Thread: มึง, Mung Beans, or Me NOT Coffee Tea, or Me

Most of you, if you have been living here long enough, know that it is not considered polite to refer to a third party, such as a customer for example, as มึง (Mung), the pronoun.

What it actually signifies is the feeling of being an "it", as in a pet, or a dog or cat, or monkey, I guess.

But if we are listening carefully, and if we are farang, we can sometimes hear Thai people refer to us as Mung, มึง.

And I am not saying that this means I am a Mung Bean, or Mr. Bean.

My question is, when you are referred to as Mung, or "it', then how does this make your feel?

And, what do you do about it, just let it wash over you, as if you had not heard, and did not understand in the first place?

It does not bother me, much.
But does it bother you?

Never noticed don't speak it, the wife deals with all such matters

คนโง่

I guess it depends on the class of society you tend to associate with.

Originally Posted by aging one

I guess it depends on the class of society you tend to associate with.

Yes..
And even within the so-called "lower country class", such things still aren't appropriate.

Originally Posted by Rural Surin

Originally Posted by aging one

I guess it depends on the class of society you tend to associate with.

Yes..
And even within the so-called "lower country class", such things still aren't appropriate.

This was actually my first time hearing it.

1. On the one hand, I has happy to have finally heard this word that I had only fairly recently learned in one of my text books.

2. On the other hand, I then realized just how much the company that is providing a service to me may not like me. The person who is providing the service smiles on the outside, but speaks more honestly when he thinks I cannot understand what he is saying.

I don't really mind it, because I know that there are 95 wonderful people here for every 5 who feel toward me the same bias as has the service manager.

One thing I do NOT do is get angry over this triviality.

"Mung" so who is going to use it on here first as an insult to another.A insult never used before.

Originally Posted by SpamInCan

sometimes hear Thai people refer to us as Mung,

i thought they were saying mun which means "It" ?

Yes, "man" มัน means 'it', มึง means 'you'. I doubt any text book would encourage you to use it.

Originally Posted by Neverna

Yes, "man" มัน means 'it', มึง means 'you'. I doubt any text book would encourage you to use it.

There is a time and a place to use it, but not for ones customer at any time. I suppose it is OK between close friends, but very impolite otherwise.

Does it bother you when it is use to refer to you?

You really are trolling arent you? Pity the fish here are not so apt to take the bait.

Originally Posted by aging one

You really are trolling arent you? Pity the fish here are not so apt to take the bait.

Discussions of topics like this are held in classrooms all around Thailand, in language classes, and in psych, and soc classes. This topic is certainly not considered trolling there, at some of our best unis. Have you been to one? Or, are you intimidated by the topic?

What I chose NOT to discuss here is something like "Should I marry a Bar girl", a topic which might actually be both more inflammatory, trollish, childish, and one of probably far more interest to you.

No, sir, not trolling, but I would like to start a topic on those who needlessly call "troll" in a crowded theatre.

Additionally, the reason I posted this thread now, and not a few months ago, when I first learned the expression (pronoun), is that I heard it for the first time a couple of days ago, when a company was installing some internet equipment.

There is probably no excuse for it, but it happens.
Also, since this IS a site where farang congregate to discuss living in a foreign country, Thailand, then it is of obvious importance and interest to farang to share ideas relating to what some might call bias or even discrimination.

I rarely if ever feel discriminated against in Thailand. I feel more comfortable here than anywhere I have been.

It is human nature to separate everything into classes, including human groups, and then to think of themselves as us v.s. them. Which is why dehumanizing another group is so dangerous, since it leads to all sorts of seriously screwed up behavior.

I would never use any term to knowingly distinguish between one group and another, if I can help it, when discussing behavior, just because I do not like to generalize, and there is far more difference between individuals within a group, than between two groups when comparing the groups as a whole.

egg salad is more American I think.

Originally Posted by aging one

egg salad is more American I think.

Turkey, with Chinese vermicelli, which in turn is made from mung beans, is more like it.