What Is The Meaning Of Cha Ba At The End Of A Question?

[richard_smith237]

Its a lower class colloquialism for isn't it... Or in London Speak "innit".......

[keo]

you guys really know how to party, cha ba?!

[Tod Daniels]

Its a lower class colloquialism for isn't it... Or in London Speak "innit".......

I really don't think you could shoe-horn ใช่ป่ะ into a "lower class colloquialism" by any wild stretch of the imagination. ..

By its very definition "colloquial" means: "used in or characteristic of familiar and informal conversation". This would seem to negate ANY distinction based simply on class. I believe it is much more a "contextual" thing based on the degree of familiarity the party's engaged in conversation have with one another.

I've met many hi-so Thai Uni-gurls who were all too full of themselves as far as where they stood "class wise". They routinely use ชิล ๆ, ใช่ป่ะ and ชิมิ in speaking with their friends.

FWIW:

ชิล ๆ is used a LOT by mindless Thai Dara’s in television interviews here to show they can “sa-peak inter”. These girls usually fall into the ส.ต.ง. category. That’s สวยแต่โง่ = beautiful but stupid!

ชิมิ is the morphing of ใช่ไหม made insanely popular by a group of less than marginally talented thai-gurls called; บลูเบอร์รี่ อาร์ สยาม (Blueberry Are Siam") .

I'd hafta say [/u]NOPE[/u] it’s definitely NOT a class thing or an educational thing, BUT a term used in a particular circle of acquaintances with which the speakers are on very familiar terms.

And thus ends my dissertation . I will vacate the soapbox now for the next respondent!

Edited April 27, 2011 by tod-daniels

[Tod Daniels]

While OFF-TOPIC:

I thought I'd at least back up my claim as far as the talent (or lack thereof) by showcasing บลูเบอร์รี่ อาร์ สยาม and their "hit song" ชิมิ ชิมิ;

Here it is for your viewing pleasure;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsYtCzuPFOg

They would also appear to fall somewhere into the same ส.ต.ง. demographic. .. I think the 'out-takes' at the end of the video are the best part of the whole thing!!

[crewelz]

I really have to assume you misheard it. The closest thing would be Isaan/Lao when it comes to "ba", but it would actually be "baw". But they would never say "chai baw" because that's a mix of Thai and Lao. They would have to say "man baw" which means "chai mai" or roughly "is that correct?"