When Thais talk **** about you right in front of your face...

[Stradavarius37]

My approach is that why pay attention to something insignificant. It's not thais. It's people in general. They talk sh_t about each other all the time. Guaranteed, somebody is talking crap about me or you at this moment. So be it. I just ignore it. They can say what they want to say. Others' opinion about me is non of my business.

A lion does not concern himself with the opinion of sheep.

[rct99q]

Can you translate with clarity what exactly she said? You state she said something to the liking of "he is f*$ck*ng stupid...." which is not really popular saying even amongst younger generation. Are you sure she did not say fuk (practice) as in "this guy is not really stupid he should just practice his Thai a little more"?

Or is it that you have patronized their shop before and really are a dumb farang (based on your previous shopping trips) but just do not recognize your own brilliance?

[GarryP]

Welsh1, I don't believe saying "shove it up your bum" is something the average Thai would say in any situation apart from talking about suppositories.

[richard_smith237]

I was out with a bunch of Thai friends a few years ago... (guys I've known for more than 10 years).

One of them is a Single Guy and likes his fun... A girl (his Gik I suspect), joined us at the table (it was already late and we were all drunk).

The Girl was introduced to us around the table, as she was introduced to me she said in Thai...

"I don't like Farang's, they think all Thai girls are Prostitutes !"....

To which I immediately replied...

"I don't like Thai girls, they are all prostitutes !"....

We all laughed, lots of glass clunking and red a faced lady kept very quiet for the remainder... She'd just proven to everyone on the table how stupid she was...

In short: If someone is being impolite, either choose to ignore them, or have a little fun with it... But don't take it too seriously, its usually those who are too stupid to know what they are doing who insult.....

[snake24]

It is the same in Indonesia.

I used to have a beer with this old english guy who still had a colonialist type mentality.

It was amusing listening to the staff talk <deleted> to and about him and he thinking they were singing his praises.

In a bizare twist this guy started "dating" one of the bar staff, he decided he needed a driver and she offered up one of her female friends.

The female friend was the bar girls lesbian live in lover. So the two lesbians got to go everywhere together on his dime and with this guy being none the wiser. Sorry, off topic.

So u do understand indonesian.

[snake24]

To the OP why did she talk shyt about you for no reason? Did you do something to provoke such a response from her?

It's odd but from what i know most ppl wouldn't actually make a racial comment along those lines.

[kikoman]

My experience is completely different as my first language is Spanish, which I talk with my family and friends and is my main language of communication in Tucson Arizona, While conversing with my family and friends, I have had complete strangers tell me speak in English, and I tell them if I was talking to them I have the capability of speaking in English, if they want to know what I am talking about learn Spanish or shut up and get out of my face!

Here it is Thai, in Arizona it is Spanish and you always hear the story how you were in the grocery store checkout line and the people around you were talking about you in their language.

What is so important about you that people would waste their time commenting about you.

Stop being so paranoid, I had a Girl Friend in Fort Wayne Indiana, one day me and her son was in a bar drinking, he is Anglo. and he started talking all this gibberish and after a while he said look at all these dumb b*****d they do not know what we are talking about, I did not know what we were talking about, he was playing on those paranoid people that would think we were talking about them.

Cheers:

[chrisinth]

I can understand the OP's position, and it is also good that everyone knows enough of the Thai language to get by. It certainly isn't a good thing to hear words spoken against you, it can certainly change your perspective of the entire population by the words of a few.

But, if I may, can I just throw a little twist to the OP?

The next time you are in a bar, sat outside a 7/11 or generally anywhere in the company of foreigners here in Thailand, just sit back and listen to the conversation, listen to the viewpoints of your company against Thais. And then ask yourself how many of the Thais understand what is being said.

When you have a country that the vast majority of the population is taught the English language from kindergarden, (yes, to differing standards) you might not be surprised that the Thais understand a whole lot more of what is being said than you would initially think...............

Just because everyone doesn't speak the language doesn't mean they don't understand. I have seen this side of things for many years now.

Not trying to hi-jack the OP, just giving food for thought..............

[BookMan]

The ditzy thing was right! You are fxxxxxng stupid!

They insulted you to your face, and you still bought from them??

She politely apologized. It's not about the mistakes you make, but how you handle them.

I'd say you just reinforced her stated view of farangs

[Dararasmi]

Thirteen years of living in Japan and nothing remotely like this has ever happened to me. Must be a culture thing? (Or a lack of culture thing, I should say.)

[weegee]

There is a lot of Thais that speak English and don't let on....

went to the engineering shop today to pick up some pieces I dropped off 3 WEEKS ago, and walked in and seen they hadent even started.

Was talking to the machinest bloke as the manager of the place strolled over. He said nothing UNTIL I said carmly, I couldn't wait any longer, and would take the parts elsewhere.....boy did the English start to flow then. You can have it tomorrow Sir! sorry for the delay but we have been on holidays....

Besides...why learn a language that's only good in one very tiny country in the world, when most others speak English, even if it's their second language.

[Trentham]

One day I was visiting two Thai friends. There was a knock on the door and another Thai man came in. He looked at my friends and asked in Thai language, “Who is the old farang? Is he rich?”

I responded, “Be careful what you say. The old farang can speak Thai.” He slapped a hand over his mouth and sat down at my friend’s computer. He did not apologise. Nor did my friends reprimand him.

[snake24]

My experience is completely different as my first language is Spanish, which I talk with my family and friends and is my main language of communication in Tucson Arizona, While conversing with my family and friends, I have had complete strangers tell me speak in English, and I tell them if I was talking to them I have the capability of speaking in English, if they want to know what I am talking about learn Spanish or shut up and get out of my face!

Here it is Thai, in Arizona it is Spanish and you always hear the story how you were in the grocery store checkout line and the people around you were talking about you in their language.

What is so important about you that people would waste their time commenting about you.

Stop being so paranoid, I had a Girl Friend in Fort Wayne Indiana, one day me and her son was in a bar drinking, he is Anglo. and he started talking all this gibberish and after a while he said look at all these dumb b*****d they do not know what we are talking about, I did not know what we were talking about, he was playing on those paranoid people that would think we were talking about them.

Cheers:

ah spanish and english of course ignoring the fact that many states in the southern usa used to belong to mexico and that the ppl that reside there used to have mexican ancestors.

I wonder if it's the same thing with the french canadian places. Do the english speaking ppl tell the french speaking ones to speak english.

[itchybum]

The ditzy thing was right! You are fxxxxxng stupid!

They insulted you to your face, and you still bought from them??

She politely apologized. It's not about the mistakes you make, but how you handle them.

I'd say you just reinforced her stated view of farangs

I think he is on a higher playing field...one she will never understand....so her view will remain.

[MegaRanter]

I have heard stuff said about me in elevators and in gatherings, I understand Thai language well, but mostly it's good stuff and some really funny ones. Like they say to themselves, black men have massive dicks, if I am getting off first, I wait till the door opens and I ll say, in Thai, 'it's not true always, some black men actually have little ones' then I ll smile.

Some will say amongst them, they like the way you smell or they love your physique or he is always well dressed.

[snake24]

One day I was visiting two Thai friends. There was a knock on the door and another Thai man came in. He looked at my friends and asked in Thai language, “Who is the old farang? Is he rich?”

I responded, “Be careful what you say. The old farang can speak Thai.” He slapped a hand over his mouth and sat down at my friend’s computer. He did not apologise. Nor did my friends reprimand him.

Are you old?

Are you a farang?

Well he wasn't wrong technically and it's good he assumed you are rich. Imagine being an african you would be assumed to be poor.

[Suradit69]

This only really applies to people who speak a little Thai, or enough to overhear conversations. What do you do when someone starts talking shit about you when they're about 2 feet away from you, and they don't realize you can understand what they're saying?

"What do you do ..."

You run home to post shit about them on TV behind their backs.

Come to think of it, a lot of farang post shit about Thais, specifically and in general, even though they've never met them and know nothing about them ... always at a safe distance and under cover of anonymity because they assume the Thais won't know what it is they're saying... Thai police, Thai politicians, Thai food vendors, Thai sales clerks, Thai cashiers, Thai taxi drivers, Thai motorcy drivers, Thai doctors, Thai Immigrations officers, Thai monks ...

[sbk]

One day I was visiting two Thai friends. There was a knock on the door and another Thai man came in. He looked at my friends and asked in Thai language, “Who is the old farang? Is he rich?”

I responded, “Be careful what you say. The old farang can speak Thai.” He slapped a hand over his mouth and sat down at my friend’s computer. He did not apologise. Nor did my friends reprimand him.

Are you old?

Are you a farang?

Well he wasn't wrong technically and it's good he assumed you are rich. Imagine being an african you would be assumed to be poor.

According to the previous poster it would seem that as an African you would be assumed to be well hung instead

[transam]

OP, not to worry, envy sometimes eats folk from within. Stay positive in you thought environment and not theres. I have the T-shirt regarding your post but I have Thai friends with no envy attitude at all and is great. Doesn't necessarily mean your a rich guy, it's cos your a westerner.

[Rumblecat]

- edit- the post I replied to was edited and everything removed so what I said made no sense-

Anyway, it's happened to me. Although once it wasn't bad, they were discussing what a nice nose I had. Which is true, it is quite nice.

Edited October 9, 2013 by Rumblecat

[Alwyn]

The ditzy thing was right! You are fxxxxxng stupid!

They insulted you to your face, and you still bought from them??

She politely apologized. It's not about the mistakes you make, but how you handle them.

Mate she didn't make a mistake, she was being rude in front of you and it's only because the old badger shouted at you that she apologized. So not an apology really is it? The only mistake she made was getting caught and then having to face the wrath of the old badger. The old thing didn't make her apologize to you until she realized you understood right? So what does that tell you? Welll, nothing it seems because you went ahead and bought from them. They'll now just insult the next non tinted person in there so they've also learned nothing - don't even worry about being caught because you just have to say sorry and "no problem". Jeez Louise....

[Jdietz]

...Meanwhile the poor Babel fish, by effectively removing all barriers to communication between different cultures and races, has caused more and bloodier wars than anything else in the history of creation.

-- Douglas Adams, THHGTTG

Edited October 9, 2013 by Jdietz

[Alwyn]

I guess that's how Thais feel when they hear Farangs slagging them off?

[sbk]

Thirteen years of living in Japan and nothing remotely like this has ever happened to me. Must be a culture thing? (Or a lack of culture thing, I should say.)

I've been in Thailand much longer than that I can't say this happens to me either.

[snake24]

On my wedding day at the Amphur I got 'All farangs are little dogs' when my wife was out of earshot. She got an answer about many Thai ladies resembling ghosts with their white skin crap (referring to her).

This very morning we visited a shop we had been buying seeds for a year now. A new girl there treated my wife as if she was a bar girl and asked impertinent questions. I didn't catch that part of the conversation but I did understand when she shouted to the sullen Chinese lady at the back 'you can keep your seeds, there's another shop down the road'. No reaction of course , why bother.

Who said that? Why would thai ladies gets insulted?

sullen chinese lady and a new girl?

How did you know the lady boss is a chinese and she hired a rude new girl?

[Dararasmi]

Thirteen years of living in Japan and nothing remotely like this has ever happened to me. Must be a culture thing? (Or a lack of culture thing, I should say.)

I've been in Thailand much longer than that I can't say this happens to me either.

In the quarter century or so I've been living in/traveling to Thailand, it's happened to me often. A daily occurrence, I would say. Though, what's said is quite harmless, anyone with manners would never say it to another in their own language.

[ayayay]

You are "farang" to them, that is, an object, rather than a human being. This is also why many Thais have very difficult to deal with the fact, that a white skin, a "farang", so totally different from a normal human being, can speak Thai.

In order for us to make ourself a little more human, less objectified, we should try to avoid calling ourselves "farang" all the time.

[ayayay]

I find that just saying a little something in Thai will change their attitude.

You don't need to know much thai, just a few phrases that will apply to almost any situation.

Just enough that they will think you understand them.

My favorite ( I used it just this morning):

When you hear the word Farang used smile and in Thai tell them " I am not Farang, I am Saparot!"

They always pause for a second and then burst out in laughter.

Sometimes they even repeat it to their friends who might not have heard you.

You are telling them that you are not a Guava, you are a Pineapple!

Some will ask "why are you a pineapple?"

I tell them that I am brown and rough outside and soft and sweet inside. Again, they laugh.

If you can tell a little joke about yourself in their language you are ahead of the game and gain a little respect.

They are very careful about what they say about you in the future.

Now to some locals I am known as Mister Saparot!

Yes, very funny for a while, but in the long run, most people would rather want to be viewed as a human being, than a dancing ape/clown.

[stiggy]

They will now see you as a mug, why put up with that.

Before you state she apologised, If it's not a big deal to you why write about it on Thai Visa?

Seriously walk out, tell them what you think in Thai.

[cooked]

On my wedding day at the Amphur I got 'All farangs are little dogs' when my wife was out of earshot. She got an answer about many Thai ladies resembling ghosts with their white skin crap (referring to her).

This very morning we visited a shop we had been buying seeds for a year now. A new girl there treated my wife as if she was a bar girl and asked impertinent questions. I didn't catch that part of the conversation but I did understand when she shouted to the sullen Chinese lady at the back 'you can keep your seeds, there's another shop down the road'. No reaction of course , why bother.

Who said that? Why would thai ladies gets insulted?

sullen chinese lady and a new girl?

How did you know the lady boss is a chinese and she hired a rude new girl?

First question: happens all the time in Isaan, young girls see a farang with a Thai lady, they just assume that she is a bar girl.

Second question: The lady boss is Chinese, not Japanese or Eskimo. We never saw the girl before so we assume that she is new, logical, ok?

I was just trying to point out that this suff happens to Thais also.

A question from me: how long have you been drinking today?