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

[outsider]

I never agreed with people who complained about Thais' English. I've never complained, even remarked, about it. Made fun of it, yes, but all in good fun and in front of Thais themselves, who in turn laugh at my feeble attempt at Thai. All in good fun. Fact of the matter is - I'm in Thailand, so to communicate with the locals, I learn Thai. Not the other way around. Come on, this is not the bloody UK. This is Thailand. They speak Thai. Get on with it.

[baipaibkk]

Don't need to speak English??? Thailand live from Tourismus. Only the Farang bring the Money. Used this Money for school system and Thai can speak english. Not long lost more Tourist as now.

 

[Isaanbiker]

52 minutes ago, Assurancetourix said:

I want to understand that in a Thai restaurant the normal language used is Thai so I totally agree with the sign;
but on this forum,  obligatory language is English, it would be good for ALL the members to make the effort to write in comprehensible English and not in Thaiglish as it is the case for some ....

Be careful, Jing might BBQ your Idefix! It's in no way helpful to use baby English when speaking to learners of the English language.

 

   A Canadian friend was always speaking in baby language, for example: " Tomorrow, I go Bangkok,."

 

" I not go", "I not do",etc.. but where i get a kick out is when people criticize Thais for not being competent in English, but their post is impossible to read. 

 

 

[ravip]

3 minutes ago, outsider said:

I never agreed with people who complained about Thais' English. I've never complained, even remarked, about it. Made fun of it, yes, but all in good fun and in front of Thais themselves, who in turn laugh at my feeble attempt at Thai. All in good fun. Fact of the matter is - I'm in Thailand, so to communicate with the locals, I learn Thai. Not the other way around. Come on, this is not the bloody UK. This is Thailand. They speak Thai. Get on with it.

Never dreamt that a post like this would appear on the TVF!

Thank you.

[tifino]

1 hour ago, Guderian said:

* Remember that the farang's accent is likely to be very strange, worse even than Aberdonian to an Englishman's ears, lol. Make allowances for it, few non-native speakers ever truly master the local accent, even when they are fluent in a language.

yeah... like, to use logic, and simply realise/accept her falang is not talking about riding a dog, nor complaining about being bitten by a soi horse

[Yinn]

2 minutes ago, ParkerN said:

 

Fully agree with this, one cannot blame the averge Thai for teaching decisions not made by him/her, but made either by unintelligent parents, or incompetent teachers and their equally incompetent management.

 

You complain a lot.

 

2 minutes ago, ParkerN said:

 

I speak pretty good Thai and I can tell you that with many Thais, it matters not whether you speak good Thai or bad Thai or no Thai, it only matters if you are Thai, such is the extent of their jingoism.

?

 

2 minutes ago, ParkerN said:

 

I also agree that it is not good for any foreigner to berate Thai staff for their inability to speak Thai, but in fairness, I have on many occasions had a Thai look down their nose or be rude to me because they assume I am not good enough to speak Thai, only to be embarrassed and lose face when it becomes clear I am neither. I have equally no patience with this very special kind of half-wit.

Probably not like you because complain to much. 

Not because you foreigner.

 

 

2 minutes ago, ParkerN said:

 

The notice is disgraceful, but no more disgraceful than the racist sentiments that gave rise to it.

Who?

The thai staff or the English speaker complain to much?

 

2 minutes ago, ParkerN said:

 

In respect of the posters who down-voted my post; good luck. you are entitled to your opinion, as I am to mine.. You are quite wrong but I expect you've been told that on many occasions in the past.

 

Yes, you wrong.

 

2 minutes ago, ParkerN said:

 

The reality seems to be that you are confused, but on this occasion, it comes not from bad schooling but from being a bit thick or from too much brown-nosing.

Good luck.

i think this restaurant not want you to eat there. Sabai sabai.

Bad feeling for the nice customer when have some angry guy complain, atmosphere make it uncomfortable. Selfish.

[DrTuner]

24 minutes ago, ravip said:

Try a 5 Star hotel next time to satisfy your "non jingoistic" requirements!

They aren't much better. Some do employ Burmese and Cambodian waiters, that do speak a bit better English.

[Lacessit]

There are 1.5 billion English-speaking people in the world. The current Thai population is 69 million, so it is very definitely a minority language which would have little use outside of Thailand.

Having said that, I've taken the time to learn Thai. I'll never be fluent, but at least I can communicate.

I can understand Thais have difficulty with English - it has a lot of combined consonants that don't exist in Thai, only 5 vowels, and no tones. Conversely, I wonder how a tone-deaf English-speaking person can possibly cope with Thai.

Thailand has a choice - learn English, or learn Mandarin. The latter would actually be easier for them.

Part of the problem here is the appalling education system - most Thais teaching English are as competent at it as I would be teaching ballet.

I don't have a problem with the sign itself - it's their country, and it does show a sense of humor.

 

[roulax]

English native and especially US tourists complain about other non-native person's english, everywhere they go, not only Thailand. 

 

[ramrod711]

3 hours ago, Yinn said:

No 

translation= stop complain like idiot.

I agree, been here 14 years don't speak anywhere near as much Thai as I should. My Thai wife and I were at the dentist the other day, the receptionist apologized for not being able to speak to me in English. I told my wife "it's not her job to learn english, it's my job to learn Thai". My wife makes it too easy for me, we speak english at home and she translates everything for me. Seems that either laziness or stupidity are to blame on my part.

[malibukid]

was in a restaurant many times and Thai not know basics like word for "fork" in English.  i have to ask many times to please bring me a f$##%^ fork.

[ParkerN]

5 minutes ago, outsider said:

I never agreed with people who complained about Thais' English. I've never complained, even remarked, about it. Made fun of it, yes, but all in good fun and in front of Thais themselves, who in turn laugh at my feeble attempt at Thai. All in good fun. Fact of the matter is - I'm in Thailand, so to communicate with the locals, I learn Thai. Not the other way around. Come on, this is not the bloody UK. This is Thailand. They speak Thai. Get on with it.

Hmmm. They also beat their wives an children, and attack other people in groups, Woud yoiu so quickly approve of these behaviours.

 

On the other hand, you also make some salient points. It is after all, Thailand, with good and bad. Accept or not as is your inclination, but don't excuse what can't be excused, not just because it is unintelligent, un-developed or primitive.

[Yinn]

5 minutes ago, baipaibkk said:

Don't need to speak English???

Correct

 

5 minutes ago, baipaibkk said:

 

Thailand live from Tourismus. Only the Farang bring the Money.

 

1) Chinese tourist more money (13 million)

2) My family get NO money from farang. But if want to give me some, PM, I will give you account number. Thankyou.

 

 

[ParkerN]

3 minutes ago, Yinn said:

You complain a lot.

 

?

 

Probably not like you because complain to much. 

Not because you foreigner.

 

 

Who?

The thai staff or the English speaker complain to much?

 

Yes, you wrong.

 

Good luck.

i think this restaurant not want you to eat there. Sabai sabai.

Bad feeling for the nice customer when have some angry guy complain, atmosphere make it uncomfortable. Selfish.

 

You're right, I do complain. In Thailand there is a lot to complain bout therefore I'm entitled to complain no less than you are about my complaining, yet that doesn't seem to stop you. If you cannot speak or spell English properly, may I suggest a dictionary and a spell-checker?.

 

Otherwise, take a hike and go looking for an education.

 

[Isaanbiker]

5 minutes ago, Yinn said:

You complain a lot.

 

?

 

Probably not like you because complain to much. 

Not because you foreigner.

 

 

Who?

The thai staff or the English speaker complain to much?

 

Yes, you wrong.

 

Good luck.

i think this restaurant not want you to eat there. Sabai sabai.

Bad feeling for the nice customer when have some angry guy complain, atmosphere make it uncomfortable. Selfish.

Snip" 

  2 minutes ago, ParkerN said:

 

I also agree that it is not good for any foreigner to berate Thai staff for their inability to speak Thai, but in fairness, I have on many occasions had a Thai look down their nose or be rude to me because they assume I am not good enough to speak Thai, only to be embarrassed and lose face when it becomes clear I am neither. 

 

What kind of Parker are you really?

 

You agree that it is not good for any foreigner to berate Thai staff for their inability to speak Thai?

 

Are you on the wrong medication? 

[SupermarineS6B]

Oh really ?  A sign obviously written by an English speaking Westerner who's probably employing the lowest on the food chain who'd probably be all on speaking Thai nevermind English......... cater for your clientel and less it with the scarcasm..... another five minute know it all in La la Land.......

[ravip]

Well... just to sit back, with a beer in hand and to think of the past...

Most restaurants in Thailand that I have visited, the majority of the customers were Thais, with a handful of foreigners. And they do enjoy lavishly. Hence... whats all this talk about 'our money' etc...?

OK... maybe just the places that I visited! (not referring to the famous areas that the normal 'tourist' visits Thailand for)

[toenail]

-Sorry, according to stats (Estimates of tourism revenue directly contributing to the Thai GDP of 12 trillion baht range from one trillion baht (2013) 2.53 trillion baht (2016), the equivalent of 9% to 17.7% of GDP.) it is best for Thai businesses that cater to tourism to know basic English which is recognized as the international language. ( At times it is easier for me to order my dinner in Phnom Phen, Hanoi , or in Bali than in Bangkok. )  Of course I do not expect Thais to speak English in the rural areas. 

[Lacessit]

8 minutes ago, malibukid said:

was in a restaurant many times and Thai not know basics like word for "fork" in English.  i have to ask many times to please bring me a f$##%^ fork.

Well, here's another candidate for the Ugly American award. Perhaps it has not occurred to you that many Thais know what the f-word means, and find it highly offensive. Take care they don't bring a knife instead, and use it on you.

[Superphoenix]

3 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

I speak only a few Thai words but I agree with the sign.

Only because I have witnessed too many Falang get upset or even yell at staff at various places because they cannot understand English.  Calling them stupid and the such.

It can be frustrating but not really their fault. Blame the government for not making them learn English in school.

If you want good English interaction with mostly polite people, go to the Philippines 90% there speak.

LMFAO! Are you serious?? Do you really think, staff of any service provider on a tourist "hot spot" like Thailand shouldn't be able to understand the needs of the tourists? 

[ravip]

1 minute ago, SupermarineS6B said:

Oh really ?  A sign obviously written by an English speaking Westerner who's probably employing the lowest on the food chain who'd probably be all on speaking Thai nevermind English......... cater for your clientel and less it with the scarcasm..... another five minute know it all in La la Land.......

Hurt very badly? Just relax and go back home where all will be good like in La La Land...

[ParkerN]

12 minutes ago, roulax said:

English native and especially US tourists complain about other non-native person's english, everywhere they go, not only Thailand. 

 

Sweeping generalisations are, as a rule, not useful.

[Yinn]

POTY YINN 2019 Special advice for happy live in Thailand. 

 

Not be impolite in restaurant before ALL your food/drink order come already. 

 

[tifino]

13 minutes ago, roulax said:

English native and especially US tourists complain about other non-native person's english, everywhere they go, not only Thailand. 

 

complain too many foreigners live in whatever country they are visiting?

[ravip]

3 minutes ago, toenail said:

-Sorry, according to stats (Estimates of tourism revenue directly contributing to the Thai GDP of 12 trillion baht range from one trillion baht (2013) 2.53 trillion baht (2016), the equivalent of 9% to 17.7% of GDP.) it is best for Thai businesses that cater to tourism to know basic English which is recognized as the international language. ( At times it is easier for me to order my dinner in Phnom Phen, Hanoi , or in Bali than in Bangkok. )  Of course I do not expect Thais to speak English in the rural areas. 

Yes. That comes from the REAL tourists. NOT the cheap charlies that mess up everything... from the MRT to the Restaurants! Yes, the Trillions count from the genuine tourists who we dont see here on TVF at all!!!

Yes the difference is great - millions of Baht!

 

 

[Yinn]

8 minutes ago, ParkerN said:

 

You're right, I do complain.

 

Yes, see people same you.

 

 

8 minutes ago, ParkerN said:

 

In Thailand there is a lot to complain bout therefore I'm entitled to complain 

 

“Thailand” not change for you. Sure. 

Why not leave? 

[TKDfella]

I've got the solution...everyone should speak every language so that no one gets bad vibes while on holiday anywhere...yeah right, I'll go and sit in the corner.

[monkfish]

It works both ways.
Personally I have never complained about a Thai persons English before.
But many Thai's have complained about my Thai skills or lack thereof.

[sambum]

I was in a True Vision office one day a few years ago when an American was really having a go at a young girl behind the desk, shouting and swearing. An English lady grabbed him by the arm and said "Listen, it's not her fault that you don't speak Thai!" Bravo!

[ParkerN]

1 minute ago, Yinn said:

Yes, see people same you.

 

 

“Thailand” not change for you. Sure. 

Why not leave? 

 

Sorry mate, I gave up trying to unnerstan Pidgin Angrit a while back. If you don't want to learn proper English then you can always put me on your ignore list. Please.