Don't Say "falang".....say "farang".....

[sonthaya]

Hi, I'm married to a Thai, and at home we don't eat rice, we eat lice, but has anyone noticed the after landing announcement on Thai Aw. "please remain seated untill the seatbelt sign has been TURNED off, not switched of like on all other airlines, again the same problem to pronounce certain letters.

[markt]

Or better still, roll your "rr's" a bit......if you do not want to sound like someone who spends too much time in the bars.

   I am not an expert, far from it, on Thai language.....but I am sure of this.  Say "falang" and you are stamping yourself as lower class.

Invariably, Thais will pronounce it falang because they have a problem with their rrrrs. Same with aregato (thankyou) for the Japs; you'll hear alegato. The average foreigner will just copy what they've heard. Not heard that it brings you down if you don't say farang, then again, I always say farang. Not such a big issue anyhow.

I always say Farang and I admit that the term Falang puts me on edge. I hate it. Even ThaiVisa says farang

.

I hate it when my wife says, "Mark, yoo on Thai weesar again, ler ?

[udon]

When I have responded with cup to many things people have started rattling off in Thai as I they thought I was fluent...

Same for me and I only know about 12 words in Thai and can't even count to 10 in Thai but, my pronunciation seems to be spot on..... go figure

It took me 6 months to pron. soi 26 in Thai, I dread moving camp and learning how to tell the taxi driver where I live!

[Savage]

To say if you pronounce ร like ล you spend to much time in the bars is factually incorrect and quite frankly a load of <deleted>. In fact to say it's just the people of issarn who pronounce it this way is also a load of twaddle.

People will make a show of rolling their r's in ceremonious occasions such as public tannoy announcements, radio shows, tv shows, cultural shows etc. The majority of Thais when they are speaking will pronounce with ร with an L sound.

Roll your r's and you will sound like you are making a public service announcement

[sriracha john]

To say if you pronounce ร like ล you spend to much time in the bars is factually incorrect and quite frankly a load of <deleted>. In fact to say it's just the people of issarn who pronounce it this way is also a load of twaddle.

People will make a show of rolling their r's in ceremonious occasions such as public tannoy announcements, radio shows, tv shows, cultural shows etc. The majority of Thais when they are speaking will pronounce with ร with an L sound.

Roll your r's and you will sound like you are making a public service announcement 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

finally, the truly definitive answer.... thanks Savage.

[Jeff1]

Hi, I'm married to a Thai, and at home we don't eat rice, we eat lice, but has anyone noticed the after landing announcement on Thai Aw. "please remain seated untill the seatbelt sign has been TURNED off, not switched of like on all other airlines, again the same problem to pronounce certain letters.

I like when they say " I hope you enjoy your fright " THEN they can pronounce R's ! My wife has a big problem with R's and yes she is from Kolat . Well , the good thing is , I did get her to stop blowing her nose in her shirt !

[Boon Mee]

How about the word krup?

Friends that live in BKK said just always say "cup" like a tea cup.

When I have responded with cup to many things people have started rattling off in Thai as I they thought I was fluent...

Being able to pronounce the 'r's in the right places (the r's should be trilled as in Scottish English) is a definite marker of education for Thais. Those with little schooling will often misspell words that contain ร raw reua and ล law ling. Most Thais are aware of this though, and almost all of them have some degree of mispronunciation. This causes the phenomenon of overcompensation, meaning that people who want to sound educated overuse the trilled 'r', even where they should use the 'l' sound.

If you listen to Thai radio and the time announcement, it is rather common that the speaker pronounces the word "o' clock', 'clock' which does not contain an 'r' but an 'l' letter, law julaa - nalikaa as narrrrikaa.

In the end, the important thing is of course to make yourself understood and nothing else. I find it never hurts to be aware of what is a cultural marker though.

Agree with Meadish here - and another example would be the word for Food - "Aaharn".

It's spelled with a "roo rua" but you seldom, if ever hear native Thai speakers pronouncing the "R".

[Coffee Dude]

I had always suspected that it was a rolled R with a bit of lazy thrown in. As example make a move to the palate with the toungue as if to roll the r but just before actual completion... give up. This creates the L-ish sound.

[Dr. Burrito]

Well, if in Georgia or Alambama, you say 'mater or tu-may-toe, rather than ta-maa-toe. Same for 'maters too. Do it wrong, and they'll just stare before asking, 'Whur ya'll from anyhow, Nu Yark?'

[pop3]

Or better still, roll your "rr's" a bit......if you do not want to sound like someone who spends too much time in the bars.

I am not an expert, far from it, on Thai language.....but I am sure of this. Say "falang" and you are stamping yourself as lower class.

Does that mean we must ask for a K-nife when we visit England ?

[markt]

Does that mean we must ask for a K-nife  when we visit England ?

Good idea when you're 'round my way...

[samran]

while we are at it, can people pronounce Pattaya and Phuket properly???

Its pronounced Pat-tha-yar, not Pat-eye-ya like way too many farangs pronounce it.

Also, it Poo-khet, not Foo-khet

[tutsiwarrior]

hmmm...before I knew better I thought Phuket was pronounced 'Fukit' (replace Ph with F)...I says to meself 'I gotta go there...'

[Ken]

To say if you pronounce ร like ล you spend to much time in the bars is factually incorrect and quite frankly a load of &lt;deleted&gt;. In fact to say it's just the people of issarn who pronounce it this way is also a load of twaddle.

People will make a show of rolling their r's in ceremonious occasions such as public tannoy announcements, radio shows, tv shows, cultural shows etc. The majority of Thais when they are speaking will pronounce with ร with an L sound.

Roll your r's and you will sound like you are making a public service announcement 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

finally, the truly definitive answer.... thanks Savage.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

And to add my "2 cents worth". I will go with Savage for hitting it just right. I just asked my "Issan" wife (Kolat or Korat), and she says falong and farong are "same same". "Noboby cares, or has a problem whichever way you think you said it." Everybody knows what was said and "blah blah blah blah".

PS: and for people who can "roll" their R's, more power to them. Wish I could but I gave up taking Spanish "1000" years ago because the teacher ridiculed me for not being able to make my tongue to that "roll" thing.