Mark Kent, New U K Ambassador To Thailand Tackles The Local Lingo

[aidon]

"The replies - bar a couple - to this topic only demonstrate the crass stupidity of the posters. Think once, think twice - and then keep quiet if you haven't anything remotely intelligent to say."

Is there anyone on this forum that has anything intelligent to say ... ever?

[carra]

The most newsworthy element has been omitted from the article, i.e that bacon and pork sausages can be now be served again at embassy breakfasts and that wine can once more be offered to the old soakers from the British Legion after the Remembrance Sunday parade, although the latter may of course be made a permanent cut by HMG.

Why do people still insist on peddling this crap,

When Asif was here pork and alcohol was never banned from the embassy, I know this for a fact as I have had both there while he was here. We even organised an event there and asked if pork was banned to which we were told that it wasn't.

The only place pork could not be eaten was in Asifs private residence, which is his prerogative.

[tinfoilhat]

he kinda freaks me out

[smokie36]

Good to hear he is making the effort, and nice to have an English ambassador for a change.....

OK in the first place the new ambassador is British and is the British ambassador.

Regarding the previous ambassador who was also British and the ambassador for Britain, I guess you are largely uninformed as to the good work he did for British jobs?

Clearly not aware of the work done by Mr Ahmad in helping securing this work for British people back in the UK.

http://www.theengine...1012358.article

http://www.ssi-steel.co.uk/

This is likely the biggest foreign investment deal of last year although not widely reported in the media.

Britain is and has been a multicultural society for many generations and I for one am happy to be represented by both Mr Ahmad and the new ambassador.

I wish Mr Kent well in his endeavours, hopefully he will have similar success in promoting business between the UK and Thailand.

Sorry it was not my intention to offend our Jockanese cousins, although you will probably need your own ambassador in the near future......

Thanks for the intelligent response.

[keemapoot]

he kinda freaks me out

He speaks better Thai than most 10+ yr expats I meet, but there is something eerie there...

[QED]

Good to hear he is making the effort, and nice to have an English ambassador for a change.....

OK in the first place the new ambassador is British and is the British ambassador.

Regarding the previous ambassador who was also British and the ambassador for Britain, I guess you are largely uninformed as to the good work he did for British jobs?

Clearly not aware of the work done by Mr Ahmad in helping securing this work for British people back in the UK.

http://www.theengine...1012358.article

http://www.ssi-steel.co.uk/

This is likely the biggest foreign investment deal of last year although not widely reported in the media.

Britain is and has been a multicultural society for many generations and I for one am happy to be represented by both Mr Ahmad and the new ambassador.

I wish Mr Kent well in his endeavours, hopefully he will have similar success in promoting business between the UK and Thailand.

Sorry it was not my intention to offend our Jockanese cousins, although you will probably need your own ambassador in the near future......

Thanks for the intelligent response.

It was meant as a joke, from your previous posts I thought you had a wicked sense of humour. Thanks for the links, as you said this was not really reported and I was not aware.

[carra]

Maybe Ambassador Kent can explain why the BBC has no Thai language service.

maybe you can just ask the BBC so you don't waste his time, what does he have to do with the BBC exactly and what does this have to do with the Foreign and Commonwealth office?

[smokie36]

It was meant as a joke, from your previous posts I thought you had a wicked sense of humour. Thanks for the links, as you said this was not really reported and I was not aware.

I near spilt my coffee at the thought of Frank McAvennie as Scottish ambassador to Thailand.

"The burds man! Its aw aboot the burds!!"

[dantilley]

Maybe Ambassador Kent can explain why the BBC has no Thai language service.

maybe you can just ask the BBC so you don't waste his time, what does he have to do with the BBC exactly and what does this have to do with the Foreign and Commonwealth office?

Another joke gone over someone's head I see...

[kimamey]

he kinda freaks me out

He speaks better Thai than most 10+ yr expats I meet, but there is something eerie there...

Perhaps you answered your own question there? Maybe he's too good.

[carra]

Maybe Ambassador Kent can explain why the BBC has no Thai language service.

maybe you can just ask the BBC so you don't waste his time, what does he have to do with the BBC exactly and what does this have to do with the Foreign and Commonwealth office?

Another joke gone over someone's head I see...

Jokes by their very definition should be funny, I fail to see any joke here, what am I missing?

[bumpkin]

Maybe Ambassador Kent can explain why the BBC has no Thai language service.

maybe you can just ask the BBC so you don't waste his time, what does he have to do with the BBC exactly and what does this have to do with the Foreign and Commonwealth office?

The FCO partially funds the BBC World Service.

[GentlemanJim]

What worries me about this thread is for the first time ever I am 100% in agreement with Carra.

Some of the comments on here are disgraceful, and frankly making those comments as a British expat you do not deserve the help of anyone out here when you eventually get in the s**t. But you know what, no matter how much of an oxygen thief you are, when you get in trouble the folks at the Embassy will help you as much as they are permitted to do by law and legislation both Thai and British. None of them have the remotest say in what charges are set or what Foreign Policy is, like the rest of us, they are paid to 'do'. It is surprising most of them can manage a smile when they get yet another pissed up Brit standing at the window saying 'I have lost my credit cards I need a loan or a new card off you....what do you mean you can't do that, I am f***ing British you know, you are ere to f***ing help me'.

The new man in the seat has taken the time to learn the language, he is young for an Ambassador and he is dynamic. He has an excellent rapport with the people that work for him. No I don't work in the embassy, but I know him, and as I am sure you will read this sorry thread Sir, I wish you good luck. You are just the character needed to take over the excellent work that was carried out by Mr Ahmed. Please don't get to disheartened by the mass of comments on here from the type of people that the UK has been glad have left it's shores.

[kimamey]

Yeah I'm sure we'll all watch a 20 minute youtube video to get whatever point you're trying to make. Thanks for that.

Assuming it was my post you're referring to why would you have to watch the video to get the point I was trying to make? It's in the text not the video. Let me point it out for you.

A bit of a contrast to a certain Mr Amsterdam who I saw on Youtube yesterday addressing a rally. Only managed Thai once and that was when he was told to at the end. Even I can manage to say hello and enquire if someone is OK. I would consider it impolite to do anything less.

I'm not sure how to make it much clearer. Mark Kent has made the effort to learn the language and Robert Amsterdam hasn't even though he has close ties with Thailand and claims in his speech to be a red shirt. The link to the video is purely there as evidence if anyone wants to check and correct me if I'm wrong.

I hope this helps although if you couldn't be bothered to read my last post you probably haven't got this far anyway.

Edited October 16, 2012 by kimamey

[kimamey]

he kinda freaks me out

He speaks better Thai than most 10+ yr expats I meet, but there is something eerie there...

Perhaps it's because "He speaks better Thai than most 10+ yr expats"

[carra]

Maybe Ambassador Kent can explain why the BBC has no Thai language service.

maybe you can just ask the BBC so you don't waste his time, what does he have to do with the BBC exactly and what does this have to do with the Foreign and Commonwealth office?

The FCO partially funds the BBC World Service.

thankyou, i wasn't aware of that

[carra]

What worries me about this thread is for the first time ever I am 100% in agreement with Carra.

Some of the comments on here are disgraceful, and frankly making those comments as a British expat you do not deserve the help of anyone out here when you eventually get in the s**t. But you know what, no matter how much of an oxygen thief you are, when you get in trouble the folks at the Embassy will help you as much as they are permitted to do by law and legislation both Thai and British. None of them have the remotest say in what charges are set or what Foreign Policy is, like the rest of us, they are paid to 'do'. It is surprising most of them can manage a smile when they get yet another pissed up Brit standing at the window saying 'I have lost my credit cards I need a loan or a new card off you....what do you mean you can't do that, I am f***ing British you know, you are ere to f***ing help me'.

The new man in the seat has taken the time to learn the language, he is young for an Ambassador and he is dynamic. He has an excellent rapport with the people that work for him. No I don't work in the embassy, but I know him, and as I am sure you will read this sorry thread Sir, I wish you good luck. You are just the character needed to take over the excellent work that was carried out by Mr Ahmed. Please don't get to disheartened by the mass of comments on here from the type of people that the UK has been glad have left it's shores.

bloody hell, I hope my staff are quick to help me get up of the floor

[dantilley]

Jokes by their very definition should be funny

Not necessarily, a bad, un-funny joke definitely isn't funny, but is still a joke nonetheless.

[carra]

Jokes by their very definition should be funny

Not necessarily, a bad, un-funny joke definitely isn't funny, but is still a joke nonetheless.

A joke is something spoken, written, or done with humorous intention. wiki

the intention of a joke is to be funny, whether the other person find it funny is not relevant, the intention was there to be funny, therfore by the definition a joke should be funny,

off topic

[Vale Tudo]

Well if the bloke ain't married, the very best way to learn the language is to find a thai woman to sleep with, so sayeth the Thai people.

If this is the case, how come most of the dead beat expat retirees living with local women in Isaan can hardly speak enough Thai to order another Singha?

The Australian Embassy had someone who was very proud of the Thai he had learnt from his bargirl wife but it turned out to be a huge embarrassment when he tried to use it on Thai government officials. Hint: there are subtle differences in the language used by male and female Thai speakers, as well as regional differences and massive feudalistic class distinction.

Is this for real?I can envisage Bruce Wallaby,envoy to Aus. standing there in his wife beater and thongs.Unshaven and presenting Abhisit with his very own Foster's or Castlemaine 4X wife beater as a mark of respect between the two countries.

All that while his wife munches away on a Som Tam while screeching down one of her 3 iPhones at her Isaan mates & watching the latest soap episode on another!

[Vale Tudo]

It was meant as a joke, from your previous posts I thought you had a wicked sense of humour. Thanks for the links, as you said this was not really reported and I was not aware.

I near spilt my coffee at the thought of Frank McAvennie as Scottish ambassador to Thailand.

"The burds man! Its aw aboot the burds!!"

Apparently Buckfast wine and deep fried Mars Bars are on the shelves of Tops market thanks to this man's efforts!

[mrtoad]

The bloke has only just arrived and people are slagging him already. The big problem we have here in Thailand with Brits, is the easy access to obtaining a passport back at home.

[endure]

Maybe Ambassador Kent can explain why the BBC has no Thai language service.

maybe you can just ask the BBC so you don't waste his time, what does he have to do with the BBC exactly and what does this have to do with the Foreign and Commonwealth office?

The FCO partially funds the BBC World Service.

Only until 2014 when it will be funded by the licence fee like the rest of the Beeb.

[Vale Tudo]

I do have to take issue with this guy's claims that he speaks Dutch and Portuguese among others!These are probably the two hardest languages anywhere in Roman Script,in no way is he fluent in all of those languages.

I can speak some of both and I know people who speak either fluently as a second language but I've never met anyone who can master both of those languages with just one brain!

Throw in Thai,Spanish and whatever else he claims and I'm afraid I have to take it with a pinch of salt.He may have an aptitude for languages but few people master so many,not even the Dutch themselves who all speak English,German and Dutch.A lot with a fourth language also,such as French or Spanish!

[GentlemanJim]

I do have to take issue with this guy's claims that he speaks Dutch and Portuguese among others!These are probably the two hardest languages anywhere in Roman Script,in no way is he fluent in all of those languages.

I can speak some of both and I know people who speak either fluently as a second language but I've never met anyone who can master both of those languages with just one brain!

Throw in Thai,Spanish and whatever else he claims and I'm afraid I have to take it with a pinch of salt.He may have an aptitude for languages but few people master so many,not even the Dutch themselves who all speak English,German and Dutch.A lot with a fourth language also,such as French or Spanish!

Lets get this straight. You have never met him, you don't know him and just because you only speak a bit of both then you claim that he is lying. Got it !

[Theoutsider]

Mark Kent doesn't look like your usual reserved diplomat.

[flame removed - MiG16]

Edited October 18, 2012 by MiG16
flame removed

[uptheos]

Mark Kent doesn't look like your usual reserved diplomat.

Looks like the sex tourists I was standing next to in the arrivals line.

All the sex tourist's together eh?

[jayboy]

I do have to take issue with this guy's claims that he speaks Dutch and Portuguese among others!These are probably the two hardest languages anywhere in Roman Script,in no way is he fluent in all of those languages.

I can speak some of both and I know people who speak either fluently as a second language but I've never met anyone who can master both of those languages with just one brain!

Throw in Thai,Spanish and whatever else he claims and I'm afraid I have to take it with a pinch of salt.He may have an aptitude for languages but few people master so many,not even the Dutch themselves who all speak English,German and Dutch.A lot with a fourth language also,such as French or Spanish!

Actually I can well believe it.I can see by his Thai that he has learnt it in a structured way, and that it is polite and accurate.Since many of the best young linguists (who can pass the rather gruelling exams) are attracted to the Foreign Office graduate entry scheme (Mr Kent is an Oxford graduate), it is hardly surprising that some of these excellent linguists end up as ambassadors.There have been a few before in Thailand, notably Derek Tonkin.Slightly annoying for the majority of us who struggle with foreign languages but personally I'm delighted people of Mr Kent's calibre are still interested in public service.

Edited October 17, 2012 by jayboy

[Theoutsider]

Mark Kent doesn't look like your usual reserved diplomat.

Looks like the sex tourists I was standing next to in the arrivals line.

All the sex tourist's together eh?

Nudge nudge wink wink.

[Theoutsider]

Mark Kent doesn't look like your usual reserved diplomat.

Looks like the sex tourists I was standing next to in the arrivals line.

All the sex tourist's together eh?

Nudge nudge wink wink.

Where is the British embassy located near?

Wink wink.