British TikToker praises Thai gas man’s effort to master the English language

[webfact]

Photo via TikTok @scootinthailand

 

A British Tiktoker shared a video of a Thai gas attendant and applauded his dedication to improving his English communication skills.

 

The British teacher, Dan Thomas, took to TikTok under the handle scootinthailand last week, to share a video of the gas station attendant with a caption in Thai saying…

 

“Greatly appreciated! I would like to encourage everyone to practice communication like him. P.S. Am I speaking Thai correctly? Feel free to drop your comments.”

 

Thomas explained that the petrol station is in the northern province of Chaing Mai where he lived and worked as a teacher.

 

In the video, the young petrol attendant, identified as Suthat, can be observed putting fuel into Thomas’s motorcycle while engaging in a conversation with the foreigner, and the words on his vest revealed that Suthat was an intern.

 

@scootinthailand ชื่นชมมากครับ ขอเป็นกำลังใจให้ทุกคนในการฝึกภาษาครับ ปล.ผมพูดไทยถูกไหมคับคอมเม้นหน่อย #chiangmaidriver #ฝึกภาษาอังกฤษ #คนไทยใจดี ♬ original sound - Dan Thomas

 

 

 

 

by Petch Petpailin

 

Full story: https://thethaiger.com/news/national/british-tiktoker-praises-thai-gas-mans-effort-to-master-the-english-language

 

-- Thaiger 2023-08-18

 

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[Neeranam]

Personally, I find this type of attendant extremely annoying. I speak Thai and they often can't figure that out. 

[malathione]

So he ran across one of perhaps millions who practice speaking English with foreigners everyday.

[damo1967]

2 hours ago, Neeranam said:

Personally, I find this type of attendant extremely annoying. I speak Thai and they often can't figure that out. 

'Personally', I think Thailand can do without you.  Why dont you go back to where ever you came from (probably English whinger) and go be the depressing sod you are there.... ?  

[transam]

2 hours ago, Neeranam said:

Personally, I find this type of attendant extremely annoying. I speak Thai and they often can't figure that out. 

Yeh but, you're a posh farangy, you keep telling us how wonderful you are. ????

 

Why not praise a Thai lad for making an effort.....?   

[Thaifish]

Is that video recorder Intrinsically safe???

[PremiumLane]

Jesus wept, there are some miserable old gits on this forum

[Jimbo 12345]

3 hours ago, Neeranam said:

Personally, I find this type of attendant extremely annoying. I speak Thai and they often can't figure that out. 

You speak thai,  and they don't understand you????    55555, say no more 

[Neeranam]

25 minutes ago, damo1967 said:

I am quite happy to find out how 'heroic' you are...  why don't you come to Takiab, and I will give you my location?  I know the answer already..  because you are gutless and a coward... 

I live in Takiab ???? 

[Lucky Bones]

Neeranam trolling today.

Tomorrow?????????

[malathione]

1 minute ago, scottiejohn said:

And you inability to articulate your point, if any, clearly!

For your edification, the point is that it is hardly a big thing if it is something that occurs all over the country countless times. ????

[transam]

Just now, Neeranam said:

I live in Takiab ???? 

I thought dreamland............????

[Scouse123]

35 minutes ago, damo1967 said:

'Personally', I think Thailand can do without you.  Why dont you go back to where ever you came from (probably English whinger) and go be the depressing sod you are there.... ?  

If at first you don't succeed, blame the English???????

 

Attacking an entire nation based on a forum comment by a guy whose nationality you don't know but ' presume ' he is English?

 

Not very grown up

[roo860]

35 minutes ago, transam said:

Yeh but, you're a posh farangy, you keep telling us how wonderful you are. ????

 

Why not praise a Thai lad for making an effort.....?   

He has a Thai ID card you know Trans, never mentions it, so show a bit of respect to the Chosen One!????????

[metisdead]

Inflammatory posts contravening our Forum Rules has been removed:

 

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[Neeranam]

4 minutes ago, Lucky Bones said:

Neeranam trolling today.

Tomorrow?????????

What makes you say that?

I simply stated that service people trying to speak English to me, when I speak Thai is annoying. 

[transam]

4 minutes ago, roo860 said:

He has a Thai ID card you know Trans, never mentions it, so show a bit of respect to the Chosen One!????????

Yeh, I know, hence my post......????

[hotchilli]

3 hours ago, Neeranam said:

Personally, I find this type of attendant extremely annoying. I speak Thai and they often can't figure that out. 

Maybe it's your tone... go figure.

[Yorkshire Tea]

Many petrol station workers around Chiang Mai speak a bit of English.  Same in 7-11s.  Never occurred to me to rave about it on social media...

[Neeranam]

1 minute ago, hotchilli said:

Maybe it's your tone... go figure.

My skin tone. 

 

[kwilco]

Full marks to the young man for efforts in learning a language.

But it also begs the question of why the teacher is so patronising.

We need to look more critically at how and why we value the English language in Thailand. THere seems to be a bias amongst foreigners who think that all Thais should learn English yet they refuse to learn any Thai.

I note that in their home countries many think it sould be essential that immigrants learn the home langauge, but this doesn't seem to be applied to themselves in Thailand.

 

 

[transam]

6 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

What makes you say that?

I simply stated that service people trying to speak English to me, when I speak Thai is annoying. 

So you think a Thai practising their English with an actual English speaker is below you, or too much of an effort.......????

 

To think, the blokes country opened its doors for you.............????

[billd766]

17 minutes ago, Jimbo 12345 said:

You speak thai,  and they don't understand you????    55555, say no more 

He is probably speaking his version of HiSo Thai.  ????

[scottiejohn]

20 minutes ago, roo860 said:

so show a bit of respect to the Chosen One!????????

so show a bit of respect to the Self Chosen One!????????

[loong]

3 hours ago, Neeranam said:

Personally, I find this type of attendant extremely annoying. I speak Thai and they often can't figure that out. 

I agree with you - to a point.

I find it annoying when I speak Thai and they reply in English when their English is extremely poor and I find it very difficult to understand what they are saying.

I am far from fluent in Thai, so if their English is better than my Thai, I am happy to speak English with them.

If they ask if they can practice their English with me, I am happy to comply.

[WHansen]

A nice feel good story that turns into bunch of armchair warriors only seeing negatives yet again.

 

[billd766]

I have nothing but respect for anybody trying to communicate in a second language in their own country.

 

Good for him and not good for Neeranam.

 

If Thais don't understand him while he is speaking Thai to them, perhaps his proficiency in spoken Thai is somewhat lacking.

 

I know my spoken Thai is lacking. and I also know that the fault is mine.

Edited August 18, 2023 by billd766
corrected some bad spelling

[Liverpool Lou]

1 hour ago, transam said:

Yeh but, you're a posh farangy, you keep telling us how wonderful you are. ????

 

Why not praise a Thai lad for making an effort.....?   

Hear, hear!

[Liverpool Lou]

55 minutes ago, Thaifish said:

Is that video recorder Intrinsically safe???

What makes you think that it is unsafe?   Mobile phones are intrinsically safe.

[Neeranam]

2 minutes ago, billd766 said:

I have nothing but respect for anybody trying to communicate in a second language in their own country.

 

I know my spoken Thai is lacking. and I also know that the fault is mine.

You have mentioned many times in the past that you make no effort to speak Thai. 

If I remember correctly, you said your wife didn't want you to learn?