Thread: Can anyone relate to this?

Originally Posted by keda

Originally Posted by The Gentleman Scamp

I love Thailand, and I love Thai people - they are as likeably daft as their lingo.

Incedentally, what would be the English equivilent of saying 'Khrap' after every fucking word?

Isn't krap/ka the equivalent of over?

Over would be fine,but 'over and out' would be better.

I have never seen a thai say "ka,ka ka,sawadee ka ka ka etc" when they are saying goodbye in person.They stick a bloody phone to their head and there must be a 'short' somewhere in the brain....

Originally Posted by Marmite the Dog

Originally Posted by sabang

Allow me to nitpick you all.
The plural of Thai is Thai, or the Thai.
Both Thais and Thai's are incorrect.

Complete bollocks.

When you are talking about 'the Thais' you need an 's'.

I hate it when non-native speakers think they know the language.

Wrong. You are adopting lazy inflexology, creeping Americanism if you like.
The plural of Thai was always traditionally Thai, this lazy Thais has only crept into our language recently. If you want to remain upper class or bourgeois [], stick to Thai. If you mix with the upper echelons of Thai society I doubly recommend it. I know a minor (HH) Thai Prince, educated in the UK, who can't help but slightly purse his lips when he hears the vulgar 'Thais'.
Since when is a UK born person a non native speaker btw . Would you prefer I were born in Omaha, in which case no doubt I could gift you with the full and rich genealogy of our Mother tongue as she is spoken.

Unfortunately however, I am going to have to award you a draw. I'll take the Bull, and you can have the Shit Mtd! Lets just say Thai is the high language, traditional plural. Thais is now acceptable as a vulgar, modern plural. According to the Oxford dictionary (The authority), both are now acceptable. How vulgar. Websters concurs:-

1- OED- Thai


/ti/
• noun (pl. same or Thais) 1 a person from Thailand. 2 the official language of Thailand. — ORIGIN Thai, ‘free’.

2- Websters- Thai

Main Entry: 1Thai
Pronunciation: 'tI
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural Thai or Thais


The question has been answered for the Vulgar however- if you must, it is Thais, not Thai's.

sabang

So why Khrub and Ka? A basic understanding of modern Thai identity begins with the nationalist policies of Field Marshall Luang Plaek Phibunsongkhram. In 1932 Thailand, Siam as it was then called , experienced it's first coup. This coup, specifically designed to restrict the powers of the monarchy, was organised by a group called the "Promoters" - military officials and civil servants who were members of the Peoples Party. This coup government was led by Phya Mano. Later Phya Mano's government was overthrown by the military faction of the People's party led by Phya Bhahon Yothin and Phibunsongkhram (also spelt Pibul Songkhram). This military dominated coup had the intention of modernizing Siam, particularly following the style of the newly powerful fascist dictatiorships of the west. In 1938 Plaek became Prime Minister.

The military ruled the country but allowed the King to remain under a constitutional monarchy as long as the King supported the coup leaders. Plaek, who allied Thailand with Japan in WW2 was deposed in 1944 by Pridi Banomyong, head of the anti-Japanese resistance. Three years later Phibun regained power.

Phibunsongkhram was primarily a nationalist and a moderniser and one of his edicts changed the name of the country from Siam to Muang Thai, formally Prathet Thai. Meaning the "Land of the Thais" this was to deliberately inculcate a feeling of nationalism in a people who previously been primarily regionalist.

He based his nationalism on the nationalistic styles of Hitler and Mussolini, whom he greatly admired, and endeavoured to create a new national and cultural identity for Thailand. He issued a group of "cultural decrees" called the "Rath Niyom" which were compulsory for all Thais. These decrees included the new greeting "Sawatdi" when Thais met each other and the use of the polite particles Khrup and Ka as a way of accenting the "politeness" of the Thai people. The Rath Niyom also made the use of Western dress compulsory, made all Thais learn the national anthem and decreed it be played twice a day in all public places, instructed Thais to buy only domestic products and eat healthy food, there were many other decrees. As well as inventing the pseudo-traditional Sawatdi, Khrup, and Ka words Plaek also created the Ramwong dance. Today all of these are accepted as being "authentic" Thai and not many people remember or like to talk about the fact that they were created by "Marshall P".

Plaek's biggest contribution to Thai nationalism was an almost entirely fictionalized Thai history. This glorious history of God-Kings, mighty warriors, and empires was designed by L. Wichit Wathakhan to provide Thailand with an appropriate historical background for a nationalist revival. This history is still the only history of Thailand taught in Thai schools today.

Phibunsongkhram created the modern Thai identity and the structure of current Thai society, he emphasised the uniqueness and strength of the Thai "race" as making them superior to all other groups in Thailand and by skillfully sowing a belief in the innate superiority of Thais and, among Thais, the superiority of the civil-service and military elite he guaranteed that that elite would be able to hold on to power no matter what the future might bring with a side effect of this being the culture of coup and counter-coup.

From Wikipaedia Luang Phibunsongkhram: - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"He began increasing the pace of modernisation in Thailand. By manipulation of the mass media, Pibulsonggram fashioned a semi-fascist regime with ultra-nationalism as its central theme. Together with Luang Wichitwathakan, the Minister of Propaganda, he built a leadership cult throughout 1939 and thereafter. Photographs of Pibulsonggram were to be found everywhere (in turn, those of the abdicated King Prajadhipok were banned), his slogans appeared in newspapers, were plastered on billboards and repeated over the radio.

Thai poster from the Marshal Plaek era, noting prohibited "uncivilized" dress on the left, and proper western dress on the right.

"Aimed to uplift the national spirit and moral code of the nation and instilling progressive tendencies and a newness into Thai life", a series of Cultural Mandates were issued by the government. These mandates required that all Thais were to salute the flag, know the new national anthem (written by Wichitwathakarn), and use the national (i.e. Bangkok) language, as opposed to local dialects. People were encouraged to adopt western attire as opposed to the traditional topless style of Thai men and women. In Pibulsonggram's view, all this was necessary for Thailand to strip away the thinkings of foreigners that Thailand was undeveloped and babaric. In the interest of progress, Thailand needed to be recognised by foreigners as equals.

In 1939, Pibulsonggram changed the country's name from Siam to Thailand. In 1941 (2484 B.E.) as World War II loomed on the horizon, he decreed January 1 the official start of the new year instead of the traditonal April 1.
His regime also embarked upon a course of economic nationalism, in which the Thai people were to support only Thai products and therefore destroy the Chinese hold on markets. Anti-Chinese policies were also undertaken; indeed, in a speech in 1938 Luang Wichitwathakan compared the Chinese in Siam to the Jews in Germany."

Originally Posted by Milkman

Learn to speak Thai yourself.


Twat.

I can, pretty fluent - I can say tweezers, kidneys and magnet all in Thai, - know the Thai for all those do you?

Thought not, now who's the twat?

Anyway, I can speak Thai but I can't listen in to their phone conversations, not without special equipment, even then my Thai is only good enough to pick up 70% of what they'd be saying, still it would help.

I know someone who knows you in real life and apparently you wear a sarong about the house, is that true?