#  >  > Living And Legal Affairs In Thailand >  >  > Learn Thai Language >  >  Thais who pretend to not understand when you speak in farangland?

## 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. :kma:

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## buriramboy

maybe you just ain't a handsome man in farangland as you are in Thailand and they are ignoring your sexual advances.

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## Fondles

Decent personal hygiene is also beneficial.

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## Strongarm

Point to your crotch and thrust in forwards and backwards motions, she'll soon catch on to what you're saying.

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## chitown

> Point to your crotch and thrust in forwards and backwards motions, she'll soon catch on to what you're saying.


................... :Sad:

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## superman

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


I do the exact here. Then you listen to what they say about you.

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## Marmite the Dog

A few pointers.

Say 'krap' first. It switches their brain cell into Thai mode.

Don't bother too much with overdoing the tones (pitch in reality) as it confuses them. 99.9% of Thais (especially rural Thais) don't seem to bother with most of them in everyday speech.

Formulate what you want to say in your head first and then say it quickly as if it's second nature.

Failing that, have a few beers and then try speaking Thai - seems a lot easier that way.

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## Chairman Mao

Just do it back to them when they try to speak English. It's actually good fun.

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## notanameleft

soon as they see your farangface, their ability to understand the farang language will be suddenly failed!!

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## Lorenzo

no need to talk to thais in the states

just talk to them in thailand to get what what you need

in the states they are useless

know the game

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## DrB0b

Considering the OP can barely write English I hate to think of the mess he makes of Thai.

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## sabaii sabaii

Feigning ignorance is the Thai way of saying fack off and leave me alone, especially when you shout at them

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## pescator

Farang roo maak, mai dee.

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## chitown

Why would you speak Thai to them if you are  not in Thailand? I never speak Thai in the US unless I know the Thai people really well. Even then we converse in English.

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## Davis Knowlton

^Usually a pretty safe bet that their English is a whole lot better than your Thai.

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## Begbie

These crafty Khmers are just trying to make you look stupid. Try speaking thai to them slowly and in a very loud voice, that will show them that you're not to be meddled with.

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## konini

> Originally Posted by heythere
> 
>  Thais who pretend to not understand when you speak in farangland?
> 
> 
> I do the exact here. Then you listen to what they say about you.


I speak Bahasa Malay and do the same, although I have to admit I haven't heard too many bad comments.  I'm trying to learn Thai, nothing too difficult to start with, but my hobby is cooking and I'm pretty much over Thai food (didn't think I'd EVER say that) so I cook falang food daily and I go to the food markets every morning, buy from the same ladies and now when they tell me how much something costs and I give them 20baht they wait for me to tell them how much change I should get before giving it to me, as well as testing me that I remember the Thai for whatever it is I'm buying - and I have to get the pronunciation correct.  I know lots of fruits and vegetable names now.   I'm starting to learn words like fry, boil and grill now because they want to know what I'm doing with what I buy.  Unfortunately, I may be getting a bit too good at it, because they're now starting to tell me the numbers and words in 'Chiang Mai' which is starting to confuse me.  I've tried telling them this, but they're insisting on teaching me 'Chiang Mai' as well as high Thai.  Perhaps with this gentle introduction, now is the ideal time to start some formal lessons.  Is this a good idea, or should I fumble on for a bit longer learning more words in this informal (and relatively easy for me as it's at my own pace) for a bit longer? 

Opinions welcome.

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## Marmite the Dog

> I may be getting a bit too good at it, because they're now starting to tell me the numbers and words in 'Chiang Mai' which is starting to confuse me. I've tried telling them this, but they're insisting on teaching me 'Chiang Mai' as well as high Thai.


I wouldn't worry too much about it. At least up there they speak nice and slowly. Try learning in the South; even Thais struggle to keep up with them some of the time.

In Isaan they discard even more of the tone (pitch, in reality) stuff, so that makes it simpler, but I prefer to speak Thai, even if the person I'm speaking to is using Isaan/Laos.

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## kingwilly

> however here in the states when talking with Thais, they pretend not to understand you.





> Considering the OP can barely write English I hate to think of the mess he makes of Thai.


I also wonder _what_ sort of thai he speaks to them. 

Many westerners learn bargirl talk, and educated Thai in the states aint gonna wanna speak that shite.

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## pescator

> Farang roo maak, mai dee.


I never speak thai to anyone living outside of Thailand, unless they themselves initiate it.
My old lady has several friends even older, who are not very good at my language. Hence they speak thai with me.

But basically, anyone pretending not to understand - if indeed this is a prentence - or down right refusing to speak thai with a foreigner are in my experience the ones best avoided anyway.
So no big loss there.

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## Marmite the Dog

> however here in the states when talking with Thais, they pretend not to understand you.


Maybe they don't want to appear retarded?

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## jane

:Smile: 


> 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.


 

hey there-yeah I feel like I'm not being understood but then I can only say hello, and thank you!! ha!  i' m new to Bangkok and new to this site, smiles! starting teaching in May and already feel lil lost as really want to learn thai- and be able to make myself understood- is there any language exchanges you know of? or did you pay for thai lessons? Im hoping that when I start working at school too as I'm working with a Thai teacher I should pick up a lot too- fingers crossed

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## rangmak

[at] Jane.  I wouldn't worry to much about learning formal Thai.  All Thais use a dialect or a lot of slang when they speak, and unfortunately, doesn't sound like proper Thai.  Just listen to the friends you'll make and you should learn some.  If a situation arises, where you need to speak proper Thai, your friends will help you.

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## xanax

I live in a condo with an English name when I ask for it in a taxi or bus they often cannot understand as my Englsih is 'mai chat' you just cant win.

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## pescator

Probably, your english is just that: Chat.
And that is the problem.

Thais with little command of english usually butcher the english pronounciation into something quite different. Not surprisingly really.

Try telling a cab driver that you want to go to Tesco Lotus. I would be much surprised if he would understand that, unless you use the thai pronounciation.

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## 5150

> maybe you just ain't a handsome man in farangland as you are in Thailand and they are ignoring your sexual advances.


haha, a good one

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## EriccirE

> maybe you just ain't a handsome man in farangland as you are in Thailand and they are ignoring your sexual advances.


This is what I believe is the reason.

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## EriccirE

> no need to talk to thais in the states
> 
> in the states they are useless


You have very high thoughts about thai people, have you ever said it directly to their face?

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## Noknoi

> 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.


Hi Heythere,

If you think positively, maybe they wanted you to pronounce the words properly. I, too, want my husband to pronounce it properly. I am trying to teach him different sounds, tones, how to move his lips etc... He doesn't speak much Thai but his proounciation is quite good.

" Chok ", in fact sounds shorter than what it should be if you say " Choke " then problems are solved.  :Smile: 

I am not good at guessing what people try to tell me verbally, so I would probably ask you to repeat with some sort of explanation of what you were trying to say. 

 :Smile:

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## Cujo

Hey Nok, does your husband post on here?

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## Noknoi

> Hey Nok, does your husband post on here?


No, Why Koojo?

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## Rural Surin

> Hey Nok, does your husband post on here?


I believe she has hemmed and hawed about such an inquiry on her principle thread....

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## Noknoi

> Originally Posted by Koojo
> 
> 
> Hey Nok, does your husband post on here?
> 
> 
> I believe she has hemmed and hawed about such an inquiry on her principle thread....


Hi Rural Surin,

Did you mean that I am avoiding saying things? This idiom of yours is new to me.

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## taxexile

new to me too.

should be "uhmmed and aaahd"

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## baldrick

> Did you mean that I am avoiding saying things?


and so you should.

tell him to mind his own business

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## CVD

Why is it that when a Thai speaks English they absolutely butcher the language but you know what they are trying to say?

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## Latindancer

post deleted

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## PorYai

> Why is it that when a Thai speaks English they absolutely butcher the language but you know what they are trying to say?


Probably because you're used to foreigners from all over the world butchering the  English language.

Thais don't have that "advantage". Most of them have only heard other native speakers their entire life.

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## toddaniels

While it's true most thais have only heard native speakers, there are clearly defined regional accents when speakin' Central Thai. It only takes a few sentences exchanged between two Thais for them to know where the other grew up just by their accent in Central Thai.

Actually the reason native English speakers can understand butchered and mangled engrish is we use "predictive comprehension". That's where we use the words in the sentence as a whole to work out what's being said instead of concentrating on the errors in the way it's said.

The reason Thais seem unable to do this is few Thais will listen to the entire sentence as a whole and make the leaps in logic in understanding what you're saying. They stopped listening at the first mispronounced word and totally missed the rest of the sentence. This is mostly because the foreigner is speaking Thai in an "un-thai way" or using a sentence structure the Thai never heard before. If you listen to how Thais talk, listen to how they structure the things they say, and then mimic that, your average thai-on-the-street's comprehension of your foreign accented Thai goes WAY up. It's because they've heard it said that way all their lives and their brain fills in the wrong tones and vowels for the correct ones.

It's my experience that once a Thai becomes accustomed to your foreign accented version of Thai, they have no problem interacting with you in Thai.

As far as Thais abroad pretending they can't understand you, I couldn't comment, but when I go back to the US this comin' year, I'll give it a try in the thai areas of Phoenix and Denver to see if they put me on "ignore" too...

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## mickey

Russians do the same here, and my ex, a Russian who lives  in the States does the same.

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## Seekingasylum

Why is it when I ask for a Coke in a bar where the staff have patently worked for yonks they still hesitate and ask me to repeat the order?

The whole world and its wife would immediately know what I wanted but here they react as if I had asked for a mermaid juice blitzer.

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## Marmite the Dog

> Why is it when I ask for a Coke in a bar where the staff have patently worked for yonks they still hesitate and ask me to repeat the order?


Because in Thai the 'o' sound is different to that of proper English. You need to ask for a 'cock'.  :Smile: 

Jing, jing!

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## sunsetter

please someone post that thread about how to speak thai please  :Wink: 


you know the one, with all the, erm, easy to say thai greetings and stuff, forget who posted it  :Very Happy:

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## chassamui

The appalling standard of English taught in rural Thai schools is to blame. When a Thai goes to live abroad and learns that they have been duped by their own system, someone has to lose face to pay for it. It will not be the Thai abroad that's for sure.

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## Rural Surin

> please someone post that thread about how to speak thai please 
> 
> 
> you know the one, with all the, erm, easy to say thai greetings and stuff, forget who posted it


This might help, Setter...
thai-language.com

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## DrAndy

> Why is it when I ask for a Coke in a bar where the staff have patently worked for yonks they still hesitate and ask me to repeat the order?





> You need to ask for a 'cock'.


he always goes to the wrong bar

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## KevyChase

How many languages do you speak ?
Maybe they just fake to understand you? And the ones in your home country really don't understand you? I've found that people who only speaks english have a really hard time speaking Thai.

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## sranchito

Had an Isaan wife that speaks English.  She went everywhere with me.  Didn't have to learn anything but how to count, greetings, etc.  You know, the easy stuff that you can't not learn.

As for a falang understanding other falangs based upon speech pattern, I find that is not always true.  Even in the same state, you might not understand each other.  Go from East Texas to West Texas, or vice versa, and there are many times we can't understand each other.    Let alone when a Texan heads North or some yankee bastard comes to Texas, or any other southern state.

Had a blast talking to Brits in the UK and Wales.  Some had seen Forest Gump and wanted to hear that type accent over and over again.  The most famous being, "Life is like a box of chocolates."

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## toddaniels

I dunnno about "people who only speaks english" having any harder of a time speaking Thai than anyone else, like say, Germans, Swiss, Swedes, Russians, etc (who are usually multiple language speakers). 

I also don't particularly think speaking multiple languages is an asset learning Thai (unless one of the previously acquired languages you possess is Pali, Sanskrit, Cambodia, or Lao) seeing as there's just too many dissimilarities between Thai and most European languages.

BTW: I'm curious; "KevyChase", how many languages do you speak or imagine you do?

I agree with "sranchito" insofar as "regional accent" playing a role in understanding. Even as tiny as Thailand is, the regional accents when every one is speaking Central Thai (the government approved version of the language) are really noticeable. While it's not nearly as noticeable as it is in the US (seeing as the US is 450 times bigger than Thailand), it is still noticeable.  I'll use your example of Texas (of which Thailand is about the same size), and the plethora regional accents thru out that state.

Still, even here in Thailand, I've had Thais who simply for one reason or another believed that they couldn't understand a foreigner speaking Thai. I've been at a table with some Thai friends, when another friend of theirs showed up. That "new person" directed their questions to me thru their friends, who in turn parroted the same question in Thai to me, which I answered in Thai, only to have the person say, "What did he say?", and them having to repeat exactly what I'd said in Thai, in Thai again.  

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; proving that yes indeed Thais can understand foreigners speaking Thai (especially if you take the piss with one of 'em).

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## poorfalang

> Originally Posted by thegent
> 
> Why is it when I ask for a Coke in a bar where the staff have patently worked for yonks they still hesitate and ask me to repeat the order?
> 
> 
> Because in Thai the 'o' sound is different to that of proper English. You need to ask for a 'cock'. 
> 
> Jing, jing!


 :rofl:

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## poorfalang

they ignored you because thay were actually filipinas or malay

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## Marmite the Dog

> 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.

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## robuzo

> Russians do the same here, and my ex, a Russian who lives  in the States does the same.


I met some Russians on the beach here in Florida yesterday, spoke Russian with them and, while at first they replied in English during the course of the conversation we switched back to Russian. Russians are generally tickled that a non-Russian has taken the trouble to learn "the great and mighty Russian language" (so said Tolstoy, and I tend to agree; Turgenev elaborates on that sentiment rather heavily In days of doubt, in days of dreary musings on my country’s fate, you alone are my comfort and support, oh great, powerful, righteous, and free Russian language!). 

If I read the OP correctly I am having something like the opposite problem here with Thais, or more specifically, my luk-kreung son. When we meet Thais (we seem to bump into them all over the place here) they are only too happy to converse with him- and me- in Thai, but he generally refuses to speak Thai with them. He seems to have got it into his head that his ability to speak Thai fluently diminishes his Americanness somehow. In fact, he has reached a point where he even prefers to speak with his mother in English via Skype (with me imploring the pair of them to speak Thai)- the other day he even tried switching to English when talking to his grandmother, a Phetchabun princess who speaks nothing but heavily accented Thai (or at least it sounds that way to me). The Thais we meet seem perfectly happy to speak with me in Thai, and to say my Thai is not terribly good is an understatement. I don't want the boy to lose his ability to speak Thai (as well as read and write, but that is already slipping badly as expected). Given that he hears me speak languages other than English regularly I really wasn't expecting this language-related identity crisis.

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## melvin

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

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## pescator

* Wao lao bo dai.*

There, I fixed it for you  :Smile:

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## pescator

......

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## toddaniels

"robuzo":
Well, I dunno if it's any great loss to your half-thai son if he "loses" his Thai ability. It's got about zero marketability as a language on the world stage. Outside this country it's as worthless as "tits on a bull" or "a three balled billy goat".

I don't think he's gonna come up short on opportunities in life because he doesn't wanna speak Thai anymore either. Especially after 2015 when Thailand will be dragged kicking and screaming into the AEC (Asean Economic Community) which already decided that English will be the language used between the countries. Given that these people (the thais) already rate below Lao and Cambodia in English ability, I'd say your son's English will be worth its weight in gold in a few years. 

I also highly doubt that his Thai language skills are "slipping badly as expected" either. The language skills he possesses have just been moved from his "RAM"  to an unused section of his "hard drive".  I'm sure if he were put into a situation where he needed to "speak Thai or die", the language would come right back to him.

You worrying about it ain't gonna change his attitude; I mean after all it's his life, his choices, and he'll find his own way.

Even I only learned Thai because these people suck so badly at English I had to do it to get things accomplished in my life here...

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## robuzo

^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.

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## terp80

"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.  :bananaman:

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## 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.

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

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## mingmong

> (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

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## oxyjohn

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.

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## Aberlour

> 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.

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## gaysexbyproxy

> 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.


 :Headbang:  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.

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## charleyboy

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!

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## Ian36

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".

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## navynine

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.

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## brisie

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"

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## DrAndy

> 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

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## WhiteGuy

> 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.

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## Gazza

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?

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## Zooheekock

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


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

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## pescator

Well, that`s a start  :Smile:

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## toddaniels

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..

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## DJ Pat

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.

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