Thai people saying "you" in Thai

[BudRight]

I find a lot of Thai people say "you" in Thai when referring to me and it seems rude and irritating. It's also confusing because อยู่ is a very common word. I've asked people not to do this and have absolutely no idea what I'm talking about. Might as well tell them I'm a space alien from planet Terberium. 

[Joe Farang]

If you're going to let things like this irritate you, then you'd be better off going home to Farangland.

 

Ooops sorry, I meant to say

 

If one is going to let things like this irritate one, then one would be better off going home to Farangland.

 

[Kenny202]

Yeah, I mean you have to rise above that if you want to live here. They say you possibly because its the only English word they know. Doesn't mean they are being rude. Here where formality and manners are so important I am sure we are not addressing people correctly either. I been here 10 years and still don't understand the ins and outs. I would file that in the "don't sweat the small stuff" bin. Same as when they refer to us as farang....I find myself bristling a bit sometimes as if you are being referred to as an appliance or something....but I am pretty sure they don't mean any harm. I don't know where you live but here in Isaan they are very abrupt and direct, and I think has a lot to do with their very basic / primitive language. Seem to have one word that could apply to many different things....particularIy if to do with something foreign. Like "nom" can be milk in a bottle or breasts. Cow can mean rice or the color white, and I think various other things too. I always find it difficult to listen to Thais referring to themselves by their own name, rather than use a word like me or my or I. But hey this is Thailand and that is their language. We have to adapt. Try and take note of how tolerant and understanding the Thais are of us. I am sure they are more tolerant of foreigners here than we are in our own countries

[richard_smith237]

Its not a big deal is it...  “Hey YOU, where you go ?’....  

It doesn’t sound nice, but completely ignoring the question isn’t nice either (and thats how I handle the ‘you’ think in most contexts)

 

TukTuk drivers riding along side you as you walk down the street (you, you..... You... he, You, you... )... 

 

But, its better than the ‘Clap of hands’ to get your attention, or even worse... the ‘kiss’ or the exaggerated sound of ‘sucking with lips pursed’ to make that horrible sound that some motorcycle guys and Tuk-Tuks do.. 

 

Just ignore it !!... thats all you can do. 

 

[Puccini]

I have seen Thai people use the the other person's nickname instead of the pronoun with close friends. One woman I know uses "you" or "u" with one of her friends although this is not the friend's nickname. In a way, it is just this woman's personal nickname for this particular friend, who doesn't mind it at all.

 

And in conversation with this friend, she refers to herself as "I". For all I know, they have been doing this since their time together at university.

 

[chuang]

You have a problem or attitude 

[Lorry]

5 hours ago, Puccini said:

I have seen Thai people use the the other person's nickname instead of the pronoun with close friends. One woman I know uses "you" or "u" with one of her friends although this is not the friend's nickname. In a way, it is just this woman's personal nickname for this particular friend, who doesn't mind it at all.

 

And in conversation with this friend, she refers to herself as "I". For all I know, they have been doing this since their time together at university.

 

Using the English pronouns "I" and "you" is quite common with non-rural Thais under 40 (when talking in Thai with Thai friends).

 

How does OP want to be addressed? "Khun" is from the textbooks and expresses social distance,  it is downright rude when speaking to one's partner.  Thai friends would probably want to use a nickname for him, but that might very well be อ้วน (the obvious choice for us) - happy with this? In more formal situations,  would OP understand if he were called ลูกค้า?

[jak2002003]

I don't like it when a Thai person calls me 'sir'.  It's creepy.  

[it is what it is]

 

haha, assume this is a joke post, if not, then you really have to chill, or find somewhere to live more in tune with your linguistic preferences.

 

i actually like the way thais refer to themselves in the third person

[Led Lolly Yellow Lolly]

12 hours ago, BudRight said:

I find a lot of Thai people say "you" in Thai when referring to me and it seems rude and irritating. It's also confusing because อยู่ is a very common word. I've asked people not to do this and have absolutely no idea what I'm talking about. Might as well tell them I'm a space alien from planet Terberium. 

Are you for real? "You" in Thai (as you state), is a form of respectful address. When they don't know your name, they will often say "Khun Khun" to get your attention, or if you are a customer, they will say "Khun Luukhaa" ('You' customer). The literal translation into English is "You you" but it doesn't really convey the correct meaning. When Thai people use the English word "You" instead, they sincerely believe they are addressing you respectfully, they don't know any better, they just accept what the mighty Google translate tells them. You're just making them confused by being an a$@#ole about it. . . and if they really are using Thai, you're being a complete jerk.

 

 

 

[BritManToo]

3 hours ago, Led Lolly Yellow Lolly said:

Are you for real? "You" in Thai (as you state), is a form of respectful address.

As is 'hey, farang'.

Personally I prefer the Philippines where they call me 'sir' or sometimes 'boss'.

[Aforek]

13 hours ago, Kenny202 said:

 where you live but here in Isaan they are very abrupt and direct, and I think has a lot to do with their very basic / primitive language. Seem to have one word that could apply to many different things....particularIy if to do with something foreign. Like "nom" can be milk in a bottle or breasts. Cow can mean rice or the color white, and I think various other things too.

I don't know Issan language, but I know Thai language and I don't think it's a basic /primitive language

for "nom" which means "breast" and " milk", every language ( including  English ) has words which have different meanings

for " cow ", you don't seem to know the language well, spelling is different and they are not the same words ( even if for you it's always the same " cow " : in fact, 13 different spellings and meanings, with different pronounciation ) , common in Thai language, but 13 is uncommon I admit 

[BritManToo]

51 minutes ago, Aforek said:

I don't know Issan language, but I know Thai language and I don't think it's a basic /primitive language

for "nom" which means "breast" and " milk", every language ( including  English ) has words which have different meanings

for " cow ", you don't seem to know the language well, spelling is different and they are not the same words ( even if for you it's always the same " cow " : in fact, 13 different spellings and meanings, with different pronounciation ) , common in Thai language, but 13 is uncommon I admit 

I agree with Kenny, and disagree with you.

All the Thai languages are primitive, leading to many 'misunderstandings' even between native speakers.

[Led Lolly Yellow Lolly]

I think it's common for farang to become frustrated by the Thai language and just write it off as primitive. About local dialects, I sit at a bar in Glasgow I can barely understand a word being spoken, the only reason I can understand anything is I used to work with a Glaswegian chef.

Yes, red gold (copper), hard water (ice) and things like that may seem childish, and there are many borrowed words in the Thai language, computing terminology for example. . . but a vast swathe of English vocabulary is borrowed from French, Latin, other romance languages.

 

 

 

[Denim]

14 hours ago, BritManToo said:

As is 'hey, farang'.

Personally I prefer the Philippines where they call me 'sir' or sometimes 'boss'.

They used to call after me in the street .........' Hey chicken legs '. so I started wearing jeans.

 

On my last visit it was ' Hey Baldy '  or the tagalog version ' Kalbo '  but there were so many other Baldies that i liked to imagine it was one of the others they were calling.

[AventurasEnMadrid]

@BudRight I don't like this either or that we are made to feel "other" in so many different ways - I find Thailand to be quite xenophobic to foreigners and this becomes more clear the more advanced you become at the language. Don't pay much mind to the other posters insulting you, this is generally a very toxic forum.

[GarryP]

Perhaps you'd prefer "mueng". 

[FriendlyFarang]

Thais also use "I" and "You" (as Thai word instead of pom/khun) with other Thais, this isn't meant to degrade us foreigners are something like that, imho that's neutral.