Farangs Using Funny Accents

[madmitch]

Why do so many foreign men put on a weird accent when they talk to Thais? It's an accent that doesn't sound like any other but I assume for some reason it makes the user believe that he is easier to understand. The Brits are the main culprits, though I've noticed other native English speakers do this as well.

The use of pidgin English I can understand but the odd accent? No idea.

If you don't know what I am talking about, just keep your ears open in farang orientated restaurants and particularly beer bars and you'll hear it.

[Jingthing]

I'm not sure exactly what you mean, except maybe you are talking about changing emphasis, which is something I do sometimes, and I think it's a good idea to enhance communication with non-English fluent Thais (almost all of them). For example in a restaurant asking for mustard, there's a better chance to get what you want my asking for muss-TARD rather than musterd. Going to school? Maybe you mean saKOOL rather than skool?

While I agree it's a bad thing to model pidgin grammar to a Thai who might want to really learn English, being a purist will only make your life harder here. Yes, both the use of pidgin (which I do try to avoid if possible) and pronunciation adjustments are all about communicating.

Edited December 28, 2010 by Jingthing

[GarryP]

When I first came here about 28 years ago, I spoke with a broad Yorkshire accent. None of the locals could understand a word I was saying. Bit of a problem when teaching. So I started enunciating words. After more than I year of this I had lost my accent totally. It wasn't intentionally, it just happened. Now even Brits ask me where I am from, meaning country. My dad didn't even recognize my voice when I called him after being here a few years.

Could it be possible that they are simply trying to pronounce words in a way that is understandable?

[satangman]

maybe because they cannot talk as usual..... speaking to thai girls most of the time is like talking to children...

and talk like they do in a hope that they understand... i guess...

but i know what you mean....:jap:...... but me in my loom.....

[Jingthing]

There's also the danger of not being able to clean up your act when visiting your home country, and then of course people will think you are mentally challenged.

[carmine]

My personal favourites are the guys that can't speak the language but persist inthrowing in "chai mai?" and "mai ru" at every oppotunity, whilst speaking English in a peculiar accent. They nearly all have one thing in common in that they call all order booze fluently in Thai.

[transam]

Think many change their accent a bit cos even Thai English speakers or want to try do not understand dialects from different regions, and so speak so Thais can understand better. My mrs has trouble with US and North of England English, mind you so do I.

[CheGuava]

There's also the danger of not being able to clean up your act when visiting your home country, and then of course people will think you are mentally challenged.

People speaking like you described seem mentally challenged no matter where they are.

[Beetlejuice]

There's also the danger of not being able to clean up your act when visiting your home country, and then of course people will think you are mentally challenged.

I frequently travel back to Europe, it`s part of my job. Sometimes when abroad I lapse and begin talking back to people in a sort of retarded gibberish.

This is what happens when we stay in Thailand for too long, especially if our command of the Thai language is limited, so we revert to some form of child like English in order to make ourselves understood.

Problem is that if we become isolated from other English speakers for any long periods, gibberish becomes the norm and the more difficult it becomes to revert back to normality again. The same goes when we get into the habit of smiling at people all the time. I began carrying this practice with me on my travels. Doesn’t always go down too well, especially when as an older guy I am considered a pervert if I smile at young ladies in the Western countries.

Then there are the farang Thai wannabes, these people really annoy me. You know, the ones that can speak fluent Thai, shout it out at the top of they’re voices in public, just to make sure that everyone is aware of their brilliant command of the Thai language and even worse, the farangs that only know a few words of Thai, speak to a Thai person or even to other farangs in public loudly in bad Thai, sometimes using the wrong words, trying to convince everyone that they are fluent in the language, but the facts are that these people are only fluent in BS and hardly ever convince anybody.

[Jingthing]

There's also the danger of not being able to clean up your act when visiting your home country, and then of course people will think you are mentally challenged.

People speaking like you described seem mentally challenged no matter where they are.

Not to Thais who don't understand you when you try standard pronunciations the first time, and then you adjust it so they do understand. I am on your side. This kind of thing should be limited as much as possible, but I believe that most expats make some adjustments, even if they don't admit it.

Edited December 28, 2010 by Jingthing

[bkkjames]

There's also the danger of not being able to clean up your act when visiting your home country, and then of course people will think you are mentally challenged.

People speaking like you described seem mentally challenged no matter where they are.

Not to Thais who don't understand you when you try standard pronunciations the first time, and then you adjust it so they do understand. I am on your side. This kind of thing should be limited as much as possible, but I believe that most expats make some adjustments, even if they don't admit it.

let's see, make an adjustment so they can understand quickly or spend the next two hours trying to get them to understand the correct pronunciation? tough call.

[CheGuava]

Then there are the farang Thai wannabes, these people really annoy me. You know, the ones that can speak fluent Thai, shout it out at the top of they're voices in public, just to make sure that everyone is aware of their brilliant command of the Thai language

I am very mindful of this perception. So when I speak Thai when seated near to someone who looks like an old ill-adjusted buffoon who can't even order a plate of rice in the language of the country where he lives, then I make sure I use both Thai and English when speaking to any Thais in attendance, to ensure everyone feels included and understands me. (This is typically in bars).

I do this especially if I get the impression that the Thai I'm speaking to has some kind of relationship/acqaintance with said buffoon; then it would just be rude to yap only in Thai and thus exclude the guy.

[transam]

Then there are the farang Thai wannabes, these people really annoy me. You know, the ones that can speak fluent Thai, shout it out at the top of they're voices in public, just to make sure that everyone is aware of their brilliant command of the Thai language

I am very mindful of this perception. So when I speak Thai when seated near to someone who looks like an old ill-adjusted buffoon who can't even order a plate of rice in the language of the country where he lives, then I make sure I use both Thai and English when speaking to any Thais in attendance, to ensure everyone feels included and understands me. (This is typically in bars).

I do this especially if I get the impression that the Thai I'm speaking to has some kind of relationship/acqaintance with said buffoon; then it would just be rude to yap only in Thai and thus exclude the guy.

Well l can't order rice, so buffoon l am. But l can spell acquaintance.

[Tonto21]

Madmitch, you are so right. If I'm going to be honest I got into this habit not long after arriving in Thailand, what a knob! I was woken up to the fact I must have looked and sounded like a right plonker when I heard other Brits doing it. It was at that point I decided to try and learn some Thai. (I've been off the "Thailish" now for 4 years) it used to annoy the hell out of me to hear "Thailish," but now it just makes me laugh.

I have a good mate, he lives in Pattaya for 5 year now; (full on) he has managed to elevate "Thailsh" to a new language. When I visit him and we go out, he gets to talking with some bar girl or street vender………. In fact, anyone, even other farang. He starts his "Thailish" slow and builds into what can only be described as an accent and tone somewhere between Charlie the cat, Foo Man Chew with a dash of Worzel Gummidge, (he's a summerset boy) and a vocabulary of a caveman……… I sometimes laugh so hard it hurts! I always tell him, when he has just excelled in the art of "Thailish" that I think his Thai is improving, "Thanks" he says, "do you think"…….I just give him a look!

I particularly find it amusing when he’s in “in the grove” and talking, sorry, I mean high pitched whining to a bar girl, she will sometimes tip her head to the side, like a pet, dog straining to understand what the hell he’s going on about.

I don't think this is anything new; we Brits have always been good with foreign language skills and being understood, our English forefathers would just shout very slowly……..in English, if Jonny Foreigner didn't understand……Go to plan B, shout louder! It worked in Spain in the 70's. We Brits have just upped our game in Thailand. Please don't discourage "Thailish" it's the closest thing us Brits come to speaking a foreign language.

Edited December 28, 2010 by Tonto21

[nocturn]

Then there are the farang Thai wannabes, these people really annoy me. You know, the ones that can speak fluent Thai, shout it out at the top of they're voices in public, just to make sure that everyone is aware of their brilliant command of the Thai language

I am very mindful of this perception. So when I speak Thai when seated near to someone who looks like an old ill-adjusted buffoon who can't even order a plate of rice in the language of the country where he lives, then I make sure I use both Thai and English when speaking to any Thais in attendance, to ensure everyone feels included and understands me. (This is typically in bars).

I do this especially if I get the impression that the Thai I'm speaking to has some kind of relationship/acqaintance with said buffoon; then it would just be rude to yap only in Thai and thus exclude the guy.

i think you just got to the crux of the problem. well put.

funny how learning to speak the language of a country you have lived in for 14 years can so deeply offend some people.

[Chunky1]

Pattaya is the absolute worst. All you hear is farang talking in the manner of: "Why you no call me yesterday?"

[Jingthing]

Think of it as part of the vast amount of free entertainment on offer in Thailand (the goofy accents).

Frankly, I will never get bored watching OLD street dogs crossing busy streets. They are amazing! You know if they have made it to old age, they know what they're doing, similar to old moto taxi drivers.

Edited December 28, 2010 by Jingthing

[phaethon]

http://www.psychologicalscience.org/index.php/news/releases/imitating-someones-accent-makes-it-easier-to-understand-them.html

[Beetlejuice]

Then there are the farang Thai wannabes, these people really annoy me. You know, the ones that can speak fluent Thai, shout it out at the top of they're voices in public, just to make sure that everyone is aware of their brilliant command of the Thai language

I am very mindful of this perception. So when I speak Thai when seated near to someone who looks like an old ill-adjusted buffoon who can't even order a plate of rice in the language of the country where he lives, then I make sure I use both Thai and English when speaking to any Thais in attendance, to ensure everyone feels included and understands me. (This is typically in bars).

I do this especially if I get the impression that the Thai I'm speaking to has some kind of relationship/acqaintance with said buffoon; then it would just be rude to yap only in Thai and thus exclude the guy.

i think you just got to the crux of the problem. well put.

funny how learning to speak the language of a country you have lived in for 14 years can so deeply offend some people.

If I hear any farang speaking fluent Thai, I consider that person as being extremely smart and in my mind I am thinking, well done you’re a better man then me chum.

It`s when for example I am standing in a queue somewhere or next to a farang that is shouting it in a loud booming voice or over a cell phone that I find really irritating. Especially the Americans, they`re quite good at trying to make an impression to all around them. They remind me of General Custer having a conversation with the native Indians, because the accent sounds different, any moment I expect to see them take out a pipe of peace.

This just doesn’t impress me at all.

[Jingthing]

Many Americans of baby boomer age are actually DEAF. It was the rock and roll. So they talk loud. Go see a lawyer!

[Chunky1]

the US embassy is a good place to notice that, as many of the old geezers like to show off to the staff (perhaps in preparation for a future interview) by screaming in broken and incorrect Thai and making a big show of it.

[GarryP]

Actually, I thought the OP was talking about funny accents rather than baby talk ("You hungly we go eat") or just bad Thai (by people who misguidedly believe they are fluent). Totally different things. Amusing too, but different.

[Jingthing]

Stop the American bashing, or I'm going to call Hillary!

Edited December 28, 2010 by Jingthing

[473geo]

I hear a mix of Thai and Khmer frequently, there is no doubt the regional speech/accents will be very evident to the text book Thai language speakers, even to the extent they will possibly not fully understand. Localised foreigners will pick up the regional language without knowing they are not speaking text book Thai.

The Thai language is quite straight forward and concise, thus the complicated English often requires adjustment.

Example:

English

Are we going to the market today?

No, we will be going to the market tomorrow

Thai

Go market?

Go Tomorrow

[satangman]

My personal favourites are the guys that can't speak the language but persist inthrowing in "chai mai?" and "mai ru" at every oppotunity, whilst speaking English in a peculiar accent. They nearly all have one thing in common in that they call all order booze fluently in Thai.

[/quote

can you speak the language as well.... most bar girls in pattaya speak loe..( issan)... if you care to know... its different from thai....

just a fact you might want to know....

[Ulysses G.]

I know exactly what the OP is talking about. Some newbies put on this fake - what they imagine to be - Thai accent when they are speaking Thai that just sounds silly and does nothing to make what they are saying any clearer.

As far as Americans speaking Thai loudly to show off, I can think of at least one other nationality that does plenty of pidgin and baby talk and is just as ridiculous, but I will not stoop so low as to mention who they are, since every nationality has its good and bad.

[Loz]

maybe i'm one of the twunts you mention but i reckon its not much harder to learn thai than to learn to sound like a spastic. i prefer thai.

[DougLee]

Why do dumbass with english or aussie accent use their accent with people not from their region? No one can understand you.

There's a reason why we use simplified verbs with thais, they wont EVER get better in english if they are over 18.. There's a reason why regular people with hard accent try to speak with no accent when speaking to a non-native, they are considerate and want to be understood. I have a very hard accent and whenever i am speaking with someone not from my region, i try to use that person's accent, even if we speak the same language. It's called being a decent human being, they might not be used to my accent while i am used to theirs.

[Moonrakers]

I can't say I've ever noticed. Maybe where I come from, funny accents are the norm!

[JUDAS]

Pattaya is the absolute worst. All you hear is farang talking in the manner of: "Why you no call me yesterday?"

That's just made me cringe