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Expats, do you speak Thai at home?


simon43

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When I had girlfriends in the past, yes as I like to practice my thai. But also because I had to learn on a pretty steep learning curve, because my girlfriends only spoke thai not a lick of English! Mostly upcountry girls riding escalators, using smartphones, navigating the Bts and Mrt along with a small need to talk English, discovering western products was always a fun time.

I remember one from mukdahan that made me brekfast one morning and took a spoon and dipped it straight in the margarine for a mouth full... Mai aloy!!! :-P

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I think that its horses for courses isn't it?

I read many posts from those Manic black and white oriented people who think that by learning to speak a little Thai that they are and will be "understood" by people other than their closest relatives and who in any event those close to them would understand them more from body language than anything they said in any language in the first place!

Please re read that last paragraph again, I had to read it twice and I wrote it but it does make some sense.

The Thai ladies on our Soi have a great laugh when there is a Farang with admittedly poor thai speaking qualities and always a little Mau trying to impress them and their ExPat spouses with his Thai speaking abilities (Or Not)

For those young enough who have invested their lives in Thailand, to speak Thai is obviously a top priority but for those like me who are well past their sell by date just being understood is enough.

So in answer to your question I do not speak in Thai at home but when Thai friends or neighbours call round I do say hello and thank you in Thai.

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I mostly use English. Often I will ask my My Thai wife who is pretty good in English a question in English and also follow up with some Thai just to make sure. No one likes being locked out of the house, so I ask if she has the keys and then make sure in Thai. She only buggered it up once and so thats why I keep her on her toes because most the time a foreign language becomes white noise to a person once you learn to block it out. Especially when the temples or pick-up trucks are at 100% above normal sound levels.

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Actually I speak to my wife in Thai when asking directions. But even in Thai she says 'kwaa' instead of 'sai' etc.

I speak in Thai when we discuss medical issues, religion, bank stuff, and the kids schooling. Important stuff as her English isn't perfect even after 14 years marriage.

For the first 2/3 years we spoke ONLY Thai as she didn't know any English at all when we met.

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Actually I speak to my wife in Thai when asking directions. But even in Thai she says 'kwaa' instead of 'sai' etc.

...

I think I might be married to her sister.

We speak English generally, though my wife does also speak to our toddler in both Thai and English, more Thai when I'm not in sight.

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My Wife lives in Bangkok I Live down past Hua Hin I see her maybe once a month, so most of the time I speak to no one in any language as Im on my own .

Some seem to think my language is "bashing" in which Im fluenttongue.png

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Most of the expats I've met in Thailand only speak when the Wife let's them.laugh.pngwhistling.gif

Thats true about me, by the way how is Ramsbottom these days Kurt I had some good times there 50 plus years ago.

Holcombe brook area as I remember ? (just about that is)

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