The lack of eye contact

[thailiketoo]

One common form of non-verbal communication is known in Thai as yak kiu. This is a gesture of confirmation or agreement which involves raising the eyebrows up and down (yak = move up and down; kiu = eyebrows). For example, if two friends are talking and one suggests to the other that they should go to the cinema to watch a movie, the other friend may yak kiu. The wiggly eyebrows are often accompanied with a slight smile which makes it even more endearing. As a non-Thai theres no need to start practicing your yak kiu skills. A simple yes or OK will serve a similar purpose, but at least youll know what the deal is with the wiggly eyebrows if you notice Thai people doing it.

http://www.thaizer.com/culture-shock/thai-body-language-saying-it-with-the-eyebrows/

Thai people make eye contact all the time. If you don't notice it means you don't live in Thailand or if Thais don't make eye contact with you something else is wrong. I would check my deodorant, cut down on dairy products and get some new clothes.

and you should check your thai translations.

for a start the word your looking for is ยก / yok not yak

secondly ยก/yok means to lift, not to move something up and down.

ยก คิ้ว / yok kiu would be correct

not "yak kiu" as you stated.

surprising, as you have claimed to be fluent in both spoken and written thai on some of your previous posts.

maybe your just having a bad day

1. The translation is from httpwww.thaizer.com

2. Only a hard core pedantic would question the difference between Yok Kiu and Yak Kiu.

3. It's against TV rules to correct my spelling and or grammar when it does not effect the meaning.

4. I hardly think Yok Kiu and Yak Kiu would really make any difference.

So you are a pedantic person who is in violation of Thai Visa rules who is just trying to start a fight with me.

I find many uses for Yok Kiu or Yak Kiu. If you don't, up to you.

[thepool]

thailiketoo

"1. The translation is from httpwww.thaizer.com "

Is the rather obscure Thaizer an authoritative source of Thai/English transliteration / interpretation ?

[tyler2208]

One common form of non-verbal communication is known in Thai as yak kiu. This is a gesture of confirmation or agreement which involves raising the eyebrows up and down (yak = move up and down; kiu = eyebrows). For example, if two friends are talking and one suggests to the other that they should go to the cinema to watch a movie, the other friend may yak kiu. The wiggly eyebrows are often accompanied with a slight smile which makes it even more endearing. As a non-Thai theres no need to start practicing your yak kiu skills. A simple yes or OK will serve a similar purpose, but at least youll know what the deal is with the wiggly eyebrows if you notice Thai people doing it.

http://www.thaizer.com/culture-shock/thai-body-language-saying-it-with-the-eyebrows/

Thai people make eye contact all the time. If you don't notice it means you don't live in Thailand or if Thais don't make eye contact with you something else is wrong. I would check my deodorant, cut down on dairy products and get some new clothes.

and you should check your thai translations.

for a start the word your looking for is ยก / yok not yak

secondly ยก/yok means to lift, not to move something up and down.

ยก คิ้ว / yok kiu would be correct

not "yak kiu" as you stated.

surprising, as you have claimed to be fluent in both spoken and written thai on some of your previous posts.

maybe your just having a bad day

1. The translation is from httpwww.thaizer.com

2. Only a hard core pedantic would question the difference between Yok Kiu and Yak Kiu.

3. It's against TV rules to correct my spelling and or grammar when it does not effect the meaning.

4. I hardly think Yok Kiu and Yak Kiu would really make any difference.

So you are a pedantic person who is in violation of Thai Visa rules who is just trying to start a fight with me.

I find many uses for Yok Kiu or Yak Kiu. If you don't, up to you.

but it does effect the meaning.

yok and yak are to completely different words with totally different meanings.

what you wrote was incorrect and misleading.

please explain how using the wrong word does not effect the meaning?

If you are fluent in thai, as you have previously claimed to be, then why are you using online translators?

it obviously was not a mistype on your part as you spelt it the same way more than once.

so i am not correcting your spelling, i am correcting your misuse of the thai language.

the fact that you are posting incorrect translations is misleading for many posters who will read them.

now i am sure if my post is breaking forum

rules, then they will no doubt remove it.

[thailiketoo]

thailiketoo

"1. The translation is from httpwww.thaizer.com "

Is the rather obscure Thaizer an authoritative source of Thai/English transliteration / interpretation ?

Moot point. This is not a Thai language forum and you are just trying to be pedantic. So who cares?

The point is, Thais make eye contact most of the time so they can look for they eyebrow thing.

Edited March 30, 2014 by thailiketoo

[Scarpolo]

thailiketoo

"1. The translation is from httpwww.thaizer.com "

Is the rather obscure Thaizer an authoritative source of Thai/English transliteration / interpretation ?

What is the best translator on the web?

and, to the OP,

Your age is the only factor I can imagine, in that, they are showing you respect.

I have had no issue with eye contact, male or female, so, I have trouble with your entire thought process.

Its also possible, that you are not as popular and well liked, as you think

[sam sen]

'My Thai wife tells me that if a Thai man looks another man in the eye, it means he does not like him and may want to fight him. Is this true?' the rubbish some thai's talk. no it's not true.

[tyler2208]

thailiketoo

"1. The translation is from httpwww.thaizer.com "

Is the rather obscure Thaizer an authoritative source of Thai/English transliteration / interpretation ?

Moot point. This is not a Thai language forum and you are just trying to be pedantic. So who cares?

The point is, Thais make eye contact most of the time so they can look for they eyebrow thing.

your correct, it is not a thai language forum, so please refrain from posting incorrect translations/thai phrases here.

[HeijoshinCool]

Even after two years here in the small town of Rhek Thum, when walking, people still "eye" me.

"Look, look, farang, blah, blah, woof, woof …."

I have actually handed my camera to a few idiots people. Then they looked away.

I understand the concept of people you do not know looking at you because you look so different from most people they see.

I have been in my area almost 3 years now and still get those looks.

What the thread is about is people that you know who will nt make eye contact while having a conversation with you.

BTW. There have been some good and helpful replies to this question so far..thanks for those.

A few have been rather silly replies too, but I too enjoy being silly at times.

Uh, yeah, I actually do understand, believe it or not, what your topic is about.

After two years in Rhek Thum, they are people that do know me, they are talking to me, and they are making eye contact.

[NanLaew]

Never noticed any eye-contact problem with any of the locals in day-to-day activities such shopping, in the market, meetings and interactions at work (bosses or subordinates), traffic police shakedowns (once he takes off the bloody Ray-Ban Aviators!), friends, people you want to be friendly with, in-laws, out-laws, wait-staff, bar girls, ladyboys, hotel clerks, bell-hops, security guards, etc, etc..

Plenty of 7-eleven clerks, fast-food vendors (Thai and western junk outlets), idiot drivers, most taxi drivers, all bus drivers, people caught saying or doing the wrong thing and others that I would EXPECT not to look me in the eye don't look me in the eye. But that aint a Thai-only thing.

[realenglish1]

Since I bought these expensive glasses, not just Thais but everyone looks at my eyes all the time.

Yes that is understandable The Thais want to see which farang spend the equivalent of their months salary for glasses

[shadmo63]

Even after two years here in the small town of Rhek Thum, when walking, people still "eye" me.

"Look, look, farang, blah, blah, woof, woof …."

I have actually handed my camera to a few idiots people. Then they looked away.

Do you really live in Rhek Thum?

[DrTuner]

Even after two years here in the small town of Rhek Thum, when walking, people still "eye" me.

"Look, look, farang, blah, blah, woof, woof …."

I have actually handed my camera to a few idiots people. Then they looked away.

Do you really live in Rhek Thum?

That's the village right next to Nakhon Nowhere, isn't it ?

[arthurwait]

People don't look people in the eye when they are lying, handsum man.

[cooked]

Try making eye contact in London . It may take you all day.

Sent from my GT-S7500 using Tapatalk 2

[shadmo63]

"What is the best translator on the web?"

Don't know but Google translate does a pretty good job for me.

I also like iPad app L-lingo for learning Thai - I think you get 5 lessons for free then another 60 for $15 then another 40 (on pc only) for $10 a month. This will get your vocab up to say 1000-1200 words or so I reckon. And if you select to use Thai writing in the settings you can improve your reading. I knew the alphabet before starting and had a fair bit of basic vocab. I dont know how an absolute beginner would go.

There is an iPad only free dictionary produced by thai-language.com which i find useful too. Very comprehensive and gives words in typical sentences and breaks down each word/sentence and explains the terms used, even including obscenities if you're interested.

There are an awful lot of speaking apps and dictionaries to choose from, so I'd be interested in others experience too. I am not sure where to head now I have finished L-lingo's lessons.

[smileydude]

One common form of non-verbal communication is known in Thai as yak kiu. This is a gesture of confirmation or agreement which involves raising the eyebrows up and down (yak = move up and down; kiu = eyebrows). For example, if two friends are talking and one suggests to the other that they should go to the cinema to watch a movie, the other friend may yak kiu. The wiggly eyebrows are often accompanied with a slight smile which makes it even more endearing. As a non-Thai theres no need to start practicing your yak kiu skills. A simple yes or OK will serve a similar purpose, but at least youll know what the deal is with the wiggly eyebrows if you notice Thai people doing it.

http://www.thaizer.com/culture-shock/thai-body-language-saying-it-with-the-eyebrows/

Thai people make eye contact all the time. If you don't notice it means you don't live in Thailand or if Thais don't make eye contact with you something else is wrong. I would check my deodorant, cut down on dairy products and get some new clothes.

and you should check your thai translations.

for a start the word your looking for is ยก / yok not yak

secondly ยก/yok means to lift, not to move something up and down.

ยก คิ้ว / yok kiu would be correct

not "yak kiu" as you stated.

surprising, as you have claimed to be fluent in both spoken and written thai on some of your previous posts.

maybe your just having a bad day

As a thai I'd like to confirm that we do say ยักคิ้ว "yak khiu". It is a thai expression that google translate is not able to compute. ยก which you correctly said means "to lift" is not used to mean raising of one's eyebrows as a gesture of acknowledgement. It would literally mean to lift up one's eyebrows as say applicable in plastic surgery. If you notice, thai's do not use facial expressions as much as westerners including yak khiu as it is not considered appropriate social behavior usually limited to among very close friends. If you did a yak khiu with a thai person you just met I'd wager they'd be taken aback or งงๆ look a bit confused! Edited March 30, 2014 by smileydude

[cooked]

The collect transliteration is 'Fak khiu', a rare phrase only to be used in the presents of pedants.

[thailiketoo]

thailiketoo

"1. The translation is from httpwww.thaizer.com "

Is the rather obscure Thaizer an authoritative source of Thai/English transliteration / interpretation ?

Moot point. This is not a Thai language forum and you are just trying to be pedantic. So who cares?

The point is, Thais make eye contact most of the time so they can look for they eyebrow thing.

your correct, it is not a thai language forum, so please refrain from posting incorrect translations/thai phrases here.

You posted, "ยก คิ้ว / yok kiu would be correct." Not I. Read the rules. Stop flaming me. Grow up.

1. ยก คิ้ว is against the forum rules. 2. Correcting my English spelling when no change in meaning is involved is against the rules.

[HeijoshinCool]

Even after two years here in the small town of Rhek Thum, when walking, people still "eye" me.

"Look, look, farang, blah, blah, woof, woof …."

I have actually handed my camera to a few idiots people. Then they looked away.

Do you really live in Rhek Thum?

That's the village right next to Nakhon Nowhere, isn't it ?

Not far from Phi Phi.

One of my neighbors is actually named Turdsak.