Thread: Thais who pretend to not understand when you speak in farangland?

they ignored you because thay were actually filipinas or malay

Originally Posted by KevyChase

I've found that people who only speaks english have a really hard time speaking Thai.

People who only speak English don't need to speak any other.

that would be really bad if he lost his skills in Thai,
ways to encourage him should be searched for

command of various languages is an asset,
a burden of knowledge easy to carry

Wao lao bo dai.

There, I fixed it for you

......

^Just to be clear "(as well as read and write, but that is already slipping badly as expected)" means his reading and writing, not his speaking ability, but I should have used "those skills" rather than "that." I don't expect him to find much use for Thai outside Thailand, but I would like him to be able to function comfortably there and to be taken as a native so that he has the option of returning to Thailand. I expect he will retain his Thai citizenship. He will likely pick up Japanese at some point, which is and will continue to be a good language skill for Thailand.

"I finally turned to this person and said in Thai, "You know I'm speaking Thai right?, Are you really stupid or just pretending to be?" Miraculously, the "new person" understood that on the first pass;"

Brilliant.

My problem is just the opposite. If I wai and speak Thai to a Thai person in the USA, they generally start prattling off in Thai at light speed. Aftter about two or three "Alai, Krap"s, they either slow down or switch to English.

I once stopped going to a Thai resturant because one of the Thai women who worked there would only speak to me in Thai, and although I could understand about 50% of what she said, it was just too much trouble.

Now, I only speak Thai to a Thai, if that's the only common language available to us.

(For some reasons soi dogs understand my Thai a lot better than most Thai people. Must be my accent).

Cheers,

RickThai

(For some reasons soi dogs understand my Thai a lot better than most Thai people. Must be my accent).

I call my 3 Dogs Somchi when I want them to jump in the Pickup at the shops, all 3 of them respond much to the amazement of the Locals!
there names are Ming, Mong and Choco!

But yea I notice in Oz when I wha a Thai they look at me Lost, guess they loose the Thai-ness Overseas

We are used to hearing English spoken/pronounced badly, Thais are unused to hearing Thai spoken by foreigners and some just can't get it. I do get annoyed sometimes, though, when i've spoken Thai to a Thai and they don't understand only to have the wife repeat what i've just said, using the exact same tonal pronunciation as i had just used, and they get it straight away.

Originally Posted by RickThai

My problem is just the opposite. If I wai and speak Thai to a Thai person in the USA, they generally start prattling off in Thai at light speed. Aftter about two or three "Alai, Krap"s, they either slow down or switch to English.

That was always my problem. I speak far better Thai than I understand, and it gets embarrassing when you don't understand what they are saying back.

They must be thinking "Why the fuck did you bother staring the conversation in Thai in the first place"

It put me off talking Thai to strangers, in the market for example. Shame, because that's the best way to learn.

Originally Posted by Marmite the Dog

Originally Posted by KevyChase

I've found that people who only speaks english have a really hard time speaking Thai.

People who only speak English don't need to speak any other.

True, that.

I do agree that we have been conditioned to hearing and needing to understand all sorts of English pronunciation, but on the other hand there are plenty of lazy listeners in Thailand that can be quite frustrating. Thai isn't an easy language for a non-native speaker to master, but people need to be equal partners in conversation for things to work. Especially in service situations, like the bar example.

I once asked a girl in the UK where she was from in Thailand...
คุณมาจากจังหวัดอะไรครับ

Her reply in English.
I'm not from Thailand.

I'm pretty sure she was Thai.

BTW. I was very handsome!

I live in a suburban village, the residents are mixed northerners, southerners, bangkokians, some Lao speakers and old Chinese. As a result one of the first Thai phrases I learnt was "arai na".

As said,,,,,,,,,Just tell them to please repeat whatever they have said in English a few times or to please slow down while talking English and they will get the Idea.

Came back from Cambodia and couldn't get back to speaking Thai auto mode I yell out in a restaurant in Pattaya Som Ketloy baht. Fuck you could feel the vibe from Thais and then look at the farang can speak Khmer " ahhhhhh kaatort kep dung kraaap"

Originally Posted by mingmong

But yea I notice in Oz when I wha a Thai they look at me Lost, guess they loose the Thai-ness Overseas

I was in our local market at the weekend where a pretty Thai woman runs a jewellery shop, open to the market

I said Sawaddee Kap to her, she gave me the nicest smile and returned the greeting

Originally Posted by heythere

Hey. I'm not saying that I've mastered the thai language but I do speak a lil ....and this is not just thank you and good morning. What I've found is that in Thailand even when your tonal pronouciation is bad...afterall very difficult...they at least understand you. I know this because we are talking about same subject wheather being bit by a dog and rabie shots. however here in the states when talking with Thais, they pretend not to understand you. It differs depending on what degree of education of course. I somehow get the idea that they are doing this for a reason...not to understand me. Just my 2 cents. chok dii heythere In this establishement, there a lady that always understnds me and another have no idea or always trying to teach me how to say it correctly.

Have you considered the possibility that you are not actually pronouncing things correctly and that's why some people don't seem to understand you? Most people don't generally pretend not to understand. They aren't out to put you down. There are a few bastards who won't give you a chance in every country, but the average person giving you blank stares may honestly not have any idea what you are saying for any number of reasons.

It's not just about the tones. There's a lot more going on than just them.

I agree with whiteguy. We all get told at some point that our Thai is very good even though we may have only said "NitNoi" in response to being asked whether you can speak Thai. Uttering two syllables does not a linguist make.

Ever had a Thai say to you that your Thai is shit?
Does your wife or GF constantly correct your mistakes or, do they only help you with Thai when asked?

Ever had a Thai say to you that your Thai is shit?

My wife - she once described my Thai as pre-beginner.

Well, that`s a start

Slightly OFF-TOPIC:
What I have found is; no matter how many words we pronounce correct in a thai sentence construct, the very first word we mispronounce makes thais go into "safe mode'. FWIW: "safe mode" is a term I've coined where thais quit listening and won't use the context of what's being said to sub out the wrong word and insert the right one. It's one of the most frustrating things about these people.

Christ I take suckily pronounced engrish off these people every day, yet as long as I can understand what they're on about I don't correct them or pretend I can't understand them.

As far as foreigners saying they พูดภาษาไทยนิหน่อย; Most of the time, you're just better of saying พูกไทยไม่เป็น, (I am unable to speak Thai), because you probably don't speak more than 2-word-tourist-thai, taxi-thai, or horse-speak-thai..

Now if, on the off chance, you can converse in something which actually resembles semi-coherent thai; try answering the พูดภาษาไทยได้มั้ย question with พูดงูๆ ปลาๆ. That is the thai equivalent of half-assed or not hard core. In fact you're saying you speak (thai) "snake snake fish fish"; a thai expression for not very proficiently.

Being able to speak thai is of very little value if you can't understand the thai responses comin' back to you when you talk.. In fact it's worthless.

As far as thais speaking too fast, (especially in response to the พูดนิดหน่อย answer you say when asked if you can speak thai), I've found that a brusque เฮ้ย พูดช้า ๆ สิ แก่แล้ว หูตึง ; "Hey, speak slowly! (I'm) old already (and have) bad ears" will make thais crack up. Very rarely will a thai put themselves down because it's tied into that gain, don't lose, save face dealy they're so caught up in. They'll also slow down their speed of spoken thai immediately too.

There is a particular demographic of thai (I call them the "my-shit-doesn't-stink-thais) who just refuse to understand ANY thai comin' from a foreigner. It's no surprise that there are more abroad because as a rule I've found they are wealthier than the run-'o-the-mill-Somchai-the-thai.

Oh one more thing. Given the thais hatred for any of the other asians whose countries border this one yet who isn't thai; if a thai won't acknowledge your speaking thai to them you can always say;

เข้าใจไทยไม่เป็นฮึ มันน่าสงสารมาก เป็นแต่กะเหรี่ยงรึ (Huh, you can't understand thai? That's really pathetic. (are you) just a hilltribe person?

You wanna see a thai start understanding the thai you're speaking; you call them a กะเหรี่ยง. Really, that's the word for the Karen hill tribe people, but now its morphed the meaning into a dumb country bumpkin or total hill billy..

Still good luck, keep at it. . . Sorry this was off topic..

Even when they're studying an english major they fail to understand. I still find my tones are all messed up with Thais in the UK, then they say what I'm trying to say in Thai and the tome was only wrong by 0.001%

I find it's the more ''well-off'' Thais who fail to understand.