Mai Mee

[1BADDAT]

I really like Thailand overall, but I am so tired of hearing "mai mee" whenever I go shopping. A majority of the time when I ask for something, whether using English or google translate or pictures, the response is immediately "mai mee". I am really not sure why most stores employ people to tell the customers that something is not available, when many times they actually do have the item in question.

I bought a really cool Kit Kat brand plastic glass that is double walled so it is insulated. They are perfect for a valentines day present (super girly) and my girlfriend loves the ones I bought before. I wanted to buy more and she called to see if they still had them at BigC Supercenter. They told her that they were sold out, the promotion is over. I knew better and I went on valentines day and they not only had a huge display of them, they were priced half off! Amazing Thailand...rant over...

[stoneyboy]

You adapt eventually.

You learn to automatically say Mai Bpen Rai every time you enquire about said goods.

[landtrout]

You bought your girlfriend a "really cool" plastic cup at Big C as a Valentine's Day gift, and she was okay with that?

Does she have a sister?

(I'm inquiring on behalf of a "friend".....)

[swampdonkey]

And who said romance is dead.

If you wait until Friday you may be able to get some cheap roses.

[Gsxrnz]

Because if you ask them in Thai, they reply in English. "No Hab".

[mca]

I'm pretty laid back but the only time I got a bit stroppy about " Mai mee" was in the Khon Kaen branch of Sizzler. We'd ordered our food and my wife and daughter's had been served with no sign of mine. Gave it a few more minutes and asked where my grub was. "Mai mee" was the reply. And when were you going to let me know this rather pertinent fact? When Halley's Comet comes round again?

Edited February 15, 2016 by mca

[sipi]

Head to Isaan. "Bor mee" is a pleasant change for a while.

[1BADDAT]

You bought your girlfriend a "really cool" plastic cup at Big C as a Valentine's Day gift, and she was okay with that?

Does she have a sister?

(I'm inquiring on behalf of a "friend".....)

. It was just one of her presents, but no I didn't spend a lot on Valentine's Day. It's the first Valentine's Day together. I like to set the bar pretty low at first. Only room for improvement.

And yes she has a sister.

[Rayk]

You bought your girlfriend a "really cool" plastic cup at Big C as a Valentine's Day gift, and she was okay with that?

Does she have a sister?

(I'm inquiring on behalf of a "friend".....)

. It was just one of her presents, but no I didn't spend a lot on Valentine's Day. It's the first Valentine's Day together. I like to set the bar pretty low at first. Only room for improvement.

And yes she has a sister.

Good choice.

Better than some of the people that probably bought their bargirlfriends a diamond ring, a car or better yet a house for Valentine's.

[kannot]

Many are too lazy to check or even care....Once at Global House asked if they had UPVC windows and the guy said Mai Mee........he was actually leaning on the piles of boxes with the UPVC windows in!!!

[thehelmsman]

You bought your girlfriend a "really cool" plastic cup at Big C as a Valentine's Day gift, and she was okay with that?

Does she have a sister?

(I'm inquiring on behalf of a "friend".....)

. It was just one of her presents, but no I didn't spend a lot on Valentine's Day. It's the first Valentine's Day together. I like to set the bar pretty low at first. Only room for improvement.

And yes she has a sister.

Good choice.

Better than some of the people that probably bought their bargirlfriends a diamond ring, a car or better yet a house for Valentine's.

Sounds like the burn you received is long lasting.

[CharlieH]

Might consider that they dont understand what you saying (unless speaking Thai) as often people assume they speak/understand English but in reality they havnt got a clue beyond "hello", thats why they say "mai mee" and not "not hab"

I get the same in reverse, I can speak a little Thai but often they think I can speak more and they jabber on speaking quickly and completely loose me.

[thaipod]

The answer I normally get each time I request a product that I cannot find or is not on the shelf is ...Mort lao .

[vogie]

You bought your girlfriend a "really cool" plastic cup at Big C as a Valentine's Day gift, and she was okay with that?

Does she have a sister?

(I'm inquiring on behalf of a "friend".....)

. It was just one of her presents, but no I didn't spend a lot on Valentine's Day. It's the first Valentine's Day together. I like to set the bar pretty low at first. Only room for improvement.

And yes she has a sister.

Good choice.

Better than some of the people that probably bought their bargirlfriends a diamond ring, a car or better yet a house for Valentine's.

Probably buying her nothing would have been better than buying her a plastic mug, Kit Kat logo or no Kit Kat logo. Edited February 16, 2016 by vogie

[samsensam]

maybe everyone thought a pink plastic mug from big C was the perfect valentine gift for the love of their life so the store genuinely was sold out.

on the positive side, you're on to a winner being with a thai lady with such low expectations.

[Briggsy]

There was a book written by a French explorer in Laos in the 19th century. He was seeking a passage through the mountains to Vietnam, which was not called Vietnam in those days.

At every village, he got the same answer, bor mee, bor dai, bor hoo jak.

I can't remember the name of the book but it was a good read.

Plus ca change....

[NeverSure]

My hat's off to any guy who can get away with buying a "Kit Kat brand plastic glass" for Valentine's Day. We should all take lessons.

[Thian]

I'm pretty laid back but the only time I got a bit stroppy about " Mai mee" was in the Khon Kaen branch of Sizzler. We'd ordered our food and my wife and daughter's had been served with no sign of mine. Gave it a few more minutes and asked where my grub was. "Mai mee" was the reply. And when were you going to let me know this rather pertinent fact? When Halley's Comet comes round again?

We went to Sizzlers Central Chaeng Wattana, ordered food, went to the saladbar, then the food arrived without my flench fly's. My wife asked them why no flench fly's? Mai Meee...Mod Lew. (There's a huge Tops in that mall with plenty fry's). We left without eating/paying and won't come back.

I stopped asking if they have something, don't want to talk to any personell at all because they're all useless. If it's not in the shop they don't have it.

[SoilSpoil]

Many are too lazy to check or even care....Once at Global House asked if they had UPVC windows and the guy said Mai Mee........he was actually leaning on the piles of boxes with the UPVC windows in!!!

Can't blame them for their 300 baht a day wage and zero chance to climb up the ladder. Too many people here feel that they are going nowhere and act to it.

Wrong of course, but every one makes his own choice.

Imagine being sales staff at Big C, Tesco or 7 and never being able to buy a house, a car, a decent education for your kids, go on holiday, etc... Why move your behind for a farang shopper who want a cup for his girlfriend? Mai mee!

[seajae]

I'm pretty laid back but the only time I got a bit stroppy about " Mai mee" was in the Khon Kaen branch of Sizzler. We'd ordered our food and my wife and daughter's had been served with no sign of mine. Gave it a few more minutes and asked where my grub was. "Mai mee" was the reply. And when were you going to let me know this rather pertinent fact? When Halley's Comet comes round again?

had the same thing at a hotel we stayed in, ordered our dinner and drinks, drinks were bought out and we waited for our meals, 45 minutes( and a couple more drinks) later we asked where the food was and the girl said "Mai Mee", Like you we were just a tad p*ssed off that they had not told us earlier so we could have gone elsewhere to eat but then we would not have spent money on the couple of rounds of drinks while we waited for the non existent food.

[meatboy]

There was a book written by a French explorer in Laos in the 19th century. He was seeking a passage through the mountains to Vietnam, which was not called Vietnam in those days.

At every village, he got the same answer, bor mee, bor dai, bor hoo jak.

I can't remember the name of the book but it was a good read.

Plus ca change....

come to my house[wife's] its BOR E DA

[Sheryl]

As you have learned, while the literal translation of "mai mee" is "no have", it is widely used as a way of shrugging the person off regardless of whether or not they in fact have the item. In fact you will sometimes get the "mai mee" even when the item is clerarly behind them on the shelves, or before you have even named it.

Basically they are just trying to get rid of you. I think it even happens to Thai customers (as a way of the staff reducing their workload, especially if the item would require that they check, or fetch it from another part of the store). But it happens more with foreigners. Both because being outside the thai hierarchy, it is considered "safe" to disappoint or annoy foreigners, and becaye dealing iwth foreigners is more work/effort - harder to know what they are saying plus they often are seeking less common items.

Often it means "I don't know what you want and am unwilling to make an effort to find out" or even, if you have not yet even named the item, "I assume that dealing with you will be hard and I don't want to make the effort".

"Mai Dai" ("cannot") is the same story. More often means "I don't want to bother", "I don't know what it is/what you want" etc than that it is actually not possible to do whatever.

Patient but firm persistance is the best recourse. Smile and say "Kitwa mee...." (I think you do have...) and keep at it. Since the main impetus is to avoid effort, make it more of a hassle for them to take the "mai mee" or "mai dai" route than to just serve you in the first place.

[1BADDAT]

maybe everyone thought a pink plastic mug from big C was the perfect valentine gift for the love of their life so the store genuinely was sold out.

on the positive side, you're on to a winner being with a thai lady with such low expectations.

The store had a whole display of them left on Valentines day that were marked half price to try and get rid of them.

[1BADDAT]

Might consider that they dont understand what you saying (unless speaking Thai) as often people assume they speak/understand English but in reality they havnt got a clue beyond "hello", thats why they say "mai mee" and not "not hab"

I get the same in reverse, I can speak a little Thai but often they think I can speak more and they jabber on speaking quickly and completely loose me.

Yes I obviously considered this and gave an example of a Thai to Thai interaction. I generally show them a picture on my phone. That pretty much takes the language barrier out of the equation.

[i claudius]

You bought your girlfriend a "really cool" plastic cup at Big C as a Valentine's Day gift, and she was okay with that?

Does she have a sister?

(I'm inquiring on behalf of a "friend".....)

. It was just one of her presents, but no I didn't spend a lot on Valentine's Day. It's the first Valentine's Day together. I like to set the bar pretty low at first. Only room for improvement.

And yes she has a sister.

You sound a right catch ,lets hope she has the same requirements

[1BADDAT]

You bought your girlfriend a "really cool" plastic cup at Big C as a Valentine's Day gift, and she was okay with that?

Does she have a sister?

(I'm inquiring on behalf of a "friend".....)

. It was just one of her presents, but no I didn't spend a lot on Valentine's Day. It's the first Valentine's Day together. I like to set the bar pretty low at first. Only room for improvement.

And yes she has a sister.

You sound a right catch ,lets hope she has the same requirements

You really have no idea about our relationship. You are just basing judgment on one data point. I take her on nice vacations and fly her around the world. I think Valentine's Day is a silly holiday that many people just waste money on material things. You shouldn't need a day to show how much you care for someone. You should show that on a daily basis.

[thaibeachlovers]

I'm pretty laid back but the only time I got a bit stroppy about " Mai mee" was in the Khon Kaen branch of Sizzler. We'd ordered our food and my wife and daughter's had been served with no sign of mine. Gave it a few more minutes and asked where my grub was. "Mai mee" was the reply. And when were you going to let me know this rather pertinent fact? When Halley's Comet comes round again?

Don't get stroppy, it just makes YOU look bad, just present the soles of your feet to them- point made.

BTW, what was your wife doing while all that was going on? What's the point of having a Thai wife if she isn't going to kick Thai butt for you?

[nikmar]

My wife's friend worked at a guest house and duties included waiting in the attached restaurant. She admitted that she used to respond "no hab" to any order of food only because it interrupted her "phone" time. She said that most of the other waiters/ waitresses did the same.

I asked her for a cheese toastie once and got told to go to 7 11.

[thaibeachlovers]

You bought your girlfriend a "really cool" plastic cup at Big C as a Valentine's Day gift, and she was okay with that?

Does she have a sister?

(I'm inquiring on behalf of a "friend".....)

. It was just one of her presents, but no I didn't spend a lot on Valentine's Day. It's the first Valentine's Day together. I like to set the bar pretty low at first. Only room for improvement.

And yes she has a sister.

You sound a right catch ,lets hope she has the same requirements

You really have no idea about our relationship. You are just basing judgment on one data point. I take her on nice vacations and fly her around the world. I think Valentine's Day is a silly holiday that many people just waste money on material things. You shouldn't need a day to show how much you care for someone. You should show that on a daily basis.

Oh dear, you just took the bait there. You have no need to justify anything. I sent my wife roses on facebook, LOL. If anyone thinks that's cheap, that's their problem.

[seancbk]

As you have learned, while the literal translation of "mai mee" is "no have", it is widely used as a way of shrugging the person off regardless of whether or not they in fact have the item. In fact you will sometimes get the "mai mee" even when the item is clerarly behind them on the shelves, or before you have even named it.

Basically they are just trying to get rid of you. I think it even happens to Thai customers (as a way of the staff reducing their workload, especially if the item would require that they check, or fetch it from another part of the store). But it happens more with foreigners. Both because being outside the thai hierarchy, it is considered "safe" to disappoint or annoy foreigners, and becaye dealing iwth foreigners is more work/effort - harder to know what they are saying plus they often are seeking less common items.

Often it means "I don't know what you want and am unwilling to make an effort to find out" or even, if you have not yet even named the item, "I assume that dealing with you will be hard and I don't want to make the effort".

"Mai Dai" ("cannot") is the same story. More often means "I don't want to bother", "I don't know what it is/what you want" etc than that it is actually not possible to do whatever.

Patient but firm persistance is the best recourse. Smile and say "Kitwa mee...." (I think you do have...) and keep at it. Since the main impetus is to avoid effort, make it more of a hassle for them to take the "mai mee" or "mai dai" route than to just serve you in the first place.

I can honestly say that in my 7 years in Bangkok I've never had anyone in any store say Mai Mee to me, without them actually making some effort to check or ask another member of staff.

I've been led around Big C and other stores to the item I want, or to the shelves where similar items are to show me they are out of the item or have something not quite the same.

But I've never just been fobbed off with a Mai Mee excuse.

And I don't speak Thai, beyond very very basic greetings and the like. I typically have my phone ready with a picture of the item I'm looking for though to help them understand what I want.