In National Identity and its Defenders (Ed. Craig Reynolds, Silkworm 2002), Anthony Diller notes (p. 83) that, "according to one authority" (Ingorn Suphanwanit), Phraya Upakit Silapasan "was responsible in the 1930s for the propagation of the polite forms sawatdi ... kho-thot ... and khop-khun." Apparently, in conformity to the westernizing trends of the day, Phraya Upakit thought that these terms would be suitable as polite forms of acknowledgement, similar to those used in the West (note 21, p. 102)

If this is so, how did Thai speakers acknowledge each other before this time? Apparently there had been some use of kho-thot in Rama VI's plays earlier and sawatdi as a formulaic phrase opening inscriptions, but clearly these phrases (and khop-khun?) were not in common use.

Am I right in assuming there must have been some earlier linguistic form in which people acknowledged each other and expressed gratitude or regret? If so, what forms were used prior to the 1930s?

In the rural north where I have spent most of my days in the Kingdom, the most common two greetings are "where are you going?" and "have you eaten yet?".

For an interesting socio-historical discussion on the pressures from above for westernization from Rama V to Rama VII, or at least desire by the elite for Thailand to be perceived by the west as a "civilized nation", read Pasuk and Bakers "A History of Thailand"

There was also a very nice Thai movie a couple of years back (I forget the name, perhaps someone else will remember) about a ระนาด player in the 1930s I think, which documented in the backstory the trend of modernisation and some of the brutality that went along with it. Many of the traditionally-respected อาจารย์ were ridiculed and even imprisoned for breaking new laws such as being forced to play musical instruments while sitting in chairs (rather than cross-legged on the floor as they were designed to be played).

Edited July 15, 201015 yr by SoftWater

As Johpa notes, "Have you eaten yet?" (กินข้าวหรือยัง) and "Where are you going?" (ไปไหน) are still very common, perhaps more common even than สวัสดี in many circles. I remember reading somewhere (sorry, I don't remember where) that another common greeting in the past was "Have you bathed yet?" (อาบน้ำหรือยัง).

As I understand it, Sawatdee was conceived as a counterpart to the English greeting "Hello"-- a no-brainer really, considering it's so much more civilized a greeting than "Have you eaten?" is.

With the same mindset, and the support of Field Marshal Pibul Songkram, the good Phraya Upakit Silapasan also coined equivalents to "Good morning" (อรุณสวัสดิ์), "Good afternoon" (ทิวาสวัสดิ์), "Good evening" (สายัณห์สวัสดิ์), and "Good night" (ราตรีสวัสดิ์).

The Thai peasantry being the buffalos that they are, though, these phrases, with the exception of Sawatdee, never really took off, and most people still stick to "Have you eaten yet?" wherever and whenever they can escape the bounds of their state-prescribed hierarchical culture.

As I understand it, Sawatdee was conceived as a counterpart to the English greeting "Hello"-- a no-brainer really, considering it's so much more civilized a greeting than "Have you eaten?" is.

Au contraire mon amie, I find friends inquiring about the specifics of the universal bonding experience of sharing food to be far more civilized then asking about a somewhat abstract existential state of being.

Yes, the ไปไหน and กินข้าวหรือยัง options seem most likely to me, too. When I lived in Laos in the 70s, although สะบายดี was pretty standard, a common greeting in the villages (if I remember correctly) was ไปไส or ไปไสมา and the response might be บอไปไส. Have never heard the one about bathing yet (!).

But what of ขอโทษ and ขอบคุณ? If these terms were not widely used, I wonder what if anything was used in their place? I have an idea that body language and facial expression were quite effective media of communication, but I wonder if there were linguistic forms too.

(sorry, I don't remember where) that another common greeting in the past was "Have you bathed yet?" (อาบน้ำหรือยัง).

In Bangkock in 1970 อาบน้ำ was commonly asked when you went to a friends house in the poorer parts of Bangkock especially the ones that were built on klongs. It was like the customary offer of water an expression of politeness that you should make yoursekf comfortable in the heat.

As I understand it, Sawatdee was conceived as a counterpart to the English greeting "Hello"-- a no-brainer really, considering it's so much more civilized a greeting than "Have you eaten?" is.

Au contraire mon amie, I find friends inquiring about the specifics of the universal bonding experience of sharing food to be far more civilized then asking about a somewhat abstract existential state of being.

C'est sarcasm, my friend.   

I agree with you.

According to my wife, the common way to express "thank you" in Shan (Tai-yai) is "nyin-lii nam nam", which is equivalent to "yin-dii maak maak".

So you would express your thanks by saying that you are very pleased. Maybe central Thai used a similar expression in the past.

Also in that dialect, the two most common greetings are "have you eaten?" and "where are you going?"

When I first heard the greeting "have you eaten?" I thought it was most odd. But i suppose after 'hello' a lot of english people would say something like ".. this weather..." so I suppose weather being the quintessential English conversation starter is on the same wavelength as food being the conversation starter in thailand.

วังไงมึง

Interesting subject, considering that 'sawatdi's cognate term 'swastika' also gained much currency in the 1930's. I guess someone should just ask an 80 y.o. 'Eaten yet?' is also very Chinese, though the Lao 'sabai dee' is probably not a bad guess. It was quickly recognized in Xishuangbanna.