“Don’t complain about our English, If you can’t speak Thai” - sign at restaurant goes viral - again

[Ventenio]

Dinner:  Farang 1000 baht, Thai 20 baht

Use Restroom:  Farang 1000 baht, Thai free

Drinks:  Water, Farang, 1000 baht, Thai free

 

Love you  

[Yinn]

20 minutes ago, holy cow cm said:

 

 

Question Yinn: Can you look at a Foreigner and get a feeling they can speak Thai by the way they act and carry themselves?

 

Hmmmmm 

Interesting thinking. I agree can, sometimes. Look confident/smile/ thai polite way. Not look same “lost”.

Sometimes, I not sure why, but sometimes it really like that. 55555

 

20 minutes ago, holy cow cm said:

 

I get the feeling most Thai can.

But not think “most” Thai.

Most Thai never meet/speak with foreigner. Most Thai expect foreigner can not speak thai. 

 

But the one who do speak with foreigner often,  some/most can “feel” it.

 

You correct. Hard to explain it. Just the feeling/way. 55555 

intersting thinking. 

[smedly]

24 minutes ago, Berkshire said:

The sign doesn't say "NO ENGLISH SPOKEN HERE!" or "ONLY THAI SPOKEN HERE!"  It just suggests, probably tongue-in-cheek, not to complain about their English proficiency...which also suggest that they're trying to speak English best they can.  Why are certain people getting so upset?

I am far from upset, I just find it amusing in a country that relies on foreign tourism making a statement like that - simple solution - go somewhere else 

[Ireland32]

Why the Continual Yank Bashing, I want this topic flagged for Yank Bashing , it’s a continuous cycle on here to bash Yanks , STOP IT, Now

[Saint Nick]

10 minutes ago, Yinn said:

Sign not say you learn thai.

They ask you not complain.

Yes it says....

What it means is....

The conclusion is: we dont need to learn English, because Yinn's mother and some rubber - farmer will never need it!

Now...Yinn...what is the difference between a rubber- farmer, your mom and a restaurant - owner?

You seem intelligent enough to figure that out!

 

[Ireland32]

If you don’t want Farangs coming to ur business , or expanding , Remain Ignorant

[Roy Baht]

3 minutes ago, Sticky Wicket said:

The main problem is with customers who want to add/take something off an existing item on the menu i.e. fussy eaters or with allergies etc.

Most people even if they can't speak Thai can point at the item they want, it's not rocket science!

I've seen most problems when a non Thai speaker is trying to alter a meal in English. You can literally see the server's head spinning

Start asking for sunny side up eggs or crispy bacon & well done toast in English and you are bound to <deleted> up the whole order

A Thai server's nightmare:
 

 

[tifino]

2 minutes ago, Sticky Wicket said:

Start asking for sunny side up eggs or crispy bacon & well done toast in English and you are bound to <deleted> up the whole order

say "hold the egg"

 

waiter answers "okay, now what?"

  

 

and heaven forbid, the amercanism " ...over easy... "

[evadgib]

5 minutes ago, ThomasThBKK said:

Did they say that??? NO.

 

They tell people to stop COMPLAINING about their english skills, not that they refuse to speak english.

 

And it's quite clear which group of people are those that complain about other peoples english skills - the one who speaks only 1 language.

Methinks you should revisit my post...

[Yinn]

6 minutes ago, Sticky Wicket said:

The main problem is with customers who want to add/take something off an existing item on the menu i.e. fussy eaters or with allergies etc.

Most people even if they can't speak Thai can point at the item they want, it's not rocket science!

I've seen most problems when a non Thai speaker is trying to alter a meal in English. You can literally see the server's head spinning

Start asking for sunny side up eggs or crispy bacon & well done toast in English and you are bound to <deleted> up the whole order

Exactly!!!!!!!

[billsmart]

Yes, I agree with this sign completely! ❤️

[CharlieH]

Fair and reasonable ????

 

Is it fair and reasonable, that when visiting a foreign country, where  English script is used in a very high percentage of places, where the road signs, hospitals, immigration, the Police, Banks,Hotels  and many many more places use English text in the signage etc that the people then speak English ? 

I think it would be reasonable to think they do, but of course not everyone everywhere, just like the signs not everywhere but most.

[Lacrimas]

Well if they are referring to tourists it is a stupid sign because you can't expect people to learn Thai for a 2 weeks vacation. If they are talking to non immigrant residents they are right. First thing I did when I moved here was studying the language.

Edited January 20, 2020 by Lacrimas

[Yinn]

4 minutes ago, Ireland32 said:

If you don’t want Farangs coming to ur business , or expanding , Remain Ignorant

They not want people complain.

[White Christmas13]

1 hour ago, Coremouse said:

Still think most Thai people are very nice but encountering more and more xenophobics, rude behaviors everyday. 

 

It may be inappropriate to question a country farmer's english skill, but for Service Industry earning income from farangs, this sign is just a silly excuse. And a country as a whole putting up a language barrier won't do any good to its economy. As you see I'm also not a native english speaker, yet the appalling english-inability of Thailand also gave me tons headache. 

It's just like going to a Chinese restaurant and the sign says

"Don't complain about our English if you can't speak Chinese"

[monkfish]

My wife used to ask, why don't you correct my English when I speak to I can be better?
So I did correct her English then she was like why you always correct my English I'm not English girl.
Sometimes you just can't win.
Yet if we try to speak Thai they will correct us and correct us and even laugh if there's a slight mistake in the pronunciation.

Edited January 20, 2020 by monkfish

[4MyEgo]

1 hour ago, Yinn said:

IMO eglish speaker never learn second language is most impolite. (USA, Aussie, NZ, England). And speak to quickly.

Sawadee Krup Yinn

 

Just to clarify, I am Aussie, born from Greek parents, I have been travelling to Thailand since 2005, moved here in 2015, never learned Thai, nit noi, nung, song, sum, see, ha ha ha, now, yen, catoh, tiruk, etc, etc.

 

I don't have the patience to learn another language, even though I live here, you know the older you get your brain slows, that said, it doesn't take much for a person to be polite when visiting another country, smile, sawadee, sabi dee, point at a bottle of water, run your finger down the list of a menu, pet pet, muk, muk, cop kun krup, I have always found Thai's to be willing to assist.

 

I have never had a problem, sign language/gestures with Thai's works most times, but at the bank the other day I asked the teller if she could photocopy the page on the bank book, I pointed to the page and with 1 finger, copy please, she came back with a copy of my name page, I said sorry, no, politely and asked again, she stood back and a colleague of hers came over and I point to the page and showed him 1 finger, copy please, no I didn't show him my middle one, and he did the copy for me, I said cop coon krup and to the girl who looked a little upset at me, but "up to her" as the Thai's say, I was polite and we can all try, it doesn't take much to live together, but as for farangs who get upset, well, that's just the bottom quality of impatient and uneducated tourists, and Budda help the Thai's if they intend on moving here, mai pen rai ????

 

[Roy Baht]

2 minutes ago, White Christmas13 said:

"Don't complain about our English if you can't speak Chinese"

In ten years, that's what the signs in Thailand will say. ????

[Woolsgibb60]

8 minutes ago, Mister Fixit said:

Yes, English IS taught at all Thai schools, but unfortunately it is taught extremely badly by Thai teachers whose knowledge of English is minimal at best.  

So if they been to university and have a degree in english and they can speak fluent english did they buy the degree how can u be a english and u cant speak english how did they get a degree in english plus over the years how many tourist be visiting this country and thai still  cant speak english so it show u how lazy the tourist can only speak 1 language they are only here for say 2 weeks holiday 

[Traubert]

2 hours ago, Roy Baht said:

In ten years, that's what the signs in Thailand will say. ????

No doubt it will now the English speakers are too skint to come.

 

<snip>

[DrTuner]

18 minutes ago, Sticky Wicket said:

Start asking for sunny side up eggs or crispy bacon & well done toast in English and you are bound to <deleted> up the whole order

Better stick with khaophadkai. Them farang foods are difficult.

[Thailsacien]

Someone who speaks 3 languages is a trilingal
Someone who speaks 2 languages is a bilingal
Someone who speaks 1 language is a merican ???? 

[Traubert]

9 minutes ago, Woolsgibb60 said:

So if they been to university and have a degree in english and they can speak fluent english did they buy the degree how can u be a english and u cant speak english how did they get a degree in english plus over the years how many tourist be visiting this country and thai still  cant speak english so it show u how lazy the tourist can only speak 1 language they are only here for say 2 weeks holiday 

Yes, if only their English was as well presented, punctuated, and capitalised as yours, there wouldn't be a problem at all.

 

Seriously, it's word soup but the meaning comes across. Problem starts when the meaning has to go the other way and a lack of patience and thinking to oneself 'why didn't they understand what I said' and adapting to the situation goes tits up.

Edited January 20, 2020 by Traubert

[bristolgeoff]

my teerak says similar when she wants something of me that turns into thai baht for her

[monkfish]

Unless we know exactly how and what they complained about.
Maybe some foreigner just pointed out a spelling mistake on the menu doesn't mean they complained.

[mike787]

Be part of the solution, not the problem...

[Naturesway]

There is nothing to be ashamed of a language ability of people (based on their interests and environment) as long as their interest and profit extending are isn’t requiring is so, in other words as long as your business isn’t involved with foreign benefits, if you expect foreigners leave their money for you then you will have  to deal with it differently if you can’t admit that then it’s shame on you, if Thais don’t know and don’t understand anything which involves into their business like how to handle, how to understand, how to speak to foreigners,  but all of them do understand how to charge double or multiple price to them. 

[Rimmer]

A post using multiple quotes has been removed, please do not do this as it causes problems further on:

 

5. Please do not quote multiple nested quotes. Quote only the relevant section that you are discussing. Moderators will snip excessively long nested quotes. 

 

 

[uli65]

every day there is another evidence  for the thai megalomania.

[Naturesway]

If you have the willing and interest to overcharge foreigners with minimum double or triple prices then you should have the sense and interest at least to be able to speak to them, otherwise it will just be a very one sided business ,

or you just keep the same prices as for Thais (no distinguish) and then no one should complain but it’s not fair to be one sided affair 

Edited January 20, 2020 by Naturesway