Do you ever get any negativity from the locals when you attempt to speak Thai?

[Reginald Prewster]

Flipping pay slips? Certainly not.

The intellectual nutritional value of your topics tells me enough and puts in my mind that Bukowsky's barfly goes into defense mode..

Never pay more rope out as you can pull in again, especially when the dead man's end is secured around your belly.

It will drag you over board..

 

back to topic,

speaking Thai and if it is only a little, is well appreciated by Thais and agreeable not by Thai hookers..

 

That's said I am out.. 

[Gecko123]

How about negativity from other foreigners when you speak Thai? Studiously disinterested, stone-faced, resentful, jealous, icy glares, desperate efforts to find someone - anyone - to discount or disparage your language skills. Ten people can tell them you speak Thai well but if one person makes a catty comment, it's all 'Ah-haa, now we're finally getting to the truth!" I can't remember the last time a foreigner said something positive about my Thai, asked how I learned it, or how long it took me.

 

Any negative experiences speaking Thai with Thais, who are generally appreciative of your efforts, pale in comparison to my negative experiences speaking Thai around other foreigners.

 

Edited December 23, 2023 by Gecko123

[ozimoron]

3 hours ago, Gecko123 said:

I think the phrase you were looking for was "down to earth."

 

No, the phraseology as paraphrased in the post I referred to were sophisticated and nuanced references to certain mindsets. The post implied that these were woke (my words I think) and that Thais didn't buy into what the poster obviously though was BS. It is a fact that educated Thais are just as nuanced psychologically as everyone in the west. It was a quasi-political attack on the left. It is a ginormous mistake to imagine that Thais think differently or have different aspirations to any westerners. That's peer hegemony, if not outright racism.

[ozimoron]

42 minutes ago, Reginald Prewster said:

Flipping pay slips? Certainly not.

The intellectual nutritional value of your topics tells me enough and puts in my mind that Bukowsky's barfly goes into defense mode..

Never pay more rope out as you can pull in again, especially when the dead man's end is secured around your belly.

It will drag you over board..

 

back to topic,

speaking Thai and if it is only a little, is well appreciated by Thais and agreeable not by Thai hookers..

 

That's said I am out.. 

 

I'll say that I have spoken Thai to thousands of hookers and not encountered any lack of appreciation. Over 45 years.

[Gecko123]

1 minute ago, ozimoron said:

 

No, the phraseology as paraphrased in the post I referred to were sophisticated and nuanced references to certain mindsets. The post implied that these were woke (my words I think) and that Thais didn't buy into what the poster obviously though was BS. It is a fact that educated Thais are just as nuanced psychologically as everyone in the west. It was a quasi-political attack on the left. It is a ginormous mistake to imagine that Thais think differently or have different aspirations to any westerners. That's peer hegemony, if not outright racism.

Yawn. Lot of big words in there, tiger, but you're not impressing me with your knowledge of Thai culture.

[connda]

On 12/22/2023 at 7:54 AM, BritManToo said:

I don't bother, if you don't speak English with a Brit accent, I'm not interested in talking with you.

Did learn to read, write and speak central Thai, it wasn't worthwhile, Thais are generally really dull people with nothing to say that I want to hear.

"How spicy was my last meal' ....... discuss for 1hr ........... I think not.

"Did you eat yet?"  (Gin kaow ruuyang). 

[Hanuman2547]

On 12/21/2023 at 4:45 PM, bob smith said:

These days I dont like to show off that I can speak thai, especially in tourist ghettos as I have had many thais tell me in the past that foreigners who can speak thai are no good.

 

Has anyone else ever experienced this sort of negativity?

 

No!  I've never experienced this anywhere in Thailand.  If anything, the opposite has been what I have observed.

[ozimoron]

Just now, Hanuman2547 said:

No!  I've never experienced this anywhere in Thailand.  If anything, the opposite has been what I have observed.

 

Some people think that because some bar girl once jibed them with "you know too mutt" that they form the opinion that Thais don't appreciate foreigners speaking their language. Makes about as much sense as Australians not appreciating foreigners speaking English.

[ozimoron]

29 minutes ago, Gecko123 said:

Yawn. Lot of big words in there, tiger, but you're not impressing me with your knowledge of Thai culture.

 

I apologize for the big words. That's just the level of my reading and education doing that. Embarrassing I know.

[scottiejohn]

22 minutes ago, ozimoron said:

 

I apologize for the big words. That's just the level of my reading and education doing that. Embarrassing I know.

Just goes to show that you would consider yourself to be perfect if you were not so modest!

 

 

Edited December 23, 2023 by scottiejohn

[khunPer]

On 12/22/2023 at 1:45 AM, bob smith said:

...especially in tourist ghettos as I have had many thais tell me in the past that foreigners who can speak thai are no good.

That's what I've heard that bar-girls are saying, because a foreigner, who can speak Thai, know too much – "no good" – a "blue-eyed" first time single tourist is preferred...

[BusyB]

On 12/22/2023 at 1:57 AM, ezzra said:

What an interesting take on the subject, rejecting out of hand the language of the country you made your home to be in...

 

I recall a post from way back when when someone was complaining about the Thais using fish sauce in all their food because he hated fish sauce ... strikes me as pretty much the same. 

[PJ71]

On 12/22/2023 at 12:54 AM, BritManToo said:

I don't bother, if you don't speak English with a Brit accent, I'm not interested in talking with you.

Did learn to read, write and speak central Thai, it wasn't worthwhile, Thais are generally really dull people with nothing to say that I want to hear.

"How spicy was my last meal' ....... discuss for 1hr ........... I think not.

I'd echo this comment.

 

 

[rickudon]

No negativity. I have a hearing deficit so the difference between Thai tones just does not register in my brain. I tried learning Thai, but beyond a list of nouns never got far enough to hold a conversation. i can buy petrol in Thai, and understand numbers (if you repeat it). In my experience 90% of shop assistants reply to me in English, but as most shops are self service, need for Thai is very rare. Anyway language issues are why you have a Thai wife!

[azt219]

On 12/23/2023 at 12:06 PM, Stevemercer said:

No. My Thai is crap, but Thai people usually say how good my Thai is. I assume they are being polite or want to make a positive impression.

 

It's the same when Thai's speak English. I always encourage them. 

 

Reminds me of this guys bit

 

 

[fondue zoo]

nope, just laughter at how when I don't know a word I substitute it with the Thai word for watermelon.

 

 

Edited December 26, 2023 by fondue zoo

[ozimoron]

I get ragged constantly by the trainers at my gym but I give it back to them in spades. Yesterday I held a competition to say "ring" with the proper pronunciation of the "r".

 

It's been a slow process teaching my trainer to say "face this way" instead of "look this way". And "watch me" instead of "look at me". 

 

All good fun.

 

Often I speak to them in English and they to me in Thai. Understanding is always easier than speaking.

Edited December 26, 2023 by ozimoron

[riclag]

I don’t speak fluent.

 

I speak enough to where the ladies are careful what they say when chit chatting together while in my presence.

 

[JoseThailand]

On 12/22/2023 at 8:08 AM, ezzra said:

Fair enough, however cheap housing and food i tend to agree, but cheap women? used to be 20 or so years ago,

not so much now though...

 

1000 baht ($30) is not cheap?

[youreavinalaff]

On 12/22/2023 at 12:45 AM, bob smith said:

Has anyone else ever experienced this sort of negativity?

I haven't.

 

[fondue zoo]

Most of the time they pretend they can't understand my Thai, they see milk toast face and only hear babble.

My pronunciation of key phrases is correct according to family/friends but taxi drivers in particular play dumb a lot. That's when I break out my inner mime, the more gesturing the better.

Pulling myself along an invisible rope while saying Central World has not worked yet. Making the shape of the building with my hands and then miming driving,  also not effective.

At this point you can see the "what the fk is this farang doing" look in their eyes.

All of a sudden they can understand me, and then refuse the fare anyway.   

[fondue zoo]

 

I remember reading years back an article written by a Thai language academic, that most Thais don't speak core Thai well for starters.

I always wondered if that was true.