Someone once tried to explain to me years ago how the Thai traditional octave only uses full notes, not half notes like the octave that we use.

I just googled in and still don't understand.

Someone once tried to explain to me years ago how the Thai traditional octave only uses full notes, not half notes like the octave that we use.

I just googled in and still don't understand.

I believe the traditional Thai scale consists of seven equally spaced notes across an octave, rather than any arrangement of the tones and semi-tones familiar to western ears.

My singing voice is spectacularly bad, so I am thankful for the average Thai Karaoke voice

It took me a while to understand that the karaoke here is more about enjoyment and time with friends, than it is about the quality of singing

Not sure there is any link between speech tone and singing voice

A few years back at a Songkran festival after a few drinks Sipi joined in that Thai dancing where you curl your fingers and toes. Apparently I was quite good. Never again.

a must say its a darn sight better than the philipines where everyone is singing all the time.

when face is such a critical part of everyday life,

It's no more nor less a critical part of everyday life for Thais than for everyone else. A large percentage of the rants on TV are from Khun Farangs who have suffered, or think they've suffered, a loss of face. For the average person, Thai or anyone, s/he fully understands that singing is not something for which they're famous. They're just having fun.

A lot people are pretty bad at playing football or shooting pool or cooking or posting messages on TV or whatever. Yet they still go about doing these things in full view because they're not going to worry about it and they, Thai or farang, are not worried about losing face even if the farang myth about loss of face motivating everything in Thailand is perpetuated on Thai Visa.

Many members of the farang chorus are tone deaf when it comes to being aware of how pompous, petty and petulant they sound when whining incessantly and yet they keep doing it. Whether you or I like it is our problem, not theirs.

you forgot to mention entitled. thats the one that gets me.