Thai soldier who wowed the internet with his English skills turns out to be half Thai/ half Singaporean

[scorecard]

17 minutes ago, wow64 said:

I can't believe this soldier tricked everyone.. 

 

Hows' that?

 

Did anybody suggest he 'tricked' anybody?

[Rhys]

1 hour ago, Gandtee said:

Sorry to read so many put downs for this. But I agree, the problem lies with the Thai Education Authority. Until they hire more native English speakers the problems will remain.

 

Qualified NEST.... ( Native English Speaking Teachers)  to be more specific....

[anon467367354]

Bummer, too good to be true. No wonder the people were "wowed".

[speedtripler]

7 hours ago, Bluespunk said:

Yes, and...?

And they're all so amazed because the average Thai yogi bear can't do that... 

 

That's why it's in the news.... 

 

[tominbkk]

A Thai needs to be educated overseas to achieve. Speaks volumes on local education...

Or enrolled in a good international school, hopefully before 10 years old.


Sent from my iPhone using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[oldlakey]

9 hours ago, tgeezer said:

Very interesting, does anybody know why was he is speaking in English?

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect

 

He tried Hokkien earlier but got nowhere with that

[oldlakey]

9 hours ago, IMA_FARANG said:

Not true that a Thai can not speak excellent English.

I know a Thai woman who was listening as I made a mistake and accidently deleted some information from my computer.

I swore at my computer when it happened.

She said to me in perfect English , "Don't  cuss at your computer, you're the one who made  the mistake".

She was right, but what surprised me more was that she knew and used the  English word cuss  correctly in a sentence.

 

Absolutely amazing, and to think there is only 68+ million of them

[billd766]

8 hours ago, JAG said:

Since he is in an Artillery Regiment, we must assume that he not only can speak it remarkably fluently but also VERY LOUDLY.

Everyone knows gunners are mad and half deaf...

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Y3TU6T0n34

 

[ben2talk]

11 hours ago, Bluespunk said:

Yes, and...?

Obviously it's huge news if they even suspect that someone could successfully learn English in this country, thus achieving superhuman status... The story takes an interesting twist when we breathe a sigh of relief. 

 

Hindsight tells us it's really no surprise at all - nobody really is capable of doing this, superhuman powers never come from Thailand (just look at Marvel comics - real heros are never Thai.

 

Or perhaps it's interesting news because it reminds people - even Thai people - that they aren't born stupid, they must spend at least a few years studying here to achieve that status.

 

I don't know - what do you think?

[observer90210]

I wonder what the Thai's wound think of my bad pronounciation, or language skills in Thai?

 

All those who are making fun of this gentleman, should ask themselves if they can align but one sentence in Thai?

[wow64]

5 hours ago, scorecard said:

 

Hows' that?

 

Did anybody suggest he 'tricked' anybody?

 

Well he turned out to be half Thai and half Singaporean and I thought he was an alien.. so I feel tricked as only aliens can speak English apparently.

[Bluespunk]

6 hours ago, ben2talk said:

Obviously it's huge news if they even suspect that someone could successfully learn English in this country, thus achieving superhuman status... The story takes an interesting twist when we breathe a sigh of relief. 

 

Hindsight tells us it's really no surprise at all - nobody really is capable of doing this, superhuman powers never come from Thailand (just look at Marvel comics - real heros are never Thai.

 

Or perhaps it's interesting news because it reminds people - even Thai people - that they aren't born stupid, they must spend at least a few years studying here to achieve that status.

 

I don't know - what do you think?

I think I work with a number of Thais, educated in Thailand, who speak excellent English. 

 

I am bemused that this is news. 

 

Can't wait to tell them all. 

[1SteveC]

On 7/3/2017 at 10:45 AM, RawboneFunksta said:

While it is true that studying abroad makes an enormous difference to the confidence and vocabulary of Thai students that is not necessarily a reflection on the innate intelligence of Thai students. Some learn from television and recently I encountered a person who scored level 9 in an IELTS exam who had done just that. Most native speakers do not score anything near to level 9.

 

If you mean just by watching English programs on television - impossible. How would that help reading comprehension or writing ?

 

Most native speakers to not take the IELTS...............because they are native speakers.

[scorecard]

On 7/3/2017 at 10:29 PM, wow64 said:

 

Well he turned out to be half Thai and half Singaporean and I thought he was an alien.. so I feel tricked as only aliens can speak English apparently.

 

Did he ever say he was 100% Thai?

 

Did he need to make a specific statement whether he was or wasn't 100% Thai?

 

Is such a statement compulsory?

 

Who ever said that only aliens can speak English? 

 

Who do you classify as aliens?

Edited July 9, 2017 by scorecard

[wow64]

8 hours ago, scorecard said:

 

Did he ever say he was 100% Thai?

 

Did he need to make a specific statement whether he was or wasn't 100% Thai?

 

Is such a statement compulsory?

 

Who ever said that only aliens can speak English? 

 

Who do you classify as aliens?

 

Why is my neice walking funny and talking about aliens?

 

Yes to the first 3 questions. 

 

4th question.. you should Star Wars or Star Trek.. all of the aliens can speak English. 

 

5th question.. aliens belong to a foreign country or planet.

 

6th question.. tell your neice to stop calling me.

 

 

Edited July 9, 2017 by wow64

[moldresistant]

Does anyone have a link to view the video? It wasn't loading on sanook.

[samsensam]

On 03/07/2017 at 4:36 AM, Bluespunk said:

So...?

 

 

 

so? well it appears that a thai able to speak half decent english is so rare that it is newsworthy. sadly.

 

my cousin speak fluent mandarin, and he's 100% anglo saxon, hardly news.

 

 

[scorecard]

1 hour ago, wow64 said:

 

Yes to the first 3 questions. 

 

4th question.. you should Star Wars or Star Trek.. all of the aliens can speak English. 

 

5th question.. aliens belong to a foreign country or planet.

 

6th question.. tell your neice to stop calling me.

 

 

 

I don't have a niece.

[wow64]

1 hour ago, scorecard said:

 

I don't have a niece.

 

She said niece I didn't realise she was closer.. don't break up with her you guys have a good thing.

[bangrak]

...But still not one of the brightest, as when he has the double nationality, what can have made him choose to serve under the Thai flag? The Singaporean armed forces are a, very, different 'piece of cake', not to be compared anywhere with the the Thai ... (let me remain polite). On top of it, a, harder, dictatorship Singapore may be, but, at least, what's done there makes sense, and soldiers know they will get the best there is, also for their own health and protection. Not a third world country there...

[bangrak]

On 3-7-2017 at 4:43 PM, scorecard said:

 

Hows' that?

 

Did anybody suggest he 'tricked' anybody?

Yes, must be, he has a good knowledge of english, doesn't that sound 'tricky' to you in Thailand (all the 'Chinese merchants'' kids educated abroad kept aside of course, but they wouldn't be conscripted anyway...)?

[todlad]

You really are an ungrateful bunch. At the same time you are all confused and twisted but lots of you are really helpful.

 

There is a new thread here on TV in which an Aussie father asks for help with his eight year old Thai/Aussie son's English. At the moment the boy's English skills are lacking and the reason for that is neither here nor there: no time for being judgemental.

 

This post has attracted a lot of really useful attention and if father and mother can follow through, that boy could be in the Thai army waxing lyrical in English too. I wonder if the TV wallahs here will come and say, pah! he's half Aussie, what do you expect?

 

Give this lad some credit: you spend your lives moaning about Thainess and loss of face and crap this and crud that: here's a lad to be proud of, surely. I haven't seen the video yet but I will ... if someone can post a link here I would be grateful, in case I can't find it.

[thailand49]

On 7/2/2017 at 8:37 PM, trogers said:

A Thai needs to be educated overseas to achieve. Speaks volumes on local education...

It is kind of hard to give a definitive response since not enough information is provided. So I'll just generalized a bit?

I agree, it would be rare although it happens and can, to have a Thai local who has gone through the local schools to speak the type of English that is being presented in this story. The fact that he was able to leave Thailand to study would indicate that he had some resources to do so?

He certainly has the Thai type of name so he can pass for full Thai if needed? With the type of education he has obtained I curious as to why he decided to join the military?  I wonder who his parents are and hope they have the influence so he can excel because more like him is needed in their government in the future. 

In a society which I label old school network the good old boys who can't speak a lick of English are pretty tight net (racist) which jobs and promotions are given out not on merit but who you know or related to? Impressive but old Thais don't like to be shown up especially if he is view not to be 100% like the rest of them so his parents better have some influence if he doesn't want to hit a wall, and even kissing ass isn't going to knock the wall down?

[trogers]

2 minutes ago, thailand49 said:

It is kind of hard to give a definitive response since not enough information is provided. So I'll just generalized a bit?

I agree, it would be rare although it happens and can, to have a Thai local who has gone through the local schools to speak the type of English that is being presented in this story. The fact that he was able to leave Thailand to study would indicate that he had some resources to do so?

He certainly has the Thai type of name so he can pass for full Thai if needed? With the type of education he has obtained I curious as to why he decided to join the military?  I wonder who his parents are and hope they have the influence so he can excel because more like him is needed in their government in the future. 

In a society which I label old school network the good old boys who can't speak a lick of English are pretty tight net (racist) which jobs and promotions are given out not on merit but who you know or related to? Impressive but old Thais don't like to be shown up especially if he is view not to be 100% like the rest of them so his parents better have some influence if he doesn't want to hit a wall, and even kissing ass isn't going to knock the wall down?

Most of these old boys are ex-military or ex-cop, or local provincial honchos...

[thailand49]

2 minutes ago, trogers said:

Most of these old boys are ex-military or ex-cop, or local provincial honchos...

Yes, I agree that was the point I was trying to make, is this kid, family a part of the old boys network as you pointed out?

[trogers]

3 minutes ago, thailand49 said:

Yes, I agree that was the point I was trying to make, is this kid, family a part of the old boys network as you pointed out?

Doubt so. Probably chose to be a Thai and is doing his part of National Service.

 

He would have to do the same if he chose to be a Singapore PR or citizen.

[speedtripler]

2 minutes ago, trogers said:

Doubt so. Probably chose to be a Thai and is doing his part of National Service.

 

He would have to do the same if he chose to be a Singapore PR or citizen.

Unless he waited until he was 28 the army would not take him. or paid a doctor to disqualify on fake medical grounds... 

[thailand49]

7 minutes ago, trogers said:

Doubt so. Probably chose to be a Thai and is doing his part of National Service.

 

He would have to do the same if he chose to be a Singapore PR or citizen.

I miss that part thanks for pointing it out, if he is a Thai, he might be serving because he got drafted?

I added my opinion because my Thai son adopted has my last name and he is getting close now to that age. I've told him for years that if he ever decided to work in government or politics?  he isn't going to get too far no matter how good he is having my name in Thailand. If it ever happen I would have no problem changing his name back.

Edited August 3, 2017 by thailand49

[trogers]

2 minutes ago, thailand49 said:

I miss that part thanks for pointing it out, if he is a Thai, he might be serving because he got drafted?

Probably. If not, he would be in the army of Singapore to retain his PR there.

[thailand49]

3 minutes ago, trogers said:

Probably. If not, he would be in the army of Singapore to retain his PR there.

Now you got me curious,  if it was you or me,  Thai/Singapore Citizen I rather chose Singapore but of course I would really have to consider which gave me the greater benefit.

Edited August 3, 2017 by thailand49