My ex-gf was born and bred in Chiang Mai......she used to work as a Pretty Girl for Chivas and after a while she was transferred from CM to BKK.

She tells a story that the first night she worked in BKK she couldn't believe how aggressively people spoke, she's a sweet wee thing, but she said this particular spoke to her so badly that she rose up and challenged the woman to a fight.

" Okay, you want fighting? I can do!! "

The woman looked stunned, and the manager of the place, also originally from CM had to take my lady to the side and explain it's just the way people speak in BKK, not to take offence by it. I believe people from Northen Thailand are known for speaking gently?

After a month my lady got sick of it and went home to CM.

So......do any of you recognize this aggressive tone in BKK? and how would you describe the tones, the timber of the accents from the various regions?

BKK Thais don't like them peasants from upcountry....especially if they're better looking....

Funny but all the Scots I,ve ever encountered always seem aggressive to me and will argue ( fight) about just about anything

(not personal) as I,ve never met you, but you did ask, .......lol

So......do any of you recognize this aggressive tone in BKK?

Would that have been from a Bangkok person, or someone from a different region in the country, like South or North East?

Bangkok is a bit overly class-conscious, more so than other regions. That could have something to do with it. I can't imagine it's dialect alone; Southern Thai can sound very abrupt, but it seems unlikely that anyone would mistake that for actual aggressiveness.

To cause offense, talking down to someone seems a likelier cause. That's rife in Bangkok; I get a bit embarrassed sometimes when Thai friends or colleagues do that, but it seems to be the norm.

Could well be that Winnie.......can you detect the tone difference between CM and BKK?

theblether, on 22 Apr 2013 - 07:15, said:

Could well be that Winnie.......can you detect the tone difference between CM and BKK?

As in purely a difference of pronunciation? Yes I can, (or at least sometimes) when the Chiang Mai person is speaking (Central) Thai of course. (When speaking Kham Muang of course that's borderline a different language, it's about as different from Thai as Lao is from Thai. Definitely more different than just a dialect; whole words for common things are different, as are tones for words that are similar (other than the tone).)

But for simply a regional difference in pronunciation to be taken as aggressive to the point of genuinely taking offense.. I can't see that.

In addition, people outside of Bangkok do take a bit more time for things; compare this to New York vs up-country USA; in New York they don't usually have a whole lot of time for pleasantries with relative strangers. While there is a New York accent, it would not be the main cause of New Yorkers sometimes being perceived as less polite.

I do know that I can easily tell that the thais working in the tourist industry often speak a very coarse thai.

I know the difference in a hand shake and a Glasgow kiss, the latter breaks ya nose......not pleasant at all.......lol, quick way to learn though as you seldom make the mistake agin laddie

A Glasgow Kiss is a term of endearment.....you should see what you get if we don't like you.

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Glasgow%20Send-off

That......incidentally, happens.

A Glasgow Kiss is a term of endearment.....you should see what you get if we don't like you.

I´m afraid Billy Connolly beat you to it. Now I really don´t wanna go to Scotland