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When Farangs Go Native

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2 hours ago, DM07 said:

There is nothing wrong with accepting certain trades and being generally a nice person.

What I hate are the Thai'er -than- Thai, who will blindly find excuses for every $4!tty behavior.

An a-hole is an a-hole, no matter Thai, farang or Thai'er-than-Thai and despicable behavior does not become "better" because it is a local way of life!

Yes but Thai people are like their roads there are more holes than in their farang counterparts.

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  • Misterwhisper
    Misterwhisper

    I cannot even begin to describe how much I cringe when I see foreigners waiing everyone from supermarket cashiers to restaurant waiters, fish mongers in the wet market to go-go dancers, totally convin

  • Give them a big smile and nod of the head in acknowledgement.

  • I hope that's not you urinating in an alley.

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I always smile when i hear a farang calling himself khun(name).
Or a bloke saying sawadee ka always makes me giggle
2 hours ago, curtklay said:

So what is a foreigner supposed to do when receiving a wai from a store clerk or some other "junior"?

Wai back, ignore them, or flip them the bird?

From what I. Understand is just nod to them or say sawdee cup and that is sufficient.

Edited by Beats56
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2 hours ago, johng said:

 

1 hour ago, jvs said:

I always smile when i hear a farang calling himself khun(name).

I tell them to stop it. Same as teachers who call themselves ajarn, especially on web forums.

4 minutes ago, Beats56 said:

From what I. Understand is just nod to them or say sawdee cup and that is sufficient.

Totally wrong, I hope you are a tourist. They are doing what they've been told to do. 

6 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

Totally wrong, I hope you are a tourist. They are doing what they've been told to do. 

Sorry ..not a tourist. Married with a six year old boy. Well maybe you can educate me on the proper way to respond.

 

26 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

Totally wrong, I hope you are a tourist. They are doing what they've been told to do. 

OP isnt asking why they are waiing, he is giving his opinion on the appropriate response. I dont think he is "totally wrong"

What would be the appropriate response, if the OP is wrong ?

 

Edited by Peterw42

3 hours ago, ratcatcher said:

I hope that's not you urinating in an alley.

No, that's me... 

But who took the picture?? 

Teenagers today are as likely to call out 'yo, yo, yo' and flop their wrist like a rap wannabee as they are to wai you.

Edited by Gecko123

4 hours ago, Misterwhisper said:

I cannot even begin to describe how much I cringe when I see foreigners waiing everyone from supermarket cashiers to restaurant waiters, fish mongers in the wet market to go-go dancers, totally convinced that staying in the kingdom for a couple of months has made them "native" and that they're doing the right thing.

 

Even worse are those fellas I occasionally bump into at a bar,  those who think they have matured into genuine "Thailand experts" by spending two short vacations here and who feel compelled to start lecturing me about the Thai way of life, what to do and what not to do and who brag about their fantastic Thai-language skills (usually consisting of a few disjointed and wrongly pronounced words), and who are entirely ignorant of the fact that I've been living here for well over a quarter of a century, speak the local language almost fluently, and yes, know when, how and whom to wai. Brrrrr... shudder.

You mean the type that moves to Northern Thailand for a few months to discover the "proper" Thailand - and then come back to brag about the "proper" Thailand, where they learned to speak proper Thai - and then ask the waiter to show them the way to the "nam khaeng" ? :smile:

 

 

 

Edited by sambum

2 hours ago, MaeJoMTB said:

You are being polite by adding 'khon', she is being rude by not offering the correct honorific.

Try "eee dam dam' as a more suitable (and equally rude) response.

 

See if she's still laughing.

Or indeed whether you are (can) as well!

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4 hours ago, Misterwhisper said:

I cannot even begin to describe how much I cringe when I see foreigners waiing everyone from supermarket cashiers to restaurant waiters, fish mongers in the wet market to go-go dancers, totally convinced that staying in the kingdom for a couple of months has made them "native" and that they're doing the right thing.

 

Even worse are those fellas I occasionally bump into at a bar,  those who think they have matured into genuine "Thailand experts" by spending two short vacations here and who feel compelled to start lecturing me about the Thai way of life, what to do and what not to do and who brag about their fantastic Thai-language skills (usually consisting of a few disjointed and wrongly pronounced words), and who are entirely ignorant of the fact that I've been living here for well over a quarter of a century, speak the local language almost fluently, and yes, know when, how and whom to wai. Brrrrr... shudder.

Bully for you.  Rather than the condescending attitude perhaps a friendly word in their ear may be more  beneficial 

7 minutes ago, scottide said:

Bully for you.  Rather than the condescending attitude perhaps a friendly word in their ear may be more  beneficial 

It won't do you any favours pointing out someone's idiotic behaviour in a bar... 

You may as well let them carry on thinking they know all things Thai better than anyone else.... :smile:

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2 hours ago, Donotdisturb said:

Correct. As well as "samesame"... one of the most idiotic expressions after "khaphom"...

What on earth is idiotic about "kraap pom," which means yes sir/ ma'am? Don't blame the phrase just because someone misuses it.

They can go native all they want. Still will not be on par with the Homo Supremus, all hail superhuman native Thai. Must piss 'em off mightily. Or maybe they enjoy playing a slave.

50 minutes ago, sambum said:

You mean the type that moves to Northern Thailand for a few months to discover the "proper" Thailand - and then come back to brag about the "proper" Thailand, where they learned to speak proper Thai - and then ask the waiter to show them the way to the "nam khaeng" ? :smile:

 

 

 

No, but almost. In fact I mean the type that moves to southern (or northeastern or eastern or northern or central) Thailand for a few months to discover the "proper" Thailand - and then come back with magical tattoos and magic amulets all over and wearing beads in their unwashed hair and sport fisherman's pants while they brag about the "proper" Thailand, where they learned to speak proper Thai - and then still say "khap khun khap" or "khap khun mahna khap" when they want to thank someone for having pointed them to the nearest "nam khaeng" after their stomach started to rumble because of too much unadulterated "som tam pla raa" that they thought they would be able to handle after having become truly native. But hey, you were close... :smile:

47 minutes ago, Puwa said:

What on earth is idiotic about "kraap pom," which means yes sir/ ma'am? Don't blame the phrase just because someone misuses it.

Yes thats right, the phrase isn't idiotic. The meaning can vary a little depending on context. Saluting your commanding officer its "YES SIR", responding to wife wanting you to pick up some milk on your way home, its "yeah ok". Also "I agree"

My wife uses the phrase, (even though its male) when dealing with the condo security guards, almost as a greeting/thank you.

Edited by Peterw42

You are being polite by adding 'khon', she is being rude by not offering the correct honorific.
Try "eee dam dam' as a more suitable (and equally rude) response.
 
See if she's still laughing.

She isn't dark skinned. But I sometimes do call her "eee aun"and then she calls me "ai heng" then we both laugh.

What's the opposite of going native?

 

Asking for a friend. Yeah that's the ticket.

 

Sent from my [device_name] using http://Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

 

 

 

 

12 minutes ago, johng said:

she calls me "ai heng" then we both laugh.

XXX Dry?, unlikely .... more likely XXX droopy.

Edited by MaeJoMTB

Don't you mean farang kee NGOK ?
There's a big difference.
Off my wife called me farang kee  nok, she wouldn't be my wife.

Definitely "bird s*it farang" doesn't bother me....sticks and stones....
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I mostly stopped cringing at others' gaffes a long time ago, having made all kinds of embarrassing mistakes myself over the years. Live and let live.

Edited by Puwa

1 hour ago, Puwa said:

What on earth is idiotic about "kraap pom," which means yes sir/ ma'am? Don't blame the phrase just because someone misuses it.

it's ridiculous refering to previous post on the subject (ie. farang who ONLY knows that phrase and uses it 1000x an hour)

26 minutes ago, johng said:


Definitely "bird s*it farang" doesn't bother me....sticks and stones....

Ok, kee nok NEVER means being tight or stingy. That is kee ngok. You probably can't hear the difference but the initial consonant is different.

 

Farang kee nok is sometimes used to  refer to the uwashed backpacker types because of their appearance, not their monetary condition and very rude, something one's wife would never say. 

 

If they're being called stingy, it's ngok.

These are two completely different senses of the word kee, by the way, excrement vs. prone to a certain trait, i.e. kee mao, or kee nao.

 

The farang kee ngok you hear is nothing to do with bird or shit, as many beginners of Thai wrongly think.

57 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

What's the opposite of going native?

 

Asking for a friend. Yeah that's the ticket.

 

Sent from my [device_name] using http://Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

 

 

 

 

Going ghetto?

2 hours ago, Beats56 said:

Sorry ..not a tourist. Married with a six year old boy. Well maybe you can educate me on the proper way to respond.

 

Perhaps ask your son if you use sawadee cup to a cashier, after they wai you.  

A low wai is optional, as is perhaps a "thank you" in Thai. I'll assume you know how to say thank you in Thai.

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5 hours ago, 4MyEgo said:

Close, was actually getting smoked....

Did you tip him well?

5 hours ago, curtklay said:

So what is a foreigner supposed to do when receiving a wai from a store clerk or some other "junior"?

Wai back, ignore them, or flip them the bird?

I just say thank you very much and walk away. 

I flip a lot of thai drivers the bird  though.

 

5 hours ago, curtklay said:

So what is a foreigner supposed to do when receiving a wai from a store clerk or some other "junior"?

Wai back, ignore them, or flip them the bird?

flip them the bird works for me.

26 minutes ago, Donotdisturb said:

it's ridiculous refering to previous post on the subject (ie. farang who ONLY knows that phrase and uses it 1000x an hour)

That would actually be pretty funny, when you describe it that way. "I'll have a Sangthip with Kraapom, teerak."

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