Same Same Did not Work Today

[jdlancaster]

Aow mai can be mai as in new not a question particle.. like I'd like a new one.... aow mai is even used for say it again or one more time.... there are a million ways to say it....

[jdlancaster]

Alot of confusion comes from the exclusion of subjects and objects.... and my poor excuse for pronunciation

[Emster23]

If you've been here 9 years and believe "it can't get any worse than this" I would guess you don't get out very often. Or you lead a very charmed life. This seems typical day to day stuff. Try going to a shoe store to get some shoe laces....

[villagefarang]

The last time I bought a replacement ink cartridge, the one I wanted was out of stock. Tried a couple of different shops at the mall but ended up ordering from the help counter in the bigger shop. Placing an order is usually not a big deal.

Low paid staff are seldom able to identify a part just with a cursory glance so you need to have the brand and part number available. Even then, if they have had previous unpleasant experiences dealing with disgruntled foreigners, they may take the path of avoidance and hope you leave before causing a scene.

If there is any problem, repeating a memorized phrase isn’t going to help much when you need to move past the “no have” or “don’t know” phase. Learning how to communicate with in the local language is the only way to go if you want to be treated as an intelligent individual and not someone who grunts and waves his hands around.

[Ulic]

Not sure what all you Thai speakers are talking about. If the staff did not understand

what the OP was asking for when he brought an empty ink cartridge into a computer

shop, showed it to them and said "same, same" do you really think they would

understand what a farang speaking Thai was asking for. Not likely.

[villagefarang]

Sure they would. There would also be an audible sigh of relief and they would go out of their way to be helpful.

Edited August 21, 2015 by villagefarang

[NoshowJones]

Should have spoke Thai mate piece of piss then.

9 years to learn same same.

Yes, Chengan is easy to say.

[mihalis]

9 years and you cant speak a word of Thai, really.......

[dotpoom]

Moderators, don't move this thread to the Thai language forum, because they gone have to pick themselves up from the floor after reading the comments from the Thai language experts in this thread.

What?....are you suggesting the "know alls" don't actually know it all?

Thank God I came to realize what was important in life and what wasn't worth bothering about, before I finally pop my clogs....but enjoyable reading all the same.

Edited August 21, 2015 by dotpoom

[namatjira]

try saying this.....same same but not different......

Edited August 21, 2015 by namatjira

[namatjira]

just mildly curious, do you use the same brilliant statedgy when you order a second beer.......no wonder the staff had smiles

[HooHaa]

Sure they would. There would also be an audible sigh of relief and they would go out of their way to be helpful.

yup

[ozyjon]

They didn't have any empty black printer cartridges that

day to sell.

[aboctok]

Just how hard is it to learn to say Ow mai and point ?

9 years and still not a word of Thai <deleted>

No to be pedantic but I think you mean me mai.

It just gets funnier by the minute.

Don't be so quick to judge,if you can't get it right lol.

But he did get it right. He's using a different word, ใหม่, meaning new, not the question word ไหม. Then เอาใหม่ means (I) want new. Relying on romanized script with no coding for intonation = flying blind, probably into a short but solid stack of mai's.

[lucifer666]

It isn't difficult to Google "Black Printer Cartridge" in Thai.

[SoiBiker]

It isn't difficult to Google "Black Printer Cartridge" in Thai.

No. But is inadvisable to expect Google translate to provide anything other than entertaining nonsense.

[Doc46]

Who gives a shit ,,if you show them the old one and they don't know what you want they are just stupid or they don't want to help you, you are right just walk out & go to an other shop where the costumer service is better!

[callaway]

I think both ow mai and me mai are ok ow mai is asking to get it (assuming the store has it) and me mai is asking if they do have it. I am learning thai so i may be wrong also.

You are wrong. Ow mai is asking if they want it. I am sure they didnt want any empty printer cartridges

[jdlancaster]

Callaway you are wrong.... ow mai has many meanings depending on the tone.... do you want it? I will take a new one. Take some wood.. etc.

[seancbk]

Not two people agree on the correct terminology yet all critisize the OP. Stick to same same OP, you will have more success by the sounds of it.

Ignoring the OP's lack of Thai.

Did he really expect someone to guess what model or even brand of cartridge it was from just the shape and size?

Is he not aware that there are countless varieties of printer cartridge and new ones all the time which are not compatible with previous printers.

You need the brand of printer and the cartridge code (not the printer model).

Just showing them an old cartridge is pointless and (OP) I can tell you it would be in Hong Kong and Singapore too.

[Bardeh]

I think both ow mai and me mai are ok ow mai is asking to get it (assuming the store has it) and me mai is asking if they do have it. I am learning thai so i may be wrong also.

You are wrong. Ow mai is asking if they want it. I am sure they didnt want any empty printer cartridges

Not necessarily. This phrase can also mean 'I want a new one', or 'i want some wood'. Perhaps staff in an IT shop would understand that this wasn't what the customer was expecting, but you never know in Thailand. I tend to go with the path of least resistance, or the simplest phrase that gets my point across. So, pointing to what you're holding and saying 'Mee a ni mai Krap?' is pretty much idiot proof. Learning the phrase for 'printer cartridge' and then asking 'mee (printer cartridge) mai krap?' is the next easiest. Neither requires much effort, and both are 100 times more effective than wandering into a shop in Thoeng, a rural area, and saying 'same same' to people who are very unlikely to have daily interaction in English of any sort.

[NanLaew]

They probably had the printer cartridge except the ones they had were full of ink so not really same same at all.

[jacko45k]

Should have spoke Thai mate piece of piss then.

9 years to learn same same.

I have simply walked into a suitable shop with the brand of printer, and cartridge number written in English script on a piece of paper and normally get a 'no have' (English sometimes, Thai others) or they go search them out for me. Some shop assistants seem to fear farangs and others like to mess them around. I have also used the 'same same' method often and quite successfully at my nearby hardware shop. But there they seem all to be genuinely helpful. I live near a tourist town, non-Thai speakers should be expected and accommodated.

[catman20]

Should have spoke Thai mate piece of piss then.

9 years to learn same same.

in fairness to the OP you think they would of got it, if there that stupid, even if he could speak Thai with a farang ascent you think the morons would of understood him ?

[canuckamuck]

I don't have a problem with the OP, his strategy has worked for him for 9 years.

What is hilarious, and the highlight of my morning is the advice he was given. Priceless.

This will work.

Kuhn me ahn nee ru mai?

Of course if you do this they will likely ask you something in Thai, and then it all goes pear shaped.

[pomchop]

I usually have a lot of fun shopping for something in CR....especially if i don't know the thai word or they can't understand my pitiful pronunciation....most fun of all is playing charades and trying to act out what you're looking for to the amusement of a gang of employees and other thai shoppers who often gather around to try and guess what the crazy falang wants..

one of my best was at big C meat counter when i wanted to see if they have bone scraps to feed a dog....i already knew it was going to be tough with "ma" but after me doing my best barking and growling and "ruff ruff" imitations to no avail some thai lady took me by the hand and led me to the dog food section....

part of the fun of living in Chiang Rai for me...

Edited August 22, 2015 by pomchop

[SoiBiker]

Should have spoke Thai mate piece of piss then.

9 years to learn same same.

in fairness to the OP you think they would of got it, if there that stupid, even if he could speak Thai with a farang ascent you think the morons would of understood him ?

If you 'speak Thai with a farang accent', you're not actually speaking Thai at all, just making noises that sound like Thai but make no sense.

[canuckamuck]

Should have spoke Thai mate piece of piss then.

9 years to learn same same.

in fairness to the OP you think they would of got it, if there that stupid, even if he could speak Thai with a farang ascent you think the morons would of understood him ?

If you 'speak Thai with a farang accent', you're not actually speaking Thai at all, just making noises that sound like Thai but make no sense.

I assume you are suggesting you speak Thai with no accent at all then.

My wife frequently talks to farangs who speak Thai. As we have many friends with acceptable fluency. She often comments on their accents later. Also she says our daughter's Thai sounds like a farang speaking Thai with an accent. So what you say sounds presumptuous.

For myself, I am certain I have an outrageous accent, but regardless, I can communicate in Thai and be understood.

[SoiBiker]

I assume you are suggesting you speak Thai with no accent at all then.

I wish.

[KMartinHandyman]

If you've been here 9 years and believe "it can't get any worse than this" I would guess you don't get out very often. Or you lead a very charmed life. This seems typical day to day stuff. Try going to a shoe store to get some shoe laces....

I read a similar post here regarding laces and brought a ten year supply on my next trip. Priceless what can be learned here through others generosity. I learned flip flops and most other footwear doesn't come in size 13 often, even in BKK all on my own after stopping in every shop for days until it sunk in.

I brought enough footwear this time to hold me for awhile as well.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk