicing listening and speaking is critical. And, since language is a direct reflection of its local culture, the more you learn about the language, the more you learn about the people and their culture.

One of the biggest mistakes sometimes is to do too much 'assumed' direct translation from your native language into Thai. Many many words, phrases, idioms, etc., do directly translate, but many more don't.... I put a pretty high priority on learning what does and what doesn't so that my communication can rely on direct translation more of the time, with higher accuracy.

Another mistake I see a lot is translating or extrapolating from your own culture into thai language meanings...Recently, someone insisted 'Kor' (polite form of request) had an inherrent meaning 'to beg'... and he would never use that word. (because he never begs)

That kind of thinking is a waste of time and, frankly, indicative of closed-thinking, in my opinion (not to mention that refusing to use polite words can signal, to some Thais, an impolite person). You can only learn if your mind is open and if you're interested in knowing the truth, rather than preferring to propogate your own prejudices..... If you want to know, ask someone who speaks the language and ask for feedback. But, don't blindly accept the ' All Thais are like this' kind of response, either

For anyone who's in Thailand, just starting, and feeling kinda in a rut, try getting to some very public place, like a vegetable market, perhaps. It was always my favorite place to go to after Thai class, and the ladies were so fun and supportive of my efforts- even their laughing at me felt more like they were laughing with me.

Another nice thing about these markets is that it's an easy place to use and practice those basic daily phrases we all use... " An nii thowray, khrap?"..."Luuk la thawray, khrap?" "Paeng maak!" " Wan ni rawn, na'?" "Khun cheu aray, krap" "Tengngan ru yang, khrap?" If you get bored (or shot down) with one conversation, move a couple of meters and you've got a new person to practice on....who can't escape you, either

Have fun in whatever you're doing, 'mai pen rai' whenever possible, keep your mind/heart open... That's the secret to my success

1. They wanted 6 suspected gun thieves released from prison.

2. They incited a riot to try and get their own way

All the reports I saw said it was a non-violent demonstration before the military fired on them...

A word of warning, some posts quoting prices seem not to have 1st Class insurance, with Bail Bond. As you know this is essential for a falang car driver.

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I've been told that if a car is more than 7 years old, you can't get 1st class insurance...

But bear in mind, in a serious accident the insurance might pull out if you do not have a valid Thai-licence. It's in the small print.

Not just 'might' not pay off.... My policy states clearly that only a Thai DL is valid...Not an IDP.

Touche' except....different spelling, different point

Centre= Old French spelling, too.

I always had the impression that the Brits didn't care much for the French- except for their language.... And the Ticklers, I suppose

And, no, I'm not bashing anyone- plenty of pricks and good guys everywhere. I'm just playin' ...

English spelling of centre

English spelling or of French spelling origin?

Well, not really accurate and too simplistic, perhaps, but , c’est la vie, na'?

Hua Keng, na'!

Khaw Tarn....to beg....

literal translation....ask alms...

Kor Tang (satang)...Literally, 'request money'

It doesn't always work to translate one word from a phrase and assume the same meaning when used in other phrases...

I've always said that the most dangerous drivers in Thailand are the farangs

What about Top North or The Montri?

So,...

"phout Thai dai nid noi" is correct

"phout Thai nid noi" is fine, too, usually. 

I agree about communication, but accurate communication is always ideal because there is always a better chance of clear communication without the hiccups from depending on the listener to figure out what you really mean...

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I think it depends if its a stand alone statment or not. If someone has just asked you if you can speak thai, even if you only said "nid noi krap" it would be fine and fairly natural.

I normal speach you would'nt usually say "pom phood passa thai dai nid noi krap" although this would be correct.

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Yes, I agree. My particular example may not be the best one to illustrate my point, but striving for accuracy seems like a good goal, na'?

In the original post, the question was ... dai mai? The answer, obviously, could be 'Dai, Khrap' or simply, "Mai, Khrap or Mai dai, Khrap"... Or one of many other forms or combinations.

thanks for all the interesting feedback given here. I really like to hear other's experiences, too. It's quite rare for me to ever hear another farang's experience with the language... I don't know many of them.

I'm on a bit of (what seems to be) a one-man mission to practice as much "gratitude showing" in the rare events that people do let me into lanes, give way etc., as I can. The hope is that they'll think "Wow, never seen that before - I'll do that again sometime", or perhaps show gratitude when people do the same to them. Then other people will see this and start practising it themselves until eventually this attitude spreads all over the city then nationwide.

Eventually everybody will clock on to the fact that giving way actually works, doesn't take any time off the overall journey, and, most importantly, save lives.

Dunno though - it seems like a bit of a longshot. Does anybody believe me when I say I'm typing this with a straight face?

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Sure! Two ways I hope to encourage better "manners":

1. at roundabouts (specifically Hayek Chalong - 5 roads join), I always give way to traffic "on the circle" because ( a ) you're supposed to, ( b ) it prevents total grid-lock and ( c ) I don't like to push in front of scared motorcy riders. And motorcy riders who look at me wondering if they should go first, I look at them and nod and they will invariably smile in an "appreciative" way. Makes me feel good, too. Of course, there's always the little sh1t who races across the roundabout and nearly gives me a heart attack, but his karma will catch up with him one day soon

2. in traffic jams, if mini-bus drivers want to overtake on the left, I let 'em. Tonight there was a little jam from Rawai to Chalong, and the mini-van nearly broke an axle hitting a big hole next to my pick-up. Som nam naa!

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Of course, one must be very careful if going 'against the grain' so to speak...Other drivers assume you'll be driving the Thai Way, so stopping for pedestrians and such can easily cause an accident....

But, like you, I 'give in' wherever I can, and whenever my ego is not controlling the wheel at the moment

Thanks, totser for 'kor'...I was struggling with the spelling a bit, and your form is clearer and more commonly used in the media, I think.

And RamdomChances, too, I just noticed your earlier response. Cheers

So,...

"phout Thai dai nid noi" is correct

"phout Thai nid noi" is fine, too, usually.

I agree about communication, but accurate communication is always ideal because there is always a better chance of clear communication without the hiccups from depending on the listener to figure out what you really mean...

Phom Yaak Sue Ahn Ni  if you want to buy something....

the combinations are endless and all are quite correct especially if mixed with gestures and body language......

I wouldnt use khaw/khau.....this means to beg more than want

as in ...Khon Khaw Tahn.....the term for a beggar

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I wouldnt use khaw/khau.....this means to beg more than want

I disagree completely. It is the main polite form of request.

Phom khau duu noi...

May I look at it please?

Khau naam plaaw nung kuat

I'd like a bottle of water

It's not begging at all...

Some years ago, I was asked to greet an older, respected Chinese-Thai Ajarn at CMU.... I wanted to welcome him properly, so I used 'ahh hia' (hia-mid tone) a very polite way to address someone of Chinese origin in his social position....

In my excitement, I blurted out 'Ai Hia' (hia=falling tone) Basically calling him a Dam Monitor Lizard, about the worst insult there is in Thai.

I'm grateful to the Ajarn for his sense of humour, and his hearty laugh at my unwitting faux pax.

Actually, I'm grateful to all Thais for their ability to immediately translate all my mistaken insults and still respond, "Khop Khun Khrap!"

And the polite form, "Phom Khau.....noi, krap" ... ?

(with 'noi' making the request extra polite... just a little= please)

One of my favoured replies to the question from friends is, 'yang mai thai' Not dead yet!

Phout Thai Nid Noi is fine

Am I mistaken, or does not using 'dai' here make the sentence sound like you are basically telling someone else to speak thai a little?