Urrrr

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Originally Posted by sabaii sabaii

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Originally Posted by Smug Farang Bore

Listen to them on the phone HAA - ERR ERR - HAA - KA KA Same as what and yeh. I use it all the time same as marmite - fuck 'em their always rude to us.

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Originally Posted by taxexile

its always better to rise above these things and rather than meekly sinking down to their level of speech with ones reply, to reply with an increased level of courtesy is the way to respond and to gain respect.

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Hmm, 2 long term expats with different attitudes I think.

I'm siding with Smug when it comes to this girl who got offended, as I have known her as a friend and no more for 2 years now and we fell out 1 night when I learned what farang meant and everytime we got a taxi she would repeat the destination I'd already told the taxi driver (and I do know Bangkok soi number Taxi thai) and the word farang would always be in there somewhere when she repeated what i'd said

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There's no doubting Thais can and often are a rude bunch of buggers and I think that the most of us deal with each situation according to circumstance, context and relationship being the most important of course, I do think Tex's advice is the best way to deal with it "on a daily basis" but when it's more personal, who knows?

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Originally Posted by sabaii sabaii

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Originally Posted by Smug Farang Bore

I use it all the time same as marmite

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You kept that quiet.
I saw this guy fresh off the boat in the villa market the other night looking for marmite.
and his face when he saw the 400 baht tag--priceless

Anyhow I shall be browsing behind your bar next time :)

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..........the dog.

I find it gives one better "mileage" to refrain from using these gutteral grunts.

I`ve received comments when I used it in a conversation.
"It is not polite"
"Well, you use it yourself"
"That is different, I am thai"

Go figure.

I think taxexile has it nailed.

I do agree with Taxelie, but when I see this girl soon in the UK, it wouldn't phase me if she came out with wotcha or eebahgum but do you think she will get offemded by me calling her foreigner in a cockney accent at every drop of a hat?:)

I use issan or lao that pisses the Bangkok Emporium Thai off too.

Taxis and bar girls understand it though.:)

I take that back. It would be the same as calling her Indian not foreign

I don't like hearing it but within a couple of hours of landing i find myself at it too!

Do you mean like uh? (what?) Don't think I've heard it. What context is it used?

Uhhhhh, uhhhhhh not urrrr, urrrrr

You hear Thais using it on the mobile more than talking. Quite a waste of 12 call baht if you ask me. :)

I am not sure it is rude where it comes from in Issan, it's just an acknowledging sound replacing "yes" - "I understand" - "sure" ect. , but all other Thais the ones not from Issan think Issan Thais are low class scum, and that the way they speak is inferior and rude, infact their existence is to a lot of Thais rude in itself.

So among common normal Issan folks I don't think you have a problem acknowledging a question or agreeing to something with that sound. IMO. but everything in it's right place and time.

My GF is northern and I was surprised how deep the resentment actually is towards anything Issan, and totally unfounded as far as i can see, just traditional deep Thai regional class divides.

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Originally Posted by HollyGoodhead

Do you mean like uh? (what?) Don't think I've heard it. What context is it used?

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They use that too.
But that sounds more like: haah? High pitched tone.

I never appreciated grunts replacing verbal conversation.

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Originally Posted by larvidchr

I am not sure it is rude where it comes from in Issan, it's just an acknowledging sound replacing "yes" - "I understand" - "sure" ect. , but all other Thais the ones not from Issan think Issan Thais are low class scum, and that the way they speak is inferior and rude, infact their existence is to a lot of Thais rude in itself.

So among common normal Issan folks I don't think you have a problem acknowledging a question or agreeing to something with that sound. IMO. but everything in it's right place and time.

My GF is northern and I was surprised how deep the resentment actually is towards anything Issan, and totally unfounded as far as i can see, just traditional deep Thai regional class divides.

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I couldn`t agree more.

Not that the Isan crowd is much different.
I have heard often enough how they describe Khon Phaak Tay/southern thais as Jai Dam/black heart.
Bangkokians as Kee Gohng/cheaters, scammers.

Not ever recall having overheard some derogatory terms about Khon Phaak Nuea/northerners though.
But mayby that is just because most Isan folks find employment either in the central region or in the south.
Not so much in the north.

taxexile has it right, it's just lower class scum who use it, rise above it, we are white for gods sake, well apart from any black members and other colored members.

They haven't got me with this one, but I have taken "awwhaww" on board..indicating something is excessive, over the top, etc. Great for if someone is trying it on.

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Originally Posted by Sdigit

I've been told by many Thais including the Issan mob that it is indeed a rude way to speak and not to do it

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Yes its rude but I also use it, as I picked it up from living in the village where most use it. When they tell me that its not nice talk I just reply with URRRRR Cup

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Originally Posted by Orroz

I wouldn't say it's rude...just informal

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Probably over informal. Familier even. You often here Thais gooing and munging each other but best not go there either.

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Originally Posted by larvidchr

I am not sure it is rude where it comes from in Issan, it's just an acknowledging sound replacing "yes" - "I understand" - "sure" ect. , but all other Thais the ones not from Issan think Issan Thais are low class scum, and that the way they speak is inferior and rude, infact their existence is to a lot of Thais rude in itself.

So among common normal Issan folks I don't think you have a problem acknowledging a question or agreeing to something with that sound. IMO. but everything in it's right place and time.

My GF is northern and I was surprised how deep the resentment actually is towards anything Issan, and totally unfounded as far as i can see, just traditional deep Thai regional class divides.

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Pretty much right on the money.

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Originally Posted by pescator

I find it gives one better "mileage" to refrain from using these gutteral grunts.

I`ve received comments when I used it in a conversation.
"It is not polite"
"Well, you use it yourself"
"That is different, I am thai"

Go figure.

I think taxexile has it nailed.

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I guess what she means is "I am Thai, I know when to use it"

In every language, depending with whom you're speaking with, you won't use the same words. I don't use the same words when I speak to my friends, my colleagues, my customers or my boss. But I know the difference and won't call my customer a cheap charlie (at least not in front of him) because he chose the basic options.

By using the formal language you have less chance to make an embarrassing mistake, I guess it's what she means

Used by the lazy gutterclasses who cant be bothered to speak when grunting is an option. It certainly won't be used to someone respected.

If someone says it to you when you're with someone else, just ask them 'Mun put alai, mai khao jai Urrrrrr.'

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Originally Posted by The Master Cool

Used by the lazy gutterclasses who cant be bothered to speak when grunting is an option. It certainly won't be used to someone respected.

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I guess its the same as a westerner saying yeh. The lazy gutterclass as you call it, is what Thailand has been riding on the back off for many years.

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Originally Posted by larvidchr

My GF is northern and I was surprised how deep the resentment actually is towards anything Issan, and totally unfounded as far as i can see, just traditional deep Thai regional class divides.

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Non sewer-dwelling Thais generally view Isaan much the same as non council-estate Brits would view a pikey campsite that takes up 25% of the country.

^UURRRR

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Originally Posted by The Master Cool

Non sewer-dwelling Thais generally view Isaan much the same as non council-estate Brits would view a pikey campsite that takes up 25% of the country.

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Isaan is a big place and to think that its full of sewer deweller is just crap. I wonder why Khon kaen schools are full of rich Thai kids from Bangkok ?

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Originally Posted by The Master Cool

that takes up 25% of the country.

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more like 35%

I used to drive my gf nuts when I said uuhhrr to her. I picked up on it's meaning pretty quick and started to parrot it back to her at what I thought was the appropriate times. Instead, she'd get pissed (not drunk, for you Limeys) which would just encourage me to say it more.

Typical discourse:

She - yaak gin khao?

Me - uuhhrr

She - You don't speak that way to me. (She is a fluent English speaker)

Me - uuhhrr, ka tot

She - *dirty look*

The only time she ever used uuhhrr was with her younger sister and her daughter, or sometimes (rarely) with her mother if she was angry. I think it can be used to as a display of social rank, equals and lower only get the uuhhrr. Guess as filthy farang I don't fit into that hierarchy.