edwardandtubs Posted September 4, 2012 Share Posted September 4, 2012 I get asked it a lot and I think my Thai is good enough to go beyond the standard "nit noi" or "mai koi dee" type responses. I want to reply with a quip like "what do you think?" or "have a guess". Would คิดว่ายังไง have the necessary 'coolness'? What cool responses do you have? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murf Posted September 4, 2012 Share Posted September 4, 2012 (edited) I think that would sound quite rude. If you can reel off a long sentence, (without being too rude 555) any long sentence, then I am sure that would have the desired effect of coolness Edited September 4, 2012 by Murf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murf Posted September 4, 2012 Share Posted September 4, 2012 ขอบคุณนะครับ แต่ผมไม่แนใจว่าผมพูดชัดหรือเปล่าเพราะบ้างคนฟังไม่รู้เรื่องครับ Something like that... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post TommoPhysicist Posted September 4, 2012 Popular Post Share Posted September 4, 2012 (edited) Tur hen chan ngo nak ruu ngai How stupid do you think I look. I usually just say Pom poot pasa Thai mai dai As I can't be bothered to speak to most of them. Saves me having to participate in that two hour conversation about 'How spicy was that food I just ate'. Once you learn to speak Thai, and the novelty wears off, you usually wish you hadn't bothered. Edited September 4, 2012 by TommoPhysicist 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwoDogz Posted September 4, 2012 Share Posted September 4, 2012 I always say mai dai...gives them a chuckle once it hits them and the light goes on. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slappz Posted September 4, 2012 Share Posted September 4, 2012 Basically answering anything usually confirms you can atleast understand some Thai. I usually get this follow up question "You can speak Thai?" and I wanted to quip back, "Yes? You can't?" which is what I'd say in English to such a silly question, but I never found the right Thai words to make it sound like a natural quip. Obv. I can just say ได้ คุณพูดไม่ได้หรอ but Thai's never seem to understand that I am being sarcastic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starrdog Posted September 4, 2012 Share Posted September 4, 2012 When spoken properly, ไม่ได้เลย usually gets a laugh from someone who asks if you can speak Thai. Though I have had a few people not get the joke and think that I can't speak Thai at all. Probably best not to talk with those people further anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klons Posted September 5, 2012 Share Posted September 5, 2012 พูดไม่ได้แต่ร้องเพลงได้ดี คุณมยากจะฟังเสียงไพเราะของฉันไหมครับ You then launch into whatever Thai song you have memorized. Probably more smart ass than cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TommoPhysicist Posted September 5, 2012 Share Posted September 5, 2012 พูดไม่ได้แต่ร้องเพลงได้ดี คุณมยากจะฟังเสียงไพเราะของฉันไหมครับ You then launch into whatever Thai song you have memorized. Probably more smart ass than cool. spelling? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dag Ekeberg Posted September 5, 2012 Share Posted September 5, 2012 Sarcasm and satire.. don’t bother. But forget the nitnoy. พูดได้บ้าง Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post katana Posted September 5, 2012 Popular Post Share Posted September 5, 2012 งูๆ ปลาๆ usually gets a laugh. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rizla Posted September 5, 2012 Share Posted September 5, 2012 (edited) I always say mai dai...gives them a chuckle once it hits them and the light goes on. pood thai mai dai, mai mee samone khor tot..followed by a khmer .ugh sound..as they know they are superior anyway.. Edited September 5, 2012 by rizla Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eric67 Posted September 6, 2012 Share Posted September 6, 2012 เว้าไทยบ่ได้ เว้าลาวได้บ่? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
p_brownstone Posted September 7, 2012 Share Posted September 7, 2012 งูๆ ปลาๆ usually gets a laugh. That's what I usually use - non-confrontational and quite funny - especially since many Farang find it very difficult to pronounce "ง งู" properly so if you can do that then it's obvious to your audience that you can in fact speak fairly good Thai,. Patrick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johpa Posted September 7, 2012 Share Posted September 7, 2012 งูๆ ปลาๆ usually gets a laugh. I have been using this phrase for decades now. This is a great phrase to imply that although there are limitations, you are no tourist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheeryble Posted September 7, 2012 Share Posted September 7, 2012 งูๆ ปลาๆ usually gets a laugh. งูๆ ปลาๆ That's the one they always chuckle, .....kinda deferential but showing flair. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Somtamnication Posted September 8, 2012 Share Posted September 8, 2012 Love it. Had wife record งูๆ ปลาๆ on my mobi. Will use it with the same frequency as "chan mai man". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villagefarang Posted September 8, 2012 Share Posted September 8, 2012 (edited) If they ask me in English I just say "yes". Sometimes less is more. Edited September 8, 2012 by villagefarang Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
p_brownstone Posted September 8, 2012 Share Posted September 8, 2012 Love it. Had wife record งูๆ ปลาๆ on my mobi. Will use it with the same frequency as "chan mai man". I think you mean "chang mae man" - meaning something like "to hell with it all" etc. Patrick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rgs2001uk Posted September 8, 2012 Share Posted September 8, 2012 Love it. Had wife record งูๆ ปลาๆ on my mobi. Will use it with the same frequency as "chan mai man". I think you mean "chang mae man" - meaning something like "to hell with it all" etc. Patrick ช่างมันเถอะ is what I usually hear/say. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HaleySabai Posted September 9, 2012 Share Posted September 9, 2012 I prefer to listen and know than speak and go - the 'parallel-reality' in Thailand is a wonderful thing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wellred Posted September 9, 2012 Share Posted September 9, 2012 งูๆ ปลาๆ usually gets a laugh. งูๆ ปลาๆ That's the one they always chuckle, .....kinda deferential but showing flair. Can someone spell this out phonetically in Thai-glish? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katana Posted September 9, 2012 Share Posted September 9, 2012 NGOO NGOO PLA PLA งูๆ ปลาๆ (all mid tone). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bdw Posted September 9, 2012 Share Posted September 9, 2012 I can't be bothered to speak to most of them. Saves me having to participate in that two hour conversation about 'How spicy was that food I just ate'. Once you learn to speak Thai, and the novelty wears off, you usually wish you hadn't bothered. I agree with most of the sentiment there, but can't say I wish I hadn't bothered learning it, LOL I actually make a little bit of money off of it now, as I'm one of the only people around for miles and miles that can read, write & speak Thai. I take translator calls from international locations at the oddest of times and have heard some pretty sad stories explained. Usually it's an Emergency. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bdw Posted September 9, 2012 Share Posted September 9, 2012 Thai's never seem to understand that I am being sarcastic Yes, it's usually a case of sarchasm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2unique Posted September 9, 2012 Share Posted September 9, 2012 Fantastic, I love the confused look you get when you answer, nit deow, ngoo ngoo pla pla - using a Thai idiom to say I don't speak Thai very well... It's usually followed by screams of laughter then a pause to work out which language to continue in! Sent from Android, please excuse errors in type or judgement. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deesquared Posted September 10, 2012 Share Posted September 10, 2012 งูๆ ปลาๆ usually gets a laugh. Yup! That is the one I use. "Snake snake fish fish." I've been told it means "I'm not the best but I try anyway!" The Thais always think it's cool I know that riddle and it diffuses the question. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wellred Posted September 10, 2012 Share Posted September 10, 2012 Haha ok snake snake fish fish I'm gonna try that one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamles Posted September 10, 2012 Share Posted September 10, 2012 Does งูๆ ปลาๆ have meaning other than implying that one knows how to say simple things like snake and fish? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2unique Posted September 11, 2012 Share Posted September 11, 2012 Does งูๆ ปลาๆ have meaning other than implying that one knows how to say simple things like snake and fish? Snake snake, fish fish is an idiom that means "not very well/good" using it in context would mean your Thai is advanced enough to know the idiom. Therefore using advanced Thai to describe your Thai as poor is a paradoxical statement. Sent from Android, please excuse errors in type or judgement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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