Thai insults: Calling someone a lizard can land you in jail!

[webfact]

Thai insults: Calling someone a lizard can land you in jail!

 

 

Following an inquiry as to whether saying a woman has small breast constitutes a crime in Thailand comes news that one of the country's commonest - and basest - insults could land users behind bars.

 

The insult is familiar to all Thai speakers - and used habitually by many in common speech as well as confrontations - and is best described as using the colloquial name of the humble water monitor.

 

Daily News reported on the matter yesterday. They asked a different lawyer to the one they consulted over the issue of small mammaries.

 

They were reluctant to even write the word in Thai in their story. We feel safe enough "hia" on Thaivisa.

 

Yes the word is "hia" pronounced quite like the English word "here".

 

Daily news used Thai letters of course writing just "hi..." in their story to avoid hurting sensibilities and perhaps with a little humor aforethought.

 

They said that the insult is widely used and some people say virtually nothing else especially with friends - rather like the use of the F word in English. But while it is very common in more ways than one - it may not just be a beating or a kicking that you get for using it in anger.

 

Lawyer Ratchaphon Sirisakhorn said that a court could decide in the right circumstances that use of the word "hi..." could be insulting language that would warrant a jail term of a year or a 1,000 baht fine. 

 

Thaivisa would like to advise foreigners, too, to be careful of the word. It may be safer even on seeing one of the vaguely stripy lizards in parks or ponds to refer to their pleasant name:

 

Tua ngern tua thong - the silver and gold creature.

 

In this way you will be deemed a knowledgeable and polite foreigner and may even be the recipient of riches as the name implies - a belief prevalent among older Thais.

 

Or you can just say: "Oh look....there's a water monitor!"

 

That may be safer still.

 

Source: Daily News

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2018-08-10

[Nickymaster]

Oh dear 

[darksidedog]

Are you allowed to say "that water monitor has very small breasts?"

[bluesofa]

5 minutes ago, Nickymaster said:

Oh dear 

That's a no-no too. Comparing someone to a four-legged animal is probably not wise.

 

[Vacuum]

3 minutes ago, darksidedog said:

Are you allowed to say "that water monitor has very small breasts?"

That would result in a double fine or jail time.

[worgeordie]

This is one crazy country,were you can be fined,jailed

for telling the truth !

regards Worgeordie

[PatOngo]

Don't stop there, calling someone farang kee nok should be a jailable offence too!

[bluesofa]

10 minutes ago, Vacuum said:

14 minutes ago, darksidedog said:

Are you allowed to say "that water monitor has very small breasts?"

That would result in a double fine or jail time. 

At primary school I can't ever remember the Milk Monitor ever being involved in any legal dispute.

 

[chopin2]

3 minutes ago, PatOngo said:

Don't stop there, calling someone farang kee nok should be a jailable offence too!

And so should falang baa and  you cwazy man

[bluesofa]

1 minute ago, chopin2 said:

And so should falang baa and  you cwazy man

That's Jonathan Woss doing a life term then....

 

[BobBKK]

I'll let David Icke know IMMEDIATELY

 

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

[Oziex1]

Has calling someone a Lizard ever been a form of insult in Thailand or anywhere else?

 

How do Pigs, Dogs, Cows and Snakes feel about this?

[bluesofa]

11 minutes ago, Oziex1 said:

Has calling someone a Lizard ever been a form of insult in Thailand or anywhere else?

 

How do Pigs, Dogs, Cows and Snakes feel about this?

I'd suggest they have a consultation with Dr Dolittle

 

[sammieuk1]

How much to hire your small hia's for the night and introduce you to my snake is not a good pick up line then? or just simply how much then. 

 

Tua ngern tua thong - the silver and gold creature.Is surly a sun baked OAP! is it not.

 

Or you can just say: "Oh look....there's a water monitor!" or Oh look at that prick as we would say?

[marko kok prong]

So what about darkling?

[bluesofa]

1 minute ago, marko kok prong said:

So what about darkling?

I thought that was a species of brown monkey?

 

[stanleycoin]

59 minutes ago, BobBKK said:

I'll let David Icke know IMMEDIATELY

 

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

Is Turquoise man still alive ? thought he went up in a puff of smoke

long ago. ?

[bluesofa]

2 minutes ago, stanleycoin said:

Is Turquoise man still alive ? thought he went up in a puff of smoke

long ago. ?

Along with a magic dragon no doubt, forget those lizards.

 

[stanleycoin]

 

 

[Neeranam]

Nonsense, who is this lawyer?

 

Tell him it is a crime to be racist.

 

Many foreigners are well aware of the law, and the users of this word.

 

 

[stanleycoin]

5 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

Nonsense, who is this lawyer?

 

Tell him it is a crime to be racist.

 

Many foreigners are well aware of the law, and the users of this word.

 

 

why don't you get on face book and tell him what you think

if its a big deal to you.?

[NCC1701A]

What do you call 100 attorneys on the bottom of the ocean?

 

A start.

 

 

[bluesofa]

Just now, NCC1701A said:

What do you call 100 attorneys on the bottom of the ocean?

A start.

Ha ha! I was thinking more along the lines of a buffet for sharks.

 

[Topdoc]

What about calling someone a 'letter box' ?

[BritManToo]

How much do I get if someone calls me a Guava?

[BritManToo]

4 hours ago, darksidedog said:

Are you allowed to say "that water monitor has very small breasts?"

How about, "I hear they have small breasts"

[helloagain]

5 hours ago, Nickymaster said:

Oh dear 

If name calling can land you with 1000 baht fine or jail why doesnt when a thai often beats up a foriener does that not land them in jail

[johng]

4 hours ago, marko kok prong said:

So what about darkling?

arguably worse than "Narling"

[johng]

I hear   the primary school kids running around the playground   merrily shouting  "i hia  i sut"  almost everyday !!!!

[Small Joke]

Your father was a water monitor,  and your mother had nano-noms!