Sick Of Being Called 'Papa'

[Jingthing]

Perhaps I shall do a poll, do you prefer being called Papa or Hey you Farang!?!

[jazzbo]

As per Richard Pryor: HONKY

[samran]

This is not about people who don't know me calling me 'Papa', but about those who do know me, but still call me 'Papa' even after I've told them I don't like it and to use my actual name instead.

I don't view it as a mark of respect either, but rather one of pure laziness on the part of the individuals who use it.

I agree with Beetlejuice though. I don't regard myself as being old at all, but my hair has gone grey and that seems to mean I've been awarded the accolade 'Papa' wherever I decide to go in Thailand now.

The only pure laziness going on here is with you.

You don't seem to grasp that people are being respectful to you by not refering to you by name. Only someone who sees themseleves as an equal to you will even dare call you by your name, and name only.

But, if it is a change of "honourific" title you are looking for, just keep going the way you are and those around you will soon change it to something beginging with 'ey', at least behind your back.

[Loz]

All joking aside, Papi in the Latino community is a term in endearment. Its hip, cool and welcomed almost universally. Maybe because it's seldom "misused". Hefe is the same. A sense of appropriateness for slang goes a long way in the west, but here doesn't seem to be a pre-requisite.

[mca]

I call waitress as "Nong" (sister), call Street-fruit-man as "Pii" (brother), call old lady who is my customer as "Khun Yay" (granny), I also call my BF as "LungLek" (Uncle Lex), he didn't like at first but now he becomes OK

You are very fluent in Thai aren't you..................at least that is what you think

Now you are just making a fool of yourself. Had you been here a little longer you would have known that MidoriApple is in fact Thai

Sophon

I'd just like to offer my eternal gratitude to native Thai MidoriApple for letting the scales fall from my eyes regarding the use of " Pii" and " Nong " because living in utter ignorance over many years I now realise that my wife and all her siblings are in fact fully gender reassigned transsexuals. My hat's off to the surgeons who performed the operation because, quite apart from looking like the real thing, the male to female members are able to give birth. It's really quite incredible.

[Roadman]

Papa? I bet some of you old fretting gits are pushing 50 or 60

So back home in the street you'd be called... The play between the variations of 'Pa' across several languages, including the various English's (pa and papa bestowed generally to 2nd generation with 'grand' added for the 3rd older generation gits) makes the Thai choice of Papa more youthful and accepting than the falang 3rd generation choice.

At the moment I think I am winning the battle as "uncle" to the thai's in our house who are trying to bestow the title of "grand dad" by way of the dog I brought my daughter on the basis that it is animal and we are human. And you guys have a problem with Papa....

Edited, as I instantly seen the error of my ways living with females, to add 'I think I am' for the flow of the battle.

Edited December 17, 2010 by Roadman

[macksview]

i am never upset by being called ta, when upcountry and my father in law and i go duck hunting or fishing in areas i am not known by the locals, children will often ask if they can look through my binoculars or look at the equipment we use, some say farang or boksida, but my father in law interjects rapidly and says to call me grandfather or uncle, and it is basically to tell them to show me some respect.

if i am walking around a market and wish to give way to someone to let them pass, i use all the thai words midori uses, it is being polite to use these words.

when in a tourist area and bargirls called me papa, i would say get it right in thai, call me paaaaaaa kaaaaaaaaa.

[bifftastic]

I call waitress as "Nong" (sister), call Street-fruit-man as "Pii" (brother), call old lady who is my customer as "Khun Yay" (granny), I also call my BF as "LungLek" (Uncle Lex), he didn't like at first but now he becomes OK

You are very fluent in Thai aren't you..................at least that is what you think

Now you are just making a fool of yourself. Had you been here a little longer you would have known that MidoriApple is in fact Thai

Sophon

I'd just like to offer my eternal gratitude to native Thai MidoriApple for letting the scales fall from my eyes regarding the use of " Pii" and " Nong " because living in utter ignorance over many years I now realise that my wife and all her siblings are in fact fully gender reassigned transsexuals. My hat's off to the surgeons who performed the operation because, quite apart from looking like the real thing, the male to female members are able to give birth. It's really quite incredible.

lost me there mca mate

Pii and Nong don't have gender assignments, the fruit seller man is Pii (brother) only cos he's a man, if it was the fruit seller woman she would be Pii (sister) or is that what you meant?

I've just woke up so am even more easily confused than normal

I'm going to do what my friend does and just call everyone Steve, it's much easier. If Thai people ask me why, I'll tell them it's respectful where I come from

P.S. congrats on the gender re-assignment going so well for the family, did you get a group discount?

[mca]

^^Exactly mate.

Group discount? The doctor said he " lopped off " enough as it was!

Edited December 17, 2010 by mca

[bifftastic]

^^Exactly mate.

Group discount? The doctor said he " lopped off " enough as it was!

[travelmann]

Change name by deed poll to "Papa" problem solved or even BABA PAPA he was an elephant after all

[bifftastic]

In all seriousness, it's not a problem for me. Where I'm from we do almost the same thing. Younger people are called 'son' older ones will be 'uncle' or 'dad' (everyone else is Steve )

My step-daughter did correct her cousin (he's only 4) and stopped him calling me PaPaa, so now I'm 'Loong Bipp'

[inthepink]

All joking aside, Papi in the Latino community is a term in endearment. Its hip, cool and welcomed almost universally. Maybe because it's seldom "misused". Hefe is the same. A sense of appropriateness for slang goes a long way in the west, but here doesn't seem to be a pre-requisite.

Maybe it's a lack of understanding of the language and culture that leads you to believe it is used inappropriately.

[TAWP]

Who's your daddy papa?!

[saakura]

I call waitress as "Nong" (sister), call Street-fruit-man as "Pii" (brother), call old lady who is my customer as "Khun Yay" (granny), I also call my BF as "LungLek" (Uncle Lex), he didn't like at first but now he becomes OK

You are very fluent in Thai aren't you..................at least that is what you think

Now you are just making a fool of yourself. Had you been here a little longer you would have known that MidoriApple is in fact Thai

Sophon

Yes, but we should never discount the value of a different point of view - Being Thai is not like being the Pope - Fallibility is with us all.

You mean the Pope is infalliable?? He is not human??

[transam]

Yes, but we should never discount the value of a different point of view - Being Thai is not like being the Pope - Fallibility is with us all.

You mean the Pope is infallible?? He is not human??

Hmmm, yes, a very strange comparison, the Pope that is.

[elliss]

Papa? I bet some of you old fretting gits are pushing 50 or 60

I WISH ,

my young thai gf , calls me papa three pensions ,

aint that cute .

p.s. you young buks , probaly will never , have a pension .

ha, ha, ha , :jap:

[saakura]

I feel for you man. When I go to tourist areas they sometimes call me "boy". "Hey you! Boy! You want eat steak?" "Boy, where you go?" "Boy, your mother know you here?" It's a heck of a problem.

Are you rubbing it in????

[sidjameson]

OP are you annoyed that younger people view you as a "papa" and you want to change their thinking? Or that they view you as a "papa" and then use the phrase?

Do you want to change their thinking? Impossible you are very old to any one under 40.

Do you want to just change their words? Possible with enough negative or positive reinforcement, but really what's the point?

[Beetlejuice]

.

[transam]

.

Who gave you permission to show my photos eh.

[Beetlejuice]

.

Who gave you permission to show my photos eh.

Well, if you`re the bird on the left, just want to say; I love you and will you have my babies?

[transam]

.

Who gave you permission to show my photos eh.

Well, if you`re the bird on the left, just want to say; I love you and will you have my babies?

I'll think about it.

[pipo1000]

.

Who gave you permission to show my photos eh.

Well, if you`re the bird on the left, just want to say; I love you and will you have my babies?

I'll think about it.

Wake up Beetlejuice,he's the one on the right.You want your baby's look like him

[Semper]

My parrot calls me papa chao

[Bagwan]

For my first few weeks in Thailand I was called Papa and I most admit it annoyed me. Then I gently remonstrated with a bar lady who had called out to me and told her that I was a lor young man of yee sip padt pee. She giggled and we struck up a conversation, I entered the bar and she started to educate me about all things Thai. She insisted that the term Papa was one of respect for my seniority and standing in their eyes. I have never had cause to doubt this interpretation. Thus I got over the imagined affront re the reference to my advancing years.

My wife's two adult children call me Papa and have done so from an early age and since they never knew their natural father I have been more than happy to fulfill the paternal role. My wife's nieces and nephews call me Papa Jon and it is obvious they do so with affection. 

Since I call most ladies terak I sometimes wonder if I am making a faux pas. Being a Londoner calling ladies darling or sweetheart was the way of life as it hinted of the lady having an attractive persona; those who got on their high horse and objected were asked if Lady Muck would suffice instead. In Yorkshire being addressed as love was the norm. I don't know what the norm is on Merseyside or Tyneside as I don't know as I understand a word that they say in those parts. 

I object to being called an old git by countering with the term <deleted> young. Honours even there then. In a few days I shall have reached my three quarters of a century and because I still appear much younger have avoided gramps. grandad or some other reminder that my time is running out.

Anybody calling me pappy is in for a hard time. I am nothing at all like Gabby Hayes, the real star of many Western movies..

[IanForbes]

Good post, Bagwan. Eventually you get to a point where you don't really CARE what people call you. I'm happy I made it this far on my own and I'm still having more fun than most younger guys I know living in Canada. I get a giggle out of telling Thais how old I REALLY am. Most often I just tell them I'm 283 and leave it at that. Every day fishing is not considered part of your alloted days on earth. I've been fishing so often I'm ahead of the game..

[Kwasaki]

The kids in the village that know me call me "lung falang" and wai at the same time.

The girls in the restaurants call me by my name without the ' R '.

When my kids come over to see me I get called Papa where ever I go with them, I don't mind being called Papa at all, quite like it really.

[jazzbo]

Every day fishing is not considered part of your alloted days on earth... Not if the fish have anything to say about it.

[IanForbes]

Every day fishing is not considered part of your alloted days on earth... Not if the fish have anything to say about it.

:lol:

True... especially if it is a great white shark.