Why Do Posters Include Thai Phrases In Their Posts?

[kunash]

Is it to try and impress the reader?

Is it to try and show your knowledge (or lack of) of the Thai language?

I remember Del Boy, from Only Fools and Horses, who use to drop into his sentences the odd French phrase. He had no clue how to speak French, yet he liked to ''impress'' people with his knowledge of the French language.

Maybe we have a few Del Boys on this forum?

Happy Christmas

[GrahamF]

I don't know if anyone is out impress or not. What I would like to see is the writer add an English translation in parentheses when they choose to post in a language other than English. I have seen this done on other English speaking fora and it has been most helpful.

[kunash]

That is a good idea

[Cobalt60]

Mai ruu Kunash mai ruu

[kunash]

dont know? i know that one

[473geo]

C'est la vie mon cher, chataux neuf du pape, au contraire

[canuckamuck]

In my house the conversation is in three languages and some things are said better in Thai.

With this being a forum of expats one hopes that a number of readers appreciate the nuance or the humor of the added Thai phrases. But you can't please everybody.

[bkkjames]

When I speak, my sentences end of being half english/half thai/half nonsense...do you understand that you dumb kwai?

[Ulysses G.]

Sometimes it is to "impress" other posters.

Sometimes it is because someone has been here so long that they think that pretty much everyone understands certain Thai words or phrases

Sometimes it is because it is easier to think of the Thai word or phrase than the English one.

Edited December 25, 2011 by Ulysses G.

[Naam]

In my house the conversation is in three languages and some things are said better in Thai.

With this being a forum of expats one hopes that a number of readers appreciate the nuance or the humor of the added Thai phrases. But you can't please everybody.

in my house the conversation is quite often in more than three languages. [un]fortunately none of them is Thai. and when i raise my voice and "speak" German nobody seems to be pleased

[wamberal]

All languages change over time, and the introduction and assilimation of foreign language phrases is commonplace in most countries. Perhaps, in years to come, some Thai phrases will be incorporated into English, via this forum. Unlikely, but it is possible.

[travelmann]

In my house the conversation is in three languages and some things are said better in Thai.

With this being a forum of expats one hopes that a number of readers appreciate the nuance or the humor of the added Thai phrases. But you can't please everybody.

in my house the conversation is quite often in more than three languages. [un]fortunately none of them is Thai. and when i raise my voice and "speak" German nobody seems to be pleased

,

I got a great mental picture of that hahahhahaha, not only that but Naams sense of humour about his own Germanic race is also very funny......its ze vay he tellz zem,

Thanks Naam

[Trembly]

Sometimes it is to "impress" other posters.

Sometimes it is because someone has been here so long that they think that pretty much everyone understands certain Thai words or phrases

Sometimes it is because it is easier to think of the Thai word or phrase than the English one.

And sometimes there just isn't an English word for the Thai one!

[elgato]

I don't know if anyone is out impress or not. What I would like to see is the writer add an English translation in parentheses when they choose to post in a language other than English. I have seen this done on other English speaking fora and it has been most helpful.

Good idea but I doubt that the posters that are trying to impress the rest of us would also post an english translation for fear of being ridiculed for making an erroneous translation.

[BookMan]

Impress? maybe..

Thai phrase is more apt? maybe...

It is a Thai based forum, so it seems fairly reasonable. Have to say it doesn't worry me in the least. mai pen rai.

Edited December 26, 2011 by BookMan

[geriatrickid]

in my house the conversation is quite often in more than three languages. [un]fortunately none of them is Thai. and when i raise my voice and "speak" German nobody seems to be pleased

Understandable. mai pen rai.

[krading]

Those members who are interested enough to try and learn a bit of Thai find this site most helpful.

As for the others,

[metisdead]

An obscene post (In French) has been removed as well as a reply.

[GrahamF]

Impress? maybe..

Thai phrase is more apt? maybe...

It is a Thai based forum, so it seems fairly reasonable. Have to say it doesn't worry me in the least. mai pen rai.

I see your point, but according to the TV Forum rules " English is the only acceptable language, except within the Thai language forum, where of course using Thai is allowed."

[BookMan]

Impress? maybe..

Thai phrase is more apt? maybe...

It is a Thai based forum, so it seems fairly reasonable. Have to say it doesn't worry me in the least. mai pen rai.

I see your point, but according to the TV Forum rules " English is the only acceptable language, except within the Thai language forum, where of course using Thai is allowed."

rules, rules and damned rules! mai dee! (eng translation - 'no good')

[craigt3365]

Per forum rules:

English is the only acceptable language, except within the Thai language forum, where of course using Thai is allowed.

=============================================================================================

So....No more posts allowed unless in English. Or we will close this thread. We've already had to remove some posts with obscene language in foreign languages. Next one will get a posting holiday.

[SlyAnimal]

No problems with basic Thai if it's in English phonetics I'm sure, so long as it's a basic word or if there's a reason for it? As some phrases just don't really have such a good translation in English. (Or particularly if there is a translation of it in English in brackets or similar?)

e.g. Greng Jai, which kinda needs an entire sentence to explain it in English probably (It's the feeling that you have, when someone does something nice for you, and you feel like you are indebted to them). Or alternatively Yaii, which is almost like a respectful title at times, thus it's more correct to use it when describing your grandmother in law (or any very old lady who is related to your family in some way)

Other sentences we say soo often in Thai, rather than in English, that it's just natural to say them in Thai rather than in English. Even when speaking to other farang, I'll often say "Maii Pen Raii" (Don't worry / never mind / whatever) or "Som Num Naa" (You bloody deserved it!!).

Edited December 26, 2011 by SlyAnimal

[mataus101]

maybe they are just pleased with there thai ability.

they are not hurting anyone.

[Johnniey]

No problems with basic Thai if it's in English phonetics I'm sure, so long as it's a basic word or if there's a reason for it? As some phrases just don't really have such a good translation in English. (Or particularly if there is a translation of it in English in brackets or similar?)

e.g. Greng Jai, which kinda needs an entire sentence to explain it in English probably (It's the feeling that you have, when someone does something nice for you, and you feel like you are indebted to them). Or alternatively Yaii, which is almost like a respectful title at times, thus it's more correct to use it when describing your grandmother in law (or any very old lady who is related to your family in some way)

Other sentences we say soo often in Thai, rather than in English, that it's just natural to say them in Thai rather than in English. Even when speaking to other farang, I'll often say "Maii Pen Raii" (Don't worry / never mind / whatever) or "Som Num Naa" (You bloody deserved it!!).

Wow - a direct disregard for the previous post by a moderator.

I had to laugh when a friend of mine was on the phone to his cardiologist in Bamrungrad hospital. He said " the greeting that Thai people use to each other - begins with s and ends with the particle used to convey politeness - (would have been much easier to say the bloody word)", Anyways, he continues to talk in English and starts saying a word in Thai that the doctor doesn't understand - the word is the Thai word for blood. I asked him after if the doctor spoke English and he said, fluently. I said then surely a bloody cardiologist fluent in English knows the word for blood!

How strange having a Thailand based website that doesn't allow the use of Thai - is it because the moderators can't speak Thai? What are the actual rules? We can say easy phrases like 'slyanimal' said but not more complex ones? Some Thai phrase have already been incorporated into the English language anyway- unfortunately I can't say what they are.

Edited December 26, 2011 by Johnniey

[BookMan]

Other sentences we say soo often in Thai, rather than in English, that it's just natural to say them in Thai rather than in English. Even when speaking to other farang, I'll often say "Maii Pen Raii" (Don't worry / never mind / whatever) or "Som Num Naa" (You bloody deserved it!!).

Very true. I also often find when talking with Kiwis that I say 'Sweet as bro!' quite a bit...

[Johnniey]

There's a google ad on the top of this page in Thai - says a lot about what has happened to this forum.

[ballpoint]

Wow - a direct disregard for the previous post by a moderator.

I had to laugh when a friend of mine was on the phone to his cardiologist in Bamrungrad hospital. He said " the greeting that Thai people use to each other - begins with s and ends with the particle used to convey politeness - (would have been much easier to say the bloody word)", Anyways, he continues to talk in English and starts saying a word in Thai that the doctor doesn't understand - the word is the Thai word for blood. I asked him after if the doctor spoke English and he said, fluently. I said then surely a bloody cardiologist fluent in English knows the word for blood!

How strange having a Thailand based website that doesn't allow the use of Thai - is it because the moderators can't speak Thai? What are the actual rules? We can say easy phrases like 'slyanimal' said but not more complex ones? Some Thai phrase have already been incorporated into the English language anyway- unfortunately I can't say what they are.

You're guilty of the same offense, I'm afraid. You should have said "the hospital between So Lane"s One and Three on Sukhu the long road that starts at the expressway and goes all the way to Tr the Cambodian border.

[Tywais]

How strange having a Thailand based website that doesn't allow the use of Thai - is it because the moderators can't speak Thai? What are the actual rules? We can say easy phrases like 'slyanimal' said but not more complex ones? Some Thai phrase have already been incorporated into the English language anyway- unfortunately I can't say what they are.

The actual rule - "English is the only acceptable language, except within the Thai language forum, where of course using Thai is allowed."

As for moderators and the Thai language, the majority do have substantial skills in that area. So Thai is allowed as pointed out in the forum rules. Allowing it throughout the board will just result in confusion for members especially considering the myriad of romanizations I see tossed around here.

[QED]

Haha, gotta laugh at the Google ad in Thai script right in the middle of this thread. Are they banned now?

It is usually the guys who have very little language skills that start dropping in the odd Thai phrase that their new bargirl wife has taught them.

I met a guy last night who claimed to have been here 9 years and fluent in Thai. After some quizzing (even with my weak Thai abilities) it turned out he knew about 5 words. He then claimed to be fluent in Issan, so I got him to talk to my girlfriend, who managed to find out he knew the word for vinegar, and nothing else.

He then claimed to fluent in Laos, so I got one of the girls working in the bar to talk to him, that didn't work either.

He then wanted a fight, it was all a bit sad really. He apparently thought I was a tourist, and was trying to demonstrate his local knowledge.

He finally left mumbling something about his wife understands every word he says, and he wished she was there

[dave111223]

Sometimes I encounter things in Thailand which I do not know the English word for (ie a regional fruit, building materials, a government service) etc.. In which case I would use the word that they are commonly referred to in Thailand. In many cases there may not be a specific English word that refers to the exact Thai item.

In the same way Thais often use English words mixed into their vocab when they want to refer to something that has a specific English name, but does not have a specific Thai name (ie would require many Thai words to explain it, or one English word).

For example if someone wanted to get an "Official government land measurement and marking survey" done, would it make more sense to tell them to:

1) Go to land department and ask for a "Rangwat"

2) Go to land department and try to act out hand signs for a "Official government land measurement and marking survey"

Oh dear I chose option #1 and mixed in a Thai word, what a tool I am...