RandomSand Posted January 12, 2014 Share Posted January 12, 2014 Mia Noi. Mia Falang. What does this "Mia" mean ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lite Beer Posted January 12, 2014 Share Posted January 12, 2014 Wife 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wym Posted January 12, 2014 Share Posted January 12, 2014 (edited) Wife, but a more flexible definition than the legalistic one in the West, doesn't imply a legal registration. Mia noi isn't really translatable, since western culture's closest equivalent is "mistress" while here it can literally mean a secondary (tertiary etc) wife, just not the first/primary one, but often a long-term stable relationship, sometimes part of the extended family where all the wives know each other, sometimes gang up on the pooa. And when derogatory, mia farang may be aimed at the temporary rented wives, but this usage tends to be more widespread among those on the edges of the game if not the thick of it. Most mainstream Thais don't mean anything derogatory by it at all. Edited January 12, 2014 by wym Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RandomSand Posted January 12, 2014 Author Share Posted January 12, 2014 So is the title Mia or Mia Noi ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wym Posted January 12, 2014 Share Posted January 12, 2014 Generic "mia" is more general, the others are subsets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RandomSand Posted January 12, 2014 Author Share Posted January 12, 2014 okay thanks I understand . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Costas2008 Posted January 12, 2014 Share Posted January 12, 2014 I'll ask my Mia Noi and come back for an explanation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Somsrisonphimai Posted January 12, 2014 Popular Post Share Posted January 12, 2014 So is the title Mia or Mia Noi ? Mia Yai = Primary wife Mia Noi = Mistress Mia = Wife Mia Farang = Foreigner's wife Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post dick turpin Posted January 12, 2014 Popular Post Share Posted January 12, 2014 A Mia = wife B Mia Noi = Your bit on the side If A finds out about B it is the duck farm for your pecker, 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Ajaan Posted January 12, 2014 Popular Post Share Posted January 12, 2014 So is the title Mia or Mia Noi ? Mia Yai = Primary wife Mia Noi = Mistress Mia = Wife Mia Farang = Foreigner's wife Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand Mia Luang = Primary wife, not "Mia Yai" (at least, Mia Luang is way more common) 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PoorSucker Posted January 12, 2014 Share Posted January 12, 2014 And when derogatory, mia farang may be aimed at the temporary rented wives, but this usage tends to be more widespread among those on the edges of the game if not the thick of it. Most mainstream Thais don't mean anything derogatory by it at all. I heard in an old movie from the seventies the the term Mia chèa for rented temporary wife. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wym Posted January 12, 2014 Share Posted January 12, 2014 A Mia = wife B Mia Noi = Your bit on the side Your phrase implies a short-term, relatively unimportant physical relationship. Many Mia Nois are full-fledged wives with houses, cars, children and last for a lifetime, fully equivalent to a full-on wife, just socially one notch down from the one that got in first. If A finds out about B it is the duck farm for your pecker, True for most farang because we aren't doing it right. I know lots of families where the wives all know about each other, and several where they get along just fine and act as one big extended family. Although it's usually the case that the youngest one currently getting the most attention (and sometimes "too much" of the income/assets will be ganged up on by the older/prior ones. TGs know such aspects of Thai culture are beyond most farang and stridently do their best to prevent us adopting them - but it's not impossible if you set the ground rules from the start and continue to wear the pants. Of course you have to have the income/assets to keep everyone happy, while "adultery" like this isn't grounds for a wife to divorce her husband, his spending "too much" money on the mia moi(s) is. But everything is relative, I know taxi drivers and small shop-owners, don't have to be rich. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wym Posted January 12, 2014 Share Posted January 12, 2014 And when derogatory, mia farang may be aimed at the temporary rented wives, but this usage tends to be more widespread among those on the edges of the game if not the thick of it. Most mainstream Thais don't mean anything derogatory by it at all. I heard in an old movie from the seventies the the term Mia chèa for rented temporary wife. Hadn't heard that, but I've heard "mia chao" = rented wife a lot. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wym Posted January 12, 2014 Share Posted January 12, 2014 So is the title Mia or Mia Noi ? Mia Yai = Primary wife Mia Noi = Mistress Mia = Wife Mia Farang = Foreigner's wife Are you Thai? I'm sure you realize farang only applies to Caucasian foreigners, wouldn't be used for Asian, middle-eastern or African foreigners. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post willyumiii Posted January 12, 2014 Popular Post Share Posted January 12, 2014 (edited) Moma Mia = Italian who is married to his mother? Edited January 12, 2014 by willyumiii 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post wayned Posted January 12, 2014 Popular Post Share Posted January 12, 2014 Mia Luang - $$$ Mia Noi - $$$$$$$ Mia Yai - - the "big" mama! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Somsrisonphimai Posted January 12, 2014 Share Posted January 12, 2014 So is the title Mia or Mia Noi ? Mia Yai = Primary wife Mia Noi = Mistress Mia = Wife Mia Farang = Foreigner's wife Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand Mia Luang = Primary wife, not "Mia Yai" (at least, Mia Luang is way more common) Same meaning. Mia Luang = Mia Yai Mia Mai = New Wife (remarried) Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Somsrisonphimai Posted January 12, 2014 Share Posted January 12, 2014 (edited) So is the title Mia or Mia Noi ? Mia Yai = Primary wife Mia Noi = Mistress Mia = Wife Mia Farang = Foreigner's wife Are you Thai? I'm sure you realize farang only applies to Caucasian foreigners, wouldn't be used for Asian, middle-eastern or African foreigners. No, it isn't just applied to white foreigners. It is applied to black as well. But you are right on that it won't be applying to Asian or Middle-eastern foreigners. Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand Edited January 12, 2014 by Somsrisonphimai Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Somsrisonphimai Posted January 12, 2014 Share Posted January 12, 2014 Moma Mia = Italian who is married to his mother? What about mama boy? Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farma Posted January 12, 2014 Share Posted January 12, 2014 And then you have Pariyaa 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
h90 Posted January 12, 2014 Share Posted January 12, 2014 And then you have Pariyaa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hedghog Posted January 12, 2014 Share Posted January 12, 2014 You all forgot. Mia ATM. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hardened Spanker Posted January 12, 2014 Share Posted January 12, 2014 Mia Mor? Mia Culpa? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FiftyTwo Posted January 12, 2014 Share Posted January 12, 2014 (edited) Mia = common law wife (Mia Luang if you have other women) Mia Noi = mistress you provide everything for Panraya = Registered wife Mia has no inheritance rights. Edited January 12, 2014 by FiftyTwo 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Somsrisonphimai Posted January 12, 2014 Popular Post Share Posted January 12, 2014 (edited) Mia = common law wife (Mia Luang if you have other women) Mia Noi = mistress you provide everything for Panraya = Registered wife Mia has no inheritance rights. Not true on Mia has no inheritance rights. Panraya = Mia (registered or not) Panraya is mostly used in central Thai dialect. It is also depending on the husband introducing his wife as either Mia or Panraya, but the meaning is the same. Mia can be used loosely to refer a woman who has sex with a man period. Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand Edited January 12, 2014 by Somsrisonphimai 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apiwan Posted January 12, 2014 Share Posted January 12, 2014 I'm sure you realize farang only applies to Caucasian foreigners, wouldn't be used for Asian, middle-eastern or African foreigners. That's not true,,,farrang applies to anyone not THAI, Japanese ,Korean etc etc, Many a time I've heard she's got a far rang ,when I've asked the country, it has been all over. Maybe I'm wrong now we got ASEAN ,555+ Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FiftyTwo Posted January 12, 2014 Share Posted January 12, 2014 (edited) Mia = common law wife (Mia Luang if you have other women) Mia Noi = mistress you provide everything for Panraya = Registered wife Mia has no inheritance rights. Not true on Mia has no inheritance rights. Panraya = Mia (registered or not) Panraya is mostly used in central Thai dialect. It is also depending on the husband introducing his wife as either Mia or Panraya, but the meaning is the same. Mia can be used loosely to refer a woman who has sex with a man period. Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand Mia is often used by lower class people who have limited education and vocabs. Any educated Thai would laugh at someone who thought mia was wife. Of course, lots of foreigners learn words from the poorly educated. Rule 1 for learning Thai. When you want to know the difference between two similar Thai words, ask a Thai who at least completed high school. Edited January 12, 2014 by FiftyTwo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post wym Posted January 12, 2014 Popular Post Share Posted January 12, 2014 Mia is often used by lower class people who have limited education and vocabs. Any educated Thai would laugh at someone who thought mia was wife. Of course, lots of foreigners learn words from the poorly educated. Rule 1 for learning Thai. When you want to know the difference between two similar Thai words, ask a Thai who at least completed high school. What a crock. It is true that stuck-up face-obsessed wannabee-hiso Thais will make a point of only using higher-register formal language panlaya rather than mia samii rather than pua ahaan rather than khao but once a farang has become close enough to be considered a friend/lover/part of the family even well-educated Thais will use the less formal, lower-register vocabulary with you. It is of course true that a lower-class Thai is more likely to use "gin khao" than "thaan ahaan". If a "high class" Thai perceives you as a low-class farang, then an upper-class Thai will never let you become so familiar with them, while the poor have fewer inhibitions that way, and ulterior motives. This linguistic feature is exactly like "vous vs tu" in French or "sie vs du" in German, just applies to a lot of vocabulary in Thai not only pronouns. There's a whole other vocabulary set for religious contexts, another for use within thepalace and true aristocracy. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wym Posted January 12, 2014 Share Posted January 12, 2014 That's not true,,,farrang applies to anyone not THAI, Japanese ,Korean etc etc, Many a time I've heard she's got a far rang ,when I've asked the country, it has been all over. Maybe I'm wrong now we got ASEAN ,555+ Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand No that is incorrect, means white man only. Sometimes you'll hear "farang dam" for an African American, but they're joking. Definitely not for Indian/Arab (Khaek) nor oriental, where they tend to actually differentiate by country. Truly ignorant will use "passat farang", not even knowing (nor caring) if their teerak is french or italian or whatever. But it definitely only means "people of white European ethnicity" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FiftyTwo Posted January 12, 2014 Share Posted January 12, 2014 Only lower class white foreigners use the "farang" word too. No need for racism EVER. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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