เท่าที่ได้

[bhoydy]

I just had some lovely สุกี้แห้ง at my local อาหารตามสั่ง shop where the woman who runs the place is the mother of my student. I was paying and she was complaining to me that her son is always on the phone to girls and i said to her that's teenagers for you. Then, she said เท่าที่ได้ which kind of threw me, i kind of half guessed that it was - he'll take as much as he can get, but i've no idea. Any ideas?

[mikenyork]

I would agree with your guess. Possible that you missed a word or two of the sentence? Could she have been saying ทน เท่าที่ได้ meaning I will take as much as I can stand? But probably you got it right in the first place.

[bhoydy]

She definitely said เท่าที่ได้, she said it again after she saw my puzzled look. Thanks for the other phrase.

[a51mas]

I think she just shorten the phrase thinking you would understand, but the complete phrase should be "ทำเท่าที่ทำได้", that means she can only gives him so much support, as for his future, that is all up to him............. does it make sense?

[bhoydy]

Yeah that makes sense, thanks. Do you mean like she'll give him as much support as she is able to?

[a51mas]

Yeah that makes sense, thanks. Do you mean like she'll give him as much support as she is able to?

Yes, you've got it.

[hiero]

เท่าที่ also mean like, "as far as i know / all i know is", is that right??

like "เท่าที่ได้ยิน คนไทยชอบไปห้างบอยๆ - from what i've heard thai's like to go to the mall a lot.

Edited December 12, 2010 by hiero

[bannork]

Another version of เท่า was in the paper today- รู้เท่าไม่ถึงการฌ์ - to not know (the consequences of) what you're doing

The article was about the story of the young sons of a man looking for things to recyle who felt thirsty and drank from one of the bottles he had collected. Unfortunately it contained polisher, not plain water and they ended up throwing up and feeling ill.

[DavidHouston]

Perhaps the spelling is "รู้เท่าไม่ถึงการณ์"

Another version of เท่า was in the paper today- รู้เท่าไม่ถึงการฌ์ - to not know (the consequences of) what you're doing

The article was about the story of the young sons of a man looking for things to recyle who felt thirsty and drank from one of the bottles he had collected. Unfortunately it contained polisher, not plain water and they ended up throwing up and feeling ill.

[GarryP]

I think that she means "as much (as often) as he can" or "as much (as often) as he can get away with". With a possible inference that she does complain to him about it, but that he is sneaky with his calls.

As for "support" etc. I think you are reading far to much into her comment. It is not the sort of comment that would normally be passed in very casual situation as this.