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Stick Your Mister Where The Sun Don't Shine


Neeranam

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28 minutes ago, transam said:

The OP, on the other hand, just doesn't like Thai folk using English, this is another of his threads pointing it out, but do they go into one if he tries out his Thai, I doubt it...

Sad I know, but there you have it.............????

Nonsense, I have absolutely nothing against Thais using English, if they can speak it better than my Thai. 

 

What do you mean another thread pointing this out? Show me one such thread.

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3 minutes ago, gwapofarang said:

On a thinking note, i wonder what would happen if a foreigner went ballistic on unsuspecting Thai yelling "Don't call me Mr. FFS!"

 

I'd pay to see that, never have.

Good post. Given me an idea.  

 

Maybe I should address all the doctors at Bangkok Hospital by 'Xiansheng' as they are all of Chinese origin. 

 

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Thais who know me (juristic persons, doctors etc.) put khun in front of my surname. Thai friends use it in front of my first name sometimes, usually when they are talking about me to guests or kids. Kids obviously say 'khun firstname'. As do the 'outsiders'.

 

Laundry ladies, tuktuk drivers etc. who aren't party to my names usually  ask 'you want xyz mister?'. Or if they want to attract my attention like when I'm heading the wrong way or left something lying on a counter, whatever, just 'hey mister'.

 

I felt really offended to begin with and reacted quite unpleasantly at times 'cos it obviously grates. It's highly impolite in the west. But I eventually figured it's their way of saying 'sir', a word they aren't familiar with. Noone's ever said it with malice as far as I can tell. Usually it's someone trying to be helpful or offering me something. Markets are another place. 

 

Can we seriously expect Thais to master the vagaries of 'Excuse me sir ...' as opposed to 'Hey mister'? Then just imagine 'Khun, you want tuktuk?'. Pretty weird.

 

A nurse saying 'mister surname' on the other hand is probably trying to be polite or even try their English, not racist.

 

A wise man once told me 'the world is your mirror. What do you see in it?'

Edited by BusyB
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46 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

Nonsense, I have absolutely nothing against Thais using English, if they can speak it better than my Thai. 

 

What do you mean another thread pointing this out? Show me one such thread.

Thais trying out English which is below your Thai levels offer an opportunity to help them improve.

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I don't mind being called "Mister". I think they are trying to be polite and it's just their poor use of English.

 

"Hey you, Farang" is the one that annoys me. I used to get it a lot when I lived in Phuket. If they were on their own (rare - they'd generally only do it when in groups) I'd reply "Hey you, Asian" and they didn't like it at all, proving they were well aware it was rude to address someone by referring to their race.

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34 minutes ago, John Drake said:

Actually, it is beneficial for me when I'm waiting to see a physician and having trouble hearing in the waiting room. They call out "mister" and I don't need to worry about them having trouble pronouncing my name. I know it is I.

That is true, I also noticed that. 

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2 hours ago, JonnyF said:

I don't mind being called "Mister". I think they are trying to be polite and it's just their poor use of English.

 

"Hey you, Farang" is the one that annoys me. I used to get it a lot when I lived in Phuket. If they were on their own (rare - they'd generally only do it when in groups) I'd reply "Hey you, Asian" and they didn't like it at all, proving they were well aware it was rude to address someone by referring to their race.

Yeah, they try it on. The clueless farang smile back, or worse. 

Can you imagine a hospital in the UK calling for mister x,y z, then using another pronoun for someone with dark skin? 

Or in the US changing someone's honorific because of their name - Mr. Hank, Mr. Chip jnr, Senor Juan?

Edited by Neeranam
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3 hours ago, bbko said:

This thread reminds me of another post a while back when the poster didn't like it when he entered a supermarket and the security guard saluted him.  He actually got offended being saluted, 555.

Some people will find the negative in the smallest everyday things.

Some [too many] are extraordinarily sensitive regarding things they clearly don't comprehend. 

This thread is perfectly reflective. 

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11 minutes ago, transam said:

But you are not in the UK or USA, why don't you just adjust to the country you purported to have spent 12,000,000bht to stay in, I find continuous digs at LOS, strange...........????

Or.....the more appropriate [and terribly ignorant/disconnected] Eurocentric manner: why can't they be like us? 

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My wife gets called "Khun Nai" which translates to Madam, or they call her madam. I find this slightly offensive, they also call other wives of westerners madam too.

 

They are kind of referring to her as, maybe a little better than the average, idk, anyway she kind of tolerates it but it annoys me a little, we don't have anything more than most people in our village, she is quite happy sitting in the "rot puang" when we go and recycle the cardboard and plastic bottles.

 

 

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