The perfect reason for NOT learning Thai.

[micmichd]

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 deeperand apparently intractableproblem. Of course, if anybody thinks my interpretation is invalid, please feel free to let the flaming continue! Lmao

Wrongly made mattress: You failed to explain adequately in whichever language. They did not understand & did not want to lose face by admitting they did not understand, (or to save you from losing face for the same reason.) They wanted the job (money) so made something anyway. Of course you pay for their mistakes. You are a farang in Thailand so firstly you are always wrong, and secondly, as a farang, you are a millionaire anyway so why worry?

Taken into account the recent decline of some European currencies, I wouldn't be to sure that all Farang THB millionaires will remain millionaires in the long run...

[poweratradio]

Maybe its best you dont understand what they are saying about you sometimes. I can understand about 35% of it and can tell you they can very rude in front of you. I have learnt to let it go as u feel thais have a far more inferior society. A friend used to call them savages. I believe they are still in the fuedal ages.

You see that you just confirmed the Op statement in that your 35% has brought you pain from the detected rude comments in front of you.

[poweratradio]

Your wife is a numpty. She told them where to put the mattresses and then was too embarrassed to explain that she had screwed up and I bet you were lording it over her saying how can these people be so stupid blah blah blah.

Learn to speak Thai and do everyone a favor, after 18 years you have no excuse unless you're retarded.

The only reason anyone needs to know the language of a host country is if they have a fear of being harmed and need to know exactly when the gun or the knife is about to be implemented toward their demise. Ideally a need for 007 types. mean mouth inaccurate bloggers and mafia rats.

[poweratradio]

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.

I saved my dogs (best friend) life because I could tell the Thai vet what was wrong with her and she got the correct medication and survived. I didn't completely lose interest in her life because she was a Thai dog.

My dog has a vocabulary of 36 words in English and 22 in Thai. My dog is smarter than most of you fellows I have no doubt and loyal and she works 24/7 for food and love. She has saved the my life (or at least from severe bodily harm/pain) 5 times in the past two years.

My advice (not that anyone cares) 1. If you want a friend get a dog. 2. Learn Thai so you can communicate with your Thai dog and it's doctor.

Animals are a disposable commodity.

[AYJAYDEE]

Maybe its best you dont understand what they are saying about you sometimes. I can understand about 35% of it and can tell you they can very rude in front of you. I have learnt to let it go as u feel thais have a far more inferior society. A friend used to call them savages. I believe they are still in the fuedal ages.

You see that you just confirmed the Op statement in that your 35% has brought you pain from the detected rude comments in front of you.

is english your first language?

[poweratradio]

Maybe its best you dont understand what they are saying about you sometimes. I can understand about 35% of it and can tell you they can very rude in front of you. I have learnt to let it go as u feel thais have a far more inferior society. A friend used to call them savages. I believe they are still in the fuedal ages.

You see that you just confirmed the Op statement in that your 35% has brought you pain from the detected rude comments in front of you.

is english your first language?

No; I speak profane, vulgar, slang and can use foul language as needed.

[AYJAYDEE]

Maybe its best you dont understand what they are saying about you sometimes. I can understand about 35% of it and can tell you they can very rude in front of you. I have learnt to let it go as u feel thais have a far more inferior society. A friend used to call them savages. I believe they are still in the fuedal ages.

You see that you just confirmed the Op statement in that your 35% has brought you pain from the detected rude comments in front of you.

is english your first language?

No; I speak profane, vulgar, slang and can use foul language as needed.

didnt think so. considered esl?

[crickets]

Another reason to not learn thai for me is that i have an excuse not to want to hang around my wifes family. I just tell her that its awkward to be around them and 15mins for me is enough.

[puukao]

You probably don't need eyes to watch a movie, just use your imagination.

You might not need to think at your job, just show up

You possibly might not need to exercise

There is a chance you don't need to read books on anything

But what it does do, like learning Thai, is potentially enhances your experience in the country. I find it quite interesting to learn, and I wouldn't tell anyone to go to America without any English lessons..

Yes, after studying, you might find out you hate the place.....quicker. Well, good.....see it helped you move on with life that much faster.

Now I wouldn't retire in Thailand.....but that is for another thread.

[morrobay]

Like there is no reason to learn it - The girls speak a little English, who else do you want to talk to ??

[Berkshire]

This thread is beyond ridiculous. Anyone who believes that you're better off not learning the local language where you reside serious has rocks in his head.

I certainly understand that some farangs don't have the desire nor aptitude to learn the Thai language. Understandable, especially when one is of advanced age. But to then suggest to everyone (read newbies and the naive) that learning Thai is not necessary is doing these folks a serious disservice. You can certainly get by in Thailand without speaking a lick of Thai. But your quality of life--and your dealings with the Thai ladies--would improve immearsurably if you had some understanding of the language. If you can't speak Thai, you're essentially walking around clueless of all going on around you. Ignorance is bliss, but if you had a choice...

Further, I can understand those that don't speak the language defending their preference not to learn. But those that claim to speak the language and insists it's pointless...you're either lying that you can speak the language or so far gone in terms of being objective that your opinion is not credible.

[AYJAYDEE]

Like there is no reason to learn it - The girls speak a little English, who else do you want to talk to ??

with an attitude like that,certainly not you

[Ace of Pop]

My friend Thai is good,but it gets him into arguments.i use lazy thai and seems more acceptable.The op isn't all wrong imo

[mango66]

OP,

now I understand , I mean i not understand Thai,

but I understand my wife,

when she need a information, for example the way where to go ...

she askes the person 3 times,

that person will answer 3 times the same,

when we drive again, I ask my wife, which street next ?

she answer 3 times: I didn't understand what he was meaning with ..... next crossing right after ......

[Benmart]

Your wife is a numpty. She told them where to put the mattresses and then was too embarrassed to explain that she had screwed up and I bet you were lording it over her saying how can these people be so stupid blah blah blah.

Learn to speak Thai and do everyone a favor, after 18 years you have no excuse unless you're retarded.

A person who resorts to name calling and biased judgement is best left alone.

[Showbags]

Outside of thailand i do not know anyone that has learnt another language or 2 say they wish they had never learnt it....inside thailand...i know a few.

[aboctok]

What blunder? He can't call any people in the Philippines dummies? Meaning that there are no dummies at all there? Please. You can, without any insult, call people of any nation dummies, when you describe the dummies that live there! In more fortunate countries (not necessarily speaking in economic terms), there'll be a lower incidence of dummies, don't you think?

It's probably quite accurate of you to classify people with a manual job, and lower formal academic qualification as persons from whom no Thai would want to hear. That is the anachronistic, grossly ignorant blunder, since it's not difficult to find people in manual occupations with no tertiary education who are intelligent, perceptive, knowledgeable and decent, whereas some people I've met with higher degrees are scheming, duplicitous, fiercely ignorant azzholes. Where's the real blunder?

So to simplify, you are saying people without educations are intelligent, perceptive, knowledgeable and decent and people with educations are scheming, duplicitous, fiercely ignorant azzholes.

Save me the pedantic explanations. But you are trying way to hard to justify not going to college.

I'll save you some trouble. Lazy, ignorant people who live in Thailand and don't learn the language and are basically clueless about what is going on around them.

Pedantic? Try disingenuous. You didn't "simplify" what I said at all; you just rewrote it absurdly. Not doing tertiary study is something that people need to justify? That's like expecting someone to "justify" not getting married, or not having children, or any other major life choice. A good fit for some, but not everyone! If someone chooses something other than university—as many people have, that I know—we are entitled to view that choice as some kind of attempt to "justify" not doing a degree? Entitled is right; that's ridiculous, and completely disregards the accomplishments of a lot of clever people. I don't mind at all if you have a different viewpoint to me, but all you did was grossly misinterpret what I said, then mount an idiotic argument against your own brainchild. I never said "people with educations" (as if that's a useful distinction anyway) are scheming, duplicitous or ignorant. By the way, is that how you view people who didn't do university? Literally uneducated? In my experience, nothing could be further from the truth—and I've spent most of my adult life at university. The point is that some people—we really need that phrase in its entirety, not cleverly truncated—you rub shoulders with in academia are magnificently underdeveloped, whereas plenty of people who didn't do any extra academic work are interesting, well-rounded people. At least, that's what often happens where I come from. Okay, maybe it was savagely different where you grew up; I can accept that. But such a trend is surely a sad reflection on your part of the world. Isn't it?

To [sic] many lines pedantic?

[aboctok]

A high IQ without education is like a car without wheels. People with high IQ's usually figure this out or educate themselves.

The others usually end up as street smart hustlers working on the fringes of the law or out and out gangsters.

Awesome... If you have a high IQ but no formal education you end up as a gangster.. Umm anything to base this off?

Sent from my c64

Isn't a double hit of "usually" enough for you? It makes me believe.

[DtemJai]

Learn their so many different smiles – or make a effort , and 3000 Thai words…and will do just fine…perhaps..,.

[Morakot]

Stringing words together to make sense is not the whole business of speaking a language. You need to read between the lines and understand the context, which you clearly seem to have difficulties.

[RikDao]

Just read a few responses, don't want to get riled up reading Thai hate. Lol. I find Thai difficult to learn. I want to know numbers, a few verbs, nouns, adjectives. I like Thai people, most of them I've been in contact with. I think the younger Thais are very nice. I believe it shows them you have respect for them if you know a few words. They're proud and have reason to be, since they're likely the most popular country in SE Asia. On the other hand, I don't expect Thais in general to want to talk to me, and I'm cool with that.

[Ace of Pop]

I never learned formally,just memorize songs like a parrot,then asked what it was about.Built up from there over the years

[1BADDAT]

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.

Maybe, just like back home here when I am out i hear people discussing the theory of relativity and the origins of species. Just like back home everyone is always highly intelligent and discussing the most important things.

The moment my wife comes back and talks with me we discuss the sense of life and after that I query the dog on dark matter and his views.

Has it ever occurred to you that most conversation in any language is about what you just described ? Light stuff, seldom will people discuss harder stuff and I doubt you could follow it in Thai (or maybe you can I know I cant)

I have read a lot of your posts and generally I agree with what you have to say. You are correct that most conversation between people is generally pretty simple. The conversation between the average Farang and average Asian is very different.

Farang talk about things like the weather, how was your weekend?, did you watch blah blah on TV last night?..basic things like that. Asians love to talk about material things much more. How big is your TV?..is that an Iphone 6...how much did you pay for that?...etc Its the same here as it is with my Asian friends in USA, but it is worse here.

We all want nice things (well most of us), and i'm curious about what things cost as well. But Thai people are obsessed with the value of things and how much people paid for them. Much more so than anywhere else I have been.

[AnotherOneAmerican]

But what it does do, like learning Thai, is potentially enhances your experience in the country. I find it quite interesting to learn, and I wouldn't tell anyone to go to America without any English lessons..

Written by a person who can't speak Thai.

Spanish is pretty handy in America too.

I've been in many countries without any local language lessons, Russia, Jordan, Egypt, Israel, Hungary.

And others where I spoke the language, Chile, Argentina, Spain, France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland.

I enjoyed the countries equally well without language skills.

Edited January 20, 2015 by AnotherOneAmerican

[geronimo]

Most of us who have even contemplated relocating and settling in Thailand, must have considered at some point, that it might be a good idea, beneficial even, to learn the Thai language.

Against this I could give you a hundred good reasons why you shouldn't, even to the extent that there are even occasions whereby it can prove not only to be a disadvantage in being able to speak the language, but could also act to your detriment.

But I don't want to get into the arguments of the pros and cons, rather to address those that go on to make this extreme sacrifice, in being proficient in the Thai language.

This happens to me every day, sometimes even several times a day.

Whereby Thais have to interact with one another, and it totally amazes me the sheer lengths they will go to not to do so.

Somewhere along the line, perhaps in their upbringing or their experiences at their local schools, somebody has instilled and indoctrinated into them that they should never, I repeat never, ask a question.

Asking questions is simple verboten, in doing so it seems you are effectively losing face.

The most recent classic example of this is where I go to order two new replacement mattresses for existing beds that I have, from two different companies.

One is under guarantee, and the other is brand new.

One is for upstairs, the other downstairs.

No doubt you have probably guessed already what has happened.

Yes the upstairs replacement mattress has gone on the wrong bed down stairs.

Thankfully this error has been spotted after the first delivery, so now the second delivery is being requested to to resolve the error of the first.

Not a problem you are thinking, but this replacement mattress that has already been delivered literally weighs a ton, and would take at least four strong people to carry it upstairs.

So it spite of choosing the the new mattress for downstairs herself, with a different manufacturers label, to be delivered by a different company, my good Lady still went ahead and instructed that the wrong mattress should go on the wrong bed.

Why because she could simple not ask those concerned.

Now perhaps there are those amongst you that are thinking, forget about changing the mattresses how about changing the lady.

But as my previous lady quite rightly observed, perhaps the next one will be worse.

The point I am trying to make here is, that in learning the Thai language is a completely waste of time, because even the Thai themselves cannot communicate with each other in it.

After 18 years of living in Thailand, I have never found the inability of being able to speak the language a problem, however I have daily experiences whereby I can see there are huge communication issues amongst the Thai themselves.

Let the flaming commence.

Not being able to speak Thai isn't going to cause you problems but you miss out on so much by not being able to communicate, unless of course you think they aren't worth talking to.

[NCFC]

Yes, don't bother to learn Thai and be as dependent as a baby on your wife for the rest of your life. <deleted>.

[Gecko123]

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.

On a fairly regular basis, I have lively discussions with my family as well as with Thai friends and neighbors based on topics which arise on TVF.

To the extent that the topics on TVF qualify as intellectually stimulating, I would therefore have to disagree with you that Thais are incapable of stimulating conversation.

[micmichd]

Please define "Thai".

Do you mean the spoken and written language, or body language, or both?

I started with body language, learned the spoken language after, and it worked out fine.

[Gecko123]

The other reason is that you don't understand all the insults or careless talk concerning you that people mouth: ignorance is bliss in this case. However, if you do have enough Thai to understand and call people out for their insulting talk, it does have a devastating effect; I've seen Thai-speaking friends do it, and the clear loss of face suffered by the Thai person is wondrous to witness.

Several posters commented on how Thais can say rude and insulting things about you, and used this as a rationalization for not bothering to learn the language. I just quoted the above as one example.

My experience has been that it is part of Thai culture for people to often make benign "statement of the obvious" comments about another person's appearance when they encounter you. Comments like, "You've put on a little weight since the last time I saw you" or "You're dressed nicely today," would be two good examples.

But I think that the suggestion that Thais are verbally ripping people to shreds at every opportunity is simply untrue. There are two really good places to test whether this is the case or not. The first is in the open air markets where you can easily hear vendors exchange benign friendly gossip about you. Most of the time it's stuff like "Where does he live?, Who's he married to? Where does he work? Does he have any kids?" I never ever hear mean-spirited, catty or disparaging comments from the vendors. I also have been known to ask vendors what they think of other foreigners. I find it is almost impossible to elicit negative comments from the vendors about other foreigners.

Another good place to observe Thais discussing or talking about you is at the barber shop. Frequently there will be somebody waiting to have their hair cut who doesn't know me and they will ask the barber who I am. In 11 years of getting my haircut on a monthly basis in the same shop, I've yet to hear another customer assume I can't speak Thai and launch into making disparaging comments about me.

Finally, I'd like to add that I actually prefer the Thai manner of commenting directly to your face, as opposed to behind your back, which is, let's be honest here, what people usually do back home in the West.

[ThaiSanookGuy]

So many people know everything on this board....

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/794612-how-come-theres-such-a-small-percent-of-the-foreigners-who-can-speak-proper-thai