The perfect reason for NOT learning Thai.

[PepperMe]

Actually it is very helpful not speaking Thai... For example, when I get stopped at road checks I just start blabbering to the cop in my broad Geordie accent and just get waved through every time.

I only know a little Thai and have no real compulsion to master it... I will just pick it up on the hoof as I go along.

[Berkshire]

Actually it is very helpful not speaking Thai... For example, when I get stopped at road checks I just start blabbering to the cop in my broad Geordie accent and just get waved through every time.

Yeah, but you can still do this even if you were fluent in Thai.

[jacky54]

I agree, only learn enough to give a taxi directions and ordering food etc, you certainly do not want to understand the insults, gossip and moans that would only lead to arguments. Almost all Thais have nothing to say anyway as far as a conversation goes. My mrs speaks Thai, Lao, khamin, English and Japanese and the only one that ever seems a problem is Thai. Just asking directions or giving them can take forever it seems, horrible crude language that will probably become extinct anyway in the future.

[jacky54]

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

Nothing wrong with being a baby, you get to suck tits and get tucked in a night!

[jacky54]

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.

Thais always prefer to avoid commenting negatively directly, it's always positive, complimentary grovelling and joking, even I understand enough Thai to understand this. Behind their backs it's another story, they can absolutely hate somebody yet do not show it to a persons face.

[jacky54]

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

Mai khow jai is the only essential phrase you need to know, and mai ow of course. I gave up on Thai cos of the tones, can't detect them when others are speaking and can't do them so they never understand, no big deal as we are almost all only ever 'aliens' anyway and barely tolerated.

[Gecko123]

Jacky:

The basis for your authoritative comments escapes me, as you yourself admit that your language skills are rudimentary. You also contradict yourself in your posts #214 and #216.

Until you change your condescending attitude towards Thais, their language and their culture, I quite agree that - - for you - - making an effort to learn, let alone master, the language would be a pointless endeavor.

[geronimo]

Actually it is very helpful not speaking Thai... For example, when I get stopped at road checks I just start blabbering to the cop in my broad Geordie accent and just get waved through every time.

I only know a little Thai and have no real compulsion to master it... I will just pick it up on the hoof as I go along.

As I did. Trouble is, you keep doing that and you end up a fluent Thai speaker.

[DavidBonnie]

I consider myself educated as no doubt do many people here. Consequently it is up to us to be tolerant. This is not only a Thailand problem but an education problem. Aside from the few farang who insist that their circle of Thai friends are Thai/Chinese/models/university educated/wealthy etc I would hazard a guess that most Thai 'friends' most of us have are girlfriends/boyfriends, their friends and their family? I am not talking about business friends here, that's a different matter.

Most people are poorly educated in Thailand and so what can one expect? It can be frustrating especially when it takes a repition of the same conversation in Thai, English and variables thereof to get a simple task done but they can't help it. You can't change it except in the positive way we educate those around us.

Even the so called educated Thais have lived under a system of patronage for so long they are hampered by their own cultural mores.

[jacky54]

Jacky:

The basis for your authoritative comments escapes me, as you yourself admit that your language skills are rudimentary. You also contradict yourself in your posts #214 and #216.

Until you change your condescending attitude towards Thais, their language and their culture, I quite agree that - - for you - - making an effort to learn, let alone master, the language would be a pointless endeavor.

There are loads of these clips for those who want to have a go at impressing and influencing people, you too can be a clever Thai talking falang. I find these clips are just great for getting off to sleep

[Gecko123]

Jacky:

The basis for your authoritative comments escapes me, as you yourself admit that your language skills are rudimentary. You also contradict yourself in your posts #214 and #216.

Until you change your condescending attitude towards Thais, their language and their culture, I quite agree that - - for you - - making an effort to learn, let alone master, the language would be a pointless endeavor.

There are loads of these clips for those who want to have a go at impressing and influencing people, you too can be a clever Thai talking falang. I find these clips are just great for getting off to sleep

I'm starting to see a pattern here.

First you underestimate Thais; now you're assuming my Thai language skills are as elementary as yours.

[jacky54]

Oh no oh wise one I am sure you have lived here 40 years and are fluent in both speaking, reading and writing. You have convinced me, I am going to learn and just cannot wait to talk about som tam, lakorn and the lesbians in the house opposite. Off to watch Downton Abbey on now channel, thank god the Thai language they murder it in can be switched to English.

[Gecko123]

Oh no oh wise one I am sure you have lived here 40 years and are fluent in both speaking, reading and writing. You have convinced me, I am going to learn and just cannot wait to talk about som tam, lakorn and the lesbians in the house opposite. Off to watch Downton Abbey on now channel, thank god the Thai language they murder it in can be switched to English.

Exit stage left, big mouth.

[thesquillo]

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.

Agreed. I am learning to speak thai atm, can't wait till i'm fluent enough to tell some of these people how &lt;deleted&gt; stupid they are. My wife refuses to, but i keep insisting that if you dont tell someone what they did was wrong or stupid, they will just do it again.

[Berkshire]

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.

Agreed. I am learning to speak thai atm, can't wait till i'm fluent enough to tell some of these people how <deleted> stupid they are. My wife refuses to, but i keep insisting that if you dont tell someone what they did was wrong or stupid, they will just do it again.

Your logic doesn't quite compute. I tell English-speaking people in plain English on TV all the time that they've said something wrong or stupid, and yet, they keep doing and saying the same stupid stuff over and over again.

[mca]

I think it's great that a number of long term expats don't want to learn Thai as it doesn't help them in living here. It's an endless source of amusement standing in a shop and seeing some cantankerous old sod communicating with a combination of grunts, pointing, pidgin English and charades before storming off in a huff muttering about "Stupid Thais"

I mean the last time I went to the circus I had to pay. These guys are giving it away for free!

[SoiBiker]

I like it when they tell us how they speak Thai perfectly, but the Thai people just can't seem to understand them for some reason.

[jacky54]

Oh no oh wise one I am sure you have lived here 40 years and are fluent in both speaking, reading and writing. You have convinced me, I am going to learn and just cannot wait to talk about som tam, lakorn and the lesbians in the house opposite. Off to watch Downton Abbey on now channel, thank god the Thai language they murder it in can be switched to English.

Exit stage left, big mouth.

What's this personal abuse in Thai, can you write it for us?

[mca]

I like it when they tell us how they speak Thai perfectly, but the Thai people just can't seem to understand them for some reason.

The one that done me was a bloke I used to know who mixed English and Thai in the same sentence. Something along the lines of " I'm off to the talad to buy some sapparot"

A few nathi of that and I defy most normal people not to reach for a kaew of industrial drain cleaner...

[Berkshire]

I think it's great that a number of long term expats don't want to learn Thai as it doesn't help them in living here. It's an endless source of amusement standing in a shop and seeing some cantankerous old sod communicating with a combination of grunts, pointing, pidgin English and charades before storming off in a huff muttering about "Stupid Thais"

I mean the last time I went to the circus I had to pay. These guys are giving it away for free!

So true. Imagine some Chinese guy who doesn't speak English and is grunting and yelling at some young clerk in America who could give a rats-ass. Embarrassing. That's how some farangs in Thailand are like.

[naboo]

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.

Funny that, because I can understand at least 35% of what's being said, and its very rare somebody speaks rudely of me. Maybe there's something about you?

[SoiBiker]

I like it when they tell us how they speak Thai perfectly, but the Thai people just can't seem to understand them for some reason.

The one that done me was a bloke I used to know who mixed English and Thai in the same sentence. Something along the lines of " I'm off to the talad to buy some sapparot"

A few nathi of that and I defy most normal people not to reach for a kaew of industrial drain cleaner...

My wife and I do that when talking to each other - but I wouldn't talk like that in public.

[AYJAYDEE]

I like it when they tell us how they speak Thai perfectly, but the Thai people just can't seem to understand them for some reason.

The one that done me was a bloke I used to know who mixed English and Thai in the same sentence. Something along the lines of " I'm off to the talad to buy some sapparot"

A few nathi of that and I defy most normal people not to reach for a kaew of industrial drain cleaner...

thais living in the west do that among themselves all the time. its natural and it gets the job done.

[mca]

I like it when they tell us how they speak Thai perfectly, but the Thai people just can't seem to understand them for some reason.

The one that done me was a bloke I used to know who mixed English and Thai in the same sentence. Something along the lines of " I'm off to the talad to buy some sapparot"

A few nathi of that and I defy most normal people not to reach for a kaew of industrial drain cleaner...

thais living in the west do that among themselves all the time. its natural and it gets the job done.

Sorry I should have made it clear he was a fellow Brit and talking to me.

[AYJAYDEE]

I like it when they tell us how they speak Thai perfectly, but the Thai people just can't seem to understand them for some reason.

The one that done me was a bloke I used to know who mixed English and Thai in the same sentence. Something along the lines of " I'm off to the talad to buy some sapparot"

A few nathi of that and I defy most normal people not to reach for a kaew of industrial drain cleaner...

thais living in the west do that among themselves all the time. its natural and it gets the job done.

Sorry I should have made it clear he was a fellow Brit and talking to me.

and you understood him. just like fellow thais talking like that to each other in britain would.

[mca]

Of course the pertinent question was why would he use Thai unless to show off his devastating language skills? I might have said " You're going where to buy what?" with a puzzled expression.

[AYJAYDEE]

Of course the pertinent question was why would he use Thai unless to show off his devastating language skills? I might have said " You're going where to buy what?" with a puzzled expression.

the same reason the thais do it. because the word comes to mind because he's been using it recently.obviously you havent been

[mca]

I kind of doubt that's the reason so we'll have to agree to disagree on this one.

[AYJAYDEE]

I kind of doubt that's the reason so we'll have to agree to disagree on this one.

ill be sure to bring your theory up with my thai friends and relatives. they love a good laugh.

[aboctok]

The one that done me was a bloke I used to know who mixed English and Thai in the same sentence. Something along the lines of " I'm off to the talad to buy some sapparot"

A few nathi of that and I defy most normal people not to reach for a kaew of industrial drain cleaner...

thais living in the west do that among themselves all the time. its natural and it gets the job done.

Sorry I should have made it clear he was a fellow Brit and talking to me.

and you understood him. just like fellow thais talking like that to each other in britain would.

The issue of clarity was never the point. There's a funny dimension to these kinds of statements. If that doesn't jump out at you, just skip it. But it's not really about whether people who talk like this are understood or not. Getting the job done is not the only thing available to reflect on. I've heard people speaking in this style, and in context, at that time, it sounded hilarious. But only if you have a certain (probably dry) sense of humour. Fair enough?