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killerbees

Yes, I've found that to be the case in a couple of different locales. My friend's in-laws in Si Saket having a family discussion do sound as if they're about to lash out at each other with whatever blunt objects are at hand. They speak Khmer but they refer to it as Isaan. I live in the south... my neighbors are usually the same way (volume level) except down here they're speaking Dtai (the Southern dialect of Thai) and it's truly a thing of wonder... very sing-songy quality, nasal, with the tones going all over the place. At least that's how it sounds to me. I'm sure the sound of my Thai isn't exactly music to their ears either.

Also, someone told me to learn the language that's spoken in the area of the country where you live. Makes good sense. Again, in the south (I don't know about the north or Isaan) accents change from Amphoe to Amphoe and definitely Changwat to Changwat. For the life of me, I can't understand most people I meet from Nakhorn Sri Thammarat.

Norton

Think you'll find the same in the different regions of US or UK. Separated by a common language!

ray23

Boy, talk about a reminder coming out of the blue. I was at Robinon this morning, I didn't know they tore down the buildings on the corner Robison that how often I get down there.

There are six farrrangs there three males and three females. I've been here to long first thing that hit me is why bring a cheeseburger to five star resturant. Thuth is seven years ago I would have been very happy to date any of the girls I was seeing ops:

Anyway they were speaking in a non English language sounded like Itallian but know no Itallian and every now and then I'm hearing words that sound familiar. But I didn't understand them. Me being the friendly cuss that I can be at times I go over and say good morning and ask what language they are speaking. They were from Spain and speaking Castellan Spanish.

Thirty five years ago when I was in college I took spanish in college, only to find out it was doing me no good. Mexican people do not speak Castellan Spanish. I learned to communicate with them using street Spanish.

So that may be what is motivating me to think the way I am, I had completly forgotten it until today.

I thnk one the things that has controlled my language usage has always been Am I being understood, do I understand, Not the form proper or otherwise.

I did stop by and met the local PAD leader and in Thai wished him good luck, He understood. I also made sure I kidded around with the local shoppers and I was understood.

So guys your comments are not falling on deaf ears.

ray23

My learning how to use these would sure make my porr wife's life a lot easier.

You know these are the kind of things that I need be able to communicate with, anyone got an idea how to get useful sentences out this like check the oil replace the head light,

well it fianlly happened today talking myself away finally ran into that guy who couldn't understand a darn thing I was saying and he was really trying, he spoke Issan. Maybe I should have asked him where to buy a pineapple

With Thanks to Expatmotors

Car รถเก๋ง Rot Gaeng
Clutch คลัช Clut
Brake เบรค Braake
Brake Pad ผ้าเบรค Pah Braake
Brake Disc จานเบรค Jaan Braake
Brake fluid น้ำมันเบรค Nam-an Braake
Brake Light ไฟเบรค Fai Braake
Windscreen กระจกหน้า Gra-Jok Nah
Rear Windscreen กระจกหลัง Gra-Jok Lang
Engine Oil น้ำมันเครื่อง Nam-an Krueng
Gearbox Oil น้ำมันเกียร์ Nam-an Gear
Power Steering Oil น้ำมันพาวเวอร์ Nam-an Power
Radiator หม้อน้ำ Mor-Naam
Radiator Fluid น้ำในหม้อน้ำ Naan Nai Mor Naam
Engine เครื่องยนต์ Krueng Yon
Steering Wheel พวงมาลัย Phum-a-Lai
Boot/Truck ท้ายรถ Tai Rot
Air Filter ฟองอากาศ Fong Aggart
Side View Mirrors กระจกข้าง Gra-Jok Kaang
Rear View Mirror กระจกมองหลัง Gra-Jok Mong Lang
Electric Windows กระจกไฟฟ้า Gra-Jok Fai Fah
Fuel Injector หัวฉีด Hua Cheet
Bonnet/Hood ฝากระโปรงหน้า Fah Gra-Bong Nah
Stereo เครื่องเสียง Krueng Seeang
Tyre ยาง Yaang
Hand Brake เบรคมือ Braake Mue
Exhaust ท่อไอเสีย Tor
Spare Tyre ยางอะไหล่ Yaang Alai
Steering Alignment ตั้งศูนย์ Dang Soon
Front Bumper กันชนหน้า Gan Chon Nah
Rear Bumper กันชนหลัง Gan Chon Lang
Distributor จานจ่าย Jarn Jai
Spark Plugs หัวเทียน Hua Ti-en
Shock Absorber โชคอัพ Chock-Up
Seat Belt เข็มขัด Kem Kat
Timing Belt สายพานไทม์มิ่ง Sy Paan Timing
CV Boot ยางหุ้มเพรา Yang Hum Pow
Suspension Spring สปริง S-Pring
Leaf Spring แหนบ Nairb
Rear Light ไฟหลัง Fai Lang
Reverse Light ไฟถอยหลัง Fai Toi Lang
Head Light ไฟหน้า Fai Naa
Indicator/Turn Light ไฟเลี้ยว Fai Leeo
Differential ไฟท้าย Fuang Tai
Horn แตร Dae
Wipers Blades ที่ปัดน้ำฝน Tee Bat Naam Fon
Oil Filter กรองอากาศ Glong Naam-an

tsicar

[quote=Norton;727149]If you are close, they will point and say poon. If you have a long way to go they will point and say poooon!

quote]
and if they haven't a fukkn clue where it is you are asking to get to, they will still say: "pooon!"

i learned to speak thai from the locals in my village, plus nights spent sweating over tourist phrase-books. took me nearly four years to even get a grasp of what was going on.
'kkin bank manager in the next town, only 30 km away, pisses himself laughing when i do business there, and calls his assistant to listen to the farang : "waow kha-men!"

ray23

I think the list is what I need to work on firstm aking sentences with them. These are the problems that come up most often and it is a problem for the wife since she knows nothing about vehecle repairs, frustrating fo her as well. Usually pointing and saying Mai Dee usually works prety good. But sometimes I just want them to checks something. For example adjustment on the brakes. Mechanics aroind town only a fwe I rtut and they arew used to me, villages aer different. They can pull off emergency repairs with almost nothing.

good2bhappy

Your lucky they don't use "ai"

Fabian

I got a problem the other way aroubnd, Ray23.
Learnt street-Thai with a few Isaan expressions with the ex-wife. Now I am getting always corrected how it should be spoken the correct way.

meepmeep99

Hi,
I've read through this thread with interest. I am an intermediate thai speaker. I have been suprised that no one has mentioned anything about learning the script. It really is not that hard i'd say it is easier to learn the thai script than it is to use the chinese pinyin english transliteration. I think this because there is no confusion with the how words are pronounced like in french, it's written in english but it's all pronouced completely different. Already i have seen many instances of ambiguous english transliteration of thai here . I'd say that if everyone is going to converse here about language then choose a system and stick to it. No offence meant but to make my point i will pick two examples ,Ray uses the transliteration 'nung' for the english word 'one' when it is actually pronounced ' neung ' which is a world away and will get a blank response unless you throw loads of other words in to create some context. The word 'nung' means means steamed as in ' bplah nung ma-now' 'fish-steamed-lime' ,although confusingly many transliterations use the letter U in nung as an A and want you to pronounce 'nung' as 'nang' or ' to sit' although if you read the thai script you will see ther is only one way to pronounce to sit นั่ง n-a-ng. My second example and why i think the script is so important is Killer bees reference to 'chang wat' or 'province', which in thai is spelt 'jang-wat' 'จังหวัด' . Lets take the word in thai 'jang-wat' to show how simple thai script can be. There are seven characters จัง หวัด 'j-a-ng SilentH w-a-t' the two e shaped characters are the 'a' vowel that hovers above instead of in between the consonants , the last character ด is 'D' which stays as a 'D' when it is the first letter of a word but in this case when at the end of a word it becomes a 'T'. I have not worked half as hard as anybody i have come across but when i read thai now it just looks like an extention of the english alphabet just leave a copy of 'teach your self thai' by David smyth in the toilet and you will get there. David smyths pronouciation guide is near perfect. Hope this helps someone.

Marmite the Dog

Well put. I get a bit narked at the often poor transliteration of words on here and cannot understand why they would write a word in that way. Until, that is, I hear the offender try to speak Thai...

Norton

Very good point. Thai script is very precise re pronunciation and if learned is by far the most expedient route to conversational competence.

ray23

That's all true the pronuniciation I use works everyday. Remember I can't hear tones so that is the way it sounds to me. But I agree again not Bangkok, got lots of slang around and lazy speaking from Thai's. The goal is to communiate here. I appreciate what you guys have said. I have went out of may way to use it. Somewhere besides the house, It's slowly working.

ChiangMai noon

why not??

anyway, tones are fairly over rated.

so long as your context is correct, people will understand you. the tones will come in time just from listening and using.

sound advice re the Thai script.
doesn't take very long to learn, makes all the difference and for some reason impresses Thais no end.

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meepmeep99

Context . When i first started to speak thai i would (and still do) get the blank expression because i would try and just use one or two words to get my point across but i was saying the words with the wrong emphasis (tones). But i found that if i use 10 words in a sentence then i can leave the listerner in no doubt what i'm talking about because i have provided some context and plenty of clues.

ray23

Good news the wife the other day afer I'm trying to figure how to say pliers (Kiim) got one of her englsih book and guess what tons of tools named in Thai and English so I will be adding to my list.

I'm getting closer and closer to my nuts and bolts all the time

Norton

Think you should be working "close the gate and don't let the dog out".

ray23

No I think that one has been clearly communicated now

killerbees

I agree about learning the Thai script. In fact, I do read and write a bit of Thai. I decided to study the Thai script because that was the advice given me by the foreigners I met who (I thought) spoke the best Thai. I was a bit half-assed about it for the first few years. It's only now that I'm really putting in some consistent effort (about an hour a day, sometimes more). I find that I'm able to practice a bit while at work because everyone in my office is constantly emailing each other memos. If I have a bit of time, I'll practice translating/reading those. In my free time, I send text messages to friends and chat on MSN. My typing in Thai is godawfuly slow but it's still fun.

I started studying seriously again because, as the person above wrote, transliteration just doesn't cut it. I use two different sources for the majority of the "looking up in the dictionary" I do... one of them is Thai to English dictionary & transliteration. The other is the Thai for Beginners book from Paiboon Publishing. There are probably some others, too. They both use different systems for transliteration. And then there's the official transliteration system. Unfortunately, I don't know all the tone rules and while I can sound out the words, there's often something screwy. For the tones and some pronunciation tips I consult the sources. Or I just ask people, but if there's no one around...

Learning the transliteration language is almost just as much work as learning the Thai script. Might as well learn the Thai.