#  >  > Living And Legal Affairs In Thailand >  >  > Learn Thai Language >  >  Some Useful Thai Words

## Humbert

Please contribute useful Thai vocabulary words and phrases that you don't often find in dictionaries. I'll add a few of mine:

Ra dup = level ระดับ

Pap ruam = overall ภาพรวม

Bohn = complain บ่น

Soot yawt = highest or best สุดยอด

Sah kah = branch or unit สาขา

Sahmak = apply สมัคร

Gaa punhah = solve the problem แก้ปัญหา

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## Doggsy

This would be better if you could somehow include the thai script as I always think that everybody has their own way of pronouncing romanised transliteration

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## Humbert

> This would be better if you could somehow include the thai script as I always think that everybody has their own way of pronouncing romanised transliteration


If you can read Thai script you don't need this thread.

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## taxexile

Ra dup = level ระดับ

this means level as in class or rank, or ground level, water level.  but not level as in a flat or even surface.

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## somtamslap

One of my latest findings..

Weejai foon = researching dust - means to be a bum/vagrant/issan type/etc

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## somtamslap

> Sahmak = apply สมัคร


 Can also use 'tar' for applying cream, paint, make-up or whatever..

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## taxexile

> Weejai foon


good find, 

weejai should really be วิจัย 

wi-jai. with a high tone on the short vowel wi . 

with a long vowel , it takes a rising tone and the word means comb, or bunch as in bunch of bananas

ฝุ่น - dust - also a short vowel but a low tone.

tones and vowel length, very important and very difficult.

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## taxexile

_



Sahmak = apply สมัคร


_

_to apply for a membership, a job._

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## Humbert

Or tar sii to apply paint. But in this case apply is in the context of applying for a job or a membership or a license.

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## somtamslap

> to apply for a membership, a job.


 followed by a 'sumparth' or interview, which is a total bitch (read impossible) to spell phonetically..and I'm buggered if I'm gonna root around the keyboard for the next 2 hours.

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## Humbert

Measure = wut วัด 
I always find this useful.

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## somtamslap

^ Same word as 'temple' is it not?

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## Humbert

> ^ Same word as 'temple' is it not?


Yup. Same word, different meaning.

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## Bogon

^think you have opened up a can of worms here Humbert.





> Soot yawt = highest or best สุดยอด


This word is more commanly used as a word to mean "cool" as in Fonzy cool.

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## Humbert

> ^think you have opened up a can of worms here Humbert.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>  Originally Posted by Humbert
> ...


 
It's literal meaning is like the peak or highest point but the Thais use it colloquially to mean cool, great, fantastic etc.

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## Marmite the Dog

No one has mentioned the most common word in Thai yet; 'Urr' [meaning pretty much anything]. How's that spelt?

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## TizMe

The best Thai sentence that I learnt was:
Gep nung tee fan pom. - Get the money from my wife!!

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## Doggsy

> If you can read Thai script you don't need this thread.


I don't necessarily think that is a true statement. I think if you can read Thai script it can only help your understanding to learn some new words in this thread. Granted some may be already known but new words are easier to read and understand if the script is there. 

Just because somebody can read Thai script doesn't mean they know every word nor does it mean they have a super wide vocabulary.

Still good thread, some useful words occuring.  :Smile:

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## somtamslap

Reading helps you with tones, which is essentially what the Thai language is based on...although speaking quickly and ignoring them has seem me right for the past decade or so...mastering tones is fucking hard...the grammar of the language however is ridiculously easy..

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## cali kid

::doglol::

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## Humbert

A few useful construction terms:

Decorate = dtok taeng ตกแต่ง
Ceramic tile = grabeungกระเบื้อง

Carpet = phrum ปูพรม

Teak = mai sakไม้ไม้สัก

Paint = sii ทาสี

Hanging lamp = Khom fai _Kwen โคมไฟแขวน

Glass = grajohk กระจก

Metal = lohah, โลหะ

Square meter = tarang met ตารางเมตร

Column, pole = sau เสา

Wiring = sai fai สายไฟ

Glue = gow กาว

Stone, marble = hin หิน

Front elevation = danah ด้านหน้า

Contractor = puhrab mow ผู้รับเหมา

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## Bangyai

Dtee Mor ( ตีหม้อ  )  =  to beat the pot. Or a euphemism for sexual intercourse. 

Not good for polite circles but will make your taxi driver laugh.

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## Thormaturge

> Reading helps you with tones, which is essentially what the Thai language is based on...although speaking quickly and ignoring them has seem me right for the past decade or so...mastering tones is fucking hard...the grammar of the language however is ridiculously easy..


To my knowledge Thais don't have dog races and I presume this is because nobody would know for sure whether they have been invited a horse or dog race.

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## Humbert

> Dtee Mor ( ตีหม้อ ) = to beat the pot. Or a euphemism for sexual intercourse. 
> 
> Not good for polite circles but will make your taxi driver laugh.


Or

Guwun teen = literally 'stir with the foot'. Used when someone annoys you so much you want to get back at them or kick them.

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## taxexile

> Carpet = phrumปูพรม


wrong spelling, its พรม, 





> Wiring = si faiสายไฟ,



 saai fai, not si fai.




> Paint = sii ทาสี


in thai you have given "taa sii" , the verb 'to paint'

its good to see a thai language thread, and not wishing to nit pick, but some of the english alliteration is way off, as is some of the thai spelling.

where are you getting this from?

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## somtamslap

> Glass = grajohk กระจก


 Shoulld be mirror rather than glass.

Glass = gaew

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## Humbert

> Shoulld be mirror rather than glass. Glass = gaew


No, gaew is a drinking glass.

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## Humbert

The Thai spelling is from the Thais in my office and from Google. The alliteration is from the way the Thai's say it in my office.

saai fai, not si fai.   Yes, I spelled it wrong. Thanks professor.

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## taxexile

thai-language.com - Dictionary

Thai to English dictionary, translation & transliteration - Thai2English

some good thai/english english/thai dictionaries

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## Humbert

I've used Thai-language.com and found it to be not very comprehensive and the translation tool not very intuitive regarding English spelling.

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## FarangRed

Chiang Fai = Electrician

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## FarangRed

Eek Krang Nung = one more time, but can also depend on what you are talking about

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## somtamslap

> Chiang Fai = Electrician


Chiang Mai = Carpenter

Chiang Mai = Wooden elephant

Chiang Mai = New city

Depending on which tone you say it in..

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## FarangRed

Than Tii Tan Dai = Immediately

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## taxexile

carpenter
ช่างไม้ 
châang mái 

 เชียง ใหม่  
Chiang Mài 

ช้าง 
cháang
elephant

 ไม้  
mái
wood


if this thread is to be of any use, the least you can do is try and post correctly.  

in thai these words are spelt and thus pronounced differently, they are not the same words.

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## somtamslap

^ Kon chob bon..cort lamkarn loi

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## taxexile

> Kon chob bon..cort lamkarn loi


instead of slagging me off, you should be thanking me for correcting your mistakes, if you cant take constructive and helpful criticism, then you'd best fuck off.

no point in posting in a language thread if your information is wrong, it will just confuse and mislead those trying to learn.

all the words posted so far are easy to find in online dictionaries, why dont you check them first.

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## Humbert

> all the words posted so far are easy to find in online dictionaries


There is little consistency for the roman spelling of Thai words. For example, I posted the thai word for 'contractor' but the transliteration was spelled nothing like the way it is actually said so I wrote it the way I think it sounds. In any case, this is not a scholarly thread. I'm sure some of the roman spelled aproximations are grating to purists but let's try and keep the spirit light and helpful rather than overly critical.

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## Patrick

> Originally Posted by taxexile
> 
> all the words posted so far are easy to find in online dictionaries





> There is little consistency for the roman spelling of Thai words. For example, I posted the thai word for 'contractor' but the transliteration was spelled nothing like the way it is actually said so I wrote it the way I think it sounds. In any case, this is not a scholarly thread. I'm sure some of the roman spelled aproximations are grating to purists but let's try and keep the spirit light and helpful rather than overly critical.


Agree with taxexile - I was writing almost the exact same Post but was distracted by lunch!

There is no "e" sound in either:

ช่าง ; นายช่าง - technician or skilled worker

or 

ช้าง - Elephant

เชียง is Northern Thai for “city” and OK there is an "e" sound in there.

All these words are spelt - AND pronounced in Thai - entirely differently.

Seriously, unless people really understand what they are Posting it's far better not to bother!

Patrick

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## the dogcatcher

Contractor = puhrab mow ผู้รับเหมา

No that's
"Khao boi"

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## somtamslap

> if you cant take constructive and helpful criticism, then you'd best fuck off.


 Oooooooh hoooooooooo..time of the month is it, sweetheart.

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## Bangyai

Regarding transliteration of Thai words into English , even academics are sometimes at odds with the best way to go.

Personaly , I'd rather have a stab at reproducing the sound thats heard or seeing the way its spelt in Thai before giving too much attention to what is already accepted.

For example , the word ' island ' in Thai is most commonly transcribed as ' Ko '
i.e.  ' Ko Samet '  or ' Ko Samui '  . Consequently this can lead to confusion when talking to a Thai since most foreigners pronounce this ' Ko '  as a  ' co ' ( as in coat )  when in fact in Thai it is spelt with a  gor  ( ก ) giving a g sound. Therefore , island might better be transliterated as ' got ' which would be nearer to how its pronounced than ' ko '.

Looking at various language books  I often notice that they can be at varience with each other with the transliteration of quiet a lot of words. The best way to avoid confusion is learn the Thai alphabet .

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## FarangRed

^you are rite there even language books differ quite a lot, but if the sound is right then what the fuk

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## JoshuaInMukdahan

The sound is just as relative. The sound is rarely right, and you are correct the books do very little to help. Even the official Thai method of transliteration is not good enough in many ways. Everyone here has different opinions on what method is best, and some ways work better for some than they do for others. I think the only thing most of us can agree upon is the fact that the best way to learn is to learn to read first, then transliteration is far less important.

I have heard many expats (Canadian, British, Australian and American) trying to reproduce Thai words & names, and to their ears must sound ok, but to the rest of us sounds just horrid. I watched a BBC documentary a few days ago about travel in SE Asia and Luang Prabang was pronounced LooANG PraBANG. Loo as the name Lou and PraBang as in Bang goes the gun. A waterfall was pronounced as Naam Tuck, not Num Dtok, Naam and Tuck. Seriously no consideration for proper vowels let alone tone marks. Just log onto youtube and try to see how many ways Pattaya or Ayutthaya is pronounced, you can hear 20 different ways, but all Thai people pronounce it one way.

For something as professional as a BBC documentary you would think there would be at least one person asking a local how to say it. Then again far too many times some people can be corrected again and again and they will still say it how they please. Foreigners with no regard or interest adapting themselves to the country they want to call home is what it looks like.

Yet when shoe is reversed these same cultures ridicule and make fun of any accent coming into their native lands and say things like 'speak the language before get on the boat', or they at least demand some effort, yet they themselves apply very little. Seems so unfair to any non-native any language speaker.

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## Humbert

Words often used around the office:

Issue (point) = Praden ปฺระ-เด็น

Profit = Gam rai กำ-ไร

Document = aek ga saan เอกสาร

Employee = pha nak ngan พนักงาน 

Merchandise = sin khaa สินค้า

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## TizMe

> I have heard many expats (Canadian, British, Australian and American) trying to reproduce Thai words & names, and to their ears must sound ok, but to the rest of us sounds just horrid.


I've heard many Canadian, British, Americans and Kiwis trying to say English words & names. To their ears it must sound OK.  :Smile:

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## nigelandjan

> Weejai foon = researching dust - means to be a bum/vagrant/issan type/etc


Thought Id try and be clever with my new found lingo ,,,,,,,,, just called the wife one of those ,oh dear dont think its gone down too well .

       Now she is looking over me shoulder going 
              m m m m m m manuuuuuuuuuu = thai/laos yes

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## JoshuaInMukdahan

> I've heard many Canadian, British, Americans and Kiwis trying to say English words & names. To their ears it must sound OK.


LOL

So, so true. About 3 months ago I was getting some fast food lunch and dining inside the restaurant in Detroit, Michigan USA. After I placed my order for the fried chicken and cole slaw the acting manager while getting my cups for the sweet tea said to me *'How may y'all is dey'*. No joke! I asked him to repeat it 3 times and all 3 sounded exactly the same. I was so lost. The woman behind me said "He has 4 guests". The question ended up translating to '*How many of you are there?*'.

Rap music has destroyed the English language much more than the Amerification of the language. LOL

I am fond of the Kiwi's accent personally. Sorry for taking the thread off topic. WiiJai Foon? Nigelandjan or Somtamslap I have never heard this phrase. Is it spelled  วิจัยฝุ่น? It is a slur/insult? Would it be phrased something like khun/jao/mueng bpen kon wii jai foon? This is now fascinating! :P

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## Chairman Mao

> Originally Posted by taxexile
> 
>  if you cant take constructive and helpful criticism, then you'd best fuck off.
> 
> 
>  Oooooooh hoooooooooo..time of the month is it, sweetheart.


Mee si daeng lao lorrrr... 

teelak.

มีสีแดงแล้วหลอ...

ที่รัก

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## Scottish Gary

How about chai jen jen as Somachi is about to smash a pool Que across your head.

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## Chairman Mao

yen yen, even.

Or perhaps confusing him might slow his actions. They're not very good at multitasking. Like thinking and existing at the same time.

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## rapidll

Here are a few essential stock phrases that will gain you a few notches of appreciation:

1. <do something for me> DUAI! [ด้วย] _said with an emphatic tone._ This is simply the standard polite way of saying "please" in Thai. 

E.g. chjoht pai! naa! duai! [จอด ป้าย หน้า ด้วย] - _please stop (park) at the next bus stop_

You can be even more polite by adding "na khrab?" นะครับ (for a man) or "na kha!" นะค่ะ (for a woman), but many Thais don't bother. DUAI! is usually polite enough.

2. CHUAI! <do something for me> HAI! NOI KHRAB?/KHA!
[ช่วย ... ให้ หน่อย ครับ/ค่ะ]

E.g. chuai! pid pradtoo hai! noi ... ช้วย ปิด ประตู ให้ หน่อย_ - please could you close the door for me..._

3. And the best is... <I did this especially for you> sa-noi [...ซะหน่อย]

E.g. seu? khong khwan? hai! theu sa-noi ซื้อของขวัญให้เธอซะหน่อย

[i] bought this present especially for you (my darling)...

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## Mickmac

Great thread, I am learning useful words and phrases that I would not have thought to learn, like "Get the money from my wife", brilliant !

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## Smug Farang Bore

> One of my latest findings..
> 
> Weejai foon = researching dust - means to be a bum/vagrant/issan type/etc


Yup slap, few goes with the staff but I got there in the end...

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## Smug Farang Bore

The girls get it if I pronounce Foon like I'm speaking Geordie.


Way Ay  Foun  mun liike.

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## Bettyboo

If you keep speaking to the fukers in their own language then the culture might rub off on you and you'll become like them...  :Sad:

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## Humbert

rohp guuan รบกวน = annoy, disturb. Before asking a stranger for help, lead off with: kor toht rohp guuan noi. Excuse me, sorry to disturb you...

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## Humbert

ปัญญาอ่อน Phanya awn  = moron, retard. You hear this a lot among Thais spoken playfully.

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## taxexile

heres a very good and comprehensive english thai dictionary



Lexitron Dictionary

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## Boon Mee

'_Ow You'_ or '_Mun Jai_' is being used a lot recently by the idiots in charge of water management.

Means I'm positive - can handle it.

right....

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## Humbert

^mun jai = confident

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## taxexile

man jai  มั่นใจ  is to be confident

man jai tua ayng  มั่นใจตัวเอง is to be self confident

ow yoo เอาอยู่  is translated in dictionaries as enough, sufficient.
 i also hear it on the news a lot and take it to mean that it is within our limits and  can be handled, although i suppose it could mean weve had enough already.


por gan tee พอกันที is to be enough

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## FarangRed

> ปัญญาอ่อน Phanya awn  = moron, retard. You hear this a lot among Thais spoken playfully.


Samong naa Phanya awn or Phanya Kwai

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## the dogcatcher

Oh dear, I accidentally learned Laotian whilst living in Thailand.

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## Bear Hawk

> ^think you have opened up a can of worms here Humbert.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>  Originally Posted by Humbert
> ...


Joot soot yawt = orgasim

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## Bear Hawk

> Originally Posted by somtamslap
> 
> 
> One of my latest findings..
> 
> Weejai foon = researching dust - means to be a bum/vagrant/issan type/etc
> 
> 
> Yup slap, few goes with the staff but I got there in the end...


Weejai foon: I thought it merely meant unemployed. I was not aware of the negative connotation. Thanks, you may have helped me avoid misunderstandings in the future.

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## taxexile

> Weejai foon: I thought it merely meant unemployed. I was not aware of the negative connotation



with something approaching full employment in thailand, those who are unemployed are in fact bums and vagrants.

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## roongsi

Geaw Kong= Invovled เกี่ยวข้อง
Sao (adv.)= Sad เศร้า
Sao (n.)= Post เสา 
Sow (n.)= Lady สาว

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## roongsi

Sia Kwam Tang Jai (v.)= Not do as intended เสียความตั้งใจ
Siang (v.)= risk เสี่ยง
Siang (v.)= take a chance เสี่ยง
Siang Dang (n.)= lound sound เสียงดัง

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## roongsi

Sia Chue-siang (v.)= be disreputable เสียชื่อเสียง
Sia Dai (v.)= deplore, regret,shame เสียดาย
Sia Mara-yart (v.) misbehave เสียมารยาท

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## taxexile

what does the expression   อยู่ที่ว่า  mean.

i hear it a lot on tv and on the radio but cant work out the exact meaning, the nearest i can get is " it depends on the fact that ......"

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## somtamslap

Som-mood wa - suppose that/imagine that

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## Humbert

มีประสบการณ์  mee bprasohp gahn (bprasohp gahn) = experienced

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## expattaffy

What about fuk boa, how the hell do you shag a snake? :smiley laughing:

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## expattaffy

Or dot min, Thai for fart smell

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## somtamslap

Well if we're getting vulgar...

GANG FUCK - Pumpkin Curry

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## Bob63

> 1. DUAI! [ด้วย] said with an emphatic tone. This is simply the standard polite way of saying "please" in Thai. E.g. chjoht pai! naa! duai! [จอด ป้าย หน้า ด้วย] - please stop (park) at the next bus stop You can be even more polite by adding "na khrab?" นะครับ (for a man) or "na kha!" นะค่ะ (for a woman), but many Thais don't bother. DUAI! is usually polite enough. 2. CHUAI! HAI! NOI KHRAB?/KHA! [ช่วย ... ให้ หน่อย ครับ/ค่ะ]


I figured duai means "please" and chuai mens "help"
So chuai duai means "please help me " (rescue me).

But perhaps mistaken ?

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## pickel

Duai means "as well",  "also", or "too". That's the way I learned it, unless it's also another word when a different tone is used.

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## somtamslap

> So chuai *duai* means "please help me


 Used to emphasise the verb in this case.

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## Bob63

^ ^^  Thanks both.

I remember that now. Khon duai is "together" I believe.

Or perhaps we are talking about different "duai's",. pronounced differently. I will check with the boss..

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## Humbert

ช่วยกัน Chuay Gan = mutual assistance or cooperation

ด้วยกัน Duay Gan  = together with another person

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## beerlaodrinker

> _
> 
> 
> 
> Sahmak = apply สมัคร
> 
> 
> _
> 
> _to apply for a membership, a job._


Ah sa samark = to volunteer (at least in Lao thats its meaning) guessing its similar in thai/issan

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## Bob63

> ช่วยกัน Chuay Gan = mutual assistance or cooperation
> 
> ด้วยกัน Duay Gan = together with another person


Thx a bunch !

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## unjustlyaccused

Even being able to read Thai script, it is still useful to learn new useful words

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## unjustlyaccused

กัน means literally with.

ช่วย is to help
ด้วย is together

Many of the more complicated concepts end up being simple combinations of smaller words.

ช่วยกัน Chuay Gan = mutual assistance or cooperation

ด้วยกัน Duay Gan = together with another person

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## luchianocalaveras

pac wan - sweet talker
som nam naa - serves you right

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## toddaniels

A little "behind the times" there aren't we "luchianocalaveras"?  Those two phrases are possibly the first Thai foreigners who wash up here learn interacting w/Thai whores. I mean there're right up there with "short time" & "long time"..  

  Still if that vocab helps you in your day to day existence here, knock yourself out. Personally I haven't heard either of those phrases in several years. Then again, as a rule, I don't hang around thai whores all that much.

  "Somtamslap" posted a "Well if we're getting vulgar" tongue in cheek entry, but I'll give you a few;
นกเขาไม่ขัน - literally; "the dove doesn't coo" but it really means can't get an erection. .
เข้าประตูหลัง - enter the back door - pretty self explanatory for anal sex
ล้างหน้าไก่ - literally "wash the front/face of the chicken" but really, "wake up in the morning and fuck your thai significant other before going to take a shower".. 
ร่วมหมู่ราดหน้า - bukkake
นักเล่นว่าวมือโปร - literally "professional kite flyer" but really, a "professional masturbator"..
ตีหม้อ - literally "hit the rice pot" but really, "go out and fuck a whore"
ขื้นครู  - literally "go up on the teacher" but really, the first time a guy takes a prostitute in his life. 
นักท่องเที่ยวกะหรี่ - literally "curry tourists" but because the word กะหรี่ is thai slang for whore, the real meaning is "sex tourist"
ผีขนุน - literally "jackfruit ghost" but really, those scary looking ladyboys who run in herds..

Hope these help.. ..

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## charleyboy

Somtamslap mentioned this word before...

Nigel. Next time Jan makes you a meal and asks, 'aroi mai?'

Reply with. 'coat aroi.'

Coat as in raincoat.

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## toddaniels

> Somtamslap mentioned this word before...
> 
> Nigel. Next time Jan makes you a meal and asks, 'aroi mai?'
> 
> Reply with. 'coat aroi.'
> 
> Coat as in raincoat.


Rather than tryin' to impress a Thai with the use of โคตร what passes for 'fuck' in a Thai sentence.

How about using one of the Thai idioms relating to "marginally tasting food"?

They have 
ดีกว่ากินดิน - better than eating dirt

ดีกว่าลิ้นเลียบันได - better than my tongue licking the stairs

Both of those will certainly get a laugh out of a Thai especially if they made the food..

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## taxexile

> โคตร what passes for 'fuck' ina Thai sentence.


My understanding is that it is not as strong as " fuck", but more like the british use of " bloody" 

As in "its bloody hot today" rather than "its fucking hot today", and I dont think you would use it as a positive descriptor combined with delicious.

The nuances involved in using slang or swear words are almost impossible to understand by foreigners, and that goes for non native speakers of any language, falangs swearing or using thai slang mostly sound plain stupid and immediately label themselves  as unworthy of respect

For foreigners, polite thai is really the only way to speak.

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## toddaniels

Sorry this is long, perhaps it will be of marginal value;




> The nuances involved in using slang or swear words are almost impossible to understand by foreigners, and that goes for non native speakers of any language, falangs swearing or using thai slang mostly sound plain stupid and immediately label themselves  as unworthy of respect


  taxexile you sound like you've been "spoon-fed" from that big "crock-'o-shit" these people to feed clueless foreigners about how to speak thai and/ or what constitutes thai culture. In fact it sounds like youve eaten it and gone back for seconds!

  In English, I swear all the time talkin to Thais and foreigners alike. I do the same when I speak Thai w/Thais. 

  The word โคตร can most definitely carry the meaning as close to "fuck" as a Thai word can for a descriptive intensifier. I dunno about "bloody" because we don't say it in American English (we just man up and say fuck like grownups).
  I use the word โคตร ALL the time when I speak Thai.  It can be used in a positive and well as in a negative way;
โคตรร้อน - fucking hot 
โคตรโกรธ - fucking mad
โคตรสวย - fucking beautiful
โคตรโง่  - fucking stupid
โคตรแย่ - fucking terrible
โคตรยาก - fucking hard (difficult)
โคตรดี - fucking good (carries the same meaning as เยี่ยม which is "great"!)
โคตรแพง - fucking expensive (although Thais will usually say แพงหูฉี่ - "so expensive my ears sizzle at hearing the price")
Granted a lot of my examples are the negative, but that's just how I use it.

   Here's a video I posted once before (if my memory serves me) about the use of โคตร;


  FWIW; this kid is a full time doctoral student in linguistics at the University of Southern California, so he may have the linguistic chops to know what the word means in a comparative sense to English...

  Like the video says; about the only caveat is you can't use it with nouns.. It can also be doubled after an adjective/adverb and carries a slightly softer meaning, and doesn't come across as ฮาร์ดคอร์ ("hard-core" spelled in thai). I disregarded his warning about using it only with close friends and am no worse for wear.

  I have found the use of this word is not "locked" into a particular demographic of Thai like a lot of the "horse-peak" or bar slang foreigners seem to pick up here from thai whores, but it's used by all demographics..

  True it takes a while to learn how to use it, when to use it and which terms to use to convey the meaning you want but it's value cannot be underestimated. Nor as "taxexile" asserts are the "nuances involved in using slang or swearing almost impossible to understand by foreigners".. Christ look around you, these people don't appear to be the sharpest tools in the fucking shed, and they can grasp it.. That would lead me to believe almost any half-wit foreigner who tried could do it too.

  You hafta realize that a LOT of the English terms just don't translate straight across the board "word for word" from English into Thai. I wish I had a baht every time a clueless foreigner tried to call a Thai an "asshole" and said รูตูด; which is the actual term for your rectum or literally "the hole in your ass"; yet is a term which carries NO meaning in thai as a comparative.

  That last bit of "taxexile's" post is the funniest thing I've read in a long while; "immediately label themselves as unworthy of respect". That is sooo "foreign sock puppet wanna-b-thai" that it made me laugh out loud!!

  Last time I checked I ain't here to a fucking role model of an American abroad; I ain't here to foster friendship between our countries and I neither want nor need these peoples' respect. Thankfully, I don't gauge my own self-worth on what these people or anyone thinks of me.

Still Good luck. . . .

----------


## charleyboy

I picked the word up (โคตร ) from a Thai friend, and he's not 'low class.'
I taught myself Thai and I'm pretty proud of that fact.
I can sit and have a half decent conversation with a Thai, more than most(foreign) people I've ever met here in Thailand.
Tax. Sometimes you appear to be a snob.

BTW. 
colloquial, impolite adverbial slang used to emphasize extremely; very; awfully (informal); exceedingly; exceptionally; extraordinarily; severely; terribly; uncommonly

----------


## taxexile

An american motormouth "kiss" fan 




> Last time I checked I ain't here to a fucking role model of an American abroad; I ain't here to foster friendship between our countries and I neither want nor need these peoples' respect. Thankfully, I don't gauge my own self-worth on what these people or anyone thinks of me.


Says it all.

And they wonder why the world laughs at them.


Unless you are fluent in a foriegn language then it is pointless trying to use slang. You will sound stupid.
End of.

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## pescator

I disagree.

It will often bring a smile on people`s faces when they hear a farang using thai slang.
That is at least my experience.

Ying kradaai. Shoot the rabbit. Males can use this expression when they feel the urge to urinate.

Gep Dork mai. Pick flowers. Same for females.

----------


## taxexile

^

Cute, innocuous slang like the above is quite acceptable.

I was referring to coarser language.

----------


## RickThai

Mai!  No!

Mai ow! No want!

Bai!  Go!

Chai, krap.  Yes.

Krab khun, krap.  Thank you.

Koh tout, krap!  Sorry.


That's all you really need.

----------


## Rural Surin

> Mai! No!
> 
> Mai ow! No want!
> 
> Bai! Go!
> 
> Chai, krap. Yes.
> 
> Krab khun, krap. Thank you.
> ...


That's only if you're a typical _farong. _ 

ไม่เป็นไร

หนาแน่น

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## Paco

How does โคตร compare with ฉิบหาย ?


e.g.  ร้อน ฉิบหาย

.

----------


## toddaniels

โคตร is an intensifier used with verbs, adjectives and adverbs..

To me ฉิบหาย is just a colloquial rude interjection, it doesn't modify the adj/adv/v in what you're saying. I also don't think it can be used in a "positive sense", and usually conveys displeasure, dismay or surprise at something. (At least that's my experience hearing it spoken.)  

There are some dictionaries which show it as "awfully", which would lead me to believe it can be used like your example; "Damn, it's hot. I think it's different from saying "fuckin' hot". When I hear it spoken by thais it's rarely used in that way. I mostly hear it spoken with this meaning;
ฉิบหายล่ะ!

I think that โคตร'ing when speaking Thai to these people is somehow easier for them to stomach than ฉิบหาย'ing..  Dunno, because I can probably count on one hand with fingers left over the number of times I've ฉิบหาย'd here.  However, if I count up the number of time I've โคตร'd, I'd run outta fingers and toes pretty fast.

----------


## pickel

^
I've had a few Thai's translate chip hai to me as "fuckin'". As in ron chip hai, to be "it's fuckin' hot". It's definitely rude as you say.

----------


## Paco

> ^
> I've had a few Thai's translate chip hai to me as "fuckin'". As in ron chip hai, to be "it's fuckin' hot". It's definitely rude as you say.



Yeah, that's how it was taught to me. Knew it was rude, just didn't know quite _how_ rude.

So I gather then that it's a rather more coarse expression than โคตร / "coat." Best avoided then...   

 :Suspect:

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## RickThai

> Originally Posted by RickThai
> 
> 
> Mai! No!
> 
> Mai ow! No want!
> 
> Bai! Go!
> 
> ...


Another typical "Prissy Little Missy" comment from you. Surprise, surprise.

A typical falong would probably find words like เบียร์ , โสเภณี , or, (perhaps in your case??) ไอ้ตัว useful.

RickThai

RickThai

----------


## youneverknow

Pretty good stuff here. Personally I hear the *jeb hai* much more often than the *kot.* I'll just have to listen more carefully. I'm sure it also depends on which group of Thai society you are hanging around with. Personally, I never use the impolite Thai words even though in English I often will throw in a fucking this or that.

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## toddaniels

> Originally Posted by Rural Surin
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>  Originally Posted by RickThai
> ...


Man, "RickThai" if those are the only words you really need (or really think anyone needs); all I've gotta say is you're wading in the shallow end of the gene pool here. Considering that extensive vocab you must be really mixin' it up with the locals! 

Here I'll even correct your "karaoke Thai"
ไม่ - no
ไม่เอา - don't want
ไป - go
ใช่ - yes (not really the word yes because Thai has no word for yes, and instead you repeat the verb back to the speaker)
ขอบคุณครับ - thank you ("Rick" please note the difference between the first and last word which in your karaoke you spelled the same, 'cause they ain't spelled or pronounced the same)
ขอโทษครับ - sorry

Rural Surin, I think you're a little off the mark with your หนาแน่น comment there. I'd imagine you used that word which means "dense".  However, that term is not used when referring to people with marginal intelligence. That'd be either ปัญญาอ่อน (literally "soft intelligence" or colloquially; "retard"), and of course there's ปัญญาทึบ (dense, opaque, thick intelligence) which is used to call someone "dense". Then there's  ไม่เต็มบาท - (not a full baht, or "an order of fries short of a 'happy meal'". . .)

Personally I prefer using the Thai idiomatic phrase น็อตหลวม "loose nut". It is interesting to note in English we say someone has a "screw loose", but in Thai they say someone has a "nut loose" even though it carries the same meaning.  

Oh, to back up my claim there's no word for "yes" in Thai here's a video;



As an aside, I've rarely heard the word โสเภณี spoken when referring to Thai whores or any whore for that matter.  Usually it's ผู้หญิงขายตัว (girls who sell their body) ผู้หญิงขายบริการ (girls who sell "service"). I just usually say กะหรี่.  Mostly because I'm all for calling whores; whores, instead of mincing around the trade they ply. 

In the newspaper the other day when they rounded up a bunch of whores they called them ผีมะพร้าว (coconut ghosts).  It's a word play on the colloquial term for katoeys who usually stand under the jackfruit trees in the parks ผีขนุน (jackfruit ghosts).  The reason they're called ghosts is when children would ask their parents who those people were, the parents would say they were ghosts.  Given the fear Thais have of ghosts, that'd be the end of the questions from the kids...     

Still, keep at it RickThai; I have no doubt you'll get there eventually. Remember even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while.

----------


## pescator

Garee? I see that you prefer to call a spade a spade.
I doubt, though, that it will win you any friends, but then again for some reason I feel rather confident that you don`t care.  :Smile: 

I have never heard the full expression used: poo ying khaay borigaan. It is invariably the short version Ying Borigaan.

(Poo)Ying Klaang Khuen - Night woman is another way of putting it or (Poo)ying Haa Ngun - woman looking for money.

If one really feels the urge to have one`s teeth kicked in there is always: Dork Thong Garee Chaang Yet.

As others in this thread have pointed out, I also find that reasonably polite thai gives one much more mileage.

I have been corrected on more than one occasion for being a bit too outspoken.
"WTF? You just used that expression yourself??". "That is different, I am thai".
Well, I cannot argue with that. Back to the drawing table.....

----------


## toddaniels

Sorry this is long (for those with limited reading skills or limited attention spans, just give it a pass!) 



> I have been corrected on more than one occasion for being a bit too outspoken.  "WTF? You just used that expression yourself??". "That is different, I am thai". Well, I cannot argue with that. Back to the drawing table.....


Interesting about the; "WTF? You just used that expression yourself??" and the obligatory response; "That is different I am Thai".  

  I had that exact thing happen not all that long ago when some Thais I was sitting with called a bunch of foreigners wandering down the Soi a "ฝูงฝรั่ง". The word ฝูง is Thai to denote; herd, flock, school, gaggle, etc, and it's used only with groups of animals. In the Thais defense this was one FAT flock of oh-so flabby foreigners waddling by.. Still, I pointed at the next group of Thais who meandered by, saying ดูซิฝูงไทย! Only to have the; "Hey, you can't say that about Thais" thrown in my face. I just laughed out loud at their audacity. You can say เพื่อนฝูง to denote a "gang" of close friends you have though and its fine.

  Honestly, I don't often talk to whores, although enough parade by whilst I'm sitting Soi side that I do refer to them when talkin' to my Thai friends.  I tried the other nite to get them to understand the "If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, looks like a duck, it's probably a duck" idiom. I switched the words to "If it dresses like a whore, is made up like a whore and walks like a whore, it's probably a whore". In my incantation of the idiom I used both the pronoun for animals มัน and the blunt term for whore กะหรี่. Even though we were all pretty drunk they got it right away!  So much so that when a "likely suspect" would walk by, my friends would whisper, คงเป็น - "probably is". 

  I haven't heard the ผู้หญิงหาเงิน / หากิน in a LONG time, and I think they've fallen outta fashion. Last time I checked, everyone who has a job is "finding money" and "finding something to eat" one way or another. อีดอกI hear occasionally, but that's usually when two Thai gurls are quarreling and I rarely hear it in reference to whores by others and I have never ever heard ดอกทอง ever..

  There are two other more poetic terms you can use for whores. One is ดอกไม้ใกล้ทาง flower close to the path and the other is กุหลาบริมทาง rose on the edge of the path". It's mostly in reference to those street walkers who stand around on the footpaths. Sorta fits, huh?

  In other news I recently found out if someone has a significant other at home but are out on the prowl for "a little strange"; Thais will call it เปลี่ยนบรรยากาศ or "change of atmosphere".

  As Ive said, I ain't gonna change who or what I am because I happen to choose to live amongst the Thais and speak their language.  I'm sure it vexes them just as much as they vex me..

----------


## RickThai

> Originally Posted by RickThai
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>  Originally Posted by Rural Surin
> ...


"A narrow mind thinks the world only exists as they see it in their narrow view." (an original quote by RickThai).

Transliterations are just approximations of the words of another language. I know full well how certain Thai words change tone (and sometimes Thai spelling) when used in different contexts.

The topic was "useful Thai words", not Thai grammar.

If it puffs you up to show your "advanced" knowledge of Thai grammar, then enjoy, but the first rule of any communication (written or verbal) is to consider your target audience.

And, unless you work in a mental hospital, just how useful is the Thai phrase for "loose screw"?

So says a "blind squirrel".

RickThai

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## Rural Surin

คนปัญญาอ่อน

----------


## RickThai

> คนปัญญาอ่อน


หล่อนดื่มปัสสาวะควาย

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## somtamslap

> Knew it was rude, just didn't know quite how rude


 Not that rude, although a little crass perhaps. More akin to 'damn' than 'fuck'.

----------


## toddaniels

Gear down there big shifter, err "blind squirrel"!

I'm neither a grammar nazi or someone tryin' "puff up" and show off my "advanced knowledge of Thai". In fact I've got some pretty piss poorly structured, poorly enunciated Thai. I make no bones about my level of spoken Thai, the degree of politeness I do or don't convey to these people when I interact with 'em or any other nonsense like that. 

I was tryin' to show "useful Thai words", which to me are words I get use out of (hence the reason I posted in this thread with the catchy title "useful Thai words").

Now that you don't feel you'd get any bang-4-the-baht outta my phrases or words, fine, don't use 'em. 

As far as what I call "karaoke Thai" or writing Thai with the English alphabet; there are so many different versions, different spellings, different incantations out there.  Even the one designed by Benjawan Poomsan Becker (the karaoke version most printed) sometimes falls short of the mark.  Most of the version are about as worthless as tits on a tomcat as far as accurately representing Thai vowel length and tone.. That's why I don't use 'em. If anyone wants to plug in what I wrote in Thai on any number of Thai language sites they'll get the karaoke version. If they don't wanna, well they possibly aren't as in to learning Thai as they thought, because to be even half assed good at it is a goddamned tough fucking row to hoe!  

Since I learned it, I use the term "loose nut" all the time here. Mostly when one of these people says something to me which I refuse to accept as an answer to a question I asked. 
These people are famous for spitting out "Cannot!" (ทำไม่ได้), or "No Hab!" (ไม่มี) as soon as they're asked a question. 

More times than not, I've found "cannot" means;I don't know how to do it, but am afraid to lose face if I tell you thatI can't ask someone else as I'd look stupid and lose faceIf we find out it in fact it can be done, I'll lose face for sureDue to the incredible amount of time every day these people invest in "gaining", "saving" and "not losing" that mythical thing called "face", if they're unsure about any answer it'll invariably be "Cannot".  It's the same for "Thailand no hab!", they won't admit they don't know where it can be found, so again the answer is a fall back face saving "No hab!"

Coming back with; "Do you have a screw loose or what? Of course it can be done" gives them a chance to "man up" and think to themselves, "Hmmm, hang about, lemme think about it a second or maybe lemme go ask someone" instead of offering out a mindless knee jerk answer.

Sorry if I ruffled anyone's feathers as that was not my intent. I am only relating my experiences and things I've found useful as I've made my way slowly thru the mine-field of learning this language to the half assed degree I now possess...    

P/S: you lost me on the หล่อนดื่มปัสสาวะควาย   "She drinks buffalo pee". What is it a tongue twister?

----------


## toddaniels

Here's a really good one to use getting on the BTS, the MRT, a public bus, etc when it's jam packed w/people;
 โอ้โห แน่นยังกะปลากระป๋อง

It means, "Wow, packed like fish in a can. 

We use the same idiom in American English we just say "packed like sardines". .

Here's Benjawan Beckers pronunciation;
ôo-hǒo    nɛ̂ɛn yang-gà bplaa grà-bpɔ̌ɔng 

Here's Thai Language dot com's pronunciation;
o:hF ho:hR naaenF yangM-gaL bplaaM graL-bpaawngR
(the capital letters after each syllable are the tones)

Here's the perma-link to the sentence on Thai Language dot com;
Thai-Language dot com

You can go to "site settings" and choose the "karaoke Thai" of your choice..  

Also if you use that site, make sure in site settings under "Content" you put checks in the "Enable Racy Content" and Enable Gay Content". It opens up more choices as far as slang etc..

Honestly, I'm NOT tryin' to put anyone learning Thai down with my posts or my comments. For me Thai's been a goddamned tough fucking row to hoe as far as languages go! Then again perhaps Thai wasn't the best choice for "first-second languages"... 

After all, I'm just a dumb hillbilly from Ohio who happens to live in Thailand. Believe me, my thai ain't nothing to write home about..  

Good Luck, I'll try to be more helpful in my postings.

----------


## RickThai

> Gear down there big shifter, err "blind squirrel"!
> 
> I'm neither a grammar nazi or someone tryin' "puff up" and show off my "advanced knowledge of Thai". In fact I've got some pretty piss poorly structured, poorly enunciated Thai. I make no bones about my level of spoken Thai, the degree of politeness I do or don't convey to these people when I interact with 'em or any other nonsense like that. 
> 
> I was tryin' to show "useful Thai words", which to me are words I get use out of (hence the reason I posted in this thread with the catchy title "useful Thai words").
> 
> Now that you don't feel you'd get any bang-4-the-baht outta my phrases or words, fine, don't use 'em. 
> 
> As far as what I call "karaoke Thai" or writing Thai with the English alphabet; there are so many different versions, different spellings, different incantations out there.  Even the one designed by Benjawan Poomsan Becker (the karaoke version most printed) sometimes falls short of the mark.  Most of the version are about as worthless as tits on a tomcat as far as accurately representing Thai vowel length and tone.. That's why I don't use 'em. If anyone wants to plug in what I wrote in Thai on any number of Thai language sites they'll get the karaoke version. If they don't wanna, well they possibly aren't as in to learning Thai as they thought, because to be even half assed good at it is a goddamned tough fucking row to hoe!  
> ...


A word of advice, Thai's have a very quick temper.  Unless you are really on good terms with someone, referring to someone as a "loose screw" might elicit a much bigger response then you might think.  Rather than "useful", I would think that very counter-productive for a westerner trying to assimilate into Thai culture.

As for the Thai "buffalo pee" comment, I assumed RS and perhaps yourself, were playing a street game known as "dissin" and that was my contribution.

Historically, Thai insults often involve animal allegories.  

RickThai

----------


## Rural Surin

หีหมา

----------


## toddaniels

> A word of advice, Thai's have a very quick temper.  Unless you are really on good terms with someone, referring to someone as a "loose screw" might elicit a much bigger response then you might think.  Rather than "useful", I would think that very counter-productive for a westerner trying to assimilate into Thai culture.
> RickThai


Christ, about the very last thing I'd wanna do would be "become one with the frickin' Borg" here. I'd rather bite out my own veins. Honestly I don't know that I could EVER dumb myself down to that level....

I only started using the "loose nut" term about a month ago, so don't have a long track history in using it. In all the situations I've said it, (when given a crock of shit answer to a question), I've never had one person appear to get irked in the slightest, EVER! Thais play their emotions pretty close to the vest in regards to telegraphing it on their faces. Still you can see it if you watch 'em closely.  

Now perhaps it's because of the fact that during our interaction I tell them right outta the gate that I speak directly, that I swear and that I curse, but it's an inherent character flaw I was born with; สันดาน. It is a self deprecating remark. Seeing as thais will NEVER put themselves down, the fact that I do it without the slightest bit of hesitation, clues 'em into the fact that this ain't gonna be a fluffy, oh-so polite, sugary sweet interaction.     

Almost to a person they've laughed at my comments, thought a second and given a better answer to my question. Some even ask people around them, another worker, etc.  

Another useful term I found quite a while ago and started using to clue these people into the fact that I'm serious about my questions is; เรื่องนี้ มันไม่ใช่ขี้ไก่ "this topic isn't chicken shit" or this "ain't no small thing".. 

Sometimes I find it amazing just how fearful foreigners appear to be of the thais. It's like you're walkin' around here on eggshells afraid to offend any of 'em.  I hafta ask, do you find it hard living without a spine? 

I've never felt like I was on thin ice over deep water interacting w/these people; especially since I started speakin' to them in what passes for thai comin' outta my mouth. I don't think the thais have "quicker tempers" than anyone else. I mean I just don't see it. 

Remember, what works for me might not work for you; your mileage may vary, some restrictions apply, no warranty expressed or implied, all scenes whether actual or created, depict authenticated facts. ..  :Smile:

----------


## RickThai

> Originally Posted by RickThai
> 
> 
> A word of advice, Thai's have a very quick temper.  Unless you are really on good terms with someone, referring to someone as a "loose screw" might elicit a much bigger response then you might think.  Rather than "useful", I would think that very counter-productive for a westerner trying to assimilate into Thai culture.
> RickThai
> 
> 
> Christ, about the very last thing I'd wanna do would be "become one with the frickin' Borg" here. I'd rather bite out my own veins. Honestly I don't know that I could EVER dumb myself down to that level....
> 
> ...


Just so you know what your doing ... :mid:

----------


## toddaniels

Well, "RickThai"  as long as you have my best interests at heart.  

I mean, how can I cast dispersions, err, cast aspersions on your asparagus.  :Smile: . . 

Like I said, I ain't here to be the ambassador of goodwill or friendship between America and these people. I have a t-shirt which says, "I'm part of the problem", another one that says "Not an accurate representation of white people".. Both are probably true :mid: 

I also ain't tryin' to impress none of you people with my less than stellar grasp of this oh-so hard language :rofl: 


*OFF TOPIC:*
I march to the beat of my own drum.. Hang on, that drum beat sounds a LOT like this;




If you watched the video, there's 7 minutes 32 seconds of your life you'll never get back!

Take care,

----------


## RickThai

toddaniels,

I must admit I like your style.  I have always tried to be honestly blunt, but after 38 years of being married to a Thai lady, I've learned to not "blurt out everything that pops  into my mind".

That is one of the nice things about TD, if you aren't troubled by the flaming, you can pretty much speak your mind on whatever topic you desire.  (Of course, if you upset a Mod, you always run the risk of having your thread (or yourself) put in the doghouse.  Small price to pay for expressing your opinions IMO)!

Here on TD, I have the distinction of being a conservative, Buddhist who believes in shooting home invaders (Castle Doctrine), and publicly believe homosexuality is a disorder (with certain physical practices I find disgusting).  

It has earned me a lot of hate-filled posts from the libs and homosexuals here on TD, but I am, who I am (and make no apologies).

Santi (peace),

RickThai

----------


## Rural Surin

Poor old Rick....

Why is everyone always pickin' on 'im?

----------


## toddaniels

I do tread close to the line on a lot of my posts.  

In an effort to be a "kinder, gentler Tod Daniels" concerning all things to do with the "glorious Land 'O Thais", I thought I'd offer out a few tried and true phrases using American English.

Say these phrases just as you would in American English.  Do not make corrections for intonation or vowel length to try to "mimic' how the Thais talk. Just say 'em normally..

I call it "Thai for idiots who speak with a mid-western American accent". . .
Sweaty crap = Hello - สวัสดีครับ
Coon chew a lie = What is your name? - คุณชื่ออะไร
Ahh you towel eye = How old are you? อายุเท่าไร
My cow died  = I don't understand - ไม่เข้าใจ
Knee towel eye = How much is this? - นี้เท่าไร
Bang bye = Too expensive แพงไป
My pens high = It's okay - ไม่เป็นไร

I tried these phrases today on about 10 strange Thais (not that they were any stranger than the rest of these people here, but strange as in they didn't know me from Somchai).  It appears that these "phrozen phrasez" are so hard-wired into them; their brain auto-corrects and they understood immediately what I was saying..

Anyway, just tryin' to do my part to help you know.. 

"RickThai" I'm with you on shooting home invaders, no problem there, and if buddhism works for you man, who am I to piss on your parade? 

However, you lost me at the part where you "pubic-ly"  :mid: errr sorry, "publicly believe's homosexuality is a disorder (with certain practices you find disgusting)". . 

Am I to believe from that statement that when you're not in public you're okay with fags & queers, as well as finding that certain practices of theirs aren't all that disgusting?  Just wonderin'?? :Smile:

----------


## RickThai

TodD,

Got me on that one.  What I meant to say was that I have no problems publicly stating my beliefs about homosexuality (even though I know they will draw the ire of the homosexuals and their apologists).  As you can see, old Rural Surin and some others have long memories when it comes to someone stating things they don't believe (or at least publicly acknowledge).

I actually kind of enjoy their "Prissy Little Missy" comments.  It is a kind of vindication that my comments are uncomfortablly "close to the truth".  (It's like calling someone with an IQ of 160, "stupid" - no one really cares; but if you call a person with an IQ of 60 "stupid" then everyone gets upset because it is too close to the truth.  Not that I would ever" knowlingly call someone with an IQ of 60 "stupid".  That's why I never personally call any of my distractors stupid - I am much too polite for that.)

As far as your accented, Thai phrases; I think Thais are so accustomed to non-native speakers mangling their language they just ignore it.  Unless you can get the tones correct (which few Westerners consistently do), much of the Thai will be gibberish.  My wife works with quite a few Laotian, Hmong, and Cambodians.  Many of them grew up in refuge camps in Thailand and (to me) appear to speak Thai very fluently.  My wife, however, often tells me she hates speaking Thai to most of them, because it is hard to understand them.  She prefers they speak to her in English.  As you can guess, I very seldom try and speak Thai to my wife, although I get by okay when shopping and traveling around Thailand.

Cheers,

RickThai

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## toddaniels

I'd rank the thais right up there as far as their "accent identification" skills, easily on the level of Limeys who can tell immediately where another one grew up!  

  Two thais who've never met before will interact with just a few sentences in Central Thai and they both immediately know where the other person is from. Sometimes right down to the specific city in a province! 

  That's why I always tell foreigners learning thai to forget ANY compliment given by a thai about their alleged proficiency in the language. It's worthless as tits on a tomcat. These people are some of the most over complimentary people I've ever come across!  I don't care how well a foreigner imagines their thai is; non-native speakers will always be pegged by the thais their their foreign accent. I mean it just is what it is. In fact, it's only when the thai you're interacting with doesn't say a thing about your spoken thai that you know you're making headway with the language.  

  Those phrozen phrasez I offered out don't have the slightest bit in common with the thais being accustomed to non-native speakers mangling their language. 

You say something to a Thai in mangled Thai and they're not gonna understand it. Nor do these people appear to make "leaps in logic" as far as understanding some of the words in a sentence and working out the ones they didn't get by context, like we do when we speak English with the thais. It is my experience that if a thai doesn't get one word in a sentence, they stop listening and go into "safe mode".  

  The reason Thais understand those phrases (even when they're said with the English words I used) is because those phrases don't ever change, thais have heard 'em a million times in their lives so they're still understood almost by auto-pilot.  One more I came up with is "Tammy eyed you" for ทำอะไรอยู่ 

  Sadly, that mindset your wife has where she "hates speaking Thai to most of them" is shared by almost the entire populace of this country! It's the "I'm Thai, you're not" or the "my shit doesn't stink" superiority complex these people have which I totally loathe. It's almost as bad as every Tom, Dick and Somchai telling me they're of Chinese descent, as if I cared. That kinda one-upmanship doesn't cut any ice with me. Then again, what do I know, I'm just a dumb hill-billy from Ohio. . . :mid:

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