The Farang Can Speak Thai Hee Hee

[khrab]

She said,"the farang can speak Thai hee hee".

I hope that was all English.

Must have been. Thai language has no articles.

The Thai version would have been "farang speak English 555"

[thailiketoo]

irony? no we're not ... it's women's work, sport ...

(were you one of the farangs turning the chair?)

No, I'm part Thai/Chinese, I rented them the chair.

[bkkgooner]

I think you reacted quite badly to the situation, of course they were being rude but as always this being Thailand they probably don't even recognize it as such. You could have just given a sarky comment back with a big smile on your face and continued speaking Thai to them instead of getting into a big strop, it is a party in your house after all.

[Daniel Boon]

so you're half farang ... Ilikethaitoo

[JLCrab]

You dare laugh at my speaking Thai -- Party's OVER!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=2qkHjr0pB38#t=62

[maderaroja]

Sounds like you need to build a repetiore of rude rejoinders that you can say in Thai to the rude Thais that you encounter.

[thailiketoo]

so you're half farang ... Ilikethaitoo

I'm an American. I was making a point. You think Septic Tank (rhyming slang) is cute. I think it's offensive and 1000% worse than Farang. A septic tank is where sh** is kept. Farang simply means white foreigner.

Shall I repeat? Referring to me as a Septic Tank I find offensive and very rude. If you were my child you would be punished for such crude and insensitive behavior.

Edited January 2, 2014 by thailiketoo

[Daniel Boon]

I think it apt ....

funny how most Americans are ashamed of being American .... and then full of bluster ... and as to crude and insensitive behavour ... that's super rich ... and the punishment, a preemptive drone strike in the middle of the night ... by now you should have deduced as to why Americans have the nickname 'septic tanks' ... how else do you think they are arrived at ...

[HerbalEd]

Quick biting wit and humor can put them in their place ... but never, ever, lose you cool. Esp. in Thailand. But you know that already, right? Otherwise you wouldn't have been here long enough to speak Thai.

[Thai at Heart]

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.

Indeed. The farang wives had a very large distrust of me, being able to listen in on most conversations.

[Thai at Heart]

so you're half farang ... Ilikethaitoo

I'm an American. I was making a point. You think Septic Tank (rhyming slang) is cute. I think it's offensive and 1000% worse than Farang. A septic tank is where sh** is kept. Farang simply means white foreigner.

Shall I repeat? Referring to me as a Septic Tank I find offensive and very rude. If you were my child you would be punished for such crude and insensitive behavior.

My lord. It's cockney rhyming slang.

I wouldn't use the phrase myself but I wouldn't react badly the first time I heard it. I guess being Welsh makes me a little immune to teasing.

Now the Irish. Well have you heard the one about.....?

[thailiketoo]

I think it apt ....

funny how most Americans are ashamed of being American .... and then full of bluster ... and as to crude and insensitive behavour ... that's super rich ... and the punishment, a preemptive drone strike in the middle of the night ... by now you should have deduced as to why Americans have the nickname 'septic tanks' ... how else do you think they are arrived at ...

Well, kid when I medevaced Aussie troops in Vietnam they didn't call me Septic Tank! But that's not really the point. The point is being called Farang is very low on the insult scale where as Septic Tank is very high.

You've never met me. You don't know how many Aussie lives I have saved. Still you are ready to insult me just because of my nationality. What kind of a person does that make you? In comparison Thais are very polite, eh mate?

Edited January 2, 2014 by thailiketoo

[ttthailand]

Neeranam - you have to accept that we English speakers enjoy the luxury of having the international language. We find it normal for foreigners of all races to speak English. You and I would not be in the least surprised to hear an Eskimo (I know that's now a politically incorrect term now, but I'm old school), speak English.

But I'd suggest to you that we would both be a little surprised to hear an Eskimo speak Thai. A Thai would be no more shocked at hearing an Eskimo speak Thai as hearing you speak Thai. Probably less so, because an Eskimo does look slightly Asian.

Note: Absolutely no racial slurs are implied in the above.

Yes, I agree with your observations. I do understand WHY this happens. The main question is what do we do when it happens. Smile and say nothing?

Yes, smile and enjoy the rest of the evening. What's the point of getting upset or trying to teach someone something that they not care to learn in the first place.

How people treat you is their Karma... How you react is yours.

Keep your circle positive

[cbluck58]

Same old sxxt , different day - get a life people !

[LawrenceN]

OP, you embarrassed your wife.

[gbswales]

I suspect that the number of foreigners living in Thailand who have a high degree of fluency in the language is much smaller than the number of Thais fluent in English and other languages. I don't see why someone shouldn't be surprised to hear a Farang speaking good Thai. Of course to most westerners it is a very complex and difficult language to learn and the opportunity for doing so outside the Kingdom are very few BUT to Thai's it is an easy language and they are probably perplexed because they see us as he ones with a difficult language to learn and us as the ones with the strange alphabet and lack of tonal expressions.

I suspect the contributor feels that his knowledge of Thai, no doubt something he worked hard for, is worthy of respect, and I would give him that respect because even married to a Thai in the UK I struggle to master more than a few basic greetings. He should not however expect Thai's to give him credit for learning their language.

[puipuitom]

I can imagine, your Thai visitors could not speak any English. Still when here East-Europeans come to visit in Western Europe, they still introduce themselves, and do their utmost. We here call that: respect.

My experience with Thais is, they better prefer to keep their mouth shut as to run the risk of making any mistakes. Nobody comes on the idea, as then no farang can understand them.

I met only one Thai who was NOT afraid, despite his very limited knowledge of English. He invited me to go to the celebration the evening before cremation of a relative passed away. But.. how to call that in English.., this Dutch guy even can understand ? ?

"DEAD PEOPLE PARTY " !

It is over 15 years ago, his now grown up son and daughter made jokes about it, till daddy asked them: ‘so, what IS the English word for it ?” And they did not know……

[arminbkk]

I would smile it off and go with it. Then it usually stays friendly.

I experienced a similar thing a few days ago.

Was at some traditional Thai engagement thing where basically two different families in a village

(so they all know each other pretty well anyway) would sit across from each other and

one was, I guess, asking permission from the other family to marry a woman.

A 2-baht gold necklace was given by the man in question to the woman.

I must say I didn't understand most of what was said (Isaan-Thai) but did catch the word 'sin sot'.

I did get the impression that most of what was said was just joking back and forth.

[thailiketoo]

I suspect that the number of foreigners living in Thailand who have a high degree of fluency in the language is much smaller than the number of Thais fluent in English and other languages. I don't see why someone shouldn't be surprised to hear a Farang speaking good Thai. Of course to most westerners it is a very complex and difficult language to learn and the opportunity for doing so outside the Kingdom are very few BUT to Thai's it is an easy language and they are probably perplexed because they see us as he ones with a difficult language to learn and us as the ones with the strange alphabet and lack of tonal expressions.

I suspect the contributor feels that his knowledge of Thai, no doubt something he worked hard for, is worthy of respect, and I would give him that respect because even married to a Thai in the UK I struggle to master more than a few basic greetings. He should not however expect Thai's to give him credit for learning their language.

Although I agree with you the point should be made that all Thais take English at a very early age and those that go to college continue taking it. Where as I don't know any Western countries that require Thai to be taught in grade school.

[NanLaew]

I think it apt ....

funny how most Americans are ashamed of being American .... and then full of bluster ... and as to crude and insensitive behavour ... that's super rich ... and the punishment, a preemptive drone strike in the middle of the night ... by now you should have deduced as to why Americans have the nickname 'septic tanks' ... how else do you think they are arrived at ...

Well, kid when I medevaced Aussie troops in Vietnam they didn't call me Septic Tank! But that's not really the point. The point is being called Farang is very low on the insult scale where as Septic Tank is very high.

You've never met me. You don't know how many Aussie lives I have saved. Still you are ready to insult me just because of my nationality. What kind of a person does that make you? In comparison Thais are very polite, eh mate?

Sorry that Daniel offended you so deeply. He's a young 'un and used the full, two-word COCKNEY RHYMING SLANG which as anyone knows, including most (more wordly) Americans, has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do where one keeps their sh!t.

He should have used the more common, less offensive, shortened version. So I will do it instead.

You sir, are a septic.

[connda]

I'm more than happy to let the Thai folk talk while I act totally ignorant. It's amazing what you here and what you can learn when folk think you're functionally illitrate in the Thai language.

I would have told my wife's cousin that Mr. Somchai doesn't think that farang know how to light BBQ fires. Eventually it gets back to Mr. Somchai <surprise>.

Some folk talk to me including friends of the family and folks we hire to do this and that. Some don't want to talk to me at all. That's fine with me. I just listen and learn.

If you understand Thai, but Thai folks don't think you do, you weild an immense amount of power. You're a farang. They all talk about us. Don't take the slights personally. Let it go

[JLCrab]

I first encountered Brits and the Yank-Tank etc. thing on Lantau Island, Hong Kong while sitting out Chinese New Year before going back to PR China in 1990. At the bar I went to a few times, I asked them: There is a British gent that I pass walking to my hotel every day and I say Hello! to him and he just completely ignores me. Why is that? (They knew the gent of whom I spoke.)

They answered: Why should he say hello to you? He doesn't know what school you went to.

So little else of Commonwealth eccentricities since then phases me.

BTW when we do go out, nobody presumes that I don't understand Thai as the wife-of-sorts doesn't speak English.

Edited January 2, 2014 by JLCrab

[Ajaan]

Neeranam - you have to accept that we English speakers enjoy the luxury of having the international language. We find it normal for foreigners of all races to speak English. You and I would not be in the least surprised to hear an Eskimo (I know that's now a politically incorrect term now, but I'm old school), speak English.

But I'd suggest to you that we would both be a little surprised to hear an Eskimo speak Thai. A Thai would be no more shocked at hearing an Eskimo speak Thai as hearing you speak Thai. Probably less so, because an Eskimo does look slightly Asian.

Note: Absolutely no racial slurs are implied in the above.

Yes, I agree with your observations. I do understand WHY this happens. The main question is what do we do when it happens. Smile and say nothing?

<snip>...Tell them your name is Kuhn John. If you hear yourself being referred to in the 3rd person farang, politely remind them of your title and name. Obviously accept the Pi, Loong, or whatever. <snip>...

NEVER refer to YOURSELF as "khun" anything. That's a form of address others can use with you, but you can never use it in reference to yourself.

[thailiketoo]

I think it apt ....

funny how most Americans are ashamed of being American .... and then full of bluster ... and as to crude and insensitive behavour ... that's super rich ... and the punishment, a preemptive drone strike in the middle of the night ... by now you should have deduced as to why Americans have the nickname 'septic tanks' ... how else do you think they are arrived at ...

Well, kid when I medevaced Aussie troops in Vietnam they didn't call me Septic Tank! But that's not really the point. The point is being called Farang is very low on the insult scale where as Septic Tank is very high.

You've never met me. You don't know how many Aussie lives I have saved. Still you are ready to insult me just because of my nationality. What kind of a person does that make you? In comparison Thais are very polite, eh mate?

Sorry that Daniel offended you so deeply. He's a young 'un and used the full, two-word COCKNEY RHYMING SLANG which as anyone knows, including most (more wordly) Americans, has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do where one keeps their sh!t.

He should have used the more common, less offensive, shortened version. So I will do it instead.

You sir, are a septic.

You're missing the point. I don't have a problem being called a Sh** house. They guy who started this thread is an Aussie. He calls Yanks, Septic Tanks and does not think that is offensive. You don't think it is offensive. You gotta be kidding me! Farang means white guy in Thailand. You two guys have hurled more offense at me in a couple of posts than all the Thai guys at the OP's party.

You all are ten times more offensive. You should realize you are the pot calling the kettle black. I call Thais, Thai and Australians, Australians and Canadians, Canadians. I don't think of cute offensive words having to do with feces to call anyone.

Septic Tank is common parlance in Australia as Farang is common parlance in Thailand. Australia is common parlance in America. Face it. Your speech is far more crude and insulting than Thai speech.

.

[mrtoad]

I think it apt ....

funny how most Americans are ashamed of being American .... and then full of bluster ... and as to crude and insensitive behavour ... that's super rich ... and the punishment, a preemptive drone strike in the middle of the night ... by now you should have deduced as to why Americans have the nickname 'septic tanks' ... how else do you think they are arrived at ...

Well, kid when I medevaced Aussie troops in Vietnam they didn't call me Septic Tank! But that's not really the point. The point is being called Farang is very low on the insult scale where as Septic Tank is very high.

You've never met me. You don't know how many Aussie lives I have saved. Still you are ready to insult me just because of my nationality. What kind of a person does that make you? In comparison Thais are very polite, eh mate?

Well, an Aussie is hardly likely to use Cockney rhyming slang, hence the reason.

And, we call our friends across the water Septics, not the full version.

[Neeranam]

Neeranam - you have to accept that we English speakers enjoy the luxury of having the international language. We find it normal for foreigners of all races to speak English. You and I would not be in the least surprised to hear an Eskimo (I know that's now a politically incorrect term now, but I'm old school), speak English.

But I'd suggest to you that we would both be a little surprised to hear an Eskimo speak Thai. A Thai would be no more shocked at hearing an Eskimo speak Thai as hearing you speak Thai. Probably less so, because an Eskimo does look slightly Asian.

Note: Absolutely no racial slurs are implied in the above.

Yes, I agree with your observations. I do understand WHY this happens. The main question is what do we do when it happens. Smile and say nothing?

<snip>...Tell them your name is Kuhn John. If you hear yourself being referred to in the 3rd person farang, politely remind them of your title and name. Obviously accept the Pi, Loong, or whatever. <snip>...

NEVER refer to YOURSELF as "khun" anything. That's a form of address others can use with you, but you can never use it in reference to yourself.

Very true. I even knew a guy who had on his phone answering thing - "this is khun Bob, sorry ...etc".

Similar to "Ajaan"

[connda]

I think it apt ....

funny how most Americans are ashamed of being American .... and then full of bluster ... and as to crude and insensitive behavour ... that's super rich ... and the punishment, a preemptive drone strike in the middle of the night ... by now you should have deduced as to why Americans have the nickname 'septic tanks' ... how else do you think they are arrived at ...

Average Americans aren't ashamed to be Americans. They just don't really want to be associated with the stupidity of their governement. John and Jane Doe aren't pushing the button on Hellcat missles. John and Jane Doe aren't happy about the ongoing, never-ending police actions across the globe, and John and Jane Doe aren't really happy with their Congress or Executive branches of government right now (if you believe polls). And John and Jane Doe are generally pretty down to earth folk who just want to make a better life for themselves. So ashamed. Nayh. But do to actions beyond the average citizens's control, expats and tourist can't seem to shake off that "Ugly American" moniker that got coined so many years ago. America citizens aren't representives of their government's screwed up policies, no more than an Isaan rice farmer is a representive of the policies of his (or her) government. So sometimes it's just easier to say, "American eh? No, I'm Canadian", and move on.

Edited January 2, 2014 by connda

[JLCrab]

For those of Commonwealth persuasion on next year's on the Christmas list --

http://www.septictreatments.net/wp-content/uploads/rid-x.jpg

[Neeranam]

Well my car needed servicing today so I took it in at noon then had a few hours to kill. I thought a nice relaxing haircut so went to a nearby barber. There were two barbers who had clients and 2 kids waiting. The older barber finished his man and started on the kids. Another guy walked in. The younger barber finished his man and the the older guy told him to take the guy who walked in 10 minutes after me. Now, I paused and thought about some advice given on this thread. I thought f*** it and stood up saying, I'm actually in a bit of a hurry and started walking out. The older guy said "I'll do you very very soon" so I sat down as I really wanted a relaxing cut. Started chatting with the guy about this and that and after 15 minutes he said, "finished". I said, "you haven't shaved me yet" to which he replied"you don't need shaved". now I could have said, "mai pen rai" and smiled but I didn't. I said, " your service is terrible and I wonder if it is because you are racist but I certainly won't be back here again". It is so important for me to be "true to myself". I spent too many years as a codependent.

One of my favourite adages is "what you allow you condone". I f I had said nothing the next white-skinned guy who went there would not have got a shave either. Similar to my party - as someone so eloquently said, do I stick up for myself or be the dancing white monkey.

[hutchings1963]

you really dont know do you i have dutch man friend who can speak better thai than them,he told me one day i wish i never learn it because i hear what thai people think of farang,he said it digust him because he has thai lady and he supports her, which 99% of thai men cant do she has better life with him.