At a market I visit rather often, I was interacting with some of the women (probably about 10-20 yrs my senior) who sell food. 

 

One of them points to her frogs (still living). 

 

I tell her:       เคยกินหลายครั้งแล้ว

 

She asks me if I like to eat frog. 

 

I respond:    ผมชอบแต่เมีย(ของผม)รังเกียจ

 

Upon giving this response, there was silence and I sort of sensed the air around me fall flat. 

 

Did I say something rude here to the seller lady?

 

If so, to what level of severity?

 

Do most Thais give farang a bit of a pass on this stuff (as in, they assume we're just trying our best to speak a very different language)?

รังเกียจ is maybe a bit strong word. 

14 hours ago, BananaBandit said:

I respond:    ผมชอบแต่เมีย(ของผม)รังเกียจ

 

Upon giving this response, there was silence and I sort of sensed the air around me fall flat. 

Is it possible they thought you said your wife was disgusting, rather than disgusted by eating frogs? Since you have (ของผม) in parenthesis, I assume you implied that but didn't actually say it. Plugging your entire phrase into Google Translate it says, "I like it but (my) wife hates it". However, if you omit the part in parenthesis GT says, "I like it but wife disgusting."