I think most people whom, when asked where they are from, and answer Angkrit, have heard the phrase 'ahh.... puu dee angkrit'.

To one who doesn't know a lot of Thai one might think it means 'English good person', or English good people' or something on those lines.

Puu dee in Thai refers to 'good people' or more correctly 'high class' people... Hi So in modern speak.

In fact many Thais don't know where the expression came from.

What it actually refers to is the 'English Gentleman'.

If you consider that the early travelers to Asia in general, and Thailand in particular, during the Victorian period or earlier, were generally well to do and either upper class or upper middle class. This is because they could afford to travel, either as tourists or adventurers, and also assumed positions of authority in the British Empire. Wherever the Empire sent its troops the officers were also of the gentleman class, and missionaries were also allotted such status. Also British who governed local authority, and ran business such as rubber plantations or logging in Burma or Malaya or Borneo fit into the same category.

 

Anyone have thoughts about the subject?

I used to think that it was complimentary but it isn't necessarily so. British colonialism had a lot of formality about it, full dress ignoring the discomfort, so ผู้ดี could equally be thought of as being overly proper, even stupid. Also Thailand is a little East of places where gentlemen would choose to go so, it was clergy without prospects or second sons down who would choose foreign service.
Context is everything of course, we are all "big fish" if in the right pond.


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