Do Taxi Drivers Ignore You When You Speak Thai?

[edwinclapham]

I have the opposite experience; most of my longest conversations in Thai are with taxis drivers. Once they can tell that I can speak good basic Thai they always hit me with a bunch of questions about my home country, football and my family and life in Thailand, lasting the whole journey.

I wish the Thais where I live would give me more opportunity like this to practice my Thai!

Yes totally agree there. My experiences have on the whole been positive.

Shame that people constantly have to knock the Issan population!

[robblok]

I have the opposite experience; most of my longest conversations in Thai are with taxis drivers. Once they can tell that I can speak good basic Thai they always hit me with a bunch of questions about my home country, football and my family and life in Thailand, lasting the whole journey.

I wish the Thais where I live would give me more opportunity like this to practice my Thai!

Yes totally agree there. My experiences have on the whole been positive.

Shame that people constantly have to knock the Issan population!

I also have had some long conversations with taxi drivers. It can be fun and you learn something from it. I like it when Thais try to converse with me as it improves my Thai a lot.

But like everywhere there are bad guys too same with taxi drivers.

[PattayaParent]

Not just taxis.

When a Thai is with a farang, most service providers expect the Thai companion to translate what the alien might want.

Sometimes you have to come right out and say "please listen to me, she doesn't know what I want".

My ex always used to tell them "talk to the Farang he speaks Thai"

[Kilgore Trout]

Thais don't ignore me when I speak Thai, they take me where I need to go. I don't see the problem.

Same. Half the time its better if I don't make it known I speak Thai, as usually the driver wants to yap the whole time and hear my whole life story. Most of the time I'd rather relax and sit in silence. I have met some really nice people though.

If you actually "speak" Thai, you will understand how they are by the way they speak. Then use your best judgement; if a driver comes off as a dick; don't get in the cab. Take the next one.

[naboo]

My best experience was trying to go to 'pinklao' in Bangkok. Ended up at a random restaurant.

Somehow he heard 'gin khao'

Sent from my MB526 using Thaivisa Connect App

A tasty one?

[BngkkB]

Thanks for all the replies.

A few comments on the comments I read, As far as the Thai's being polite and telling me that my pronounciation is good when it is not, the one that tells me that I said something correctly is my 8 year old daughter, and believe me she is ruthless when she is teaching me something it Thai. I didn't pass her expectation of how to count 1-10 for a very long time. Believe me she drilled me on it. Again my Thai is far far from acceptable in most situations and I understand that, but simple directions I give daily has been perfected by now.

Yes, when I am alone in a Taxi, the driver usually understands me. And Yes they do tend to talk a bit with me trying to teach me Thai and asking me about English and that is always good fun. The other day coming from China Town I spent the whole ride teaching the driver Train Station and Bus Station. We communicated wonderfully till we got to the destination and I paid the fare but asked him for money for the English lesson, then we didn't understand each other at all? But again I was asking if you seemed to be ignored if you are travelling with Thai and not alone.

I also agree that a lot of drivers do not know the way and will never admit it. Or if they want to go one way and I want to go another, I very politely repeat the way I want to go. They go the way I request 99% of the time. If we do get stuck in unusually heavy traffic going my way, I just say, "You were right, I was wrong we should have gone your way" with a smile. But if we don't hit any traffic going my way after he has argued that my way is all traffic, I never say anything.

My other two pet peeves about taxi drivers is one that was already posted on a topic. If the taxi pulls up and rolls down the passenger window to ask where you are going, 9/10 times they will not take you, even if it a few blocks in the direction that he is heading?

But the one that has not been posted yet, I think? is when you ask a taxi driver to take you some place and they tell to much traffic? They are taxi drivers in Bangkok, when and where is there no traffic? Also isn't the meter still ticking when you are stuck in traffic?

Thanks again for all the replies.

B

[NBD]

Taxis, restaurants, shops. For things I know I speak perfectly adequate Thai to communicate, they will still confirm what I ask for with my wife just to be sure.

What really irritates me is when they speak to me in Thai about general stuff and then still ignore what I request and ask my wife.

Edited June 26, 2012 by NBD

[KunMatt]

.

If the taxi pulls up and rolls down the passenger window to ask where you are going, 9/10 times they will not take you, even if it a few blocks in the direction that he is heading?

But the one that has not been posted yet, I think? is when you ask a taxi driver to take you some place and they tell to much traffic? They are taxi drivers in Bangkok, when and where is there no traffic? Also isn't the meter still ticking when you are stuck in traffic?

Thanks again for all the replies.

B

Yeah, I hate it when a taxi driver doesn't want to take you anywhere too. I used to think that it was because they just want to pick up short easy fares, but a couple of times I've changed my destination from somewhere quick and easy to somewhere far and expensive to the same driver and he refused to take me. No idea what they really want but it pisses me off when I'm stood somewhere with my gf and carrying my baby and they don't want to do their job. It might be something to do with me asking them in Thai and insisting on using the meter.

My 2nd biggest peeve is people walking up and standing 2 metres before me on the road and flagging down the next taxi when I've been stood there and turned down for 15 minutes. Its more annoying when the first taxi they try actually takes them!!

Edited June 26, 2012 by KunMatt

[GarryP]

No.

[carra]

I repeat myself about 5 times in good thai, in restaurants, petrol stations etc, when i am alone they understand, when i am with the wife they do not understand until she also says it exactly the same as I have just said it

[edwinclapham]

I repeat myself about 5 times in good thai, in restaurants, petrol stations etc, when i am alone they understand, when i am with the wife they do not understand until she also says it exactly the same as I have just said it

I have had similar problems when venturing across the uk border up north

[chrisinth]

When I speak Thai to them, they become repeditive with "Mai Ko Gai". I think that means you speak vely good Thai.

Lovely conversations! Still, I tell them where I want to go in English, as it sharpens their language skills as well.

[hookedondhamma]

Thanks for all the replies.

A few comments on the comments I read, As far as the Thai's being polite and telling me that my pronounciation is good when it is not, the one that tells me that I said something correctly is my 8 year old daughter, and believe me she is ruthless when she is teaching me something it Thai. I didn't pass her expectation of how to count 1-10 for a very long time. Believe me she drilled me on it. Again my Thai is far far from acceptable in most situations and I understand that, but simple directions I give daily has been perfected by now.

You're very lucky in that sense. Children are great, as, for the most part, they speak what is on their mind. With your being her dad, I'm sure you'll be set in lifetime Thai lessons :-)

[carmine]

Also keep in mind that Thais that are used to listening to us mangle their language can understand what we're trying to say much more easily than a Thai with little such experience.

IMO, you've hit the nail on the head. I think most of us do not realize how terrible our pronunciation is and a Thai who is not used to speaking with foriegners can't guess what most of us are on about.

Its no different to a Thai from the north east coming down to the south and struggling at first to understand what the samui thais are saying.

My thai is a crude mix of living in the south and picking up local pronounciations and being taught "Bangkok" thai.

Either way its not worth getting upset when a local doesn't understand you, its probably just suits their agenda, whatever that might be.

[Semper]

I guess they know the way to Nana or soi Cowboy, without having to listen to a life story from the passenger, no matter how perfect they think their Thai is.

[BigJohnnyBKK]

Either way its not worth getting upset when a local doesn't understand you, its probably just suits their agenda, whatever that might be.

And often it's simply that they have no clue what you're trying to say, may not even catch on that you're trying to speak Thai.

The line "Oh your Thai is so good!" should be taken with just as much salt as "Thai men are no good" or "I like fat old balding guys without much money, really!"

What really irritates me is when they speak to me in Thai about general stuff and then still ignore what I request and ask my wife.

Because they're used to the Thai girl taking charge with most mixed couples, and realize that she's got face to lose, you don't.

Edited June 26, 2012 by BigJohnnyBKK

[ayayay]

If I would be Taxi Driver in Germany and have one guest who speaks 100 % German and one Thai guy who can't pronounce one world half correct, but want to speak with me all the time, I would also focus on the German one.

this ...

[ayayay]

The line "Oh your Thai is so good!" should be taken with just as much salt as "Thai men are no good" or "I like fat old balding guys without much money, really!"

this...

[NBD]

Either way its not worth getting upset when a local doesn't understand you, its probably just suits their agenda, whatever that might be.

And often it's simply that they have no clue what you're trying to say, may not even catch on that you're trying to speak Thai.

The line "Oh your Thai is so good!" should be taken with just as much salt as "Thai men are no good" or "I like fat old balding guys without much money, really!"

What really irritates me is when they speak to me in Thai about general stuff and then still ignore what I request and ask my wife.

Because they're used to the Thai girl taking charge with most mixed couples, and realize that she's got face to lose, you don't.

How would she lose face by, for instance, me ordering in a restaurant? In fact she has told me she would rather I order most of the time.

[chunktal]

Not just taxis.

When a Thai is with a farang, most service providers expect the Thai companion to translate what the alien might want.

Sometimes you have to come right out and say "please listen to me, she doesn't know what I want".

Also keep in mind that Thais that are used to listening to us mangle their language can understand what we're trying to say much more easily than a Thai with little such experience.

Just like when you first came here you had no idea what most Thais were saying when they thought they were speaking English, but now your Thainglish listening comprehension is much better. Upcountry Thais with little contact with foreigners (which includes most taxi drivers outside the tourist ghettos) will find it very very difficult to even believe they can learn to understand what we're saying, so they don't even try in the first instance unless you force the issue.

A final factor is they don't like to be told which way to go. Calm insistence usually gets around that, but sometimes you need to get out and find another cab - paying off the first one properly of course.

Flip side is when we went back to Aus for a holiday and stopped at one of the road side diners going where we were going, my wife tried to order something in English and I got a blank stare from the lady behind the counter. She had spoken correctly, it just didn't seem to register.

Was funny when we went to a "Thai" restaurant though. My wife is just used to ordering for me to make life easy and hurry things along. The blank stare from the blond haired waitress after she'd finished ordering was priceless, the wife had slipped back into Thai while ordering. To be fair, she was concentrating on the menu, not looking at the waitress at the time.

[TommoPhysicist]

Also keep in mind that Thais that are used to listening to us mangle their language can understand what we're trying to say much more easily than a Thai with little such experience.

IMO, you've hit the nail on the head. I think most of us do not realize how terrible our pronunciation is and a Thai who is not used to speaking with foriegners can't guess what most of us are on about.

I think most of us do not realise what ignorant plonkers most taxi drivers the world over are.

But on a more serious note.

My local petrol pump attendant can't understand me speaking Thai, or the Thais, only speaks Burmese.

My local bar girl, can't understand me speaking or writing Thai, She's Akha, can only speak English and Akha ..... can't read or write any language.

Etc ........

Edited June 28, 2012 by TommoPhysicist

[GreenSnapper]

My local bar girl, can't understand me speaking or writing Thai, She's Akha, can only speak English and Akha ..... can't read or write any language.

Etc ........

Aren't the Akkha the people who believe water has a bad spirit and therefore never shower?

[BigJohnnyBKK]

I think most of us do not realise what ignorant plonkers most taxi drivers the world over are.

Some places less so than others.

[Johnniey]

Many taxi drivers have no clue where to go. The most extreme case I had once when a taxi driver did not know Mor Chit Bus terminal and had to ask passengers.

I had one that was new and didn't know where Sukhumvit Road was.

Pisses me off, after 20 years here and speak Thai well that when I walk into a restaurant with my family, they give my wife the menu.

[cgphuket]

Some farang speak Thai well, but there is little more annoying than the 4-week a year expats that speak 6 words of Thai and think they are fluent. If a Thai went to the UK and spent all day saying in English "very delicious" and "you are very beautiful". he wouldn't impress many people. I wish they was a law that prevented tourists from say "mak mak" until they learn a few other words.

[Stjohnm]

I try to take taxis as infrequently as possible, this is never happened to me. but I know plenty people it has happened to. I like to think I can speak fairly good Thai, or it may just be that the Mrs always tells the taxi driver where we're going before I get a chance to, when we travel together.

Sent from my iPhone using ThaiVisa app

[KunMatt]

Some farang speak Thai well, but there is little more annoying than the 4-week a year expats that speak 6 words of Thai and think they are fluent. If a Thai went to the UK and spent all day saying in English "very delicious" and "you are very beautiful". he wouldn't impress many people. I wish they was a law that prevented tourists from say "mak mak" until they learn a few other words.

And "Som Nom Naa". I have only heard this used about two times by Thais in 3 years but it seems to feature highly in the top 3 phrases from expats who try to look like they can speak Thai.

Also, when expats mix up the one word of Thai they know in an English sentence to make them sound like they are well travelled here. I was in a hotel swimming poolside bar and when his friends arrived some older cockney farang shouted at the barman "Excuse me, can I have a bottle of Narm please. Narm. No, Narm. NAAAARM. Yeah, water. Thank you." to a much puzzled and well spoken barman.

If you want to speak Thai, then speak Thai!!

[flying]

When a Thai is with a farang, most service providers expect the Thai companion to translate what the alien might want.

My wife sometimes likes to have fun with this in non-important situations.

She does not look very "Thai" & is often asked where she is from.

So at times when the service provider defers to her she will say sorry I do not understand Thai

Please ask my husband

Although it works the other way too when her *Thainess* is wounded by folks asking her where she is from

she always states clearly in Thai....Deechun Bpen Kon Thai !!

The funniest was once I was at a Uni signing up for classes & they gave her an application to fill out too

[TommoPhysicist]

And "Som Nom Naa". I have only heard this used about two times by Thais in 3 years but it seems to feature highly in the top 3 phrases from expats who try to look like they can speak Thai.

Thais in my village say it all the time.

I believe the correct 'smart' response is "Waa Tair Cow E-Now pen eng"

Edited June 29, 2012 by TommoPhysicist

[BigJohnnyBKK]

What really irritates me is when they speak to me in Thai about general stuff and then still ignore what I request and ask my wife.

Because they're used to the Thai girl taking charge with most mixed couples, and realize that she's got face to lose, you don't.

How would she lose face by, for instance, me ordering in a restaurant? In fact she has told me she would rather I order most of the time.

I'm just saying they'd rather defer to her as the superior of the couple by virtue of the fact that she's Thai, we're just the silly monkey being led around on a collar. If she tells them to listen to you then they will, otherwise they'd rather ignore you, don't mind you getting annoyed.