Farang speaking Pidgin baby talk - painful to listen to!

[wellred]

I'll do it when talking to the ladies in the bars but if I'm talking to non bar girls or any other farang I'll speak normally. I guess he's been in the country a long time so is no longer able to switch. Everyone has bad habits including the OP. Release your negative thoughts and be content. If he irritates you then do not socialise with him. Simples.

[IMA_FARANG]

As I was once told on arriving in what was then called Bombay, India.

"Good day sir, and from what previous destination are you currently proceeding" ?

Or like the (probably untrue) story about a television reporter who arrived on a Pacific island and was asked by the custom's agent who pointed to his television camera and asked, "This Big Fella, what his name be"?

And, of course, the correct answer was, "This Big Fella his name be "Television Camera".

Edited May 26, 2014 by IMA_FARANG

[Beetlejuice]

Friend of mine lives in oz with his Thai wife, speaks and always has exactly like that but ONLY to his wife. I find it awkward to listen to him.

When my Thai wife and I lived in the States and the UK, she spoke perfect fluent English with hardly a Thai accent. But when we arrived in Thailand the second she left the airport it was as if my wife had been struck on the head with a part of the tower of babel and suddenly she forgot how to speak English. Her English language skills seemed to have deteriorated ever since. When we converse I do not speak in that stupid pidgin tone, but I do have to choose my words carefully, using only the very basics to describe and explain things in English. Sometimes my wife fails to understand me at all and will misconceive what I am saying that ends up with us having 2 different conversations at the same time.

These people that use their form of silly talk as a substitute for their lack of Thai language skills I also find extremely annoying. I made the effort to teach myself the basics of Thai and so should that guy the OP describes, there is no excuse. In the past I have had farangs, even native English speakers try it on to me with that pidgin baby talk as the OP describes it, but I won`t stand for it. I always interrupt them and say; pardon me, but I was born in England so please speak with me in my own language. This can be archived firmly and straight to the point without having to be curt or patronising.

And this is my advice to those who find themselves in similar situations, just make them aware that it`s not necessary.

Edited May 26, 2014 by Beetlejuice

[MrWorldwide]

The only time Ive encountered anything like this is when it's someone who is clearly not a native English speaker - even then, its only older men. The mere thought of someone from the US or England addressing me like I just got off the bus from Si Saket sends a shiver down my spine, but if it was another Aussie I doubt that I could even sit there and listen beyond the first sentence - how the OP can tolerate this guy escapes me. Surely one of the saving graces of interacting with other Farang - in a bar or wherever - is that we dont have to simplify our speech patterns ? OK, maybe 'same-same' creeps in from time to time, but that's it - most of us crave intelligent conversation with another adult, and when I meet a Thai with fluent English I'm completely over the moon.

The OP's friend needs an intervention

[Datebayo]

How did you now he was an educated native English speaker with a highly skilled job?

And yes these guys are not even funny, it was the first time I ever saw farangs talk like retards, but it's very annoying now.

[geronimo]

As a former language instructor, I can tell you that this guy obviously tries to communicate with Thais who do not speak English very well (on a daily basis) and it has become a habit. If he heard a recording of himself, only once, it should be enough to make him realise how stupid he sounds. There is a myth that says you must simplify language for those who are learning it but in fact you are only confusing them. Any language should be delivered at regular speed, however, the choice of words is important and can help.

[neverdie]

So many <deleted> in this country. People that talk like this should be held down and have the word T W A T tattooed in their foreheads. That way the rest of us could avoid them.

Me handsum man, me not like, man no good

[cgphuket]

Cant be any worse than the ones who use English words but put "mak mak" after every word. Makes me want to throttle them.

[bunnydrops]

Its habit forming when you go weeks sometimes without speaking to another English speaker. I am still learning to speak Thai and many of the Thais I know speak some English. I speak with them with a mix of Thai and dumb downed English. When I get to speak to a native English speaker, I drop the dumb downed English but find I still speak a lot slower and throw in Thai words that I immediately correct to English.

[Payboy]

I find it much easier to use flash cards.

[namdocmai]

I also start pronouncing english words the Thai way. What your name? My name is Frank. Ohh Flank, i like name. Solly but i said FRRRank, chai Flank i like maak maak.

I also order flench fly's, cigalettes malbolo led, wowee blead, hambugaa, flied lice......no ploblem sur, can do.

[krisb]

Its one thing using this Thai version of English gone wrong, but when non Asians add an Asian accent on top I cant stand it.

[uptheos]

Cant be any worse than the ones who use English words but put "mak mak" after every word. Makes me want to throttle them.

You connect 4 mak mak, jing jing

[Khun Loong]

Too much time hanging around in low life bars talking to morons.

[Timwin]

So what? The English language is full of garbage anyway, bastardized French - German - Spanish - Swedish - Latin weird combo, so about time it is simplified.

How painful it is for Thais to listen us Farangs to speak Thai. Tones all incorrect or non-existing even if you know all the words in correct order.

Edited May 27, 2014 by Timwin

[mesquite]

Well, I admit I use the Thai baby talk when I'm speaking English to anyone who looks like a Thai woman. It probably started out with bar girls, but I find when I speak normal English to Thais, they don't understand.

Even educated Thais speak some form of Thai baby talk, from what I've seen, MD's, dentists, etc.

I also admit it's a bit embarrassing when on rare occasions I end up talking to a young American woman of Vietnamese descent who, of course, speaks English perfectly.

So I'm the only TV poster who does this?

[peterquixote]

Well, whether I like it or not, my Thai Wife speaks in that way of the pigeon English.

And slowly without knowing it I started to copy her.

Apparently it is a human trait to copy language .

This is why a person will say to you sometimes, you are speaking like your father or Mother did.

We voice copy and intonation.

Sometimes I could be in a Bangkok taxi and raving on about things to my Wife, Miss Wan,

especially my hatred for Thaksin with that loose slightly nasal Southern accent accent we have,

I said we are getting rid of Thaksin and we are going to pay the rice farmer

and the taxi driver leaned over his seat , checked the traffic was safe and said

" I think you can be reading the Bangkok times too often Sir "

and his accent, his accent was as clean crisp as you could imagine, he was about 50 years of age

[i claudius]

My wife who has lived in the UK for many years speaks very good english ,but a friend of ours (who should know bwtter) having lived here for years ,still talks to her in "tinglish" even though she has repeateadly told him to talk properly ,

[thailand49]

One can easily get caught up speaking like this... we are human and as human are not as self discipline as others like yourself. I know first hand because I do it from time to time especially when you spend most of your days and nights with a Thai person. It can spill over talking to your own friends and not even notice it.. When I was lot younger I spend summers in Hawaii with my cousins after a few months I was starting to talk pigeon.

I have no problem with you but if you truly are a friend you can speak to him privately instead of acting like a child yourself and going on a rant? What you don't ever do is point it out to him publicly if so you should have the balls to do it to everyone who does it regardless if you know them or not!

[masuk]

Does it really matter? If it irritates you , move on.

Have you tried asking him?

Maybe he is not aware that he is doing it to the degree he is because its become a habit, and no one as yet, has bothered to ask or point it out to him.

Just a thought.

It's one step down from the old system: "If they don't speak English, then just speak much LOUDER!"

[thamteak]

Many falang angree here.

Angree falang go home. You no need stay here.

Simon.

[Emster23]

Had a friend who spoke like that, I called him out on it. His excuse was he didn't want bar girls to speak proper English so he could tell them from Uni girls (who can speak even less usually). We learn the usage of a language from those around us, regardless of whether it is right or wrong. That is a reason NOT to baby talk around babies. Talk to them in standard language, and they will learn standard language. Seems a no brainer

[jaapfries]

Been in Thailand 22 years and have come across this 'phenomena' a great number of times. I believe that this self-inflicted "speech-impediment" is largely born out of "arrogance" - since the practicing-moron appears to assume that he is "educated", whereas his "victims" are not (in his opinion, of course). - The problem with this entire matter is, apart from the fact that it is like clawing fingernails down a blackboard, that if Thai people are exposed to this verbal diarrhea, they will never pick-up properly structured English - and hence, not learn/improve their own English skills. So; the people that express themselves thus are not doing anyone any favors, least of all their Thai audiences, to say nothing of innocent English-speaking by-standers !

Having said that: "Today evening I go Bar and look men speak ting-tong Angrit, then give he telopsilopsi-lai, tank you very big !"

[BudRight]

I too hate this. Pick a language and speak it properly.

[Timwin]

If you do not speak your native language with native speakers that often, you will start mixing up your language with the local language. Thai words do not change regardless whether you are speaking about the past, the present or the future.

You speak with Thais all day long with English for years, it will naturally start to resemble spoken Thai with only one form per word. Especially since the Thai language is quite difficult to learn, it is easier to speak combo Thailish.

[pgrahmm]

Got my best lesson about this many years ago........I was camping in the Redwoods in US and one family had a youngster under 5 years old.....he and I were walking and talking an in an attempt to converse with him I was talking at the same level as him........he stopped and looked at me (I'm 6'4") and said with 4 fingers displayed "why you talk like a 4 year old?" - I have never forgotten that and it's been 30+ years.

My Thai wife is university educated and has a pretty good grasp on English, (much better than my pathetic Thai) but her sentence structures are typically Thai and I find myself sometimes slipping into tinglish but try not to. Mostly while driving - for some reason more than around the house.......

[Albertosez]

Record the silly c*^t next time...............and then play it back to him the next time you meet him. Tell him a friend sent you this recording of a silly pompous pr*ck he met in a bar. Job done !

[Neilcnx]

Was there just that one stool left at the bar?

[coconutbar]

feed him some bread crumbs and tell him if he speaks any more pidgin english your gonna treat him like a pidgin.

[dotpoom]

Most lightly he is living with a Thai partner and that way of speaking is the only way he can make himself understood by the partner. It is just a habit that he has developed and habits are not easily broken, or switched on and off.

Edited May 27, 2014 by dotpoom