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

[J Branche]

Thai language is not required in some schools.  Sending a child to school is not mandatory.  School is not free for most and must be paid periodically.

 

If only a small percentage of school teachers speak English where would the past students learn a 2nd language?

 

I know 1 teacher and 3 students and now have a better understanding of the Thai Education System.  

 

My personal advice is for a 10 year plan be created.  Focus on Math (budgeting), Language skills, Logic, Critical thinking and basic computer skills.  

 

This is critical for Thailand to achieve it's goals and attract more, higher paying jobs.

[Neeranam]

1 hour 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!????????

I rarely mention it, yet you often do. 

No idea why me being Thai upsets you so much. 

[brianthainess]

4 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 bet they find you more annoying, 'coz they can't understand a word your saying.

[Highlandman]

2 minutes ago, J Branche said:

Thai language is not required in some schools.  Sending a child to school is not mandatory.  School is not free for most and must be paid periodically.

 

If only a small percentage of school teachers speak English where would the past students learn a 2nd language?

 

I know 1 teacher and 3 students and now have a better understanding of the Thai Education System.  

 

My personal advice is for a 10 year plan be created.  Focus on Math (budgeting), Language skills, Logic, Critical thinking and basic computer skills.  

 

This is critical for Thailand to achieve it's goals and attract more, higher paying jobs.

What??

 

Of course Thai language is mandatory at Thai schools. This is a point of contention in the 3 southernmost provinces, where the majority of the population would prefer their children were educated in Pattani-Malay or Yawi, rather than Thai.

 

Thai is so dominant nowadays that minority dialects and languages are being wiped out.

 

It's English that isn't necessarily compulsory at every school.

 

Nearly every Thai parent sends their child(ren) to school. Education is considered to be mandatory from the ages of 6 or 7 (different sources are conflicted on which age) but homeschooling is a legal pathway that can be taken as an alternative. Very, very few Thais choose this path, though it's slowly growing in popularity. Quite a few rural Thais end up leaving school early, but very very few have never attended school (unlike in Laos, where most of the rural population has never been to school).

 

Your comment shows a complete lack of understanding of the Thai education system.

[JeffersLos]

None of them ever understand my English no matter how slowly and clearly say 'The scooter's tank is  only 5 liters it's impossible that you put 9 liters into it'.

[Neeranam]

3 minutes ago, brianthainess said:

I bet they find you more annoying, 'coz they can't understand a word your saying.

What are you talking about, I speak fluent Thai and passed the grade 6 Thai exam. 

[Highlandman]

2 minutes ago, brianthainess said:

I bet they find you more annoying, 'coz they can't understand a word your saying.

Considering he's a Thai citizen (even if naturalized) I find it strange that he wouldn't be understood but because we're talking gas station attendants here's the reason:

 

He's speaking Thai to foreigners, who themselves aren't good at Thai. The vast majority of gas station attendants are Burmese or Cambodian, as Thais don't like to do that kind of work. 

[JeffersLos]

8 minutes ago, J Branche said:

Thai language is not required in some schools.  Sending a child to school is not mandatory.  School is not free for most and must be paid periodically.

Ladies and gentlemen we have found the man that arrived yesterday and learned all about Thailand while propping up Dave's Bar last night. 

[brianthainess]

1 minute ago, Neeranam said:

What are you talking about, I speak fluent Thai and passed the grade 6 Thai exam. 

And yet no one can understand you!

[Highlandman]

1 minute ago, JeffersLos said:

None of them ever understand my English no matter how slowly and clearly say 'The scooter's tank is  only 5 liters it's impossible that you put 9 liters into it'.

You just say "tem tang" (which means full tank) or a numerical amount (such as 100 or 200 Baht). No one ever tells a gas station attendant to put in a particular quantity of gas into their vehicle. That's too complicated for the attendants to work out. It's always a numerical value - for cars you might say diesel, 1000 Baht. That's it. Diesel = diesel in both Thai and English. In the past, "sola" was often used but that term is now almost extinct 

[Goat]

1 hour ago, kwilco said:

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

A Brit on a low income teachers salary on a motorbike.

When you are that low, they usually are. 

[JeffersLos]

Just now, Highlandman said:

You just say "tem tang" (which means full tank) or a numerical amount (such as 100 or 200 Baht). No one ever tells a gas station attendant to put in a particular quantity of gas into their vehicle. That's too complicated for the attendants to work out. It's always a numerical value - for cars you might say diesel, 1000 Baht. That's it. Diesel = diesel in both Thai and English. In the past, "sola" was often used but that term is now almost extinct 

It's a joke.

 

Around tourist areas they are known to balance the pump handle in such a way it doesn't reset to zero on the pumps used for scooters. 

 

Tourist comes in on a rented scooter, either tells them to fill it up or get 100 baht of gas, it starts at say 50thb instead of 0 baht, and the attendant then gets to skim the 50 baht. 

 

Have you just arrived in Thailand or what? 

[Neeranam]

15 minutes ago, Highlandman said:

I'm offended when that happens given I'm fluent in the language. In the past due to my lack of Thai, it was the opposite - I wanted people to speak English with me, because I didn't know enough Thai.

I hear you. 

I've lived here most of my life, spent thousands of hours learning Thai and integrating into the society. The last thing I want is to speak pidgin English with pump attendants etc

 

17 minutes ago, Highlandman said:

The only types who can get quite arrogant and even racist and who you may struggle to speak Thai to are the educated elite, often university professors, doctors and the like, who quite often aren't that good at English, or not as good as they think they are.

Oh, I know them well. Usually the Chinese ones, they really don't want farang infiltrating Thai society. 

Last year, a doctor told me I want a real Thai as I wasn't born here. 

A Chinese, Thai woman at the bank told me Chinese could change their nationalality but farang could never be Thai. 

[Highlandman]

3 minutes ago, JeffersLos said:

It's a joke.

 

Around tourist areas they are known to balance the pump handle in such a way it doesn't reset to zero on the pumps used for scooters. 

 

Tourist comes in on a rented scooter, either tells them to fill it up or get 100 baht of gas, it starts at say 50thb instead of 0 baht, and the attendant then gets to skim the 50 baht. 

 

Have you just arrived in Thailand or what? 

Sounds like you have just arrived in the country as I'm the one giving you correct and useful advice.

[Neeranam]

8 minutes ago, brianthainess said:

And yet no one can understand you!

It takes them a while to understand, nothing to do with language ability. 

Do you ever speak Thai here? 

[Highlandman]

Just now, Neeranam said:

I hear you. 

I've lived here most of my life, spent thousands of hours learning Thai and integrating into the society. The last thing I want is to speak pidgin English with pump attendants etc

 

Oh, I know them well. Usually the Chinese ones, they really don't want farang infiltrating Thai society. 

Last year, a doctor told me I want a real Thai as I wasn't born here. 

A Chinese, Thai woman at the bank told me Chinese could change their nationalality but farang could never be Thai. 

I would have told her off. Chinese and farang getting Thai nationality - same thing. 

 

Yeah the mask wearing ethnic Chinese ones, I know the type. Lol.

 

BTW can you explain the context of why the doctor said that? Are you a business owner or something where the doctor came in and made that remark?

[Neeranam]

14 minutes ago, Highlandman said:

What??

 

Of course Thai language is mandatory at Thai schools. This is a point of contention in the 3 southernmost provinces, where the majority of the population would prefer their children were educated in Pattani-Malay or Yawi, rather than Thai.

 

Thai is so dominant nowadays that minority dialects and languages are being wiped out.

 

It's English that isn't necessarily compulsory at every school.

 

Nearly every Thai parent sends their child(ren) to school. Education is considered to be mandatory from the ages of 6 or 7 (different sources are conflicted on which age) but homeschooling is a legal pathway that can be taken as an alternative. Very, very few Thais choose this path, though it's slowly growing in popularity. Quite a few rural Thais end up leaving school early, but very very few have never attended school (unlike in Laos, where most of the rural population has never been to school).

 

Your comment shows a complete lack of understanding of the Thai education system.

I was going to say the same. 

[damo1967]

1 hour ago, Jimbo 12345 said:

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

He should start re-learning 0 to 10...  should we help him?  soon... neung... song.. saarm....  hmm nahh let him re-learn himself haha

[JeffersLos]

7 minutes ago, JeffersLos said:

It's a joke.

 

3 minutes ago, Highlandman said:

I'm the one giving you correct and useful advice.

Maybe the English speaking gas attendant can help out poor Highlandman with basic reading and comprehension. ????

[Highlandman]

1 minute ago, JeffersLos said:

 

Maybe the English speaking gas attendant can help out poor Highlandman with basic reading and comprehension. ????

Yeah a joke only you can understand . Funny. Haha. Isn't it a bit early to be drinking? Or did you just fall off your bar stool?

[Neeranam]

1 minute ago, Highlandman said:

I would have told her off. Chinese and farang getting Thai nationality - same thing. 

 

Yeah the mask wearing ethnic Chinese ones, I know the type. Lol.

 

BTW can you explain the context of why the doctor said that? Are you a business owner or something where the doctor came in and made that remark?

The very first thing the doc said when I walked in was, "you are a Thai citizen, were you born here?" He saw that on my records. I knew immediately the type of person he was and was trying to suss me out in regard to who was the senior. I was about 20 years older than him. As you know, Thailand has a strict hierarchical social structure, which is reflected in the dialogues. 

Rather that use certain honorifics in Thai, he said he was educated in Leeds and would I be OK speaking English. I said OK, I was born in Glasgow, to which he said, so not a real Thai. 

He wasn't as bad as the Chinese woman, I gave her a mouthful, using "jek" a few times ????

 

 

[Highlandman]

11 minutes ago, Highlandman said:

I would have told her off. Chinese and farang getting Thai nationality - same thing. 

 

Yeah the mask wearing ethnic Chinese ones, I know the type. Lol.

 

BTW can you explain the context of why the doctor said that? Are you a business owner or something where the doctor came in and made that remark?

I think I got it now. It was the slight spelling mistake you made. The doctor said he doesn't consider you to be Thai, as you weren't born in the country. A ridiculous thing to say, but apparently he said it.

[Highlandman]

1 minute ago, Neeranam said:

The very first thing the doc said when I walked in was, "you are a Thai citizen, were you born here?" He saw that on my records. I knew immediately the type of person he was and was trying to suss me out in regard to who was the senior. I was about 20 years older than him. As you know, Thailand has a strict hierarchical social structure, which is reflected in the dialogues. 

Rather that use certain honorifics in Thai, he said he was educated in Leeds and would I be OK speaking English. I said OK, I was born in Glasgow, to which he said, so not a real Thai. 

He wasn't as bad as the Chinese woman, I gave her a mouthful, using "jek" a few times ????

 

 

Yep, got it. I just corrected my post prior to you sending this one. Clearly you were his patient 

 

Yeah so the doctor trying to practice his English or try to make himself look good.

 

Aha so you gave her some of her own medicine. Lol.

[richard_smith237]

1 hour ago, Jimjim1 said:

1 hour ago, Neeranam said:

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

The simple fact that the Thai people who try to show you respect by overcoming their inherent shyness to speak English to you leaves you annoyed, Really?

I wonder how they feel when they struggle to understand your obviously perfectly fluent Thai.

 

There are some very sad individuals living in Thailand, Why do you live here when it appears that your main contribution is to insult the locals and those who post good events they experience.

You should be ashamed of yourself.

Some hyperbolic response to Neeranam’s comment !!

 

Firstly, props to anyone learning & practicing a foreign language. 
 

That said, I have encountered many many situations whereby I drew an utter blank when speaking Thai…

I’ve even had other Thai’s speak up and tell the person I’m speaking with (Shop cashier etc) that they should listen, I’m speaking Thai to them !

 

I think we’ve all encountered the ‘eyes don’t believe the ears’ scenario.

 

 

[Red Forever]

I always praise a Thai person when they try out their English on me and I help them.

Judging by some posts here on this subject there are some miserable, anti-social farang who are like the Brits who moved to Spain and are proud of the fact that they don't speak Spanish and only eat egg and chips.

Sad.

[pedro01]

I thought most of these gas station attendants were Burmese...

[brianthainess]

32 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

What are you talking about, I speak fluent Thai and passed the grade 6 Thai exam. 

I would ask for my money back.

[Neeranam]

3 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

That said, I have encountered many many situations whereby I drew an utter blank when speaking Thai…

I’ve even had other Thai’s speak up and tell the person I’m speaking with (Shop cashier etc) that they should listen, I’m speaking Thai to them !

 

Absolutely. 

 

There are also some Thais and foreigners who ridicule us for speaking Thai. 

 

Some will never understand the trials and tribulations of being an immigrant in Thailand as they identify as long term tourists. 

 

[Neeranam]

Just now, brianthainess said:

I would ask for my money back.

From whom?

[brianthainess]

Just now, Neeranam said:

From whom?

Unless you got free lessons I'd say whatever institution you paid to teach you, they obviously did a very bad job if no Thai understand you.