Thais do have a knowledge of the World outside of Thailands borders. However many Thais choose to take the attitude that they are the superior race in the World, and everybody, and everything else does not matter to them, whether it be on a National or personal level.

You only have to read some of the speechs spouted by the likes of Prayut who once said in the not too distant past " that thai would overtake English as the number 1 language used in the World ".

With leading Statesmen like this banging on all the time about how absolutly marvelous Thailand is ( to them ) is it any wonder that the populus have this attitude also.

1 hour ago, Longcut said:

You strike me as someone who would complain if you couldn't get a bacon cheeseburger at McDonalds in a Muslim country. 

And you sound like the one who would rather eat fieldrats than moving to a city with decent restaurants.

25 minutes ago, Thian said:

And you sound like the one who would rather eat fieldrats than moving to a city with decent restaurants.

Wow! You are childish.

2 minutes ago, Longcut said:

Wow! You are childish.

Nope, i've become thai 5555...but i will never eat fieldrats.....enjoy your meal.

2 hours ago, Krataiboy said:

Have you tried shouting, rather than speaking, at them in English? It worked, apparently, for generations of colonialsists.

Sadly that didn't stop in the colonial era. As a teenager I hitched across France for a summer and was mortified to experience just that in Monte Carlo.

In my poorish schoolboy French I managed to explain to the young waitress what the gruff old gent required.

He , without a word of thanks , stomped off muttering about foreigners ( seriously ) , his wife looked embarassed , the young French girl gave me a lovely smile.

2 hours ago, Thian said:

And you sound like the one who would rather eat fieldrats than moving to a city with decent restaurants.

McDonalds, Burger King and Pizza Hut are decent restaurants? 

 

Even the most primitive of rural backwaters that you probably wouldn't be seen dead in will have establishments serving better food...

5 minutes ago, JAG said:

McDonalds, Burger King and Pizza Hut are decent restaurants? 

 

Even the most primitive of rural backwaters that you probably wouldn't be seen dead in will have establishments serving better food...

Your right. I dont consider fast food places to be quality restaurants. 

3 hours ago, Thian said:

And you sound like the one who would rather eat fieldrats than moving to a city with decent restaurants.

That would be me. I'd take eating rice fed field rats any day if my alternative was to move to a city with decent restaurants.

 

As a matter of fact I don't need any excuse to eat them. Saep laay.

 

3 hours ago, Thian said:

 

 

Edited November 10, 20187 yr by ningnong
double post

It is true that many khon Thais do not speak English, or only to a very small degree, but it is also true that many expats and long staying farangs, do not speak nor understand Thai at all, and this is to me a big shame. You owe yourself to be able to speak Thai, not just a few words but be able to have a conversation to a fellow Thai, and you should also know just a little about the culture here, after all, you are a guest in this country, shame on you. 

32 minutes ago, m Stender said:

It is true that many khon Thais do not speak English, or only to a very small degree, but it is also true that many expats and long staying farangs, do not speak nor understand Thai at all, and this is to me a big shame. You owe yourself to be able to speak Thai, not just a few words but be able to have a conversation to a fellow Thai, and you should also know just a little about the culture here, after all, you are a guest in this country, shame on you. 

Now you've done it! You've shamed me into a mea culpa binge.

 

Quickly now, for a quicky absolution, where did I stash* that English-Thai dictionary! 

 

* = Now I remember. I gave it to an absolute knockout Thai Uni student 10 years ago.

She was quite the "fellow Thai" so to speak and very well ... cultured. ????

Edited November 10, 20187 yr by MaxYakov

30 minutes ago, m Stender said:

It is true that many khon Thais do not speak English, or only to a very small degree, but it is also true that many expats and long staying farangs, do not speak nor understand Thai at all, and this is to me a big shame. You owe yourself to be able to speak Thai, not just a few words but be able to have a conversation to a fellow Thai, and you should also know just a little about the culture here, after all, you are a guest in this country, shame on you. 

 

There is a huge difference between knowing a universal language and one that is spoken in one small, insignificant country. As for living in the country and not being able to speak Thai, many do not have the skills to learn a foreign language, especially one as alien as Thai with its tones and unique alphabet.

4 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

 

There is a huge difference between knowing a universal language and one that is spoken in one small, insignificant country. As for living in the country and not being able to speak Thai, many do not have the skills to learn a foreign language, especially one as alien as Thai with its tones and unique alphabet.

And even the Thai can't understand eachother well....especially the area's where they speak half lao.

When my thai wife asks the way to somewhere upcountry she speaks for 5 whole minutes to somebody on the street and after that she still doesn't know where it is...5555

11 minutes ago, Thian said:

And even the Thai can't understand eachother well....especially the area's where they speak half lao.

When my thai wife asks the way to somewhere upcountry she speaks for 5 whole minutes to somebody on the street and after that she still doesn't know where it is...5555

This is universal across Thailand. Send the GF to ask a person for directions and after 5 minutes of conversation she comes back with " she not know"

Thai people already know everything, no need to speak Thai either.

On 11/9/2018 at 8:07 PM, HalfLight said:

"No have..."  instead oof "I'm sorry, we don't have that' or any one of a couple of dozen perfectly good alternatives. Gimme a break, the problem is simple. Thais ar lazy and if they don't see a quick advantage or a quick buck, thwn they won't do it.

Yes , but "no have" is almost a direct translation from Thai .   So they just pick the two words they know . What they learnt at school was probably nothing anyway . 

 

 

 

 

13 hours ago, balo said:

Yes , but "no have" is almost a direct translation from Thai .   So they just pick the two words they know . What they learnt at school was probably nothing anyway . 

 

 

 

 

Indeed, you're probably right. But then if they didn't even ;learn enough to know the English idiom is more complicated than the brain-dead Thai idiom, then there's hardly any point even bothering with it. Might as well learn body or facial language instead, at least they're common to just about all people.

 

I just love it when the eyes glaze over and they obviously don't understand, even if you're talking perfect Thai. It's because they look at your face and some brain circuits change to expecting English, which they know they don't understand, so they just can't understand anything you say. Bless them, they're just lovely.

Edited November 11, 20187 yr by HalfLight

1 hour ago, HalfLight said:

Might as well learn body or facial language instead, at least they're common to just about all people.

Not with Thais. Their smile can mean anything from I don't care to die infidel die. Rarely means they are happy about something.

3 minutes ago, DrTuner said:

Not with Thais. Their smile can mean anything from I don't care to die infidel die. Rarely means they are happy about something.

Indeed. A man who knows how Thais work. 

 

I suspect their smiles most often mean "I don't want to reveal what I actually think or feel, so I'll just smile". Nothing it ever what it seems with these people. 99% smoke and mirrors, among themselves and especially with Infidels 

How can they teach English when they can't speak English ?????

22 minutes ago, Blue bruce said:

How can they teach English when they can't speak English ?????

The definitive Paradox......with a little Thainess thrown in.

5 hours ago, HalfLight said:

Indeed, you're probably right. But then if they didn't even ;learn enough to know the English idiom is more complicated than the brain-dead Thai idiom, then there's hardly any point even bothering with it. Might as well learn body or facial language instead, at least they're common to just about all people.

 

I just love it when the eyes glaze over and they obviously don't understand, even if you're talking perfect Thai. It's because they look at your face and some brain circuits change to expecting English, which they know they don't understand, so they just can't understand anything you say. Bless them, they're just lovely.

Hmm, I hadn't really thought about that, but you're right.

 

It's little like when you get a farang actor in a lakorn. Yeah, maybe the tones are a little off, but I can understand it, yet they seem to need to subtitle everything they say....just in cast!

1 hour ago, GinBoy2 said:

Hmm, I hadn't really thought about that, but you're right.

 

It's little like when you get a farang actor in a lakorn. Yeah, maybe the tones are a little off, but I can understand it, yet they seem to need to subtitle everything they say....just in cast!

 

Bless... Life must be a real puzzle for them. So many things to try and understand, so little time...

 

Edited November 11, 20187 yr by HalfLight

On 11/9/2018 at 5:58 AM, Thian said:

In the BKK malls in the suburbs is absolutely nobody who speaks english...not even at the reception where one can report a crime. It's really terrible..but also at MacDonalds, Pizzacompany or Burgerking they can't spea a word inlit...

 

 

I'd stop eating at those places. As if the foods not bad enough for you, now they don't speak English!

7 hours ago, TumblinDice said:

I'd stop eating at those places. As if the foods not bad enough for you, now they don't speak English!

The food isn't bad for me cause i burn energy all day mate...i ain't fat ....so don't gimme that bs please. I don't sit on my arse all day.

 

But i eat there for convenience reasons...in a thai restaurant i have to wait very long, can't park, get to see bad hygiene, hard to order....and so on.

 

11 hours ago, TumblinDice said:

I'd stop eating at those places. As if the foods not bad enough for you, now they don't speak English!

 

Agree, If they don't understand English and they start the 'no understand'game when I speak (probably bad) Thai, then I exercise my right to shop wherever I wish and just walk out. I generally mutter something about being unable to do business with idiots on my way out the door.

 

And I agree, a lot of Thai food is just dreadful, it explains why historically, Thais are short and thin and dim - poor nutrition. That's changing now thank goodness (well the short and thin is anyway, the dimness will need more than a few decent meals) ,so there is light at the end of the tunnel.