Most Thais soil themselves with pleasure when they meet a self-confident white person who can speak Thai well. You do need to be assertive about it though as they have many prejudices that need to be dispelled.

Why are you surprised we are "ALIENS" , so they react and treat as such, everything is therefore "alien" to them !

You do realise that if someone who's not a British citizen visits the UK or someone who's not a US citizen visits the US that they are "ALIENS" too? It's a legal word used to describe non-citizens and has nothing to do with flying saucers.

you have to speak the same language. loud dog barking does the trick. as in woof wooof woof . this is very effective for all manner of occasions. you seldom need more than 3 woofs.

some people get a kick out of inviting people over to piss in their pool. each to his own.

Why care about what a load of Thais think about you. If they want to make crappy jokes just move on and get the next beer. Life is too short. Past caring about Thais and their silly little ways.

Sent from my HUAWEI P6-U06 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Bernard Trink summed it up pretty good back in the 90s. Thais are like 14yos pretending to be adults, and Falahngs are adults pretending to be 14yos.

Thai is a language only spoken in one country (Laos being a minor exception). Thailand has had minimal exposure to foreign languages outside the tourist areas. Thais never see foreigners on TV speaking Thai. They never see programmes, news articles, or sports events from foreign sources spoken or narrated in Thai by foreigners.

There are very few (if any) 2nd generation foreigners in Thailand that were born here and speak Thai as a first language (and I don't mean Leuk Kruengs). I say this to compare to most western countries that have dozens of nationalities that are 2nd or 10th generation and English is their first language.

Thailand is therefore a very non-cosmopolitan (read: essentially closed to the West until the Vietnam war) type country and its people are naïve in the ways of the outside world with regard to interracial communications and customs.

I believe that the vast majority of Thais (the educated class excepted) would find it relatively inconceivable that a foreigner would therefore want to learn Thai, or even be capable of learning Thai.

Back home in NZ I find nothing unusual in seeing Chinese, Africans, Dutch, Thais speaking pure Kiwi English - they're Kiwis after all, and were born in New Zealand. But how many children are born and live in Thailand that are pure Dutch, African, New Zealand (or whatever race) descent? I suspect my right hand would have sufficient fingers to count them.

Now.....if I was being served by a Thai in Central Festival or the local Thai market, and he/she addressed me in 100% pure unadulterated Kiwi English, complete with slang and inflection, well, it would blow my socks off.

EG, If they said "Sorry sport, yus'll have to hang around here for a few secs till the boss shows up 'cos the sodding computers thrown a wobbly and I can't open the till. Anyway, see them Aussies get creamed at the Cakebox last night....?"

So in the case of the OP, it's probably largely understandable that his neighbours (who presumably are unworldly to a large extent) get a shock/surprise when a white foreigner speaks Thai. To them, it's almost like an African meeting Livingstone in the jungle and Livingstone spoke perfect Swahili or whatever - the African would be as shocked as hell.

I've come across it and my Thai is very limited. I'm guilty of telling some of them (the ones that are a little rude with it, not just surprised) that Thai is now being taught in all the European schools and in 10 years Thailand will be flooded with Europeans that speak Thai.......and they believe me, bless them.

Of all the crap that gets posted on here, this just proves there is a needle in a haystack.

Bloody brilliant post, I enjoyed reading it all and agreed with it especially the Aussies getting creamed at the Cakebox..... (no idea without googling cakebox..sports stadium?) (I'm English)

The points about Thais were interesting too..

From the screenplay for American Graffiti ('He' played by Harrison Ford):

He: Hey, hey, hey, baby. What do you say?

She: Don't say anything and we'll get along just fine.

Some hilarious and great replies here. Reading this thread has served as a bit of pre bed entertainment. Goodnight Thai visa.

OP Next time you have anyone over for a meal walk around the house topless with a beer can in hand. Beer can in hand is very important in maintaining their image of farangs.

I am an American living in Thailand....my neighbor is an Englishman.

When I bought the property next to him ... I went by to introduce myself and say "Hi"........his FIRST words to me were "I hear your a man not to be Trusted"

So you see, rudeness spans the world ....and ignorance is not limited to Thai's

PS ...I haven't spoken to the ignorant rude Englishman since then (3 years)

the Englishman's expression was justified.

reason: the "Colonials" refuse since 2½ centuries ago until this very moment to pay the British tea tax. they even had the audacity to rebel and starting a war.

summary: they can't be trusted!

life in the sticks is good i hear.. hahahah..

My house is in the centre of the 5th largest city in Thailand.

Great -- so now we have a German saying Americans shouldn't be trusted because they started a war 230+ years ago.

Of all the crap that gets posted on here, this just proves there is a needle in a haystack.

Bloody brilliant post, I enjoyed reading it all and agreed with it especially the Aussies getting creamed at the Cakebox..... (no idea without googling cakebox..sports stadium?) (I'm English)

The points about Thais were interesting too..

Actually it's the Cake Tin, home of the mighty Hurricanes. We'll excuse Gsxrnz this minor error as his post was damn good.

I don't say or do anything anymore when I meet the world famous thai ignorance. They are like that, they are not even aware of it therefore there is no chance they are going to change. They hurt themselves not me.

I am an American living in Thailand....my neighbor is an Englishman.

When I bought the property next to him ... I went by to introduce myself and say "Hi"........his FIRST words to me were "I hear your a man not to be Trusted"

So you see, rudeness spans the world ....and ignorance is not limited to Thai's

PS ...I haven't spoken to the ignorant rude Englishman since then (3 years)

It is likely this was said tongue in cheek, a touch of British humour if you will, that thing the Yankeedoodles in particular tend to miss by a country-mile for some reason. There is also, of course, every possibly the 'Englishman' is a complete tool.

Regards op, what level of native are we talking about? If I'm guessing correctly, it is likely you have more Thai vocabulary than they.

Neeranam, you have obviously been here quite some time and I am therefore rather surprised at your reaction.

These sorts of comments are basically the Thai equivalent of a "conversation opener", and your response should have been an amusing quip or some such :

"Oh, the Farang can speak Thai!" - "Yes - but I know my accent is weird!"

"Oh, the Farang is lighting the Barbeque" - "Sure, if I let my wife do it, it would probably explode!"

etc. etc..

None of the comments were deliberately intended to be rude!

Patrick

I get a bit fed up of being discussed like a clever dog doing tricks.

Yes he can eat spicy seems to come up often.

I am an American living in Thailand....my neighbor is an Englishman.

When I bought the property next to him ... I went by to introduce myself and say "Hi"........his FIRST words to me were "I hear your a man not to be Trusted"

So you see, rudeness spans the world ....and ignorance is not limited to Thai's

PS ...I haven't spoken to the ignorant rude Englishman since then (3 years)

It is called 'wit' a form of humour often lost in Americans.

Haven't read all the posts, but by them asking your wife they are showing consideration and would not want you to be uncomfortable if you didn't understand.

I bet everyone really relaxed and had fun with you there

I am an American living in Thailand....my neighbor is an Englishman.

When I bought the property next to him ... I went by to introduce myself and say "Hi"........his FIRST words to me were "I hear your a man not to be Trusted"

So you see, rudeness spans the world ....and ignorance is not limited to Thai's

PS ...I haven't spoken to the ignorant rude Englishman since then (3 years)

Is he a doctor called John? If so then I am not surprised.

What a sh*tty post for the new year! Get over your self's Really!

We westerners are so full of ourselves don't you all think? We feel we deserve

all the respect that we all usually never give and when we do it is almost always half measured.

So what they found it funny that you speak and understand Thai. I bet you are one of those Farangs

that when in public and you see another Farang you can't help your self's to make it known to all

that you can speak Thai. So What! Big deal! It's their country and you and all Farangs no matter how long you have lived here

no matter how much of the culture you know and love you are not Thai nor ever will be.

Chalk it up to that you picked the wrong country to live in if you feel you deserve to be the star of your own show!

Happy New Years!

I am an American living in Thailand....my neighbor is an Englishman.

When I bought the property next to him ... I went by to introduce myself and say "Hi"........his FIRST words to me were "I hear your a man not to be Trusted"

So you see, rudeness spans the world ....and ignorance is not limited to Thai's

PS ...I haven't spoken to the ignorant rude Englishman since then (3 years)

It is called 'wit' a form of humour often lost in Americans.

I know what "wit" is ....This was not "wit" ....I guess politeness is a form of kindness which is lost on the British!....oh well ...good luck with that

Never surprises me that an Englishman be rude to another nationality, just as the Scots or the Irish, what they think of the average CHAV

They really can't win can they?

The uneducated ones and those without much real exposure to foreigners do (and will continue to) be amazed that they're actually seeing one in the flesh, and being so "other" will consider normal manners don't apply.

Those with a clue will of course be very suspicious as to why on earth a foreigner would ever bother to learn Thai. Perhaps not as strongly as people back home, but for very much the same reasons.

Most people would say that "decent" foreigners should only be associating with those sophisticated Thais that move in circles where everyone speaks good English.

Actually marrying a poor uneducated Thai does of course expose one to ridicule, and many would consider that attitude completely justified.

Those of us that love mixing it up in Thai with the rural poor usually have pretty dodgy reasons (at least to start with) for doing so.

Not saying it's right, but it is so. . .

I think you have been here long enough to know that Thais behave like this, so you pretty much got yourself excited over something that happens every day and ruined your BBQ party. Your wife will have been pretty embarrassed I presume.

...and would they like some crayons and paper while I eat and drink.

Ouch.

When they ask my wife about me when I'm standing there, I like to butt in and tell my wife in Thai, "Tell her that my name is Rob, and that I come from the USA." They usually giggle at that, but then go back to asking my wife how long I've been here, etc..

I keep using my wife as the one language interpreter until the joke gets old. Then I go and grab a beer.

I am an American living in Thailand....my neighbor is an Englishman.

When I bought the property next to him ... I went by to introduce myself and say "Hi"........his FIRST words to me were "I hear your a man not to be Trusted"

Not attempting to hijack this thread, but there must be more to this story. What had he heard about you?

There won't be more to the story if he comes from Yorkshire.

Wrong. A Yorkshireman would have shook his hand, found out if he had anything to sell, bought it, made money on it. Also, in my case, I would have borrowed most of his tools at least once by now.

I get a whole spectrum of responses to my use of Thai language, ranging from the (yes rather annoying) 'wow Farang can speak Thai', through complete acceptance of me speaking Thai as if nothing else were expected to a clear dislike of the fact that I do speak Thai.

My experience of what the OP reports tends to come from Thais who have regular contact with foreigners who do not speak Thai, or who speak a bastardized version between Thai and their own language.

Complete acceptance tends to come from professional educated Thais, but occasionally, from Thai people who I'm quite sure have basic education and no contact with foreigners. Last week talking to a guy tending his vegetable plot in the middle of Nakhon Nowhere, we had a 15 minute conversation (about growing vegetables) without even the slightest indication that the guy thought I'd speak anything but Thai.

The clear dislike of me a foreigner speaking Thai tends to come from Thai people living off tourists and very often Thai wives of other foreigners I meet in Thailand. i guess they understand that foreigners speaking their language removes an advantage they might otherwise enjoy.

huh, a rude person at a party?! go figure...