Mai Mee

[kannot]

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.

Nah they're LAZY.......the Wife asks them always so there's no Misunderstandings

[richard_smith237]

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.

I can honestly say that I have encountered the 'Mai-Mee' phenomenon numerous times. Sheryl's explanation is bang-on !...

Its highly amusing to witness my Wife encountering the same 'Mai-Mee' issue when dealing with lazy staff.

It's nothing to get upset about, its simply a fact of daily living when dealing with uneducated-minimum-wagers on a daily basis... As Sheryl wrote, a little polite persistence often brings results.

In many cases its possible to read whoever you are dealing with and tell whether or not the Mai-Mee response is genuine or a 'fob-off'...

Usually a thoughtful delay and eye contact before the 'Mai-Mee' response is an indication of a genuine reply. Conversely, someone who continues plucking their nose hairs without looking up at you and immediately responds with 'mai-mee' is a pretty sure indication that you are dealing with someone who's 'Give-a-toss' factor is so low there is a high probability they are simply fobbing you off...

If you haven't encountered the 'Mai-Mee', 'No-Hab', or 'Mot-leaw' you are also probably one of the lucky ones who have also never had a taxi driver try it on or refuse your fare outright....

[richard_smith237]

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.

My Wife gets a Bottle of Singha with a Bow on it...

She was drinking a Singha beer while we were chatting when we first met - I was surprised as her friends were drinking wine.

A week later we went on our second date - due to timing this was Valentines day, I wanted to get something, but it was only our second date - So, the Singha bottle became a tradition...

I also agree that Valentines day is a bit of a commercial ploy... its all got a little silly...

We now have to Contend with.... Birthdays, Mothers-Day, Christmas, New-Year, Songkran, Chinese-New-Year... Wedding Anniversary... It all gets a little silly - Hence, the real individual days are our Wedding Anniversary and My Wife's Birthday - Christmas is for our Children... Everything else is celebrated with perhaps a dinner...

Why did I justify this - its because I think some are holding too much emphasis on a silly Kit-Kat Glass when that really isn't the topic... and those who are concentrating on the fact that the Op didn't get his GF much for Valentines day have perhaps fallen in the commercial trap.... In short - Suckers !

[geronimo]

regarding shop assistants, you get what you pay for and the training is non existent.

[1BADDAT]

I find that a BigC is the worst. A lot of the hardware stores are actually quite good. At Mega Home in Amata city, I normally have at least 3 people trying to help me at once. They clearly have better training or management there. I think part of it is that they enjoy to speak English with me. There are not a lot of farang that come in that store.

[Guest]

Part of the problem is that Thai is a true phonetic language.

We think we are being perfectly clear and are amazed at the result.

Two points:

(1) Many of you THINK you speak Thai. Do you get frustrated explaining over and over and over in "Thai" what you want?

TEST RESULT: FAIL. You do not speak Thai .. the subject matter expert in this scenario is .. a THAI PERSON !! NOT YOU !

(2) I went to a major upscale mall and asked to see the new Samsung phone.

"Mai Mee"

Again - SAMSUNG ...

"Mai Mee"

SAM - SUNG

"Mai Mee"

TURN AROUND, you are standing in FRONT OF the SAMSUNG phone display!

"Mai Mee"

I told my Thai wife the story. She did not laugh as expected.

Why?

She said, it is Saaamsuuunnnn ... not sam-sumg.

The clerk, literally .. did not understated what I wanted!

So, to a Thai, you walk in and ask for a ^&*)*%^&%^&^%%

Mai Mee ... are you surprised?

The only way is to speak slowly a,d calmly, smile, show them a picture on your smart phone. That generates a lot more positive results for sure1

[SOTIRIOS]

...the fact of the matter is...the 60+ million here do not cater to you or I....

...I have seen so many super products......never reordered ......

[MrBrad]

From time to time I really do wonder how many sales are lost due to poor customer relations and inventory control. Does the boss or owner of the company know what is going on? Does he or she even care?

We've heard it said that it's easier to keep a steady, regular customer than it is to continuously acquire new customers. That adage doesn't seem to mean anything in Thailand. At least not according to my observations (and my own patronage or avoidance of certain stores).

I really dread asking for something that I cannot find in stores. My Thai is acceptable; in fact, I've been told that it is good, so that usually is not the problem. Occasionally when I ask for something the clerk will track it down, even going into the back room and finding more of the product in question. But most of the time if I don't see what I want, I avoid the dreaded "mai mee, " or "moht laew" and just go to another store which will probably have what I want. And then again, maybe not.

[1FinickyOne]

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.

I have a similar relationship - we celebrate no holidays - not even b-days except for the kid... and yes, the idea is the same that every day is worthy of being nice to someone... if I am out and nearby chocolate cake that is really good - then that is Valentines day...

As to employees - some can get lazy and some can tense up when speaking to someone who cannot speak Thai - English is not required for those jobs. As my Thai has gotten better through the years, these incidents are less frequent but probably could happen any time - - they do not look for the best and the brightest for these type pf sales positions...

[khunano]

My shopping on the internet has increased substantially in the last year or two. One reason is the "mai pen rai" attitude. I just can't bother with untrained, unmotivated (lazy) staff any more. So my PC has become my shopping mall, where it is easy nowadays to find the right product at the right price.

[fiddlehead]

It used to upset me also.
Then I realized, it is easier for them to say "Mai Mee" than it is to get up and go show you where it is.
THEY DON'T CARE!

There is no incentive to sell you anything.
No commission, low pay, long hours.
They get lazy.

Was hoping the ASEAN agreement would get some Phillipinas in here to show them how to be a bit more helpful, but apparently, it won't happen.

Get in he habit of finding things yourself.
A picture (on your phone) sometimes helps if you find a clerk that really does try to understand what you are after (rare though)

[mikiea]

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".....)

[mikiea]

big spender are we ................

[Mansell]

I see people on here bagging on Phuket a lot.....I don't think most of you have been here, and if you did it was probably Patong, which I avoid as I live on a nice quiet beach which has around 30 people on a busy day.

In Big C in Phuket Town I have never had a problem when I ask for things....in fact I have never heard that phrase before. There is usually somebody who speaks English, and they usually go out of their way to be helpful. My main beef is the airlines like Lion who won't accept my credit card online. So I end up calling them after a number of failed attempts online, to be told they only accept Thai or Singapore issued credit cards. When I hear that I point out to them that it should say that somewhere on their website and then I wouldn't have wasted 45 minutes trying to fly on your airline.....of course this is met with silence. But Nok has their act together which makes life easy.

[Yann55]

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....

Perhaps it's Henri Mouhot, who discovered Angkor by chance in 1958, a fact that seems to be totally forgotten today. He wrote an ecstatic account of his discovery (published in the legendary travel books called Tour du Monde), which was widely read and created a myth around Angkor and the Khmer which is still alive today in France. He died of some unknown fever in Laos in 1861, at the age of 35.

[oxo1947]

You adapt eventually.

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

Does the adaption period take longer than 22 years---because I'm nearly there---& this new info will give me something to look forward to.

[Davyro]

Always been a joke in my house 'no have' an 'oh cannot'. We shop online whenever possible.

Edited February 19, 2016 by Davyro

[Deli]

Saying Mai Mee is the easiest way to make the customer ( intruder ) leaving and to get back to the mobile phone.

I bring a paper with written in Thai what I wanna buy or show a picture. In certain cases I ask my secretary to call the shop beforehand and to order what I need.

Little things I try to sort out myself, but generally spoken: Staff almost everywhere is highly unqualified and unmotivated.

[Ghostmanthai]

I see people on here bagging on Phuket a lot.....I don't think most of you have been here, and if you did it was probably Patong, which I avoid as I live on a nice quiet beach which has around 30 people on a busy day.

In Big C in Phuket Town I have never had a problem when I ask for things....in fact I have never heard that phrase before. There is usually somebody who speaks English, and they usually go out of their way to be helpful. My main beef is the airlines like Lion who won't accept my credit card online. So I end up calling them after a number of failed attempts online, to be told they only accept Thai or Singapore issued credit cards. When I hear that I point out to them that it should say that somewhere on their website and then I wouldn't have wasted 45 minutes trying to fly on your airline.....of course this is met with silence. But Nok has their act together which makes life easy.

Off topic but check out the lion air thing. I book with a Canadian CC all the time and have never had an issue. That seems like a variation to the Mai Mee for you man. But seriously I book flights all the time DMK to CNX never had a problem

[SoiBiker]

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....

Perhaps it's Henri Mouhot, who discovered Angkor by chance in 1958, a fact that seems to be totally forgotten today. He wrote an ecstatic account of his discovery (published in the legendary travel books called Tour du Monde), which was widely read and created a myth around Angkor and the Khmer which is still alive today in France. He died of some unknown fever in Laos in 1861, at the age of 35.

He didn't discover it. The locals knew it was there, and he wasn't even the first foreigner to visit it.

[mankondang]

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.

I agree. Sometimes when they say "mai mii" (not have), they actually mean "mai roojak/roocak" (not understand), or "mai khowjai" (not know).

But it is more polite, and more a 'save face', for them to say to you that they 'don't have', rather than 'don't understand', ether what you are saying, or just that they do 'not know' anything about the item your asking for, even though the shop their working in has them. This happens a lot with young and/or untrained workers.

Edited February 19, 2016 by mankondang

[SOUTHERNSTAR]

If I buy a plastic mug for my wife my mug shot will be on TV with the heading: Farang husband accuse Thai wife of castrating him while he was sleeping, initial police reports indicate that he didn't do it to himself but forensic test will be conducted on the meat clever that was used. Reporters was puzzled by the smile on his wife's face but she only said "that will teach him".

[SoiBiker]

If I buy a plastic mug for my wife my mug shot will be on TV with the heading: Farang husband accuse Thai wife of castrating him while he was sleeping, initial police reports indicate that he didn't do it to himself but forensic test will be conducted on the meat clever that was used. Reporters was puzzled by the smile on his wife's face but she only said "that will teach him".

Testicles found in cheap plastic mug beside bed.

[Roomuck]

Some very funny responses here.

My twenty cents worth.

Do use google translate, with Thai it is hopeless. Absurd sometimes.

I think forum rules ban me from giving links, not sure, but just google Thai language, the first one that comes up is the best.

[geronimo]

Perhaps we are all missing the obvious. Mai mee is simply easier than looking.

[mgjackson69]

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.

I bought nothing for Valentines Day...my wife bought nothing for me. We are both fine with it.

It is just another day...a holiday of obligation, that means absolutely nothing.

I would much rather give my wife a nice gift on an average Tuesday, than on a fake holiday.

[Beats56]

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!!!

[Beats56]

Haha typical and funny.

[atyclb]

considering the average job description is "consuming oxygen" you may be asking for way too much

[Beats56]

You could be right.