When Farangs Go Native

[Naam]

23 minutes ago, speedtripler said:

27% is a stretch..... 

I doubt 27% are fluent although they might know a few words and sentences 

all Thais understand this language:

[Andrew Dwyer]

phoren langitsch wiolaits forum rules!

An exception is made for this “ phoren langitsch “ as it’s the language of the gods and only the elite can speak it !!
( I may be a little biased though [emoji51] )

[billd766]

6 hours ago, overherebc said:

Although she isn't rural my wife is also is also retired.

Where does that leave us??

 

It wasn't aimed at you at all. Please accept my apology if you thought that it was.

 

I hope that leaves both of you relaxed and happy.

 

My wife is a city girl from Bang Na in Bangkok.

 

She was/is a good cook and ran the restaurant in a bar down in BKK, and when we moved up here she opened a shop and food stall that did very well until she allowed people credit.

 

She still keeps her cooking hand in cooking for the monks at the temple and aslo for guests at our friends resort next door but one.

[JLCrab]

20 minutes ago, Naam said:

all Thais understand this language:

Sure -- that's because the writing is in Thai language.

[billd766]

58 minutes ago, johng said:

Understand all before but that needs a translation.

 

I understand it even though I am a wurzel vrom Darset.

 

I suspect that if you did a Google search you would find the English translation.

[roo860]

Understand all before but that needs a translation.

Always do it for yourself.
Translated by a Cheshire Cat.

Sent from my SM-G920F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[Neeranam]

4 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Why would he want any?

Why would he want kids?

 

Not sure what you mean, but I rather like my kids.

[Neeranam]

4 hours ago, MaeJoMTB said:

(Something else popular in Thai culture, abandoning your children or selling them into prostitution)

What rubbish. 

[overherebc]

18 minutes ago, billd766 said:

 

It wasn't aimed at you at all. Please accept my apology if you thought that it was.

 

I hope that leaves both of you relaxed and happy.

 

My wife is a city girl from Bang Na in Bangkok.

 

She was/is a good cook and ran the restaurant in a bar down in BKK, and when we moved up here she opened a shop and food stall that did very well until she allowed people credit.

 

She still keeps her cooking hand in cooking for the monks at the temple and aslo for guests at our friends resort next door but one.

Wasn't directed at you it was just one of my flippant comments to all the ones who have managed to get themselves in the situation that most deny they are in. 

We both had our own careers in O&G and now I'm retired, she is now classing herself as semi-retired as being in her late 50's it's really quite difficult for her to find work. She wants to go back to work but without any big contracts coming in from overseas 'pickins are slim'

[Neeranam]

47 minutes ago, Naam said:

all Thais understand this language:

I can't believe it took Naam all this time to mention money. He's dying to get the chance to post a picture of his  mansion. You are the breadhead  here. Most Thais are quite content with just enough to get by.

[beautifulthailand99]

1 minute ago, Neeranam said:

I can't believe it took Naam all this time to mention money. He's dying to get the chance to post a picture of his  mansion. You are the breadhead  here. Most Thais are quite content with just enough to get by.

I'm interested now Naam lets see this 'mansion' as your friend says....less than this and I will be dissapointed.

 

[Rc2702]

Just now, beautifulthailand99 said:

I'm interested now Naam lets see this 'mansion' as your friend says....less than this and I will be dissapointed.

 

You ok Briar? 

[wildewillie89]

6 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Hmmm. That wouldn't work for me, given that one of my really big no nos ( learned at great personal cost ) is not to work for people I know. I don't think I kiss ass well enough to work for my wife's boss.

Not even sure what the relevance of the post was. I don't work for my wife's father, does someone else in the thread? 

[wildewillie89]

7 hours ago, Neeranam said:

Classic!

Is she Thai Chinese?

Good for you, you've managed to get one of the few educated Thais yet I live in a village!

 

I know many Thais who use car seats for babies. I think you've been in the village too long. 

 

I'm confused as to whether you've gone natives or not. Personally invited by the governor to be on TV?

 

Which province is this?

 

There was a discussion about car seats in the media a few months ago? Saying that bugger all people in the country use them? How did you miss it? Probably a safer bet to base my example off that than the handful of people you know. 

She is not Thai Chinese. Does being educated only extend to being Thai Chinese? She was last working in the insurgency in the deep South (great place to visit) and also Malaysia most months, but moved back to the village to start our family. She didn't want to handball the kids to their grandmother, which I personally respect. As a result ended up with a much more boring job, but two great children. 

The rest isn't going native, it is just doing things to either benefit the people around you or in other instances to benefit my family and I (networking). I think most people would help out the people around them if they had the chance and it didn't take too much effort (regardless where they are from/live). Maybe not. Maybe I have been away from city life too long and the village life is rubbing off on me. Not a bad thing if the worse of it is helping others. 

Edited February 12, 2018 by wildewillie89

[JLCrab]

13 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

<snip> I don't think I kiss ass well enough to work for my wife's boss.

... but some are better at it than others.

[Naam]

11 hours ago, beautifulthailand99 said:

I'm interested now Naam lets see this 'mansion' as your friend says....less than this and I will be dissapointed.

i have to disappoint you. i don't compare my home with something that is in my [not so] humble view an architectural horror. mitigating circumstance is the slope that might have required some adaptation of the construction.  

[beautifulthailand99]

11 hours ago, Rc2702 said:

You ok Briar? 

Recovering well thanks and considering where to squander my loot next. This mansion looks nice !

[JLCrab]

9 hours ago, wildewillie89 said:

Not even sure what the relevance of the post was. I don't work for my wife's father, does someone else in the thread? 

"The Boss" reference was not to marrying the daughter of Hizzoner the Mayor but to Bruce Springsteen:

[sanemax]

What does a "Wai" mean ?

I  may be being cynical and simplistic here , but the "Wai" means that you want something .

A "Wai" means that you want something , money , forgiveness or favour

 

[wildewillie89]

3 minutes ago, JLCrab said:

"The Boss" reference was not to marrying the daughter of Hizzoner the Mayor but to Bruce Springsteen:

I see. So relevant. 

[JLCrab]

The 'ass kisser' reference was more relevant but that was provided by someone else.

[OldSiamHand]

8 hours ago, wildewillie89 said:

Does being educated only extend to being Thai Chinese?  

For the most part, yes.  The Chinese in Thailand focus on providing for their children and their education, whereas the native Thais have children who will provide for them in old age.  You'll find the same trend throughout SE Asia. 

 

Yes, there are exceptions, and I know many here will pound their keyboards to share their anecdotal evidence of native Thai acquaintances from wonderful supportive families and great education.

[MaeJoMTB]

8 minutes ago, OldSiamHand said:

Yes, there are exceptions, and I know many here will pound their keyboards to share their anecdotal evidence of native Thai acquaintances from wonderful supportive families and great education.

My anecdotal evidence is that Thai families send their kids out to work at age 12, when compulsory schooling ends.

I've not noticed much in the way of 'supportive families', but have seen many 'exploitative families'.

 

(Statistics send to support my viewpoint, less than 20% of the Thai population has EVER attended high school, and less than 5% of the Thai population has graduated high school))

Edited February 13, 2018 by MaeJoMTB

[The manic]

Years ago my friend was teaching English in Angola. He was doing preparatory classes in English culture. He told all his students to introduce themselves personally and shake hands with everybody on any bus he used when in Britain. That is is the same as Waiing in an inappropriate way to inappropriate people. I do not shake hands with everybody on a London bus nor do I wai everybody here.

Edited February 13, 2018 by The manic

[The manic]

8 hours ago, sanemax said:

What does a "Wai" mean ?

I  may be being cynical and simplistic here , but the "Wai" means that you want something .

A "Wai" means that you want something , money , forgiveness or favour

 

Just plain wrong. It a greeting. A non verbal form of communication that functions on many levels. As do handshakes, waving and other gestures and non prosidic features of communication. 

[DrTuner]

Wai is capitulation to sakdina. Baring k9s and growling works better. Nevah surrender.

[Genghis Khant]

All you need to know about going native:
 
'Ear all, see all, say nowt;
Eyt all, sup all, pay nowt;
And if ivver tha does owt fer nowt –
Allus do it fer thissen."

Old Chinese proverb glasshopper!![emoji120][emoji120]

[sanemax]

3 hours ago, The manic said:

Just plain wrong. It a greeting. A non verbal form of communication that functions on many levels. As do handshakes, waving and other gestures and non prosidic features of communication. 

O.K. Maybe just me then , everyone who Wais me or  smiles at me. seem to want something  in return and the more they smile and Wai, the more they expect back .

  Yes, maybe just me , but if someones Wais me and smiles at me and I dont return that appreciation with drinks all around , I wont be getting anymore Wais and smiles

   Fair enough, just me thought 

[thaibeachlovers]

On ‎2‎/‎12‎/‎2018 at 7:03 PM, JLCrab said:

According to Wikipedia and The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language (Second ed. 2003) 27% of the Thai population speaks English. If you feel that there is no need or reason for you to be able to speak with the 73% who don't, that is up to you.

I haven't felt any desire to converse with 99.9 recurring % of the Thai population, and nothing on this thread has convinced me of a need to do so.

The miniscule % of Thais that I speak with, by a vast majority are within the 27% that do speak English, and for the rest the Thai I do speak suffices.

For example, when I climbed on a local songtheaw to go to the market, I was able to ask the Thai lady already in the vehicle how much it was going to cost me and understand the answer. I did not have a philosophical discussion about her lifestyle and wishes and hopes, but that is OK.

[thaibeachlovers]

18 hours ago, The manic said:

Just plain wrong. It a greeting. A non verbal form of communication that functions on many levels. As do handshakes, waving and other gestures and non prosidic features of communication. 

A more hygienic version of greeting than shaking hands too. Nevertheless, when so much is implied and understood by the not at all simple wai, I choose not to do so, and instead smile and nod, which is a pretty much universally recognised as a simple greeting without context ( also much more hygienic that rubbing bacteria laden paws together ).