Thai Sense Of Humor

[bloody tiger]

I tell ya what I reckon is hilarious.............

The farang overhears a conversation and (with his immense understanding of the Thai people, Thai culture, Thai sense of humour and the Thai language) he picks up the word "farang" has been used.....immediately he assumes that they must of been talking about him and laughing about him.......arguments ensue.........even blind rage i have seen.....HILARIOUS.............insecurity at its highest level.......... ..........I bet many of you have witnessed this on a few occasions......even funnier when at the fresh food market the said "farang" is of the edibale variety....

.........I myself am MAKSEEDA

Oh my, have i just stepped onto a steamer?

[Monroe]

Different types of comedy appeal to different types of people. what one person finds funny, another will not, and thats fine, i have no problem with that.

My problem the other morning, was getting my G/F's children to understand that watching a news report about some guy in pain,being beaten, tied up, and dragged on his back, behind a motorcycle, to understand that there is a difference between comedy and real life.

Having said that, why do i laugh at the home movie shows that show people having accidents?

I must be thinking too mutt........My Brain Hurts hahaha.

I'll just go and have a lie down

Jaiyenyen

First post since my annual trip to Thailand, yay! =) Promised myself I'd stop doing this but I can't find anything else to do between Forex and exercise (school hasn't started yet).

Not sure how much of the original topic has been covered, but not a single Thai I know would have found that funny. What you've experienced is more likely a personal flaw of your girlfriend and her children rather that something that encompasses all Thais.

If the did indeed find it "highly amusing," it would probably do you, as a parental figure, good to explain to your girlfriend's children why this is wrong if the situation presents itself on another occasion.

[endure]

What's really amazing is that someone can board a plane, fly half way round the world and still expect the mores, customs and habits of the place they arrive at to be the same as those of the place they left. In the west the smile and the laugh have single functions. In Thailand both serve multiple purposes.

[Monroe]

What's really amazing is that someone can board a plane, fly half way round the world and still expect the mores, customs and habits of the place they arrive at to be the same as those of the place they left. In the west the smile and the laugh have single functions. In Thailand both serve multiple purposes.

On the chance that was directed toward me, I do try my best to understand.

I know that laughter is often used as a defense mechanism and that humor is perceived differently in any given place, but I'd be hard-pressed to find the random consensus in any civilized society (which I do believe Thailand to be in its own regard) pointing toward the acceptance and comedic aspects of mutilation and murder.

[geriatrickid]

I'm really surprised hat no one brought up the subject of flatulence in any of the posts. My friends find it to be incredibly amusing. Ok, this might be because they are all under 30. While I might say these boys are disgusting, I also have a farang friend who things it's great fun to suprise his g/f in bed with methane discharges. Some crude behaviours seem to be common. (The farang that does this is an otherwise well adjusted educated 28 yr old.)

Why should Thailand be any less unique with its humour than other countries? France adores Jerry Lewis, but there are other places where he is reviled. I loved the 3 stooge reruns when I was a kid, and those shows were incredibly violent and are censored in other countries. Warner Brothers and Disney had cartoons that featured some over the top racial stereotypes of shufflin' & grinnin' males and big boned/lipped mammies. They were funny at the time. Today, those classic cartoons are edited to remove such features because they are deemed to be offensive. My beloved Tintin comic books had some very rude & crude humour. It has been removed from the current editions.

All relative aint it.

[WaiWai]

All relative aint it.

Well, that's precisely the point at issue, and its's a very interesting one. I am not sure. While I am well aware that Asians may laugh in cirumstances that seem odd to people from other cultures, this particular example seems like one where the reaction would be different.

I must say I'd be wondering how those children had grown up, and observing them more closely. One or two posters suggested they may in fact have been having a nervous giggling fit in the presence of the "strange" foreigner (not sure how well they know eachother) and this seems possible, but if not, and the kids were really laughing at the TV, knowing it was not fictional, I do find it strange.

[BADBRAD]

I guess only the Brits come out with one great comedy after the other. But regarding humor and comedies the Brits are undisputed leaders in the world.

Surely you are indulging in a bit of comedy here yourself Colonel? British humour? I didn't know such a thing existed .

[chinthee]

France adores Jerry Lewis, but there are other places where he is reviled. I loved the 3 stooge reruns when I was a kid, and those shows were incredibly violent and are censored in other countries.

Here's a recent pic of him. Surprising how we all get old and ugly isn't it?

[endure]

What's really amazing is that someone can board a plane, fly half way round the world and still expect the mores, customs and habits of the place they arrive at to be the same as those of the place they left. In the west the smile and the laugh have single functions. In Thailand both serve multiple purposes.

On the chance that was directed toward me, I do try my best to understand.

I know that laughter is often used as a defense mechanism and that humor is perceived differently in any given place, but I'd be hard-pressed to find the random consensus in any civilized society (which I do believe Thailand to be in its own regard) pointing toward the acceptance and comedic aspects of mutilation and murder.

It wasn't directed at you but you help to illustrate my point. You are assuming that the only thing which generates laughter is comedy. That may be true in the west but it isn't true the world over. It's the same with the smile. Everyone knows that Thailand is the Land of Smiles (note the plural). In the west a smile means you're happy. Not necessarily so in Thailand http://www.into-asia.com/thailand/culture/smile.php

[pointofview]

I recall some years ago visiting the Dice club in Naklua. Before the disco there was a stage show - thai comedy. My friends and i would observe in wonder as several able thai men slapped and ridiculed 2 downsyndrome men. The thais thought this was hilairious. Bit of a change from laughing at katoeys with clown makeup - i suppose. Truly amazing!!!

[pointofview]

What's really amazing is that someone can board a plane, fly half way round the world and still expect the mores, customs and habits of the place they arrive at to be the same as those of the place they left. In the west the smile and the laugh have single functions. In Thailand both serve multiple purposes.

My thai wife has spent most of the past 14 years living in the UK. Unlike ferangs who try to delve into the mystical thai phsyci to try to understand thai ways, she sees things simplly as they are - simple being te operative word. Try educating any nation to the average thai standard and see what they laugh at. After becoming semi westernized she is often dumbfounded by thai ways!!

Why do thai babys not wear crash helmets? Because they dont fit - simple!!!

[Alex8]

once, while dining at a restaurant with some thais i casually remarked about one of the guys sitting opposite me, chainsmoking,

that he must have strong lungs, as he had not died of it yet. the whole group howled with laughter, the tears running down some faces. i was taken aback, but just put it down to their different sense of humour. the next day i was quietly taken aside and explained to that i had made an huge error, and that i should not have made the comment. i then asked why they had all laughed, and he explained that it was to keep the "evil spirits" away. he said that thais will laugh at "very bad things" for this reason. thais do not only laugh at humerous situations, and thais often laugh, and smile, for very different reasons than we do.

I tend to believe this. On the many many occasions motorcyles have cut me off because they never looked for oncoming traffic. When I honk and they notice me, they realize they have come within mere centimeters of becoming another traffic fatality . Thiis usually brings on a big smile, or a shared laugh, if with a friend. Land Of Smiles.

Lannarebirth: In the West, in a similar situation, when the other guy has lost his sense of roadmanship, if he happens to make eye contact with you, he will grin a goofey smile.....it's to cover his embarrassment. You don't seriously expect any other reaction do you except to respond angrily if you show him a rude finger sign? He's certainly not going down the confessional route and thrice strike his breast saying, 'Mea culpa'.

[steveromagnino]

What's really amazing is that someone can board a plane, fly half way round the world and still expect the mores, customs and habits of the place they arrive at to be the same as those of the place they left. In the west the smile and the laugh have single functions. In Thailand both serve multiple purposes.

My thai wife has spent most of the past 14 years living in the UK. Unlike ferangs who try to delve into the mystical thai phsyci to try to understand thai ways, she sees things simplly as they are - simple being te operative word. Try educating any nation to the average thai standard and see what they laugh at. After becoming semi westernized she is often dumbfounded by thai ways!!

Why do thai babys not wear crash helmets? Because they dont fit - simple!!!

Actually, the point on the crash helmet.... they aren't made in child sizes for the most part, and adult ones don't fit! Even the few child sizes don't fit after more than a few months/years - with most motorcycle riders being poor, what do you want them to do?

Simple answer, and a correct one. Your point is??????

Anyway, trying to make things complex....I don't get it. I worked in a few industries with considerable price complexity during deregulation, and almost every incredibly complex issue could be reduced to a very simple answer...not sure what job you or your wife do, but I cannot think of hardly any question that cannot be answered very simply. but then again...maybe I should stop reading the millenium problems by Keith Devlin :-) It is usually someone rather stupid that insists on making things complex; hel_l even law can be reduced to plain english contracts and terms and conditions; takes more brains to do it, but simple is better.

Thanks though, for proving the theory of 'my wife'. This is a standard which can never be questioned, right on par with 'the man in the street' Let me know what Thai humour she finds funny...not the lowest common denominator rubbish right??? Same the world over - 90% of 'comedy' worldwide is not that funny at all. For exmample the USA. I mean, Full House and Dharma and Greg??? Come on, that is total drivel IMHO. Or One Foot in The Grave????? Other than the great appearance in Father Ted, you could hardly call that rivetting stuff, and yet people love it. I for one, will not be the person to say I know good stuff, and you don't. Well, actually I will, because I am conseederably funnier than yeeeeeow. Sa-port.

However, Chris Rock, Mr Show and Family Guy come from the same country of mighty US and A. Much less popular but rather than casting aspersions and making foundless generalisations based on personal experience or that old stand by on TV 'the wife says' I think we should just agree there is some great Thai comedy out there; there is a ton of rubbish and different people find different things funny. We should also agckonlwedge that many of you are hearing second hand from your friends or wives because you cannot find the jokes funny yourself - hel_l you can't even understand the jokes first hand! And whether your friends or wives are familiar with all Thai humour out there, from the cutting jokes in likae to the stand up of Ajarn Jatupon and Note to political satire such as the Robot Government stuff on ITV pre coup is highly questionable.....particularly based on the FACT that most people from any country have a very poor idea of all the information available for any subject.

That's just how it is. One simple answer to anything is make a massive generalisation. Certainly simple, and very funny for us to read.....but sadly usually wrong as well. But I guess that is why it is funny. But of course, I guess then the bloke at the pub, man on the street, my Thai boss or partner argument can be brought in, a sort of 'fire' symbol in the rock/paper/scissors game I guess. Very funny though :-) There is a Thai equivalent, where one can hear some taxi drivers, night workers and the like comment on 'British man, him velly jai lai gup chun' etc etc - great to know that the education level of some posters has managed to reach that lofty level to be able to make such generalisations.

Perhaps the only thing more stupid is when posters come on here and insist on writing word for word what Thai people say in the my girlfriend she said 'him bad man him dum dum write something funnee becaut think all Thai people dem tink der same'

To which I plead totally guilty. If only I had not married that 18 year old mor 1 educated starlet straight out of Long Gun, and instead aimed a little higher....i hear the lasses in Rainbow are bilingual (speak Japanese) and even studied to Mor 3!!! What a Thai apologist I am, with my mansionette in Sukbhumit Studio apartment 110 Onnut and my VISA Electron card and thriving EBAY business selling pirated soccer shirts. Oh yes, I am a big hitter indeed. And considerably reeeecher than yeeeeeow. Sa-port.

Edited September 6, 2007 by steveromagnino

[TravelBUG]

I think saying the kids are Devils Spawn may be a too harsh!

Uneducated would be a more appropriate word for this situation. I also agree with Kmart, unsofisticated.

I also think that Thai women in particular are very immature, and it shows in their sense of humor.

In Bangla Road Phuket we watched from afar, the thai women laughing hysterically for over an hour at trying to hit a nail on the head in a block of wood. Again, i point out the word uneducated.

Edited September 6, 2007 by TravelBUG

[steveromagnino]

I think saying the kids are Devils Spawn may be a too harsh!

Uneducated would be a more appropriate word for this situation. I also agree with Kmart, unsofisticated.

I also think that Thai women in particular are very immature, and it shows in their sense of humor.

In Bangla Road Phuket we watched from afar, the thai women laughing hysterically for over an hour at trying to hit a nail on the head in a block of wood. Again, i point out the word uneducated.

Just as well you are from a highly educated, mature and sophisticated place where they must teach the ability to judge an entire country of people on the basis of a few just on one street well known as a red light district catering to mostly farang ขี้นก

If you watched the working girls at Pump Up, would you assume all Thai people like to wash cars, or if you went to Resort would you assume that all Thai people spend their evenings standing on top of the table rather than sitting at it?

Nice to see you observing people having fun doing something, and this somehow relates to a juvenile sense of humour of another country. I am finding something incredibly funny right now, but I suspect due to my own lack of education, lack of maturity and lack of sophistication that it may be something very different to what is funny to you.

Next time let me know when the women will be banging nails again. I consider that to be right up there with episodes of the Goons. hel_l, they almost were as infantile as Thais, after all they did do that record Bridge on the River Wye.

Moriaty!!!

Bluebottle: What time is it Eccles?

Eccles: Err, just a minute. I've got it written down here on a piece of paper. A nice man wrote the time down for me this morning.

Bluebottle: Then why do you carry it around with you, Eccles?

Eccles: Well, if anybody asks me the time, I can show it to them.

Bluebottle: Wait a minute Eccles, my good man...

Eccles: What is it fellow?

Bluebottle: It's writted on this bit of paper, what is eight o'clock, is writted.

Eccles: I know that my good fellow. That's right. When I asked the fella to write it down, it was eight o'clock.

Bluebottle: Well then, supposing when somebody asks you the time, it isn't eight o'clock?

Eccles: Then I don't show it to them.

Bluebottle: Well how do you know when it's eight o'clock?

Eccles: I've got it written down on a piece of paper!

Truely classic humour, and more than a little similar to the vaudaville routines on stage in Thailand. Man I must be so dumb, uneducated and foolish to find this sort of stuff funny. As must have been my Dad and all the other idiotic lecturers and professors that he worked with.

[kmart]

Q: What's the difference between a Thai and a supermarket trolley?

A: The trolley has a mind of its own. hahahahahahahahahahahahhaha

[realthaideal]

I'm with ColPyat on this one... alot of this is out there lala mean stuff. The Thais have humor. And they also have many layered humor and it cuts across all types in many cases. But as with our western humor, race, class, and gender will affect the type of humor. Some is slapstick, and some is deep or double/triple entendre'd.

but then.....

"I know that laughter is often used as a defense mechanism and that humor is perceived differently in any given place, but I'd be hard-pressed to find the random consensus in any civilized society (which I do believe Thailand to be in its own regard) pointing toward the acceptance and comedic aspects of mutilation and murder."

Not even sure what the end point here is, but for sure I'm fixated on the 'defense mechanism' part of it. This is trying to interpret Thai behavior with western mindset and terminology. Let's not call it 'defense,' and just say that laughter means many things to Thais. There are many types, and they don't all mean funny ha-ha.

The same as when you get an order of something done wrong at, say, the print shop. Rather than go back and yell at the guy, you go back and apologize and explain what you probably forgot to tell him some important little bit of info he needed to get the order right so that he will go ahead and do it over for you. You can say 'apologize' but really it's creating an opening for an equal sharing of mistake, or astonishment that something came out wrong (and the Thai smiles and laughter!) after which everything can be resolved. Not exactly an 'apology' by western standards. It's a fixing of the situation and allowing him to admit his mistake. And it canw only be understood thru getting that things is different here, and don't mean the same things, and can't be looked at the same way if you want them to work out for you....or care to get it.

But as to the referenced quote, yeah, menotthinks the Thais would laugh at outright cruelty or mutilation etc. either.

[hullmonkey1]

The clip that the OP was talking about was an incident involving a petty criminal that was caught by a mob. The Indian police turned up and promptly tied him to the back of thier motobike and dragged him through the street It has not gone down well over here

My thai wife would not have laughed at this but after spending 6 years in the UK she can take the pi55 with the best of em. She has even mastered sarcasm and often has me smiling to myself when she quietly takes the pi55 out of some over the hill farang who thinks he is gods gift to the LOS

[Pundi64]

Whilst waiting for the school bus to arrive thismorning, My G/F, her two children 14 & 10 and i were watching the news. There was a graphic report showing a man in india being kicked, beaten, and dragged through the street on his back, by a motorbike.

Our two children found this highly amusing.

I asked G/F why they found it funny, and she just said, "we are Thai, everything funny honey"

I know Thais will often smile and laugh during conversation, but laughing at someone being phisically abused was something i found quite disturbing.

Are my G/F's children normal, or could they be Devil Spawn?

Regards

Jaiyenyen

Thai humor, the ever changing rules at immagration!!!

[Plus]

There aren't that many witty comments on Thaivisa, you don't conclude that all farangs are dumb. You KNOW it's not true.

Well, the same is with Thailand - you just haven't seen comedians that suit your taste of humor. It's a big country, there ARE people who can crack extremely funny jokes, you just haven't found them yet.

As for generalisations - judging by "Funniest home videos" and varios pranks, Americans are all dumb idiots just out of the cave. But then you know it's not all that there is to American humor.

I wonder if someone ever done a study on Thai humor like they did on French and German jokes.

[papaya9]

I remember watching the twin towers come down on TV. I was in a Thai restaurant before it was to open and the Thai waiters, etc. were just looking at the TV and laughing. At first I was confused, but then realized that this is just the way they respond.

[lazeeboy]

I remember watching the twin towers come down on TV. I was in a Thai restaurant before it was to open and the Thai waiters, etc. were just looking at the TV and laughing. At first I was confused, but then realized that this is just the way they respond.

i find they have sense or humour never both

[Tinkelbell]

I remember watching the twin towers come down on TV. I was in a Thai restaurant before it was to open and the Thai waiters, etc. were just looking at the TV and laughing. At first I was confused, but then realized that this is just the way they respond.

That's sad, isn't it ?

But please have some mercy on those ignorant -uneducated poor souls.

You would difinately see a different scenario among a better class Thais who were shocked, horrified and saddened at what they witnessed on TV.

[endure]

I remember watching the twin towers come down on TV. I was in a Thai restaurant before it was to open and the Thai waiters, etc. were just looking at the TV and laughing. At first I was confused, but then realized that this is just the way they respond.

That's sad, isn't it ?

But please have some mercy on those ignorant -uneducated poor souls.

You would difinately see a different scenario among a better class Thais who were shocked, horrified and saddened at what they witnessed on TV.

No, it's not sad at all - it's just not western. Why do people assume that the rest of the world reacts to any situation in the same way that they do? Why should short explosive exhalations of breath be treated the world over as exhibitions of amusement?

[Plus]

Because, believe it or not, some values are shared among all humans - people understand the basic meaning of death and suffering.

In 9/11 case I think they just didn't realise the reality of the situation, that it involved lives or real people, not CGI charachers.

For a moment I couldn't believe my eyes, too, if I haven't heard the news on the radio first, I'd thought it was some kinda joke or a "controlled demolition" video.

[papaya9]

Plus, I think you are correct. I think they only see two buildings falling down and nothing else, no people or anything else there, much like a cartoon or movie.

Edited September 24, 2007 by papaya9

[wilko]

One thing I remember about India was that families would be in hysterics when heir kids fell and hurt themselves. The same here when my kids fall, many people laugh.

It's better to laugh than cry.

Really? Where did you learn that...the school of hard knocks......

[ashacat]

No, it's not sad at all - it's just not western. Why do people assume that the rest of the world reacts to any situation in the same way that they do? Why should short explosive exhalations of breath be treated the world over as exhibitions of amusement

Come off it! Laughing at a distaster like that is wrong no matter where you are in the world. How can you even begin to condone it?

Laughing at someone slipping over a banana skin is one thing, thousands of people being killed on live TV is something quite different.

Edited September 24, 2007 by ashacat

[wilko]

Whilst waiting for the school bus to arrive thismorning, My G/F, her two children 14 & 10 and i were watching the news. There was a graphic report showing a man in india being kicked, beaten, and dragged through the street on his back, by a motorbike.

Our two children found this highly amusing.

I asked G/F why they found it funny, and she just said, "we are Thai, everything funny honey"

I know Thais will often smile and laugh during conversation, but laughing at someone being phisically abused was something i found quite disturbing.

Are my G/F's children normal, or could they be Devil Spawn?

Regards

Jaiyenyen

What you're describing is not a sense of humour - it is quite common in many Asian cultures to laugh gigle etc at sad or embarrassing sights. Japanese are famous for this.

[wilko]

"

Come off it! Laughing at a distaster like that is wrong no matter where you are in the world. How can you even begin to condone it?

Laughing at someone slipping over a banana skin is one thing, thousands of people being killed on live TV is something quite different."

there you go - not doing what you think at all - you're just imposing a western view point on what you witness....