I'm Still Just The Falang

[transam]

Last night went out to a bar to meet friends. Walking along the road when on the other side I heard farang in a sentence. It was a Chinese friend with his mates. I scuttled over shook hands etc, smiles all round. The point is, he was pointing out his friend (me) to his Thai/Chinese pals, a farang.

Nooooooooooooooooooooooo problem.

Scuttled? I think you mean shuffled there, step n fetch it

No it was raining.

[Tchooptip]

If a farang speaks Thai, even not very well...IMHO for many Thai he is not the same farang anymore, at least the common citizen, (well off probably not) as fare as I am concern I certainly do not speak Thai fluently, but since I learn every days for one year I know a few hundreds words, so if I know the Thai word I do not use the English one or when I pay for something as a farang I am told the amount in English when, giving the money I repeat the amount in Thai as if I was not sure, most of the time I have a kha/khap with a bigger smile, in the plane for Paris, yesterday, when the air hostess came with drinks on a tray, I answered in thai, Kap, nam som kopunkap,I am not stupid, of course I could have said it in English even in French in a plane for Paris, (maybe I am wrong) but it seems to me she appreciate. As for my wife, she says to every one, teelak speaks Thai, for she his very proud, so yes it is probably important an effort is being made to at least speak a little Thai.

[aboctok]

And when you are not around, and your wife is telling a friend, who you do not know, that you are going out for dinner, the first thing she will point out is that you are "white skin" (farang).

Would you do that if you would tell your friend who had never met your wife - Me and my wife, she is a "brown skin", we are going out to dinner?

There you go again: acting as if your paranoid fantasies are fact...

Then adding the straw man question.

I'll say this - you are consistent. (Of course, obsessives usually have that going for them.)

And there you go again, clearly not aware of reality.

You are like the nutty patient who blames his doctor for being crazy, cause it does not match his own skewed sense of reality.

Yeah, OK. See, here's the thing - I'm not the one who repeatedly writes with total certainty about what people say about me WHEN I'M NOT THERE. (In fact, you even go beyond that - you claim you know what all Thais say about all foreigners when the foreigners aren't there.)

And I'm not the one with an uncontrollable fixation on a word to the extent that I post over and over again the same things on every single thread I see that discusses the word or even sometimes just mentions it.

But I'M the crazy one...

Carry on.

"Reality"...that was funny.

I commanded my girlfriend to make sure that her friends and family do NOT talk about me, in any terms, when I am not present. Wait a second... now they're probably discussing how paranoid I am. Damn it.

Wow. Talk about paranoia. What sanctimonious puritan scripted this forum site?? Now I see my post appears with a little censorial underbar inserted in the word damn. In "damn"? Really? Bugger!

Edited April 27, 2013 by aboctok

[Kilgore Trout]

If a farang speaks Thai, even not very well...IMHO for many Thai he is not the same farang anymore, at least the common citizen, (well off probably not) as fare as I am concern I certainly do not speak Thai fluently, but since I learn every days for one year I know a few hundreds words, so if I know the Thai word I do not use the English one or when I pay for something as a farang I am told the amount in English when, giving the money I repeat the amount in Thai as if I was not sure, most of the time I have a kha/khap with a bigger smile, in the plane for Paris, yesterday, when the air hostess came with drinks on a tray, I answered in thai, Kap, nam som kopunkap,I am not stupid, of course I could have said it in English even in French in a plane for Paris, (maybe I am wrong) but it seems to me she appreciate. As for my wife, she says to every one, teelak speaks Thai, for she his very proud, so yes it is probably important an effort is being made to at least speak a little Thai.

Yes, you hit the nail on the head, a little thai....

I have been told by many thais; a falang speaking a little thai is cute, funny...like a child....speak too much..no good...

[Riverman63]

Farang comes from the word 'Farangi',which I believe is Persian/Farsi in origin and means foreigner.It's nothing to do with French,I suggest you do your research!

I always thought they were just big Deep Space 9 fans....

[AnotherOneAmerican]

If a farang speaks Thai, even not very well...IMHO for many Thai he is not the same farang anymore, at least the common citizen, (well off probably not) as fare as I am concern I certainly do not speak Thai fluently, but since I learn every days for one year I know a few hundreds words, so if I know the Thai word I do not use the English one or when I pay for something as a farang I am told the amount in English when, giving the money I repeat the amount in Thai as if I was not sure, most of the time I have a kha/khap with a bigger smile, in the plane for Paris, yesterday, when the air hostess came with drinks on a tray, I answered in thai, Kap, nam som kopunkap,I am not stupid, of course I could have said it in English even in French in a plane for Paris, (maybe I am wrong) but it seems to me she appreciate. As for my wife, she says to every one, teelak speaks Thai, for she his very proud, so yes it is probably important an effort is being made to at least speak a little Thai.

(rant)

Why does everyone that 'speaks Thai' give trivial examples that a tourist after one week would should be able to say?

Jeez someone, impress me!

How about making it more interesting, and actually demonstrating some knowledge of the Thai language. like this.

When the air hostess came with the drinks she was looking a bit moody so I said, "yim noi see kap."

So she gave me a really big smile and I added, 'yim mee sanaay"

I'm beginning to wonder if anyone posting on the "for learning Thai" side ever got past page one of "Thai for beginners"

or in Thai 'took kon tam hai pom hua ja rabert' or 'pom ot ton mai wai lery'

(rant over)

(start of another rant)

Oh, and if I had a wife and she called me 'farang', the response would be 'paw mung dtaay'

Oh, oh, and if a white guy called himself 'farang' in front of me I don't think I would be able to resist 'mung bpanyaa kwai wa'

Hey guys, I can speak Thai, "farang, ting tong, mak mak", have I impressed you all?

(finished, I think, sorry bad morning, too hot!)

Edited April 27, 2013 by AnotherOneAmerican

[Tchooptip]

Henry, I'm a American Buddhist monk.. when I'm in Thailand, I'm called Phra Farang. At the moment, I'm living in a Thai Buddhist temple in Phoenix, Arizona. Guess what the Thai people call me when they come to the temple? you got it. Phra Farang. in my own country no less.

No less maybe... on the other hand, "Phra" being undoubtably a form of respect, it should be incompatible with farang "if" farang was so irrespective

[Keith67]

If a farang speaks Thai, even not very well...IMHO for many Thai he is not the same farang anymore, at least the common citizen, (well off probably not) as fare as I am concern I certainly do not speak Thai fluently, but since I learn every days for one year I know a few hundreds words, so if I know the Thai word I do not use the English one or when I pay for something as a farang I am told the amount in English when, giving the money I repeat the amount in Thai as if I was not sure, most of the time I have a kha/khap with a bigger smile, in the plane for Paris, yesterday, when the air hostess came with drinks on a tray, I answered in thai, Kap, nam som kopunkap,I am not stupid, of course I could have said it in English even in French in a plane for Paris, (maybe I am wrong) but it seems to me she appreciate. As for my wife, she says to every one, teelak speaks Thai, for she his very proud, so yes it is probably important an effort is being made to at least speak a little Thai.

(rant)

Why does everyone that 'speaks Thai' give trivial examples that a tourist after one week would should be able to say?

Jeez someone, impress me!

How about making it more interesting, and actually demonstrating some knowledge of the Thai language. like this.

When the air hostess came with the drinks she was looking a bit moody so I said, "yim noi see kap."

So she gave me a really big smile and I added, 'yim mee sanaay"

I'm beginning to wonder if anyone posting on the "for learning Thai" side ever got past page one of "Thai for beginners"

or in Thai 'took kon tam hai pom hua ja rabert' or 'pom ot ton mai wai lery'

(rant over)

(start of another rant)

Oh, and if I had a wife and she called me 'farang', the response would be 'paw mung dtaay'

Oh, oh, and if a white guy called himself 'farang' in front of me I don't think I would be able to resist 'mung bpanyaa kwai wa'

Hey guys, I can speak Thai, "farang, ting tong, mak mak", have I impressed you all?

(finished, I think, sorry bad morning, too hot!)

No.......

Now if you said the Thai with (English) in brackets i would be awestruck.........lol

Edited April 27, 2013 by Keith67

[Tchooptip]

If a farang speaks Thai, even not very well...IMHO for many Thai he is not the same farang anymore, at least the common citizen, (well off probably not) as fare as I am concern I certainly do not speak Thai fluently, but since I learn every days for one year I know a few hundreds words, so if I know the Thai word I do not use the English one or when I pay for something as a farang I am told the amount in English when, giving the money I repeat the amount in Thai as if I was not sure, most of the time I have a kha/khap with a bigger smile, in the plane for Paris, yesterday, when the air hostess came with drinks on a tray, I answered in thai, Kap, nam som kopunkap,I am not stupid, of course I could have said it in English even in French in a plane for Paris, (maybe I am wrong) but it seems to me she appreciate. As for my wife, she says to every one, teelak speaks Thai, for she his very proud, so yes it is probably important an effort is being made to at least speak a little Thai.

(rant)

Why does everyone that 'speaks Thai' give trivial examples that a tourist after one week would should be able to say?

Jeez someone, impress me!

When the air hostess came with the drinks she was looking a bit moody so I said, "yim noi see kap."

So she gave me a really big smile and I added, 'yim mee sanaay"

I'm beginning to wonder if anyone posting on the "for learning Thai" side ever got past page one of "Thai for beginners"

or in Thai 'took kon tam hai pom hua ja rabert' or 'pom ot ton mai wai lery'

(rant over)

(start of another rant)

Oh, and if I had a wife and she called me 'farang', the response would be 'paw mung dtaay'

Oh, oh, and if a white guy called himself 'farang' in front of me I don't think I would be able to resist 'mung bpanyaa kwai wa'

Hey guys, I can speak Thai, "farang, ting tong, mak mak", have I impressed you all?

(finished, I think, sorry bad morning, too hot!)

How about making it more interesting, and actually demonstrating some knowledge of the Thai language. like this...

YOU are interesting in demonstrating some knowledge of the Thai language? Up to you

Personally I do not give a damn "demonstrating" anything anywhere to anyone...

...fortunately many Thai people are more playful and less ready to criticize than some TV members...

[SteeleJoe]

I have been told by many thais; a falang speaking a little thai is cute, funny...like a child....speak too much..no good...

I' m betting you haven't. And those that have said it? I think could guess what sort of people they were.

[JohanBKK]

I have been told by many thais; a falang speaking a little thai is cute, funny...like a child....speak too much..no good...

I' m betting you haven't. And those that have said it? I think could guess what sort of people they were.

Only prostitutes and gold diggers will tell you such a thing. The more you know the less you pay and the less they will like you, and that's good because you don't want those kind of people in your life. The more you speak thai the less bad thai people will enter in your life. And you will also find out how difficult is to make good thai friends.

[SteeleJoe]

I have been told by many thais; a falang speaking a little thai is cute, funny...like a child....speak too much..no good...

I' m betting you haven't. And those that have said it? I think could guess what sort of people they were.

Only prostitutes and gold diggers will tell you such a thing. The more you know the less you pay and the less they will like you, and that's good because you don't want those kind of people in your life. The more you speak thai the less bad thai people will enter in your life. And you will also find out how difficult is to make good thai friends.

Well, those who are out to exploit or cheat - and thus don't like farangs who speak Thai and "loo mahk" aren't only among the prostitutes and gold diggers but the people on the periphery of those people as well (eg mama sans, bar owners, other tourist/ service type businesses)...

I'm not sure I have any more difficulty making good friends among Thais - I've never thought finding friends was hard among any nationality but GOOD friends? That's not ever something that's easily found as far as I'm concerned; I count myself fortunate to have had less than half a dozen at any time in my life and to the extent that I have had fewer among Thais that's certainly affected by my own choices and a natural tendency to be more open to getting close with those who I have more in common with - often people who are also expatriates and from a more similar culture.

[SteeleJoe]

I'll add that my two closest friends in the world are an Australian and a Thai: the latter of the two I've been very close with - enough that our friendship has been tested and proven as much as any relationship I've ever had (I'm talking life-changing stuff) , save that with my wife - for almost 20 years.

*My very best friend is both Thai and Farang - my son.

[JohanBKK]

Well, maybe we can't call them gold diggers, but any thai person involded in farang business will always want you to know less and pay more. It's the same in any other business, in my own business it's the same, i want people to know the less possible so i can take much more money from them. The more they know about my business the less i can take from them.

This is normal behavior. You guys just don't like it because they are trying to milk you away.

And i wont say calling a farang "farang" it's bad manner, i too sometime call the farangs "farang", just because it's easier for me while communicating with thai people. If i say "hey i've met ryan yesterday", they wont know who i'm talking about, but if i say "i've met the big farang with the long nose yesterday", they will automatically know who is that. Most of thai people expect the word farang while talking about a non-asian foreigner. The first year i came here i didn't like that word and it got me angry many times, but now i don't give a shit about it, because they will never change and it makes me feel good to think that i have more education than them and also more culture.

Getting angry because some poor guys call you farang is the more stupid reaction you can have, even if those guys are your family in law, for them you are just the trophy that someone in their family brought home. And even if the family in law is richer than you, you will always be the farang that their daughter took home. Keep that in mind, enjoy your life and forgive all of those who are uneducated. If they had more education maybe their daughter wont marry you anyway.

[ayayay]

And when you are not around, and your wife is telling a friend, who you do not know, that you are going out for dinner, the first thing she will point out is that you are "white skin" (farang).

Would you do that if you would tell your friend who had never met your wife - Me and my wife, she is a "brown skin", we are going out to dinner?

There you go again: acting as if your paranoid fantasies are fact...

Then adding the straw man question.

I'll say this - you are consistent. (Of course, obsessives usually have that going for them.)

And there you go again, clearly not aware of reality.

You are like the nutty patient who blames his doctor for being crazy, cause it does not match his own skewed sense of reality.

Yeah, OK. See, here's the thing - I'm not the one who repeatedly writes with total certainty about what people say about me WHEN I'M NOT THERE. (In fact, you even go beyond that - you claim you know what all Thais say about all foreigners when the foreigners aren't there.)

And I'm not the one with an uncontrollable fixation on a word to the extent that I post over and over again the same things on every single thread I see that discusses the word or even sometimes just mentions it.

But I'M the crazy one...

Carry on.

"Reality"...that was funny.

I have been here long enough to know that Thais do point out the fact that we are "farang" all the time. If you think that that is not the case, good for you, but you are wrong.

I address this as a potential problem, as many foreigners are very ignorant and do not understand the results of being constantly referred to as the other, the white skin, the long nose, the farang.

This thread is an example of a foreigner being treated almost like an object, rather than a human being. Sure, we can argue that this might have to do with this specific individual, and it might be true to a certain degree, but I also see this as a result of what I am talking about.

You are the one who is obsessed following all my threads, trying to tell me I am all wrong.

I suggest you get off Thaivisa for a while, it will help you to get rid of your "reality" and rather see the reality for what it really is.

[ayayay]

The first year i came here i didn't like that word and it got me angry many times, but now i don't give a shit about it, because they will never change and it makes me feel good to think that i have more education than them and also more culture.

Getting angry because some poor guys call you farang is the more stupid reaction you can have, even if those guys are your family in law, for them you are just the trophy that someone in their family brought home. And even if the family in law is richer than you, you will always be the farang that their daughter took home. Keep that in mind, enjoy your life and forgive all of those who are uneducated. If they had more education maybe their daughter wont marry you anyway.

They can change, and the first thing we should do is not refer to ourselves as farang, it is just plain ignorant to the point where we are just as ignorant as the Thais.

I don´t get angry, not even upset, however, I do see the potential problems it has when they constantly refer to us as farang.

Yes, for them, we are just a trophy, and sure, some people are totally okay with that, but many people, are actually getting tired of being an object rather than a human being. And being viewed as an object, will sure make it easier for Thais to do all kinds of bad things to us.

[Naam]

...potential problems when they constantly refer to us as farang.

[OxfordWill]

Hi Henry,

It is disrespectful that you have come all the way to their country, chosen one of their women to marry, lived here 5 years and yet do not speak their language. I find it absolutely unsurprising that they struggle to see you as a real individual. After all, you are just like the tourists- illiterate, unaware of what is being said around you and in a real emergency- probably as useful as a teapot.

Best,

Will

[Trembly]

And when you are not around, and your wife is telling a friend, who you do not know, that you are going out for dinner, the first thing she will point out is that you are "white skin" (farang).

Would you do that if you would tell your friend who had never met your wife - Me and my wife, she is a "brown skin", we are going out to dinner?

There you go again: acting as if your paranoid fantasies are fact...

Then adding the straw man question.

I'll say this - you are consistent. (Of course, obsessives usually have that going for them.)

And there you go again, clearly not aware of reality.

You are like the nutty patient who blames his doctor for being crazy, cause it does not match his own skewed sense of reality.

Yeah, OK. See, here's the thing - I'm not the one who repeatedly writes with total certainty about what people say about me WHEN I'M NOT THERE. (In fact, you even go beyond that - you claim you know what all Thais say about all foreigners when the foreigners aren't there.)

And I'm not the one with an uncontrollable fixation on a word to the extent that I post over and over again the same things on every single thread I see that discusses the word or even sometimes just mentions it.

But I'M the crazy one...

Carry on.

"Reality"...that was funny.

I have been here long enough to know that Thais do point out the fact that we are "farang" all the time. If you think that that is not the case, good for you, but you are wrong.

I address this as a potential problem, as many foreigners are very ignorant and do not understand the results of being constantly referred to as the other, the white skin, the long nose, the farang.

This thread is an example of a foreigner being treated almost like an object, rather than a human being. Sure, we can argue that this might have to do with this specific individual, and it might be true to a certain degree, but I also see this as a result of what I am talking about.

You are the one who is obsessed following all my threads, trying to tell me I am all wrong.

I suggest you get off Thaivisa for a while, it will help you to get rid of your "reality" and rather see the reality for what it really is.

What's Thai for "long-nose"?

[transam]

And when you are not around, and your wife is telling a friend, who you do not know, that you are going out for dinner, the first thing she will point out is that you are "white skin" (farang).

Would you do that if you would tell your friend who had never met your wife - Me and my wife, she is a "brown skin", we are going out to dinner?

There you go again: acting as if your paranoid fantasies are fact...

Then adding the straw man question.

I'll say this - you are consistent. (Of course, obsessives usually have that going for them.)

And there you go again, clearly not aware of reality.

You are like the nutty patient who blames his doctor for being crazy, cause it does not match his own skewed sense of reality.

Yeah, OK. See, here's the thing - I'm not the one who repeatedly writes with total certainty about what people say about me WHEN I'M NOT THERE. (In fact, you even go beyond that - you claim you know what all Thais say about all foreigners when the foreigners aren't there.)

And I'm not the one with an uncontrollable fixation on a word to the extent that I post over and over again the same things on every single thread I see that discusses the word or even sometimes just mentions it.

But I'M the crazy one...

Carry on.

"Reality"...that was funny.

I have been here long enough to know that Thais do point out the fact that we are "farang" all the time. If you think that that is not the case, good for you, but you are wrong.

I address this as a potential problem, as many foreigners are very ignorant and do not understand the results of being constantly referred to as the other, the white skin, the long nose, the farang.

This thread is an example of a foreigner being treated almost like an object, rather than a human being. Sure, we can argue that this might have to do with this specific individual, and it might be true to a certain degree, but I also see this as a result of what I am talking about.

You are the one who is obsessed following all my threads, trying to tell me I am all wrong.

I suggest you get off Thaivisa for a while, it will help you to get rid of your "reality" and rather see the reality for what it really is.

What's Thai for "long-nose"?

Pinocchio ne kup.

[Naam]

And when you are not around, and your wife is telling a friend, who you do not know, that you are going out for dinner, the first thing she will point out is that you are "white skin" (farang).

Would you do that if you would tell your friend who had never met your wife - Me and my wife, she is a "brown skin", we are going out to dinner?

There you go again: acting as if your paranoid fantasies are fact...

Then adding the straw man question.

I'll say this - you are consistent. (Of course, obsessives usually have that going for them.)

And there you go again, clearly not aware of reality.

You are like the nutty patient who blames his doctor for being crazy, cause it does not match his own skewed sense of reality.

Yeah, OK. See, here's the thing - I'm not the one who repeatedly writes with total certainty about what people say about me WHEN I'M NOT THERE. (In fact, you even go beyond that - you claim you know what all Thais say about all foreigners when the foreigners aren't there.)

And I'm not the one with an uncontrollable fixation on a word to the extent that I post over and over again the same things on every single thread I see that discusses the word or even sometimes just mentions it.

But I'M the crazy one...

Carry on.

"Reality"...that was funny.

I have been here long enough to know that Thais do point out the fact that we are "farang" all the time. If you think that that is not the case, good for you, but you are wrong.

I address this as a potential problem, as many foreigners are very ignorant and do not understand the results of being constantly referred to as the other, the white skin, the long nose, the farang.

This thread is an example of a foreigner being treated almost like an object, rather than a human being. Sure, we can argue that this might have to do with this specific individual, and it might be true to a certain degree, but I also see this as a result of what I am talking about.

You are the one who is obsessed following all my threads, trying to tell me I am all wrong.

I suggest you get off Thaivisa for a while, it will help you to get rid of your "reality" and rather see the reality for what it really is.

What's Thai for "long-nose"?

Thinglish = "rong no"

[beautifulthailand99]

Howabout asking for Khun Farang or more intimately pi / nong Farang depending on the difference in the ages.

[SteeleJoe]

And when you are not around, and your wife is telling a friend, who you do not know, that you are going out for dinner, the first thing she will point out is that you are "white skin" (farang).

Would you do that if you would tell your friend who had never met your wife - Me and my wife, she is a "brown skin", we are going out to dinner?

There you go again: acting as if your paranoid fantasies are fact...

Then adding the straw man question.

I'll say this - you are consistent. (Of course, obsessives usually have that going for them.)

And there you go again, clearly not aware of reality.

You are like the nutty patient who blames his doctor for being crazy, cause it does not match his own skewed sense of reality.

Yeah, OK. See, here's the thing - I'm not the one who repeatedly writes with total certainty about what people say about me WHEN I'M NOT THERE. (In fact, you even go beyond that - you claim you know what all Thais say about all foreigners when the foreigners aren't there.)

And I'm not the one with an uncontrollable fixation on a word to the extent that I post over and over again the same things on every single thread I see that discusses the word or even sometimes just mentions it.

But I'M the crazy one...

Carry on.

"Reality"...that was funny.

I have been here long enough to know that Thais do point out the fact that we are "farang" all the time. If you think that that is not the case, good for you, but you are wrong.

I address this as a potential problem, as many foreigners are very ignorant and do not understand the results of being constantly referred to as the other, the white skin, the long nose, the farang.

This thread is an example of a foreigner being treated almost like an object, rather than a human being. Sure, we can argue that this might have to do with this specific individual, and it might be true to a certain degree, but I also see this as a result of what I am talking about.

You are the one who is obsessed following all my threads, trying to tell me I am all wrong.

I suggest you get off Thaivisa for a while, it will help you to get rid of your "reality" and rather see the reality for what it really is.

What's Thai for "long-nose"?

Thinglish = "rong no"

Your Thaiglish needs work. "Long Node"

Edited April 29, 2013 by SteeleJoe

[Naam]

What's Thai for "long-nose"?
Thinglish = "rong no"

Your Thaiglish needs work. "Long Node"

i beg to differ because both my wife and me remember

when a lady, selling sunglasses, told my wife "you my

rong no velly beautifoo!"

that was in Pattaya, october 1979.

[Ajaan]

It's not just a question of the OP not speaking Thai (though, to go only slightly OT, if he plans to live in Thailand, why the hell doesn't he learn?); I speak Thai and still get referred to as "falang"...and yes, this happened in my GF's village during the six months I took leave of my senses about 11 years ago and HAD a Thai GF, hahaha...

As another poster pointed out, they are being rude and disrespectful to you. That is what [many...most?] Thais do. Don't take it personally. They firmly believe they are the greatest, most perfect people on the planet earth, and those of other nationalities are their inferiors...just be glad you're not Khmer or Burmese, or they'd downright think of you as subhuman!!

[Kilgore Trout]

I have been told by many thais; a falang speaking a little thai is cute, funny...like a child....speak too much..no good...

I' m betting you haven't. And those that have said it? I think could guess what sort of people they were.

They are the kind of people that run guesthouses and wait tables in guesthouses etc. as I always insist on speaking Thai to them because it is much, much better than their English.

When some (not all, mind you) start acting stupid, like when they understand everything I have said (in Thai) perfectly but refuse to answer in Thai and stand there struggling to speak a clear word in English, I start putting them on the spot. "I am speaking Thai, you understood every word I said, why won't you answer me in Thai," at worst I get a blank look, at best I get the response I described above.

Hopefully that answers your question, stop making assumptions.

[SteeleJoe]

I have been told by many thais; a falang speaking a little thai is cute, funny...like a child....speak too much..no good...

I' m betting you haven't. And those that have said it? I think could guess what sort of people they were.

They are the kind of people that run guesthouses and wait tables in guesthouses etc. as I always insist on speaking Thai to them because it is much, much better than their English.

When some (not all, mind you) start acting stupid, like when they understand everything I have said (in Thai) perfectly but refuse to answer in Thai and stand there struggling to speak a clear word in English, I start putting them on the spot. "I am speaking Thai, you understood every word I said, why won't you answer me in Thai," at worst I get a blank look, at best I get the response I described above.

Hopefully that answers your question, stop making assumptions.

That's interesting, I've never been told by any guesthouse mangers or staff "a falang speaking a little thai is cute, funny...like a child....speak too much..no good..." and yet you've been told by many. Even if you had stayed in a lot more than I, that would still be odd but not impossible I suppose. And it's exclusively that group who has said it. Also odd.

I'm still betting the same.

Yes, it answered my question (albeit with an oddly restricted and improbable answer). I didn't assume. I guessed. And I was apparently right.

Speaking of assumptions, I note with some amusement your assumptions about people understanding everything you say perfectly when you speak Thai...I know one reason (not the only one) Thais will answer in English to someone who (attempts to) speak Thai: their English is better than the other's Thai and it's just easier (the same reason I often prefer to speak Thai to a Thai person struggling with English).

[ayayay]

I have been told by many thais; a falang speaking a little thai is cute, funny...like a child....speak too much..no good...

I' m betting you haven't. And those that have said it? I think could guess what sort of people they were.

They are the kind of people that run guesthouses and wait tables in guesthouses etc. as I always insist on speaking Thai to them because it is much, much better than their English.

That is what you think.

If you ask them, they will probably say their English is better than your Thai.

That is also the reason why they prefer to try to answer you in English.

[carlspencer]

I hope she doesnt call you falang when you're alone with her. but in all seriousness, it seems that they are insistent on treating you like a second party here. this could be simply defensive if they are not accustomed to foreigners, but your gf calling you a falang seems odd, does she also insist on treating you as second party? Looks like you guys need to have the talk.

[rubberduck]

...It just shows the enormous mental gap (from their point of view) between them and foreigners and between them and the rest of the world, that's just how they are being programmed from elementary school on.