CharlieH Posted August 30, 2012 Share Posted August 30, 2012 Why is that usually the first thing said by most Thais is "how much" ? Tao ri No matter who you speak to where you go, if they spot something different or new straight away its "how much" ? and no privacy at all, often complete strangers will ask this, and ask questions about what you are doing and why ? I was at the Post Office and this woman came up and asked what was in the parcel and where I was sending it !!! I never seen her before in my life. The same happened in the bank, a woman just walked over and started watching what I was doing and started talking to the girl behind the counter. You ever experienced this ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robblok Posted August 30, 2012 Share Posted August 30, 2012 Buy a new car and they are all asking how much. Just the way it is, i have seen this in the Netherlands too so its not only Thailand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samran Posted August 30, 2012 Share Posted August 30, 2012 Social norms I guess, things that westerners define and private and off limits are fair game in Thailand. Thai's will happily talk about having bad stomachs and getting the trots and how often they need to go to the loo, which you just wouldn't do in the west. But i think you might be overstating it a touch. How well do you speak Thai? One which I can't get my head around is foreigners getting paranoid about hearing the word 'farang' spoken around them constantly. As a Thai speaker with a foreign wife and a blond haired blue eyed daughter, I rarely even hear the word spoken. I often wonder if people are mis-interpreting other words. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CharlieH Posted August 30, 2012 Author Share Posted August 30, 2012 (edited) I can speak enough Thai to get myself into trouble and can understand the gist of things, but on the occasions mentioned above they always ask the wife or the staff in other words another Thai not speak directly to me. Edited August 30, 2012 by CharlieH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
expat63 Posted August 30, 2012 Share Posted August 30, 2012 I am not sure what you mean, but i thought it is perfectly normal to ask the price before you buying something. What I have notice then is whereever i go, people ask me: kin kau jang - have you eaten already Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robblok Posted August 30, 2012 Share Posted August 30, 2012 Social norms I guess, things that westerners define and private and off limits are fair game in Thailand. Thai's will happily talk about having bad stomachs and getting the trots and how often they need to go to the loo, which you just wouldn't do in the west. But i think you might be overstating it a touch. How well do you speak Thai? One which I can't get my head around is foreigners getting paranoid about hearing the word 'farang' spoken around them constantly. As a Thai speaker with a foreign wife and a blond haired blue eyed daughter, I rarely even hear the word spoken. I often wonder if people are mis-interpreting other words. I don't often hear the word farang, but it does happen and in general i know when they are talking about me. I don't really care if they use the word its not offensive to me. Though sometimes when a child points and say farang farang, ill say farang unai and start looking around. Just to joke a bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CharlieH Posted August 30, 2012 Author Share Posted August 30, 2012 (edited) I am not sure what you mean, but i thought it is perfectly normal to ask the price before you buying something. What I have notice then is whereever i go, people ask me: kin kau jang - have you eaten already Not when buying something, when you have bought something already, something new something different . How much was your car, how much is the sofa, how much was the shoes you are wearing, how much was that shopping you are carrying, etc etc Edited August 30, 2012 by CharlieH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doggie888888 Posted August 30, 2012 Share Posted August 30, 2012 I suppose even a simple "How are you?" can be interpreted as nosey!!! I think the bpai nai, tao rai, tam arai questions are the Thai equivalent of how-are-you. If the answer is embarrassing (eg it costs more than you will earn in your lifetime x 2) then perhaps a gentle "oh, I don't know becasue it was a gift" would suffice. As for bpai nai, if one is off to the local brothel for a jolly good time, I think a "go shopping" is truthful enough answer, without revealing too much. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pseudolus Posted August 30, 2012 Share Posted August 30, 2012 Social norms I guess, things that westerners define and private and off limits are fair game in Thailand. Thai's will happily talk about having bad stomachs and getting the trots and how often they need to go to the loo, which you just wouldn't do in the west. But i think you might be overstating it a touch. How well do you speak Thai? One which I can't get my head around is foreigners getting paranoid about hearing the word 'farang' spoken around them constantly. As a Thai speaker with a foreign wife and a blond haired blue eyed daughter, I rarely even hear the word spoken. I often wonder if people are mis-interpreting other words. I assume you follow the OP around all the time then and know exactly what happens to him on a daily basis then? The OP has a valid point. Sure it is a cultural difference where Thais wonder about what you have in your shopping basket, how much you earn, where your letter is being posted to and what's in it but to suggest that he is exaggerating or making it up is beyond the pale. What difference does it make if he speaks Thai? Well done to you for learning a pointless language - cudos. But in this context it makes no difference. Maybe they are speaking to him in English? Maybe he has a TG who translates for him? @OP - just ignore them. They all do it, it's not nosey but just the way they are. Just because someone asks you something does not mean you have to respond to a stranger. What we call impertinence, they call banter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post overherebc Posted August 30, 2012 Popular Post Share Posted August 30, 2012 Its just one of those Thai things. I like to change car quite often and it took a while to get used to being asked, "How much did you pay for it ?" I now answer 10 million, do you think that was too much ? 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post samran Posted August 30, 2012 Popular Post Share Posted August 30, 2012 Well done to you for learning a pointless language - cudos. Coming from you, that statement is the ultimate compliment. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
expat63 Posted August 30, 2012 Share Posted August 30, 2012 I am not sure what you mean, but i thought it is perfectly normal to ask the price before you buying something. What I have notice then is whereever i go, people ask me: kin kau jang - have you eaten already Not when buying something, when you have bought something already, something new something different . How much was your car, how much is the sofa, how much was the shoes you are wearing, how much was that shopping you are carrying, etc etc I understand. I know thats normal amongs friends. It depend also on which social strata you are in. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrRed Posted August 30, 2012 Share Posted August 30, 2012 The most asked question here in Isaan is "where you go" i get asked it all the time maybe ten times a day an you are in big trouble if you have shopping in a big I always answer "bi kee" this has them rolling around. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrRed Posted August 30, 2012 Share Posted August 30, 2012 Social norms I guess, things that westerners define and private and off limits are fair game in Thailand. Thai's will happily talk about having bad stomachs and getting the trots and how often they need to go to the loo, which you just wouldn't do in the west. But i think you might be overstating it a touch. How well do you speak Thai? One which I can't get my head around is foreigners getting paranoid about hearing the word 'farang' spoken around them constantly. As a Thai speaker with a foreign wife and a blond haired blue eyed daughter, I rarely even hear the word spoken. I often wonder if people are mis-interpreting other words. I assume you follow the OP around all the time then and know exactly what happens to him on a daily basis then? The OP has a valid point. Sure it is a cultural difference where Thais wonder about what you have in your shopping basket, how much you earn, where your letter is being posted to and what's in it but to suggest that he is exaggerating or making it up is beyond the pale. What difference does it make if he speaks Thai? Well done to you for learning a pointless language - cudos. But in this context it makes no difference. Maybe they are speaking to him in English? Maybe he has a TG who translates for him? @OP - just ignore them. They all do it, it's not nosey but just the way they are. Just because someone asks you something does not mean you have to respond to a stranger. What we call impertinence, they call banter. How is a language pointless when your children are 50% Thai and dual citizens? i would of thought it important to converse in both your child's languages for there future and your own,your post wins the prize plum award today on Thai Visa congratulations! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samran Posted August 30, 2012 Share Posted August 30, 2012 Social norms I guess, things that westerners define and private and off limits are fair game in Thailand. Thai's will happily talk about having bad stomachs and getting the trots and how often they need to go to the loo, which you just wouldn't do in the west. But i think you might be overstating it a touch. How well do you speak Thai? One which I can't get my head around is foreigners getting paranoid about hearing the word 'farang' spoken around them constantly. As a Thai speaker with a foreign wife and a blond haired blue eyed daughter, I rarely even hear the word spoken. I often wonder if people are mis-interpreting other words. I assume you follow the OP around all the time then and know exactly what happens to him on a daily basis then? The OP has a valid point. Sure it is a cultural difference where Thais wonder about what you have in your shopping basket, how much you earn, where your letter is being posted to and what's in it but to suggest that he is exaggerating or making it up is beyond the pale. What difference does it make if he speaks Thai? Well done to you for learning a pointless language - cudos. But in this context it makes no difference. Maybe they are speaking to him in English? Maybe he has a TG who translates for him? @OP - just ignore them. They all do it, it's not nosey but just the way they are. Just because someone asks you something does not mean you have to respond to a stranger. What we call impertinence, they call banter. How is a language pointless when your children are 50% Thai and dual citizens? i would of thought it important to converse in both your child's languages for there future and your own,your post wins the prize plum award today on Thai Visa congratulations! He's at risk for taking out the annual prize plumb of the year as well. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pseudolus Posted August 30, 2012 Share Posted August 30, 2012 Social norms I guess, things that westerners define and private and off limits are fair game in Thailand. Thai's will happily talk about having bad stomachs and getting the trots and how often they need to go to the loo, which you just wouldn't do in the west. But i think you might be overstating it a touch. How well do you speak Thai? One which I can't get my head around is foreigners getting paranoid about hearing the word 'farang' spoken around them constantly. As a Thai speaker with a foreign wife and a blond haired blue eyed daughter, I rarely even hear the word spoken. I often wonder if people are mis-interpreting other words. I assume you follow the OP around all the time then and know exactly what happens to him on a daily basis then? The OP has a valid point. Sure it is a cultural difference where Thais wonder about what you have in your shopping basket, how much you earn, where your letter is being posted to and what's in it but to suggest that he is exaggerating or making it up is beyond the pale. What difference does it make if he speaks Thai? Well done to you for learning a pointless language - cudos. But in this context it makes no difference. Maybe they are speaking to him in English? Maybe he has a TG who translates for him? @OP - just ignore them. They all do it, it's not nosey but just the way they are. Just because someone asks you something does not mean you have to respond to a stranger. What we call impertinence, they call banter. How is a language pointless when your children are 50% Thai and dual citizens? i would of thought it important to converse in both your child's languages for there future and your own,your post wins the prize plum award today on Thai Visa congratulations! His kids are not Thai or half Thai unless they are adopted. If they are, then of course it is fantastic to learn Thai for them to be in touch with their heritage. I assume if his wife was Thai, he would say Thai Wife, or Wife, not Foreign Wife. "As a Thai speaker with a foreign wife and a blond haired blue eyed daughter," Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CharlieH Posted August 30, 2012 Author Share Posted August 30, 2012 (edited) Socket set, jing ? tao ri? tao ri ? sur arai ? tao ri ? Edited August 30, 2012 by CharlieH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrRed Posted August 30, 2012 Share Posted August 30, 2012 Social norms I guess, things that westerners define and private and off limits are fair game in Thailand. Thai's will happily talk about having bad stomachs and getting the trots and how often they need to go to the loo, which you just wouldn't do in the west. But i think you might be overstating it a touch. How well do you speak Thai? One which I can't get my head around is foreigners getting paranoid about hearing the word 'farang' spoken around them constantly. As a Thai speaker with a foreign wife and a blond haired blue eyed daughter, I rarely even hear the word spoken. I often wonder if people are mis-interpreting other words. I assume you follow the OP around all the time then and know exactly what happens to him on a daily basis then? The OP has a valid point. Sure it is a cultural difference where Thais wonder about what you have in your shopping basket, how much you earn, where your letter is being posted to and what's in it but to suggest that he is exaggerating or making it up is beyond the pale. What difference does it make if he speaks Thai? Well done to you for learning a pointless language - cudos. But in this context it makes no difference. Maybe they are speaking to him in English? Maybe he has a TG who translates for him? @OP - just ignore them. They all do it, it's not nosey but just the way they are. Just because someone asks you something does not mean you have to respond to a stranger. What we call impertinence, they call banter. How is a language pointless when your children are 50% Thai and dual citizens? i would of thought it important to converse in both your child's languages for there future and your own,your post wins the prize plum award today on Thai Visa congratulations! His kids are not Thai or half Thai unless they are adopted. If they are, then of course it is fantastic to learn Thai for them to be in touch with their heritage. I assume if his wife was Thai, he would say Thai Wife, or Wife, not Foreign Wife. "As a Thai speaker with a foreign wife and a blond haired blue eyed daughter," You are backtracking we are talking about the OP,you were and are generalizing that learning Thai is pointless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post samran Posted August 30, 2012 Popular Post Share Posted August 30, 2012 Social norms I guess, things that westerners define and private and off limits are fair game in Thailand. Thai's will happily talk about having bad stomachs and getting the trots and how often they need to go to the loo, which you just wouldn't do in the west. But i think you might be overstating it a touch. How well do you speak Thai? One which I can't get my head around is foreigners getting paranoid about hearing the word 'farang' spoken around them constantly. As a Thai speaker with a foreign wife and a blond haired blue eyed daughter, I rarely even hear the word spoken. I often wonder if people are mis-interpreting other words. I assume you follow the OP around all the time then and know exactly what happens to him on a daily basis then? The OP has a valid point. Sure it is a cultural difference where Thais wonder about what you have in your shopping basket, how much you earn, where your letter is being posted to and what's in it but to suggest that he is exaggerating or making it up is beyond the pale. What difference does it make if he speaks Thai? Well done to you for learning a pointless language - cudos. But in this context it makes no difference. Maybe they are speaking to him in English? Maybe he has a TG who translates for him? @OP - just ignore them. They all do it, it's not nosey but just the way they are. Just because someone asks you something does not mean you have to respond to a stranger. What we call impertinence, they call banter. How is a language pointless when your children are 50% Thai and dual citizens? i would of thought it important to converse in both your child's languages for there future and your own,your post wins the prize plum award today on Thai Visa congratulations! His kids are not Thai or half Thai unless they are adopted. If they are, then of course it is fantastic to learn Thai for them to be in touch with their heritage. I assume if his wife was Thai, he would say Thai Wife, or Wife, not Foreign Wife. "As a Thai speaker with a foreign wife and a blond haired blue eyed daughter," keep digging brother. Meet my daughter, the one in the middle. 100% Thai citizen. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CharlieH Posted August 30, 2012 Author Share Posted August 30, 2012 Beautiful little girl, you are very lucky Samran Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samran Posted August 30, 2012 Share Posted August 30, 2012 Beautiful little girl, you are very lucky Samran Thanks mate - sorry I've partially responsible for turning your thread into a bun fight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pseudolus Posted August 30, 2012 Share Posted August 30, 2012 keep digging brother. Meet my daughter, the one in the middle. 100% Thai citizen. indeed - lovely little lady. Great way to kill a bun fight by putting up a picture of an angel. Just out of interest, seriously, she has no other passport apart from a Thai one? Even if you are 100% committed to being Thai and staying here for ever surely you need to make a contingency plan just in case. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samran Posted August 30, 2012 Share Posted August 30, 2012 keep digging brother. Meet my daughter, the one in the middle. 100% Thai citizen. indeed - lovely little lady. Great way to kill a bun fight by putting up a picture of an angel. Just out of interest, seriously, she has no other passport apart from a Thai one? Even if you are 100% committed to being Thai and staying here for ever surely you need to make a contingency plan just in case. She has 3. And thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThaidDown Posted August 30, 2012 Share Posted August 30, 2012 I cannot see Thai as a pointless language if you live here. Makes day to day life so much easier. If I'm ever out with foreigners who do not speak much Thai and they pick up the word 'farang' from another conversation and ask 'what are they saying', I tell them that the Thai's are just talking about the price of Guavas. As far as the question ' have you eaten' ,yes that is equivalent to 'how are you' in the west and a detailed answer is not required or expected ( similar for where are you going, what are you doing). That said yes Thais do appear nosier about ages or costs of things but again you do not have to give an exact answer, eg too old, too much. (of course you can ignore the question altogether and reinforce the view of some Thais that foreigners are ignorant.) (ps, Samran - agree, great looking kid) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mogandave Posted August 30, 2012 Share Posted August 30, 2012 I know it sounds crazy, but perhaps they are just trying to be friendly. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pseudolus Posted August 30, 2012 Share Posted August 30, 2012 keep digging brother. Meet my daughter, the one in the middle. 100% Thai citizen. indeed - lovely little lady. Great way to kill a bun fight by putting up a picture of an angel. Just out of interest, seriously, she has no other passport apart from a Thai one? Even if you are 100% committed to being Thai and staying here for ever surely you need to make a contingency plan just in case. She has 3. And thank you. Good - I find it appalling you can pull out that secret weapon and take the fight out of a decent bun fight like that. There must be a rule against is somewhere. Back on topic though, being asked Bai Nai, or what ever is no different to being asked "alright mate" when you meet a farang. It's just a conversation opener. But to be asked directly "what is in your parcel" or "where are you sending it to" elicits a reaction of "what has it got to do with you?". Perhaps if the locals stopped messing around asking this kind of rubbish, queues would move faster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Morakot Posted August 30, 2012 Popular Post Share Posted August 30, 2012 (edited) Not that unusual: People are trying to make conversation. You are not excepted to reveal detailed and intimate facts, similarly as one doesn't to the "how are you?" question. The conversational possibilities are usually very wide and one can direct it as one likes. A: What's in the parcel? B1: Something I'd like to send to my relative who always likes a nice surprise. B2: Something my wife put in here. B2: Something I'd like to send to my friend who'll be buying a new house soon. B3: I have forgotten what's in here by this unexpected question. What could it be? [ I am not unfriendly and open to how a conversation develops] B4: A giant sex toy for a person whom I randomly met in a public place. B5: If I tell you the content of this parcel, there will be undesirable consequences. Hope this helps. Have a good day! Edited August 30, 2012 by Morakot 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxme Posted August 30, 2012 Share Posted August 30, 2012 Not that unusual: People are trying to make conversation. You are not excepted to reveal detailed and intimate facts, similarly as one doesn't to the "how are you?" question. The conversational possibilities are usually very wide and one can direct it as one likes. A: What's in the parcel? B1: Something I'd like to send to my relative who always likes a nice surprise. B2: Something my wife put in here. B2: Something I'd like to send to my friend who'll be buying a new house soon. B3: I have forgotten what's in here by this unexpected question. What could it be? [ I am not unfriendly and open to how a conversation develops] B4: A giant sex toy for a person whom I randomly met in a public place. B5: If I tell you the content of this parcel, there will be undesirable consequences. Hope this helps. Have a good day! What's this... TV guide for dummies?!? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morakot Posted August 30, 2012 Share Posted August 30, 2012 Not that unusual: People are trying to make conversation. You are not excepted to reveal detailed and intimate facts, similarly as one doesn't to the "how are you?" question. The conversational possibilities are usually very wide and one can direct it as one likes. A: What's in the parcel? B1: Something I'd like to send to my relative who always likes a nice surprise. B2: Something my wife put in here. B2: Something I'd like to send to my friend who'll be buying a new house soon. B3: I have forgotten what's in here by this unexpected question. What could it be? [ I am not unfriendly and open to how a conversation develops] B4: A giant sex toy for a person whom I randomly met in a public place. B5: If I tell you the content of this parcel, there will be undesirable consequences. Hope this helps. Have a good day! What's this... TV guide for dummies?!? Looks like it. Doesn't it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pattayadingo Posted August 30, 2012 Share Posted August 30, 2012 Yes. I hear it all the time. Go out and buy something as a surprise gift and all everyone wants to know is how much it costs be it 1 or 1000 Baht. No discussion as to whether or not they like it. I refuse to tell them how much an item costs and explain when we buy a gift it is simply that, a gift, not a topic on cost of said item. I do know if it is not worn or utilised that will be the last one of those or similar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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