Unbelievable Story!

[Mid]

apparently not

When police rounded up beggars in the northern capital in 1987 she was arrested on suspicion of being an illegal immigrant. Unable to determine where she came from, officials sent her to a social services hostel where she has been ever since.

Jintana Satjang, a director of the center where Jaeyana made her home, said: “We thought she was a mute.” Jaeyana was referred to as “Mrs Mon” because staff thought her mutterings sounded like Mon, a minority language in Burma.

Jaeyana would probably have spent the rest of her life at the hostel had not three students from her home province who spoke her language arrived at the centre for training last month. They struck up a friendship and she was able to tell them how she became separated from her family.

[Grover]

Funny story. I must confess, I've hopped onto the wrong bus a few times & unknowingly ended up in the middle of nowhere, feeling like a fool.

[lannarebirth]

The mind boggles at the level of ignorance sometime apparent in the human race.

My gf's mother has Alzheimer's / dementia, but is still quite active. She requires a dedicated helper. Additionally, we've had to construct a network of moobam guards, song taew drivers and motorcycle taxi men to act as a safety net. The lady in the story is a very sad case and I'm a little surprised at your comments. Apologies if I misunderstood.

[fxm88]

The last time Jaeyaena Beuraheng saw her seven children was in 1982 when she left the southern Thailand province of Narathiwat on one of her regular shopping trips across the nearby border with Malaysia.

She disappeared, and police later told her family that she had apparently been killed in a traffic accident.

In fact, Jaeyaena had simply taken the wrong bus home - an error that would have been easy to fix except that she only speaks the local dialect of Malay known as Yawi, according to officials at the homeless shelter where the 76-year-old has lived for two decades.

...

Source: http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0...5005962,00.html

[Jai Dee]

3 duplicate topics merged - moved to General Forum.

[Jet Gorgon]

The mind boggles at the level of ignorance sometime?apparent in the human race.

Yes, even among the educated elite. Please quantify your statement.

I think the statement is quite clear considering the story discussed.

Was there any particular word you didn't understand?

I understand your words, Sir; it is the premise of your statement with which I beg to differ.

Ignorance. Hmmm. I am ignorant in many ways, but at least I understand that I am ignorant in many ways. I may have a fancy education, but that ain't going to get me anywhere if I was stuck on my own in the desert, or asked to repair a turbine or prepare a meal for a Bedouin family. This lady knew her life and how to operate within its confines, undoubtably constrained by religious customs and the men who ruled her home. I doubt she had an opportunity to study and think for herself. But I would bet she has manners and knows how to live the life given her. She probably felt like a human lost on another planet when she was up north.

Walk a mile in her flipflops, before ye judge, I say.

[Shola]

Unbelievable Story!

correct , i dont believe a word of it.

Oh I do! Absolutely!

[samran]

and

and in 25 years she can't learn a smidgen of Thai????

My elderly Thai grandmother lived in OZ for 25 years and couldn't speak a word.

Different times people.

I bet most of the punters here would struggle to string more than two dozen words together in Thai. Add a (at best) rural upbringing in the boondocks of southern Thailand, the ignorance of the average central and northern Thai of southern Thailand, their language* and unique culture, and your 70% of the way there to understanding how something like this could happen.

* nb. if you've had an American ask you what language you speak in Australia, or compliment you on your grasp of English when you tell them you're from Australia, then you know what I'm on about.

[November Rain]

That poor woman. There are so many different dialects spoken in so many parts of Asia that I'm amazed this sort of thing doesn't happen more often. Wonder whether she eventually realised what had happened to her? I'm glad she finally was reunited with her family

[Scott]

I am one of those people who gets easily disoriented in Bangkok. I drove to the train station to pick up tickets for some friends and made a wrong turn when I left. Then another wrong turn, and another. My journey started at 4:30 p.m. At 11:00 at night I was still completely lost. I decided to try and find a hotel to stay in. It took two very nice police officers on motorcycles to get me pointed in the right direction.

Honest to God, I was so lost I couldn't tell up from down.

I know how this woman must have felt, except I did make it home around midnight!

[Lucifer]

It could be that she wanted to get away from where, or with whom she lived with.

'Some' muslims don't treat their women that well.

After 25 years perhaps she thinks attitudes have changed back home.

[Jimjim]

and

and in 25 years she can't learn a smidgen of Thai????

My elderly Thai grandmother lived in OZ for 25 years and couldn't speak a word.

Different times people.

I bet most of the punters here would struggle to string more than two dozen words together in Thai. Add a (at best) rural upbringing in the boondocks of southern Thailand, the ignorance of the average central and northern Thai of southern Thailand, their language* and unique culture, and your 70% of the way there to understanding how something like this could happen.

* nb. if you've had an American ask you what language you speak in Australia, or compliment you on your grasp of English when you tell them you're from Australia, then you know what I'm on about.

Only the most ignorant of Americans would be that dumb. I've never met an American who thinks Australians don't speak English. Perhaps they weren't listening closely and thought you said Austria.

[kmart]

Reminds me of the old joke about the bloke who didn't know if his wife had Alzheimers or AIDS. *sorry*

[bannork]

My next door neighbour's husband went to see his son in Bangkok, unfortunately at the time of the Black May tragedy in 1992. He had never been to Bangkok before and he has never been seen since.

Some say he may have fallen off the train, others say he may have got caught up in the disturbances, others say he got lost.

So sad for his wife, not knowing what has happened all these years. Many old people have never travelled beyond their local towns, I've even met young Thai people who wouldn't take a train by themselves for fear of getting off at the wrong station!

Map reading should be compulsory in every Thai school.

[samran]

and

and in 25 years she can't learn a smidgen of Thai????

My elderly Thai grandmother lived in OZ for 25 years and couldn't speak a word.

Different times people.

I bet most of the punters here would struggle to string more than two dozen words together in Thai. Add a (at best) rural upbringing in the boondocks of southern Thailand, the ignorance of the average central and northern Thai of southern Thailand, their language* and unique culture, and your 70% of the way there to understanding how something like this could happen.

* nb. if you've had an American ask you what language you speak in Australia, or compliment you on your grasp of English when you tell them you're from Australia, then you know what I'm on about.

Only the most ignorant of Americans would be that dumb. I've never met an American who thinks Australians don't speak English. Perhaps they weren't listening closely and thought you said Austria.

Firstly - this ain't an America bash...it is actually one of my favourite countries to visit.

But...to give you an example: Me and a mate were in a cab in Las Vegas

Me and mate were chatting away.

Taxi Driver: So where are you guys from?

Me: Australia.

Taxi Driver: Australia yeah? Man....I loved Crocodile Dundee, great movie. (note the movie was in English)

Me: Thanks (like I directed it or something)

Taxi Driver: So, like, what language do you guys speak there?

Me and mate: English ?!? (<deleted> we were thinking).

Taxi Driver: No, no, like what do you speak to each other, you know...

Me and mate: no we don't know.

Conversation continues along the same lines for a couple of more minutes.

[mrbojangles]

Taxi Driver: So, like, what language do you guys speak there?

Me and mate: English ?!? (<deleted> we were thinking).

Taxi Driver: No, no, like what do you speak to each other, you know...

Me and mate: no we don't know.

You should of just said "We speak a cross between Krackatacka and Abborigine" he wouldn't have know any different

[lannarebirth]

Taxi Driver: So, like, what language do you guys speak there?

Me and mate: English ?!? (<deleted> we were thinking).

Taxi Driver: No, no, like what do you speak to each other, you know...

Me and mate: no we don't know.

.

C'mon, who are you trying to kid?

http://uncyclopedia.org/wiki/Australian-English_Dictionary