The perfect reason for NOT learning Thai.

[recom273]

Downside of learning Thai is that you get to hear what the majority of Thai people talk about on a daily basis: the most inane, trivial conversations and gossip that I've ever heard in my life. Yes, you can become totally fluent in Thai with a lot of work, but then what are you going to talk about? When I reached a level where I could understand 75% or so of what I heard around me, I completely lost interest in the language.

This is so true .. we very rarely speak Thai at home, and I conduct most of my business with Thai's on my own in Thai without the wives presence.

After saying that the language is a load of old bunk, doesnt the OP feel like a total plank when he can't take control of a situation as mentioned, or remedy it with a call to get the delivery guys.

I would have thought it a reason to be able to speak Thai.

[Thaiready]

As you already understood the problem about the possible mix-up, if you spoke Thai could you not have explained it to the delivery people? Surely you wouldn't have been worried about losing face in the confrontation?

It would certainly have saved space on the forum about a trivial complaint because of your inability to understand the interaction that was going on.

Just another excuse for not understanding the language of your host country IMHO.....................

Perhaps the delivery men should have spoken English or the tongue of your native country, that would make things easier, eh?

That much effort replying to a post you think was a waste of space?

just call him Numb Nuts

[msealey]

some of these threads can go on for hours with the same shallow inane boring crap, wish I hadn't bothered learning how to click links off my email.

[Thai at Heart]

Football commentary.

[Nuddy]

As I learn Thai very slowly I just find that all those conversations i didn't understand and still don't fully understand, they are just shooting the breeze.

I am keen to continue to learn Thai

Maybe then we can get to the point much more quickly.

[KhnomKhnom]

Advantage of not knowing Thai to me is that my Thai wife, somewhat similar to girl pictured, can fuss at me in Thai, become exhausted, I listen as if I understand but understand nothing she says, and then she says something very simple and mild in English. Life is easy that way.

[aboctok]

As you already understood the problem about the possible mix-up, if you spoke Thai could you not have explained it to the delivery people? Surely you wouldn't have been worried about losing face in the confrontation?

It would certainly have saved space on the forum about a trivial complaint because of your inability to understand the interaction that was going on.

Just another excuse for not understanding the language of your host country IMHO.....................

Perhaps the delivery men should have spoken English or the tongue of your native country, that would make things easier, eh?

How's your reading comprehension?

[AnotherOneAmerican]

Simple answer,

Don't leave things you consider important to your woman.

Nothing to do with learning Thai, all to do with your misses being useless.

How easy is that?

[atyclb]

what the op (tv shill writer) describes is incompetency and not a language issue.

[recycler]

My Wife's friends (100% Thai) Children all go to International Schools - They are fluently bilingual in Thai and English.

When playing with each other they all talk not in Thai but in English. I have supposed that this is due to English being a more specific, accurate and efficient language.

That said: Not learning Thai will always be a hinderance, regardless of someone else not communicating properly, you will always need to.

I agree with you, my experience is that the more Thai I learn and understand, the more I realize that it is a highly inefficient language. The biggest hurdle for Thais is not just to learn another language like English, but to learn to communicate with much less vagueness.

I work as only foreigner in a Thai company and am married to a Thai, I speak reasonable Thai when it comes to work and domestic issues and read a bit. I have seen so many situations where even family members don't understand each other over simple issues. One of the conclusions for me is that I'm shifting to English and Dutch only at home to learn the kids to communicate in a different way than they would learn when we would speak Thai.

To take it a bit further, I'm getting annoyed by how much of words are not communication but wasted on confirming and re-confirming their relative status towards each other. If you literally translate a conversation between 2 Thais (older says younger to that younger has to do this) I really get sick. People referring to them selves as "older", "younger" or sometimes "mouse" in a conversation makes you wonder...

[mikemac]

As I learn Thai very slowly I just find that all those conversations i didn't understand and still don't fully understand, they are just shooting the breeze.

I am keen to continue to learn Thai

Maybe then we can get to the point much more quickly.

There are countless good reasons for learning the language of any country you go to live in or visit often, including getting to the point quicker.

I have found it just makes everyday things that used to be a drama that much easier. And you can have a bit of fun interacting with the locals.

Most of the people who are against learning the lingo are either thick as bricks, plain lazy, lacking imagination or are dumb rednecks who would not lower themselves to a level beneath the one they are on now.

[aboctok]

Downside of learning Thai is that you get to hear what the majority of Thai people talk about on a daily basis: the most inane, trivial conversations and gossip that I've ever heard in my life. Yes, you can become totally fluent in Thai with a lot of work, but then what are you going to talk about? When I reached a level where I could understand 75% or so of what I heard around me, I completely lost interest in the language.

Evidently, you are so high-and-mighty that you cannot sustain any passion for relentlessly repetitive conversations, for discussing at length things of almost no consequence, or perhaps re-re-re-confirming some previously agreed arrangement, all while maintaining a facial expression of joy. I feel sorry for you and all your Thai bashing mates.

[A1Str8]

I think it still makes sense to learn the language if you are retarded.

[ToddinChonburi]

The funny thing is , Thai's can not understand Thai's. Ask your wife's or girl friends about the different dialects that are spoken in Thailand.

[Mudcrab]

Let me get this right...the wrong mattress went on the wrong bed.

Why don't you and the Missus move it yourselves.

Swallow the pride old son. Nobody will see you lose face - close all the curtains/blinds first.

I read the bit about it weighing 4 tons - come on lets get real!!

It might be awkward to handle but it's still only a mattress.

[Minnehaha]

Since learning to understand conversational Thai I now have the pleasure of listen to my wife and her friends/family all constantly talk about how much they paid for everything and what is the best iPhone or tablet that is currently out, for hours on end, every time they meet up.

It was better before I realised how shallow, immature and petty they all are.

Maybe you just married the wrong lady and because you did not speak Thai before you never found out.

Maybe, but then no matter where I go I hear the exact same conversations all over Thailand, so maybe it's not just my wife's family.

The Thai prohibition on asking questions extends to directions when travelling, which counter at the airport, is that benzine you're putting in my car, are you sure that's what the doctor prescribed?

True that... about asking directions. But I think it is because they expect the person they are asking will not know the answer and therefore it is futile. Whereas, we assume if that is the case it will be revealed when they say so. Thais dont like to say so. Therefore, in a way they are right.

For directions, always ask motorcycle taxi guys, preferably a bunch at their rank. Always get good information, or honest answer. More than a few times, have gotten an escort to a tricky locations. I always paid a fee for the help.

I could not imagine living here without being fluent.

The level of respect and service one gets by speaking Thai is well worth it.

For those Thais who insist on speaking English (or Ingerrich) I let them go on if they feel the need to show off, as long as it is intelligible. With customer service idiots on the phone, I almost always have to revert to Thai to get communication across.

My wife asks workers to do stuff without a blush. Requests service in restaurants that make me blush - changes an order after it went to the kitchen for a while - and if it doesnt work out she is gracious and accepting and always smiles and thanks people.

If you speak Thai you can get people to do a lot of stuff. These idiots who dont speak a word or more than 5 words... they must be completely dependent on a spouse / gf / or whatever.

There are times - like with the police on a police shakedown when I always start with English. Sometimes Thais won't bother to shake you down if they feel it is too much work and they cannot speak English.

It is nice to have the option to speak or not.

In business I rarely speak or reveal my comprehension of Thai in delicate meetings. In these circumstances it is better to command respect in English... wearing a suit... etc. And always nice to know what is actually being said if there is an aside conversation. It is useful to gauge their emotions and thoughts before the communication is sanitized through translation.

[Mudcrab]

The funny thing is , Thai's can not understand Thai's. Ask your wife's or girl friends about the different dialects that are spoken in Thailand.

My missus can communicate in the formal Thai,Thai (i.e central Thai), Laos, Khmer and the English languages......what is your point?

As do the rest of her family who are scattered all over the country.

[darren84310]

Nothing to do with language... it's a cultural thing.

[ezzra]

Thailand.. No brain, No pain...

Astonishingly, conversing in good enough English with an educated Thais such a lawyer,

taking the pains to explain over and over again in minute details as to what should be said

and done only to find out the next day that all we have talked about went in one ear and came

out the other with out register any different what so ever with him... so speaking English with the local

with the locals is largely waste of time in most case....

[enufsaid]

Similar exp in that it was bedding. I speak some Thai & asked to have a foam matress made up as I find the beds in thailand too hard. I explained & drew picture of what I wanted. What I got was not only a month late but as wrong as you could get, but still had to pay for their mistake .

[aboctok]

Let me get this right...the wrong mattress went on the wrong bed.

Why don't you and the Missus move it yourselves.

Swallow the pride old son. Nobody will see you lose face - close all the curtains/blinds first.

I read the bit about it weighing 4 tons - come on lets get real!!

It might be awkward to handle but it's still only a mattress.

But you didn't (get it right). The mattress story is not the actual problem; it's only the context. And even if it had been quickly and easily solved, it would still be the context for a deeper—and apparently intractable—problem. Of course, if anybody thinks my interpretation is invalid, please feel free to let the flaming continue! Lmao

[smotherb]

Almost everyone on TVF is fluent in Thai...................

................until you meet them.

Even those who have been in Thailand a month.

yeah, as fluent as possible, greens are 20, blues are 50, reds are 100, purples are 500 and browns are 1000--enough said

[uptheos]

I could not imagine living here without being fluent.

Come on you must have lived here when you only knew a sawasdee krap, unless you took Thai at university and moved here when you were fluent.

[transam]

I could not imagine living here without being fluent.

Come on you must have lived here when you only knew a sawasdee krap, unless you took Thai at university and moved here when you were fluent.

I am fluent......."Chek bin kup"..................EVERYBODY understands that from me......

[mikemac]

Since learning to understand conversational Thai I now have the pleasure of listen to my wife and her friends/family all constantly talk about how much they paid for everything and what is the best iPhone or tablet that is currently out, for hours on end, every time they meet up.

It was better before I realised how shallow, immature and petty they all are.

Maybe you just married the wrong lady and because you did not speak Thai before you never found out.

More to the point, I think it was his wife who made the big mistake when it came to choosing a partner. What a pompous.........................................

[mikemac]

I could not imagine living here without being fluent.

Come on you must have lived here when you only knew a sawasdee krap, unless you took Thai at university and moved here when you were fluent.

I am fluent......."Chek bin kup"..................EVERYBODY understands that from me......

Sorry, I thought you were talking about being flatulent !

[micmichd]

The funny thing is , Thai's can not understand Thai's. Ask your wife's or girl friends about the different dialects that are spoken in Thailand.

Is there anyone who can speak the language of the deaf?

[uptheos]

I could not imagine living here without being fluent.

Come on you must have lived here when you only knew a sawasdee krap, unless you took Thai at university and moved here when you were fluent.

I am fluent......."Chek bin kup"..................EVERYBODY understands that from me......

Sorry, I thought you were talking about being flatulent !

It has been known for some of those fluent speakers to be talking out of their..........

[spidermike007]

Since learning to understand conversational Thai I now have the pleasure of listen to my wife and her friends/family all constantly talk about how much they paid for everything and what is the best iPhone or tablet that is currently out, for hours on end, every time they meet up.

It was better before I realised how shallow, immature and petty they all are.

Maybe you just married the wrong lady and because you did not speak Thai before you never found out.

Maybe, but then no matter where I go I hear the exact same conversations all over Thailand, so maybe it's not just my wife's family.

I'd quite like to get a new phone. Perhaps you could give me some advice from what you have learned.

I'm really interested in long battery life when running GPS.

As for the OP; I don't think it was lack of communication ability that stopped the OP's wife asking the second delivery team to swap the mattresses round - it was probably shyness at asking people to do work beyond their remit. If the OP had been able to speak Thai, he could have used the "ignorant-of-thai-manners, demanding-foreigner" card and used his brass neck to ask the second delivery team to move the mattresses. Then, perhaps, he could have rewarded them with a box of Chang to encourage them to go the extra mile for foreigners in the future.

SC

Who on earth cares what they think of you? One of the most liberating aspects of being a foreigner is that we do not have to concern ourselves with the silliness of face, and the ensuing degree of cowardice that comes along with that concern of face. Just ask them to do the job right. Without regard to what they think of you. I told my Thai wife long ago, that it is a complete waste of time to concern ones self with what a strange thinks of you. It means nothing. I always insist it be done correctly, and will not sign anything, nor pay a balance until the job is completed properly. I ask her to do the same, though that is a bit of a challenge.

[transam]

Yep, my posts have been acclaimed to be be very flatulent on many occasions........Why I was not voted poster of the year is still a mystery to me.........But, life must go on on............