Thai Talking To A Thai

[straycat911]

why is it that when 2 thais are talking to each other, their voices must be at their highest, They seem to just yell while they just chat to each other, someone know why?

[MSingh]

& also, same same but different, why is it they continue to talk to each other, we'll attempt to, when they're walking away from each other & there is no physical possibility that the other Person who should be listening, can actually hear the other one ??

[greenmember]

I don't think so. Generally Thais are so soft when they speak. Only my husband raises his voice and I must remind him to reduce volume

[a2396]

why is it that when 2 thais are talking to each other, their voices must be at their highest, They seem to just yell while they just chat to each other, someone know why?

Usually old ladies & some men (usually hi-so) who like to impress people with their jabbering. Many young Thai women have very soft, serene & plesant voices.

[greenmember]

& also, same same but different, why is it they continue to talk to each other, we'll attempt to, when they're walking away from each other & there is no physical possibility that the other Person who should be listening, can actually hear the other one ??

So true!

One more: my sister in law, when I hide myself in laundry room, talked to herself

"Why is this thing staying here?"

"What is it?"

.....

Is she the only one?

[MSingh]

& also, same same but different, why is it they continue to talk to each other, we'll attempt to, when they're walking away from each other & there is no physical possibility that the other Person who should be listening, can actually hear the other one ??

So true!

One more: my sister in law, when I hide myself in laundry room, talked to herself

"Why is this thing staying here?"

"What is it?"

.....

Is she the only one?

I could answer with what i would call humour but i'd probablt get banned so i won't..

[greenmember]

Better than a man with too soft voice like voice can't come out from his throat. This happens to some young ones I think.

[h90]

I don't think so. Generally Thais are so soft when they speak. Only my husband raises his voice and I must remind him to reduce volume

you are not married to a southern Thai. Phoning to the south, why do they use a phone, you can almost hear it from Bangkok to Hat Yai.

Containing 50 % "get mum, dobdai hung breed........"

As most staff is from the south+wife, everyone is happy when customer from the south comes. A 5 people can make a sound like a starting airplane.....

So I guess your husband is not from the south.....

[justride]

Are the people talking to each other ethnic Thai or another ethnicity and Thai? Like Chinese, Cambodian, Laos, or Burmese Thai? I think that make a big difference. If you parents came to Thailand from another county that will affect the way you speak Thai. Even a different Thai ethnicity with in the county will speak the language differently. Just my though on this.

[Brigante7]

I don't think so. Generally Thais are so soft when they speak. Only my husband raises his voice and I must remind him to reduce volume

Then you haven't heard my wife and her family talking. It seems they can only shout when talking.

[johna]

It could be that they are all slightly deaf from listening to all those speakers on pick up trucks hawking food etc,

There is a by election going on here, the noise level from canvassers is painful

[Pepe']

WHAT!?

[jayjayjayjay]

WHAT!?

Pepe for Kamnan........ errrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr eeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrhhhhhhhhhhhh at 185db.

[Scott]

I used to live/work in Hong Kong and China--now they are loud!

Generally, I find Thai people to very soft spoken. As some have mentioned there are differences including:

1. Social Status (both hi and very low status seem to be louder)

2. Some elderly

3. Large groups

4. People who are hearing impaired. I do some part-time work at a factory and most of them are 1/2 deaf--for real. So they have increased the volume quite a lot. For me it's fine, since I am getting older and my hearing isn't so sharp either--but basically we sit around yelling at each other, even in a nice quiet soundproof room!

[barky]

'Generally Thais think of noise in two ways. loud is good. louder is better.

[Pierrot]

My wife told me in Thailand there is an expression associated with those people who speak very loud

"They speak like their house were in fire"

Have you ever heard this expresion ?

[MSingh]

My wife told me in Thailand there is an expression associated with those people who speak very loud

"They speak like their house were in fire"

Have you ever heard this expresion ?

What Language is that then ??

[jaideeguy]

What I notice is that they constantly interupt other's conversations. I try to teach my children to say 'excuse me' before interupting a conversation, but the wife just interupts and sets a bad example.

[greenmember]

H90, my husband is from the North near Central Thailand, not up North like Chiangmai.

Brigante7, LOL.

Jaideeguy, I tell my husband all the time "Don't jump into my throat. If you know what I'm talking about, just listen like I listen when you repeat your stories for the 5th time" or "Let me finish"

[Nampeung]

Generally it's a lower class thing to shout or yell in Thai, you would never find BKK uni students shouting in general speech. Similar in most societies around the world, don't know why, just is... We have it in UK as well amongst lower classes ... whatever that means...

[Thanh-BKK]

What I notice is that they constantly interupt other's conversations. I try to teach my children to say 'excuse me' before interupting a conversation, but the wife just interupts and sets a bad example.

Hi

THAT is SO typical. And specially so when a Farang is involved! And the (not so) funny thing is - the person the Farang talks with is equally rude! Following situation, as observed by me almost daily:

Farang talks to Thai in English. Second Thai barges in (in Thai). First Thai, in MID SENTENCE, turns away from Farang and continues conversation with second Thai (in Thai of course). If Farang tries to "get his conversation back" he is ignored!

Even my boyfriend of 7 1/2 years still does that if any one of his friends or colleagues is present while i'm talking to him.

Manners? What manners??

Best regards.....

Thanh

[girlx]

Definitely in small villages in the south there is this phenomenon of yelling everything... where I lived I would often be woken up in the early morning by my neighbors shouting their conversations to someone down the street.

[toptuan]

Generally it's a lower class thing to shout or yell in Thai, you would never find BKK uni students shouting in general speech. Similar in most societies around the world, don't know why, just is... We have it in UK as well amongst lower classes ... whatever that means...

At the risk of us both sounding snobbish, you are exactly right. Most of my quieter Thai friends (who are well-educated and come from higher-status backgrounds) would agree with you. Even some of my louder Thai friends (farmers, laborers, etc.) would agree!

Edited June 21, 2008 by toptuan

[Jared]

Every now and then I have to tell my wife to turn down the volume a little, especially if we are right next to each other. Same when shes on the phone to her friends, I always joke she will deafen them.