Yes Yes Khaojai Kah

[Soph]

Last night I was dragged out to the local Karaoke bar by my lovely next door neighbour along with a few of her Thai friends. She was very eager to speak as much English as possible and I was all ears to listen to what she had to say. Now dont get me wrong, she has excellent English - but as the conversations kept flowing I was noticing that I really didnt understand the majority of what she was saying - partly because of the music, and partly because she was speaking too fast and getting a bit carried away.

However, instead of saying "could you repeat that please" or "sorry, say again, I didnt catch that" I found it much more easier to say, "yes, ha ha" or "uhum, I know what you mean" or "ha ha ha, how funny" - that kind of thing - which every time seemed to be the right thing to say, even though I had no idea what we were talking about.

Just wondering how many of you guys spend whole evenings in Thai company without really understanding much of what is really being talked about (in English), but being totally polite and making out like you really understand. I have found this to be a habit of mine, just to smile and nod my head and laugh alot.

Should I confess more often and let on that I really dont understand, or do you think it is best just to get on with it and agree to the general gist of things

[meadish_sweetball]

Just smile and have another drink. Also, you can be proactive - if you dont understand what they are saying, it is very likely that they wont understand you either, so just keep talking - they will smile and nod their heads as well.

[Soph]

At one point last night - I told the girl that I had seen a tiger (not in the karaoke bar, but whilst I was in Laos) She replied that "yes - lots of 'thai girl' like to go to Laos if their farrang boyfriend pays" to which, again I just smiled an nodded my head

[camerata]

Just wondering how many of you guys spend whole evenings in Thai company without really understanding much of what is really being talked about (in English), but being totally polite and making out like you really understand.

I sometimes spend whole afternoons in business meetings without having a clue what is going on. Then someone will say, "What's your opinion...?

[BambinA]

She replied that "yes - lots of 'thai girl' like to go to Laos if their farrang boyfriend pays" 

i'd love to go anywhere if BF pays for it ..(except hel_l)

[Glauka]

Sometimes I don´t understand tv members jokes...

mai khaojai ka...

Sometimes I don´t understand what some spanish people talk about...( maybe is because I am not listening...).

Soph I am with meadish in this one... sometimes people don´t understand you either...but they keep smiling...

Sometimes you just want to talk...it doesn´t matter if the khaojai or they mai khaojai ka...

[thaibebop]

She replied that "yes - lots of 'thai girl' like to go to Laos if their farrang boyfriend pays" 

i'd love to go anywhere if BF pays for it ..(except hel_l)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

He.ll is a great place! Teaches you alot about yourself and other people.

[Glauka]

Hola Thaibebop...mai khaojai?

[Tornado]

She replied that "yes - lots of 'thai girl' like to go to Laos if their farrang boyfriend pays" 

i'd love to go anywhere if BF pays for it ..(except hel_l)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

He.ll is a great place! Teaches you alot about yourself and other people.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Totally agree with you.

[thaibebop]

  Hola Thaibebop...mai khaojai?  

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hola means hello, but that's as far as I go.

BTW, mai kao jai means don't understand. You put a ? at the end so I think you are trying to say Kao Jai Mai, which do you understand. Am I right?

[Glauka]

That´s is exactly what I tried to say...THANK YOU!!!

[thaibebop]

That´s is exactly what I tried to say...THANK YOU!!!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Don't worry, I am still learning too.

[khall64au]

Just wondering how many of you guys spend whole evenings in Thai company without really understanding much of what is really being talked about (in English), but being totally polite and making out like you really understand.

I sometimes spend whole afternoons in business meetings without having a clue what is going on. Then someone will say, "What's your opinion...?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yep... I can relate to that one. What is worse for me is meeting Thai associates - who seem to know me quite well - and not being able to place their face, name, company or even where we met. It's just so embarrassing when they seem so happy to see me again

[Jeff1]

Last night I was dragged out to the local Karaoke bar by my lovely next door neighbour along with a few of her Thai friends.  She was very eager to speak as much English as possible and I was all ears to listen to what she had to say.  Now dont get me wrong, she has excellent English - but as the conversations kept flowing I was noticing that I really didnt understand the majority of what she was saying - partly because of the music, and partly because she was speaking too fast and getting a bit carried away. 

However, instead of saying "could you repeat that please" or "sorry, say again, I didnt catch that" I found it much more easier to say, "yes, ha ha" or "uhum, I know what you mean" or "ha ha ha, how funny" - that kind of thing - which every time seemed to be the right thing to say, even though I had no idea what we were talking about.

Just wondering how many of you guys spend whole evenings in Thai company without really understanding much of what is really being talked about (in English), but being totally polite and making out like you really understand.  I have found this to be a habit of mine, just to smile and nod my head and laugh alot. 

Should I confess more often and let on that I really dont understand, or do you think it is best just to get on with it and agree to the general gist of things 

Try being married .

It happens on a daily basis .

[Tywais]

I don't go out that much anymore but I do say "arai nah?" to my wife often.

[Davey]

Last night I was dragged out to the local Karaoke bar by my lovely next door neighbour along with a few of her Thai friends.  She was very eager to speak as much English as possible and I was all ears to listen to what she had to say.  Now dont get me wrong, she has excellent English - but as the conversations kept flowing I was noticing that I really didnt understand the majority of what she was saying - partly because of the music, and partly because she was speaking too fast and getting a bit carried away. 

However, instead of saying "could you repeat that please" or "sorry, say again, I didnt catch that" I found it much more easier to say, "yes, ha ha" or "uhum, I know what you mean" or "ha ha ha, how funny" - that kind of thing - which every time seemed to be the right thing to say, even though I had no idea what we were talking about.

Just wondering how many of you guys spend whole evenings in Thai company without really understanding much of what is really being talked about (in English), but being totally polite and making out like you really understand.  I have found this to be a habit of mine, just to smile and nod my head and laugh alot. 

Should I confess more often and let on that I really dont understand, or do you think it is best just to get on with it and agree to the general gist of things 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Never mind in Thai company, I do it with my friends from back home in England too. If I don't hear what they've said first time around, I just smile, nod my head an say "aye", works a treat.

Edited December 2, 2005 by Davey

[sadman]

I sometimes spend whole afternoons in business meetings without having a clue what is going on. Then someone will say, "What's your opinion...? 

Nobody even bothers asking my opinion any more

[OxfordWill]

All the time! You're definitely not alone.

[AlexLah]

Just back from a company meeting (holiday) at samut sakronh (something like that).

I had such a good time, really felt very sabaai.

Some of the lady told me they were gossiping about me, I told her I am vey glad I do not understand, let us have another drink, ha ha ha

Alex

[kayo]

It's happened often enough, especially in my first few years in LOS, that I would spend entire days, or evenings, or both, wither with my staff, or in latter years with the staff of my fav restaurant in Kan, smiling, laughing and quite happily understanding F/all.... It is also often SAFER not to understand anything, especially if they are jibing you, and you can just sit and not take any offence, as you don't understand.

[skylar]

Especially with Southerners.... I feel like I am wearing earmuffs when I hear them speak... one of my friends has developed a big, wide smile that she only uses when people start blabbering too quickly or in some weird dialect. It works very well.

[Glauka]

English, Scottish, thai...none of them my mother tongue language...

so any time I wanted to I could just switch off...and just be left alone with myself and my thoughs...

Now spain...thus spanish...hence...no way to switch off... therefore no more thoughs... (not true, many times I say thinks like...-Look today I don´t feel like talking...however the right sentence should be -look i don´t feel like listening...

we spaniards talk soooo much...

Edited December 5, 2005 by Glauka

[sbk]

Especially with Southerners.... I feel like I am wearing earmuffs when I hear them speak... one of my friends has developed a big, wide smile that she only uses when people start blabbering too quickly or in some weird dialect. It works very well. 

Well, in the South, it isn't a weird dialect, is it?

I can't understand my mother-in-law--and she can't seem to understand me very well either. Everybody else can tho, and I generally have no problem understanding most people--just her. Probably for the best, really

But, back to the topic, we get lots of people from various countries around the world and some of them can be quite hard to understand (Glaswegians spring to mind ). I try to get a few words here and there to get the gist of the conversation. If I just can't get it at all I just say, "Sorry?" and get them to repeat it. We had one guy (Irish) who came in asking for what sounded to my husband like "Do you have any cotton roll?" Husband says, "Sorry?" He says, "Cotton roll?" Husband calls me out, I ask him what he needs and he says "Do you have any cotton roll?" I'm thinking to myself: toilet paper, paper towel, cotton wool? So, I say "Sorry?" and he says "Cotton roll, you know, a knife and fork" and it dawns on me "Oh Cutlery! Sure, sorry"

It definitely sounded like cotton roll tho

[zzap]

I usually make sure I have a 'coach' who will explain when I don't understand, some guys have proven to be very adaptable to my limited Thai and make an effort to speak slowly and clearly.

Of course, sometimes one cannot demand too much, specially as the evening progresses, I'll adapt as others mentioned, just smile and nodd...

The most embarassing misunderstandings happen, when someone insists on practising their extremely limited English on me, I've learned to smile and nodd there as well, specially when it's some "respect person" trying to impress.