Chiang Rai Language

[chuahuihui91]

HI ALL

I'm a student from Singapore, and will be going over to Chiang Rai for my Youth Enrichment Project in late March 2010.

Meanwhile I'm the in-charge to research about the ground information:-

 Language, cultural, religious sensitivity, economic and social environment

There are a few stuff that I'm still unsure about:-

1. Natives in Chiang Rai, do they speak normal thai language or do they have they own language?

2. I can't seem to find out about the religions there?

3. Are there any taboos I have to take note of? Or etiquette??

Thank You SOOOOOO much for your help

xx

[jubby]

Wow,

Its probably the most diverse place in Thailand when it comes to language & cultures. Locals would speak Thai mostly at School etc. I would think, but Lanna , a local dialect at home. I'm no expert so hopefully an expert will come along shortly to answer your questions. There are many, many other languages spoken here by the Hill Tribes also. Religion mostly Buddhism. Probably more Christians here than anywhere else in thailand also. Taboo's , probably many. You've got your work cut out.

[sceadugenga]

I'll watch this topic with interest. I know a few Thai speakers who have had problems communicating with the locals in isolated villages, VillageFarang has mentioned this.

My Mrs claims that when she first went to Chiang Mai from Chiang Rai as a young girl she couldn't understand the dialect there either.

[villagefarang]

Did someone utter my name without the requisite insults? Thank you, scea.

I have indeed shown some consternation about language in my area. What they speak in our village is quite different from what we spoke in Bangkok. Not as gentle on the ear even, as Chiang Mai Thai.

Most of the grandparents around here, came from other areas it might be added. On my wife's side there is Nan and Phrae that I know of. A couple of neighboring villages are from Isaan and speak a more Lao dialect.

One Lao speaking village has only been around for twenty some years, as my wife can remember when their children started going to her school as a child. Another village has a longer history.

Twenty kilometers to the east, on the mountain top, they speak a hill tribe language. Further afield there are a couple of Chinese dialects. It all gets quite confusing.

I don't know the exact history of land development and migration in the area but it is clear that the grandparents generation came here and homesteaded the land. Most only took a small amount of land, sufficient for their needs. I think this helps to explain how language varies so much from village to village. Immigrants from other areas of Thailand have merged to form their own variations of the typical Northern dialect. At least this seems to be the case in the area where we live. Other, longer established areas, would surely be quite different again. It all depends on where you are.

[sceadugenga]

I keep my insults for Bedlam Republicans these days VF.

I suspect the local dialect/dialects is/are heavily Lao influenced. When I hear "boh" on the end of the sentence it takes me back to my Vientiane days.

I'm careful not to say this in my wife's hearing though, she considers all Lao, Burmese, Hills Tribes, Central Thais, Farangs et al to be some sort of sub species of the human race.

[chivo]

in chiang rai, basically they speak the 'Northern dialect' or 'passaa nua'... but most can speak 'central dialect' or 'passaa klang' too....

the northern dialect is similar to central or common thai, just using a few different words here or there...

those with hilltribe origins would speak those respective languages too which can be quite unrelated to thai...

akha and lue dont sound much like thai at all....

religion is generally buddhist, or the thai version of buddhism which can mix in some animist beliefs/ sometimes ancestral worship mixed in, and generally a good bit of hocus pocus ghosty magic stuff which is not present in original buddhism.... for example the spirit houses....

tabbos and etiquette i dont find much different than the rest of thailand. worth noting that i find northern people more gentle and friendly/relaxed/polite than other regions of thailand, but that may be just my personal observation...