Recently a thai woman mentioned what sounded like "poom puiee" and motioned or gestured a pot belly when she spoke the words...., my partner and I are wanting to know the correct spelling and pronunciation of these two words ? Can anyone help us ? 

I've never been able to find that word (or two words) in any Thai dictionary I have so I can't help with any correct spelling.  Of course, it's a polite way of saying somebody's carrying some extra weight and is likely close to the phrase "pleasantly chubby" or some such meaning in Thai.  I've never heard Thais use it in a nasty or negative manner (whereas "ooan", the Thai word for "fat", would be considered a perjorative/negative word).

 

Edit:  Some websites suggest the spelling in Thai is ปุ้มปุ้ย (but, when I hear it said, it sounds to me like somebody saying "pom pui").

ปุ้มปุ้ย looks correct.

https://translate.google.com/#th/en/%E0%B8%9B%E0%B8%B8%E0%B9%89%E0%B8%A1%E0%B8%9B%E0%B8%B8%E0%B9%89%E0%B8%A2

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Thaivisa Connect mobile app

Yep, ปุ้มปุ้ย seems to be the term.

 

http://www.thai-language.com/id/211313

 

Transcriptions are manyfold.

 

bpûm bpûi

bpoom bpuy

pum pui (RTGS, not for the English)

 

Unfortunately I didn't find an audio for the complete term  in all the dictionaries.

For whatever reason there seems to be a bpûm bpûi (pum pui) fish brand?

Or certain fish (round and chubby) are nicknamed bpûm bpûi?

And they translate it as "smiling fish". Confused.

 

And ปุ้ย  (pbui) alone is supposed to be a popular nickname.

That may be the reason why a search does not reveal chubby farangs but many pretty girls 

 

Listen to this 10 sec teaser from the bpûm bpûi fish brand.

Loud and clear.

 

 

 

Interesting. A teacher once told a Thai language class I was in that she thought the origin of the word was from a brand of canned food that featured a chubby character on the label.

 

I don't remember her saying it was a fish, I thought she said it was a chubby little boy, but I may be wrong.