Is Love Possible In Chiang Mai

[cmjantje]

... snip ... That's why the chorus of "who cares what anyone else thinks of my relationship" is so commonly piped here.

Sawasdee Khrup, Khun WaiWai,

I hear Thai men pronouncing it as Khrap or even more simple Kap

[Ulysses G.]

Orange37 is too high class for Tuk Tuk driver pronunciation!

[WaiWai]

... snip ... That's why the chorus of "who cares what anyone else thinks of my relationship" is so commonly piped here.

Sawasdee Khrup, Khun WaiWai,

I hear Thai men pronouncing it as Khrap or even more simple Kap

You did not get past the second word of that post? I am still pondering it -- I find it difficult to decipher how much sarcasm K. orang is deploying (but certainly appreciate his missives & missiles).

Also, be warned -- the thread can be closed for use of languages other than English!

[IanForbes]

Who wrote the translation from Thai to English pronunciation book anyway? I seldom see ANY words pronounced that are similar to the English written translation.

Take for example the so called translation of white person. It's written as "Farang" but it's pronounced "Falong". Then there is the acknowledgement "yes" that is prounced Kup for males and Kah for females. But, it's written Krap! I've never ever heard any Thai say Krap, unless he was referring to the English slang word for shit.

[gatorhead333]

[Ulysses G.]

I guess that you are not hanging with the Hi-So crowd. THEY pronounce the "R" sound, which is actually correct.

[IanForbes]

I guess that you are not hanging with the Hi-So crowd. THEY pronounce the "R" sound, which is actually correct.

I NEVER hang around the hi-society crowd... ANYWHERE. They bore me to tears. I had enough of their crap in university. In fact if I knew they were meeting anywhere I would make a hasty retreat to some place more suitable.

[gatorhead333]

sex with stangers mr. forbes this brings us back to safe sex ..

i am glad we are not doing the "I do not condone" thing anymore nice change in this new sunny day!!

and the last comment lets add to that wonderful wish list "i would like to a world without"" everybody fill in the blank____________________ i start here with : world hunger,war,disease>> GOOD ONE FOR THIS LOVE THREAD THUS ending the urgent and unpleasant need for safe sex!!!... continuing with I would like to see: >>free water.. i would like to see... put here>>>___________________hey this is a new thread!!... i would like to see a white elephant fly... it can be anything but lets keep it as absurb as the original i would like to see !!!!

It's not a vacant wish list, gatorhead. It's the truth if you would actually spend a little time helping others. No, you can't save the world, but if you can make just one tiny part of the world a better place for a few people then you've done more than most people. I've done that with a few Thai families I've helped and I've seen the progress.

I saw Japan and Germany change from broken, poverty stricken countries right after the second world war to world powers again. I've seen Vietnam change for the better as well, as has South Korea. Certainly there is still poverty, but it is much improved. I've also seen a change for the better in Thailand during the last 13 years I've been coming. All it takes is foreign investment and the willingness of people to work together. Unfortunately, the yellow shirts vs the red shirts has undone a lot of progress in Thailand.

Which brings us back to the love thing. When people are not happy it is very difficult for them to find true love. People who are truly happy and content with who they are CAN find love. Those who are insecure and needy will usually tear apart any new love that might start to blossom.

looking back thru time i see now how you could have been a great service to man kind....

u c they used to use hydrogen for blimps which caused much death and despair...

well,lets forget your minor rant on old time japan and germany... u could have giving freely all your hot air post from this lonely love thread thus eliminating the need for hydrogen and saved thousands of lifes cut oh so short by the hydrogen igniting in mid air... rev up ur time machine and help save the world now!!

Edited May 21, 2009 by gatorhead333

[gatorhead333]

... snip ... That's why the chorus of "who cares what anyone else thinks of my relationship" is so commonly piped here.

Sawasdee Khrup, Khun WaiWai,

I think that's a very interesting observation seen in one light, and, in another light a hypothesis, a premise. In either/and case worth thinking about while humming softly to oneselves Voltaire's lovely words : "Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is absurd."

While the melody I am hearing may not be the same one you are hearing (a basic metaphysical assumption underlying all Orang thought even before we are exposed to the collective wisdom of Ur-Orang and the symmetrical anti-collective anti-wisdom of Gnaro-Ru), I wonder if the scale being used for these variations on loony-tunes has more to do with the pickled pipers' peckers' egos ... or should that be stated as : the pipers' pickled egos' peckers ?

Here -- where what others think may almost define you!

Now that I really like ! For me that echoes in the silvering I have not yet scraped from my farang's mind's mirrors of habit. Thank you for that. I do note that I remain fascinated by my farang's ability to allow others who are long dead (in the physical sense of the word), and others he has created out of whole cloth, and then uses to "categorize" people he meets, also play such an important part in the comedy that he mistakes for himself frequently and, as yet, has not learned to laugh deeply enough about.

regards, ~o:37;

this all get back full circle to : thai girls smell so much sweeter and are much less hairy... making love so much easier in CM!!

I know this is very deep thinking for TV but sometimes you got to roll up your sleaves and get down to brass tacks on the subject at hand!!!!

[eek]

Who wrote the translation from Thai to English pronunciation book anyway? I seldom see ANY words pronounced that are similar to the English written translation.

Take for example the so called translation of white person. It's written as "Farang" but it's pronounced "Falong". Then there is the acknowledgement "yes" that is prounced Kup for males and Kah for females. But, it's written Krap! I've never ever heard any Thai say Krap, unless he was referring to the English slang word for shit.

Ian, im no expert on the language but personally I hear farang being pronounced farang or falang, not falong..in fact, never falong (in my experience) ฝรั่ง, if im reading it correctly comes out exactly as farang.

------------

Apologies to the AjarnPim for going off topic!

[gatorhead333]

Who wrote the translation from Thai to English pronunciation book anyway? I seldom see ANY words pronounced that are similar to the English written translation.

Take for example the so called translation of white person. It's written as "Farang" but it's pronounced "Falong". Then there is the acknowledgement "yes" that is prounced Kup for males and Kah for females. But, it's written Krap! I've never ever heard any Thai say Krap, unless he was referring to the English slang word for shit.

Ian, im no expert on the language but personally I hear farang being pronounced farang or falang, not falong..in fact, never falong (in my experience) ฝรั่ง, if im reading it correctly comes out exactly as farang.

------------

Apologies to the AjarnPim for going off topic!

getting back on tread topic somewhat....please miss eek control yourself!!!! you beckening in your pervious post................. "Gatorhead, please find a comfortable position..I would like to smack your backside with a rather large bat"

well that would be another thread ... something like... "i like smacking backsides with rather large bats"... but TV does not do kinky sex threads.... but i take great solace that you are concerned for my position and comfort with your backside smacking,,,... thank you for that...

eek,remember everything is always a joke...played out by the master joker in the clouds..

the way master jokermiester handled His creation of the northern Thai girls was one of His few true miracles on earth !

Edited May 21, 2009 by gatorhead333

[eek]

this all get back full circle to : thai girls smell so much sweeter and are much less hairy... making love so much easier in CM!!

I know this is very deep thinking for TV but sometimes you got to roll up your sleaves and get down to brass tacks on the subject at hand!!!!

Seeing as you really want to go down this route, even for trolling sake, have you ever even looked at many of the girls legs when going up an escalator? Not that i do it very often, just sometimes the legs happens to be in my line of vision. I agree that Thai are less hairy, but many dont get rid of the little amount they do have, so often i see girls with some dark soft fuzzy hairs on their legs. Most women from other countries like to get rid of even the littlest amount of hair. As for smelling sweeter..are you crazy? What kind of girls did you date in the west? Most women I know adore feeling clean and smelling good. Showers, salt scrubs, body lotions, wonderful rich creamy conditioner that makes your hair smell great, and so on and so on.

I believe most ALL women love to look and smell good. If you were unfortunate enough to never have experienced a good smelling, hair free, taking pride in herself woman outside of Thailand, then all i can say is that that may only reflect on the kind of person you were able to attract...?

I think some of the men should start looking at themselves before passing judgement also. Some walk around like peacocks looking at women like they are all obtainable. Checking out which one they think would look best hanging off their arms (with no idea of what her personality may be like..). So, then the get their pretty token, and what do they do..don psychedelic flowery shirts with some shorts and smell like the aftershave department collapsed on him. However...that look is a better one to the alternative singlet and rampant body odour...

...Oh my, did i really just say all that...

ANyway..it has nothing at all do to with this OP's initial post. There are so many threads on this topic, most of which turn negative. Its all just generalisations anyway.

[gatorhead333]

I guess that you are not hanging with the Hi-So crowd. THEY pronounce the "R" sound, which is actually correct.

I NEVER hang around the hi-society crowd... ANYWHERE. They bore me to tears. I had enough of their crap in university. In fact if I knew they were meeting anywhere I would make a hasty retreat to some place more suitable.

the above statements now make it easier to understand your off topic rant on this gentle love topic...

then your off to >>>yellow and red shirts? investment.. your great benevelent help of others.. where would this be on a loy kro bar stool cutting a geneous deal with a twenty something.. as most confirmed bacherlors are doing here on their many visits..?? ???

you been coming here for 13 years... you are quite a pup.. a mere babe in the woods here.....you got a lot to learn...

Edited May 21, 2009 by gatorhead333

[eek]

the way master jokermiester handled His creation of the northern Thai girls was one of His few true miracles on earth !

Gator, its all relative. Most men who come to Asia/Thailand, its because many appreciate the Asian/Thai beauty. My brother settled in Argentina because he appreciates the latina beauty. Of course the expats that live in Argentina all say Argentinian women are the most beautiful women on the planet. I know many men (my brother included) that do not find Asian women appealing at all.

I love the look of Asian men, but not exclusively. I do also appreciate smoother skin on a Thai man.

But, in truth, although we all like to be with someone attractive, physical appearances fade. Superficiality is not the basis of real love.

[IanForbes]

Ian, im no expert on the language but personally I hear farang being pronounced farang or falang, not falong..in fact, never falong (in my experience) ฝรั่ง, if im reading it correctly comes out exactly as farang.

------------

Apologies to the AjarnPim for going off topic!

You could be right, eek. That's because my hearing isn't all that great and it's the reason why I have so much trouble learning to speak Thai. I never hear Thais using the hard "R" though, and falong and falang COULD sound very similar depending on how you pronounce them. It maybe has to do with the trailing off of certain words so it is hard to understand what was said. Falang would sound closer to gang, bang or sang which are all harsh sounding endings. Falong would sound closer to "ah" than a hard "a".

Another pronunciation that confuses me is the town/province of Kanchanaburi. The Thai pronunciation doesn't sound anything like it is spelt in English. It comes out sounding more like "Gandijinapoli. B and P are often interchangable in the Thai pronunciation. K and G sound very similar, and R sounds more like L.

And, don't make apologies for going off topic. The thread has mostly run its course anyway. Gatorhead would rather turn it into a slagging match or something sexual and he obviously doesn't like anyone trying to make a sensible answer to a complex question. Meanwhile, orang enjoys delighting us with something nobody understands.

[gatorhead333]

this all get back full circle to : thai girls smell so much sweeter and are much less hairy... making love so much easier in CM!!

I know this is very deep thinking for TV but sometimes you got to roll up your sleaves and get down to brass tacks on the subject at hand!!!!

Seeing as you really want to go down this route, even for trolling sake, have you ever even looked at many of the girls legs when going up an escalator? Not that i do it very often, just sometimes the legs happens to be in my line of vision. I agree that Thai are less hairy, but many dont get rid of the little amount they do have, so often i see girls with some dark soft fuzzy hairs on their legs. Most women from other countries like to get rid of even the littlest amount of hair. As for smelling sweeter..are you crazy? What kind of girls did you date in the west? Most women I know adore feeling clean and smelling good. Showers, salt scrubs, body lotions, wonderful rich creamy conditioner that makes your hair smell great, and so on and so on.

I believe most ALL women love to look and smell good. If you were unfortunate enough to never have experienced a good smelling, hair free, taking pride in herself woman outside of Thailand, then all i can say is that that may only reflect on the kind of person you were able to attract...?

I think some of the men should start looking at themselves before passing judgement also. Some walk around like peacocks looking at women like they are all obtainable. Checking out which one they think would look best hanging off their arms (with no idea of what her personality may be like..). So, then the get their pretty token, and what do they do..don psychedelic flowery shirts with some shorts and smell like the aftershave department collapsed on him. However...that look is a better one to the alternative singlet and rampant body odour...

...Oh my, did i really just say all that...

ANyway..it has nothing at all do to with this OP's initial post. There are so many threads on this topic, most of which turn negative. Its all just generalisations anyway.

miss eeek, this has everything t do with love.. the sense of smell. sight,even the sound when meeting a woman(or man) plays into the pheromones .. so yes this hairness and smell is all His great plan and can not be taken lightly at all!! this was lightheaded /hearted but i was 100% on point with this love thread...

A pheromone (from Greek φέρω phero "to bear" + ‘ορμόνη "hormone") is a chemical signal that triggers a natural response in another member of the same species.There are alarm pheromones, food trail pheromones, sex pheromones, and many others that affect behavior or physiology

[cmjantje]

Another pronunciation that confuses me is the town/province of Kanchanaburi. The Thai pronunciation doesn't sound anything like it is spelt in English. It comes out sounding more like "Gandijinapoli. B and P are often interchangable in the Thai pronunciation. K and G sound very similar, and R sounds more like L.

Ever heard a Thai saying Bangkok? They call it Krung Thep, or like some who have time enough: Krungthepmahanakornamornratanakosinmahintarayutthayamahadilokphopnopparatrajatha

niburiromudomrajaniwesmahasatharnamornphimarnavatarnsathitsakkattiyavisanukampras

it.

(krungthep mahanakorn

The great city of angels,

amorn rattanakosin mahintara yutthaya mahadilok phop

the supreme unconqueralble land of the great immortal divinity (Indra),

noparat rajathani burirom

the royal capital of nine noble gems, the pleasant city,

udomrajaniwes mahasatharn

with plenty of grand royal palaces,

amorn phimarn avatarnsathit

and divine paradises for the reincarnated deity (Vishnu),

sakkatattiya visanukam prasit

given by Indra and created by the god of crafting (Visnukarma).)

Edited May 21, 2009 by cmjantje

[gatorhead333]

Ian, im no expert on the language but personally I hear farang being pronounced farang or falang, not falong..in fact, never falong (in my experience) ฝรั่ง, if im reading it correctly comes out exactly as farang.

------------

Apologies to the AjarnPim for going off topic!

You could be right, eek. That's because my hearing isn't all that great and it's the reason why I have so much trouble learning to speak Thai. I never hear Thais using the hard "R" though, and falong and falang COULD sound very similar depending on how you pronounce them. It maybe has to do with the trailing off of certain words so it is hard to understand what was said. Falang would sound closer to gang, bang or sang which are all harsh sounding endings. Falong would sound closer to "ah" than a hard "a".

Another pronunciation that confuses me is the town/province of Kanchanaburi. The Thai pronunciation doesn't sound anything like it is spelt in English. It comes out sounding more like "Gandijinapoli. B and P are often interchangable in the Thai pronunciation. K and G sound very similar, and R sounds more like L.

And, don't make apologies for going off topic. The thread has mostly run its course anyway. Gatorhead would rather turn it into a slagging match or something sexual and he obviously doesn't like anyone trying to make a sensible answer to a complex question. Meanwhile, orang enjoys delighting us with something nobody understands.

mr ian, #1- re read your slags above (whatever slag means i guess i missed that word at the U.) so i guess we would call it your past post.. u are on a rant .. the topic was simple and straight forward not a comlexe question at all.

can one find love in CM.... nothing to do with investment red shirt yellow shirts nazis german ,japan. wealth or how many years you have been coming to t-land....or i wish jane and mary had more cash so i could not hussle them when sitting on a loy kron bar stool.... you see the very girls you hussle are the ones you are wishing they had other means/education/etc so lets get real and cut the BS!!!!PLEASE!!

get a grip . sexual?? what?

[eek]

Ian, im no expert on the language but personally I hear farang being pronounced farang or falang, not falong..in fact, never falong (in my experience) ฝรั่ง, if im reading it correctly comes out exactly as farang.

------------

Apologies to the AjarnPim for going off topic!

You could be right, eek. That's because my hearing isn't all that great and it's the reason why I have so much trouble learning to speak Thai. I never hear Thais using the hard "R" though, and falong and falang COULD sound very similar depending on how you pronounce them. It maybe has to do with the trailing off of certain words so it is hard to understand what was said. Falang would sound closer to gang, bang or sang which are all harsh sounding endings. Falong would sound closer to "ah" than a hard "a".

Another pronunciation that confuses me is the town/province of Kanchanaburi. The Thai pronunciation doesn't sound anything like it is spelt in English. It comes out sounding more like "Gandijinapoli. B and P are often interchangable in the Thai pronunciation. K and G sound very similar, and R sounds more like L.

And, don't make apologies for going off topic. The thread has mostly run its course anyway. Gatorhead would rather turn it into a slagging match or something sexual and he obviously doesn't like anyone trying to make a sensible answer to a complex question. Meanwhile, orang enjoys delighting us with something nobody understands.

Ok..ill just continue with being off topic!

Thai is complicated for my ear Ian, and both (apparently!) work fine..So, can only imagine how difficult it is if you have hearing problems! I agree completely about the R and L sounds being mixed up or similar. I also find some Thai pronounce some words with an L sound whilst others pronounce the same word with more of an R sound. But, L seems to be the most common. My bfs kids can pronounce R's amazingly well. Even being able to roll the r's. But, my bf, no matter how much I try different ways of helping, cant seem to get it well enough. If the first letter is an R, the its sounds fine. But any R letters in a word, it comes out as an L.

If anyone has tips on what to do to help him get around that, let me know!

I am at a loss on how to help with the Kanchanaburi, but there are lots of amazing guys here fluent in Thai. If you have question about the language that makes you scratch your head, why not take a look or ask a question on the Thai Language forum? http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Thai-language-f43.html They are really excellent at explaining things!

[gatorhead333]

the way master jokermiester handled His creation of the northern Thai girls was one of His few true miracles on earth !

Gator, its all relative. Most men who come to Asia/Thailand, its because many appreciate the Asian/Thai beauty. My brother settled in Argentina because he appreciates the latina beauty. Of course the expats that live in Argentina all say Argentinian women are the most beautiful women on the planet. I know many men (my brother included) that do not find Asian women appealing at all.

I love the look of Asian men, but not exclusively. I do also appreciate smoother skin on a Thai man.

But, in truth, although we all like to be with someone attractive, physical appearances fade. Superficiality is not the basis of real love.

MISS EEEKSTER, you dropped the ball o this one.. who the eck said anything about ASIAN WOMEN????

can one find love in CM??? yes asian no not the same... true CM girls ... do not throw in the asian basket of what two billion ++.

no ! and yes,physical appearances fade.. so what! what does this mean start with an ugly hairy one that smells for your love so you will not be disapointed as they get old and uglier???? HUH???

[eek]

Blimey..

[gpdjohn]

Well, I'll give him one thing.

He dosen't give up!

[cobra]

I thought I did at the Good View once,

I talked and talked, and she smiled and smiled,

Falling in love is the easy part, it's the language barrier that will make or break it,

[gatorhead333]

I thought I did at the Good View once,

I talked and talked, and she smiled and smiled,

Falling in love is the easy part, it's the language barrier that will make or break it,

hey, the language bearrier is the best thing going for most confirmed bachelors here.... the women have no clue what u r saying nor who you are!!!! they are jus going by your ability to smile,not spit on them too much as you try to talk drunk as a skunk while throwing down some cash!!!

and u have no clue either who or where they have been

so how can you mess it up like at back home when you speak??

this maybe needs to be added to the thread topic "with absolute no communciation" true love can be found in wonderful CM since you go on your basic "instinks"

see above ---sex pheromones

you muts rely on .... how she smells ,amount of unwanted mustache(hairy or not) and of course her CM soft beauty...

Edited May 21, 2009 by gatorhead333

[gatorhead333]

The only love worth anything is the giving one. If that is the default, then the individual will find love coming back to him or her without even looking for it.

bravo,FINALLY someone hit the love nail on the head!!.....

many CM bar girls would nod their sweet little heads in agreement!!

and this could quickly get distorted into the confirmed bacholors giving a 400 baht bar fine + tax & usage fees....

Edited May 21, 2009 by gatorhead333

[orang37]

Sawasdee Khrup, TV Friends,

While I believe I can never really understand human love, and feel somewhat compassionate toward my farang who spends a lot of mental energy watching his own home movies of what he has, at various stages of his life, considered "love," and passing through many emotional states, some of which are amusing, some of which are rather tragic, many of which make no sense to him (although he is credited in every one of them as contributing to the scripts), and some of which remind me of the taste of very over-ripe fruit :

I do think this chart is a helpful guide to "human love" given the barferences and philosofizzes explicitly sated (and dimplied) on this shread :

http://img299.imageshack.us/img299/1505/fetishkp8.gif

A "gaping omission," in my Orang opinion, is that the chart is missing the pleasure of an alligator-or-crocodile-head opening his jaws wide while tiny birds hop around cleaning plaque and insects off his teeth. But, symbiosis is something your/my human solipsists often have a vested interest in ignoring, we note.

regards, ~o:37;

[Blinky Bill]

I have been seeing Mr Forbes' interpretation of the Thai word for foreigner for many months and have not bothered to correct him as I rarely resort to being pedantic.

However, as he is so adamant that his pronunciation is so correct I thought I would correct him as he is so wrong. Eek has already made this point.

Click here for the correct translation and pronunciation. Sound is available.

And here is another to give Mr. Forbes the correct pronunciation of Kanchanaburi. Click on the little speaker in the top right of the page for sound.

And no apologies to ajarnpim for going off topic!

Edited May 21, 2009 by Blinky Bill

[gatorhead333]

Sawasdee Khrup, TV Friends,

While I believe I can never really understand human love, and feel somewhat compassionate toward my farang who spends a lot of mental energy watching his own home movies of what he has, at various stages of his life, considered "love," and passing through many emotional states, some of which are amusing, some of which are rather tragic, many of which make no sense to him (although he is credited in every one of them as contributing to the scripts), and some of which remind me of the taste of very over-ripe fruit :

I do think this chart is a helpful guide to "human love" given the barferences and philosofizzes explicitly sated (and dimplied) on this shread :

http://img299.imageshack.us/img299/1505/fetishkp8.gif

A "gaping omission," in my Orang opinion, is that the chart is missing the pleasure of an alligator-or-crocodile-head opening his jaws wide while tiny birds hop around cleaning plaque and insects off his teeth. But, symbiosis is something your/my human solipsists often have a vested interest in ignoring, we note.

regards, ~o:37;

geez, view that chart and all is answered with regards to true love in CM ... i am happy now for the first time... this evening..having figured out i think how to steer the cute little CM "birds" to cleaning of my head for a good symbiotic realtionship that maybe could become true love given time ....

Edited May 21, 2009 by gatorhead333

[IanForbes]

I have been seeing Mr Forbes' interpretation of the Thai word for foreigner for many months and have not bothered to correct him as I rarely resort to being pedantic.

However, as he is so adamant that his pronunciation is so correct I thought I would correct him as he is so wrong. Eek has already made this point.

Click here for the correct translation and pronunciation. Sound is available.

And here is another to give Mr. Forbes the correct pronunciation of Kanchanaburi. Click on the little speaker in the top right of the page for sound.

And no apologies to ajarnpim for going off topic!

I stand corrected.

Thanks a lot for that website, Blinky Bill. It will be helpful in the future. Like I said, it's my hearing that is off, and when a Thai says something it happens so quickly that it is often indistinct. Kanchanaburi is a bit of a tongue twister and it STILL doesn't sound like it is printed. At least the Thais understand where I mean when I say it like I've heard it pronouced , but they look at me with a question on the face if I ask them "Where is Kanchanaburi" if I use what would normally be a translation taken from a book.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

I stand corrected.

Thanks a lot for that website, Blinky Bill. It will be helpful in the future. Like I said, it's my hearing that is off, and when a Thai says something it happens so quickly that it is often indistinct.

Don't blame yourself unnecessarily; it's not (only) your hearing, it's the limited range of vowels you have available in English. You were quite right that it's not 'ang' as in 'gang' 'bang' 'sang'. It's not 'ong' either, but coming from English I would't call either more right or wrong than the other. I always use "Falong" myself when I'm trying to upset those pedantic people who think there is such a thing as a standard transliteration for Thai.

Kanchanaburi is a bit of a tongue twister and it STILL doesn't sound like it is printed.

This one is interesting because usualy when non-Thais go wrong in Thai it's because of tones or incorrect consonants. Here it's often just the stressing of syllables / rhythm of the word that goes wrong, ending up with something like "Can-chana-brewery", which to be honest is amusing enough to keep using it.

Then there's people living for years in a place they think is pronounced Sankypang. Or Chom-chen near Pattaya. (Possibly a reason why Pattaya is so popular is that foreigners can pronounce it. )

I guess that you are not hanging with the Hi-So crowd. THEY pronounce the "R" sound, which is actually correct.

While they would pronounce it as "R" (as something close to a Spanish R, so Texans need not apply), I struggle to call any particular region/class' pronunciation more correct than the other. In Lao (and Northern Thai) there's no R at all, and people use 'L' or 'H' in words where central or Southern Thais would put a Thai R.

I'd answer the same to Thais who tell me they're ashamed because they can't speak accent-less English. There is no such thing. Even within the British Isles there isn't a single correct way to pronounce just about any English word. So it's OKAY to speak with an accent, be it a Thai, German, French, Ozzie or Cockney one.

I believe most ALL women love to look and smell good. If you were unfortunate enough to never have experienced a good smelling, hair free, taking pride in herself woman outside of Thailand, then all i can say is that that may only reflect on the kind of person you were able to attract...?

OUCH!!!!! And Hatton is down....