Upside-Down Sign in South Pattaya causes a stir on Facebook

[chiang mai]

"It's a nonsense to say few Thais understand western numerals, the western numerical system is the numerical system of Thailand, old style Thai numbers are rarely used nowadays. I don't have to go out asking Thais, I just ask my Thai Wife who knows far more about it than you ever will"

With all due respect to your wife, who may or may not know more than I do about anything (!!!), I do not agree. I agree that recent generations of Thai's, the past two for example, understand western numerals well,, much of the older generations, especially those from rural areas, do not and that is a fact.

Edited February 2, 2016 by chiang mai

[DrTuner]

Only place I see Thai numerals used these days are where they're trying to hide double pricing.

[rwdrwdrwd]

"It's a nonsense to say few Thais understand western numerals, the western numerical system is the numerical system of Thailand, old style Thai numbers are rarely used nowadays. I don't have to go out asking Thais, I just ask my Thai Wife who knows far more about it than you ever will"

With all due respect to your wife, who may or may not know more than I do about anything (!!!), I do not agree. I agree that recent generations of Thai's, the past two for example, understand western numerals well,, much of the older generations, especially those from rural areas, do not and that is a fact.

I'm amazed you genuinely believe anything but the tiniest minority of Thais are unfamiliar with arabic numerals or the roman alphabet.

Given practically every product, street sign, tv advert and magazine in Thailand include them to some degree, the characters are extremely familiar to most, regardless of whether the meaning is understood.

Seriously. The biggest shop chain in Thailand is called 7-ELEVEN and uses massive signs with no Thai characters. Thai Airways, Big C? Makro? KFC? AIS? 3BB? TOT? All household names and yet they use no Thai characters in their logos.

Edited February 2, 2016 by rwdrwdrwd

[outsider]

You only had ONE job...

[NCC1701A]

My Thai girlfriend is asking me why I am laughing so hard...

I said "Just something about Thailand."

"Must be something bad, only time you laugh. Mr Perfect USA man. Go back to moon."

[chiang mai]

The issue is a sign, written in English that was erected upside down by Thai workmen, the question is whether it was unquestionable incompetence and idiocy or whether there are circumstances that mitigate. The fact that social media sites such as Facebook are using this example for ridicule means almost nothing. Posters on Thai Visa will use any opportunity to bash and ridicule anything Thai that seems even a little bit odd or different from the norm without even thinking about context, "idiots", "monkeys", "utter incompetence", "buffoons" and the like appear daily on a whole range of threads talking about the actions of anyone Thai from politicians, to police, from business people to doctors and it's all getting past being very old.

The press article that talks about this event mentions the company stating that it was late and dark when the sign was erected but this of course is ridiculed by the herd. I suggest that low income uneducated Thai workmen were probably responsible and even this was not a satisfactory reason for many posters. The issue of poor quality education, a sign that is written in a language other than Thai and still some posters will not accept anything other than it being idiocy and incompetence - when questioned whether a similar event might possible take place in the home country, the UK for example, posters are clear it couldn't!

I don't feel the need to bash Thai's at every juncture even if the herd does, I think there's enough there to suggest mitigating circumstances and I'm going to stay with that view. You however are entitled to your opinion(s), even if it is one that by default, before an issue is even understood fully, anti-Thai for the most part.

[siamcrut]

Seen in Friendship supermarket, Pattaya 3 years ago.

Fuggin hilarious!!!

you just made my day with that picture [emoji23]

[Pete Beale]

If you genuinely cant comprehend that the vast majority of Thais understand arabic numerals I've only one thing left to say,

555

[chiang mai]

If you genuinely cant comprehend that the vast majority of Thais understand arabic numerals I've only one thing left to say,

555

We're not discussing a majority of Thai's, we're talking about one perhaps two workmen, people doing menial labour.

[oxforddon]

Who was it that said "Too often we want the comfort of an opinion without the discomfort of thought". Seems applicable to many posts here.

[chiang mai]

It was John F. Kennedy and he was quite correct.

[mancub]

If you genuinely cant comprehend that the vast majority of Thais understand arabic numerals I've only one thing left to say,

555

We're not discussing a majority of Thai's, we're talking about one perhaps two workmen, people doing menial labour.

Of course, these workmen may not even be Thai nationals......yet, regardless of their literacy prowess, they really should be able to process the pictures ( you know, which way up the sky goes etc). As for the mitigating circumstances you offer of it being dark at the time....do you not consider it a bit stupid to undertake such a task when you can't see what the fork you're doing ?

[joepattaya1961]

This is news?

Cannot wait for the missing cat/dog story.

Behind the sign......your lost dog

[khundon]

I wonder if the same thing would happen in say the UK if British workmen were asked to install a similar type of sign displaying Thai, Japanese or Korean words, of course it would.

Forget the language, the pictures are upside down!

[Jingthing]

Not only in Thailand.

This from Ben Gurion Airport Israel.

But on the other hand, could have been erected by a Thai worker there ...

[chiang mai]

If you genuinely cant comprehend that the vast majority of Thais understand arabic numerals I've only one thing left to say,

555

We're not discussing a majority of Thai's, we're talking about one perhaps two workmen, people doing menial labour.

Of course, these workmen may not even be Thai nationals......yet, regardless of their literacy prowess, they really should be able to process the pictures ( you know, which way up the sky goes etc). As for the mitigating circumstances you offer of it being dark at the time....do you not consider it a bit stupid to undertake such a task when you can't see what the fork you're doing ?

Yes of course, but if they were instructed to do it then the stupidity aspect is transferred from the workmen to their boss who told them to do it.

[arunsakda]

Here it is. Always makes me think "Extinct Panther".

Anyway I stopped wring letters to authorities about trivial things after I saw the Ben Stiller film "Greenberg"

So it will remain forever a charming crazy English sign for myself and others to enjoy.