Rolling back the crimes of 'Thai-ness'

[mikemac]

Just doing what the French did 120 years ago.

There are many similarities between Thais and the French.

Excepting the ability to make edible bread.

Quite understandable, the French have been baking for bread for centuries. I imagine if a French chef knocked up a bowl of som tum or pad Thai it would taste like crap.

No.

I doubt a French chef would try to duplicate those dishes.

Try to use your imagination, if you have one.

I did say .........................."I imagine if"................................

[HiSoLowSoNoSo]

I don't think local dialect's should be banned but for the sake of unity in one country there should be one language otherwise there will be discord at every level.

In my country (Sweden) the Sámi people (Laplanders) in the northern part of the country use their own language in the schools and there are no problems at all with this. Sweden is a much more tolerant country compared to uber-nationalistic Thailand.

[iReason]

Just doing what the French did 120 years ago.

There are many similarities between Thais and the French.

Excepting the ability to make edible bread.

Quite understandable, the French have been baking for bread for centuries. I imagine if a French chef knocked up a bowl of som tum or pad Thai it would taste like crap.

No.

I doubt a French chef would try to duplicate those dishes.

Try to use your imagination, if you have one.

I did say .........................."I imagine if"................................

Ok.

I can't imagine a French chef bothering to duplicate that crap.

I guess the innuendo went over your head.

[djayz]

I find it important to preserve and promote regional dialects and languages, and with a project like this in place, hopefully this will happen. However, it is vital that there be one common language spoken and understoid by all Thais - especially in politics and business. It p*#$es me off to see European tax payers funding this project though! When I read articles like this, then I'm glad I no longer work in the EU!

[mikemac]

There is a fine line between "innuendo" and piss-poor sarcasm.

[MaiChai]

Thai is the linking language used throughout the nation to communicate and disiminate information. In Issan they call it pasah siam. Siam language; this is the language of Bangkok and towns and villages slightly upstream on the Chaopraya from Bangkok. Everyone else speaks local language (parsa baan) and the official Thai to allow national communication. Interestingly, Khon Kaen area has its own script for writing which has some similarities to Thai, like other Tai languages such as Khmer, Lao, Burmese. I can read Thai and when visiting Lao I found I could easily read Lao even though the script was slightly different. Thus the scripts have some commonality.

[rametindallas]

Until relatively recently, public schools were required to fine any student who spoke the "local" language in class.

How barbaric!

In Mexico, one village can't understand the village over the hill because of absence of common language standards and Mexico is held back because of this, among other things. A dozen years ago a waiter at the airport complimented me on my usage of Thai slang. I have since made it clear to my regional friends that I am in interested in learning High Thai, exclusively, just as I learned High German. I am from a region that has a strong accent but I am less likely to be perceived as a rube if I use 'proper' English. I believe the British call their 'proper' English, 'Received Pronunciation'. Standards allow for better understanding between regions. There is nothing wrong with having high standards. Thailand has been too lax in many areas for it to develop quickly enough in a fast-changing world.

[Johpa]

The OP article does seem to promote the Sino-Thai concept of Thainess over Tainess by referring to the Lao script in question with a slightly derogatory tone as Thai Noi.FWIW, my experience observing Thai public schools is that the curriculum is indeed taught, for the most part, in Central Thai. The centralized mass media broadcasts , for the most part, in Central Thai. And for the most part, just about every Thai I know under the age of 50 not only understands Central Thai, but can also speak Central Thai when the situation demands it, although some may speak Central Thai with a slight accent or with a slight hesitation in their voice that is perceptible to the ear of a native Central Thai speaker. Non-Thais are unlikely to hear these small differences and I only know about this since my wife is from the north and I have witnessed how the Central Thai speakers detect that she is not "one of them" pretty quickly.

I am in interested in learning High Thai, exclusively, just as I learned High German.

High German refers to a linguistic and geographic feature of German "dialects". You want to learn Central Thai, which is what I too learned in school. It is just that after graduating college I moved to the north and some of my newer vocabulary became infused with Northern Thai (Kham Muang) vocabulary without having a Central Thai match, a fact that makes my Central Thai speaking friends chuckle. But I still refuse to say "raprathaan ahaan" (to eat) in speech, which is often seen in "Hi-So" Thai speech, or High Thai if you will, and I personally would not want to be associated with the despicable Hi-So elements of Thai society. Edited February 27, 2015 by Johpa

[HaleySabai]

Just doing what the French did 120 years ago.

There are many similarities between Thais and the French.

Excepting the ability to make edible bread.

...and fine wine.

[BestBitterPhuket]

I don't think local dialect's should be banned but for the sake of unity in one country there should be one language otherwise there will be discord at every level.

LKY of Singapore foresaw this 50 years ago, or else, Singapore would have followed Sri Lanka.

LKY did his best to eradicate the chinese dialects already spoken, and he introduced (forced) mandarin upon them. Hokkien, Hakka, teochew, Cantonese etc were banned in school, radio, tv etc.