PSA Posted January 18, 2009 Report Share Posted January 18, 2009 So, I have spent over half my life in Thailand. I consider my Thai fluent and translate for the media regularly. But how should one respond when you meet someone who imitates a bad western accent speaking Thai when respond to you, even though you asked in a fairly correct manner and the quite lucidly too. A Thai friend of mine said I should say, " Please don't consider me a 'Dua Dalog' Joker. just because I am a foreigner? Is this too strong? Do I make the recipient lose face? This jesting only happens on the street level, 5 star hotels, government ministers, international businessmen and top airline companies etc give me the respect to reply in the language the dialog was started in. As I do with them. Please forgive me if this posting seems like a direct criticism, it is a real inquiry to ask what the proper response should be to a situation I encounter everyday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nelis Posted January 18, 2009 Report Share Posted January 18, 2009 It took you half your life to figure out Thai people who make money off you treat you better than people in the street? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dannyboy Posted January 18, 2009 Report Share Posted January 18, 2009 Be careful, you don't want to over-expose yourself to TF straight away. At this rate you will burn yourself out... "Its not time to make a change, Just relax, take it easy. Youre still young, thats your fault, Theres so much you have to know. Find a girl, settle down, If you want you can marry. Look at me, I am old, but Im happy. I was once like you are now, and I know that its not easy, To be calm when youve found something going on. But take your time, think a lot, Why, think of everything youve got. For you will still be here tomorrow, but your dreams may not." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stramash Posted January 19, 2009 Report Share Posted January 19, 2009 Be careful, you don't want to over-expose yourself to TF straight away. At this rate you will burn yourself out..."Its not time to make a change, Just relax, take it easy. Youre still young, thats your fault, Theres so much you have to know. Find a girl, settle down, If you want you can marry. Look at me, I am old, but Im happy. I was once like you are now, and I know that its not easy, To be calm when youve found something going on. But take your time, think a lot, Why, think of everything youve got. For you will still be here tomorrow, but your dreams may not." You on drugs boy? You some kinda beatnik hippie? We gotta live one here... :shock: :? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PSA Posted January 19, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 19, 2009 It always seems I am so "anti" and down on Thailand when I write a seemingly critical threads as an opener. The motorcycle taxi driver who I asked if he 'Yiat Si Phew' or his remake was meant to be as a put down couldn't understand my angst. I had respect for him, wasn't offended and actually asked him what was the best way to address this issue. Believe me, I know prejudice is a human condition we must all strive to combat. We all have it as part of our survival mechanism. Stemming from lack of social understanding and acceptance from your peers or comments that should be addressed when made. This wasn't a question meant to explore anti racism, jingoistic nationalism, but an honest enquiry on how to address an issue I confront daily without giving offense, seeming irrational or making anyone lose face, either me or any of the participants. As to the class A reference, does Sauvignon intake only count? JT My empathy with Thais, its struggles, and people's development can hopefully be seen in my work. And hopefully not an exploitation of people's suffering. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PSA Posted January 19, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 19, 2009 "Its not time to make a change, Just relax, take it easy. Youre still young, thats your fault, Theres so much you have to know. Find a girl, settle down, If you want you can marry. Look at me, I am old, but Im happy. I was once like you are now, and I know that its not easy, To be calm when youve found something going on. But take your time, think a lot, Why, think of everything youve got. For you will still be here tomorrow, but your dreams may not." Cat Steven's version I hope? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nave Posted January 19, 2009 Report Share Posted January 19, 2009 So, I have spent over half my life in Thailand. I consider my Thai fluent and translate for the media regularly. But how should one respond when you meet someone who imitates a bad western accent speaking Thai when respond to you, even though you asked in a fairly correct manner and the quite lucidly too. A Thai friend of mine said I should say, " Please don't consider me a 'Dua Dalog' Joker. just because I am a foreigner? Is this too strong? Do I make the recipient lose face? This jesting only happens on the street level, 5 star hotels, government ministers, international businessmen and top airline companies etc give me the respect to reply in the language the dialog was started in. As I do with them. Please forgive me if this posting seems like a direct criticism, it is a real inquiry to ask what the proper response should be to a situation I encounter everyday. Nope, that isn't too strong. I often reply to some Dane colleagues. "I'm Thai, I ain't an idiot. If you have problem with it, sue me!!!" then I walk away. Oh, I forgot I don't live in Thailand. Nah !! you do remember that you're not living in Thailand thats why you could say 'sue me' !!! Say it over here ...you will be ignored or ppl would be so thrilled if you do it so for it has never been done before !!!! ( and I find it real funny for some nations that allow you to sue every single thing !! I'm wondering if I stare at these purple flowers too much and it starts to hurt my eyes..then whom shall I sue !! God ? perhaps..but again..this is another topic..so far.. just to remind you..we don't sue in Thailand !! we keep it..you know..keep it :wink: ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PSA Posted January 19, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 19, 2009 Yeah, I do come across a bit bitter and too negative on some of my threads on this forum, that is not my true voice or opinions though. I will address this issue soon with more upbeat threads starters from now on. Maybe you are correct in mentioning the story I am working on at present may be effecting my mood. Please believe I care deeply about this country its development and its people. I am glad that comes across with my photography. Also, the guy who I mentioned at the start of the thread was, as I said, was totally surprised his imitation act was offensive to me, and it was not his intent to hurt upset me. With the thread I hoped to address soft prejudice as a whole and not make it a East/West issue. It is not of course, it is just a issue of cultural misunderstanding. Mine in fact, even after such an extend stay in the region. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neo Posted January 19, 2009 Report Share Posted January 19, 2009 Yeah, I do come across a bit bitter and too negative on some of my threads on this forum, that is not my true voice or opinions though. I will address this issue soon with more upbeat threads starters from now on. Maybe you are correct in mentioning the story I am working on at present may be effecting my mood. Please believe I care deeply about this country its development and its people. I am glad that comes across with my photography. Also, the guy who I mentioned at the start of the thread was, as I said, was totally surprised his imitation act was offensive to me, and it was not his intent to hurt upset me. With the thread I hoped to address soft prejudice as a whole and not make it a East/West issue. It is not of course, it is just a issue of cultural misunderstanding. Mine in fact, even after such an extend stay in the region. In my (vastly less extensive) experience here I've found that sometimes Thais get a bit playfully cheeky. While shopping in Pantip in the weekend I was talking in Thai with a shopgirl and one of the guys asked me quickly in Thai if I could follow what she was saying. I don't think he expected me to understand him. But he was pleasant afterwards. That might have seemed rude to a westerner, but my take on it is that there's much less danger of offending people with cheeky piss-taking here because Thai's don't suffer from the high-and-mighty ego-worship that us westerners seem to have. (no offence to the OP of course) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dannyboy Posted January 21, 2009 Report Share Posted January 21, 2009 As long as your getting respect from educated Thais then I really wouldnt worry about what people at street level think. Most of them speak Thai that personally I dont ever use as if you were to speak it to other Thais of a certain educational level they would basically just ignore you.Dont worry about it and just ignore them would be my advice. Some Thai's on street level are just pretty rude sometimes esp motorbike taxi's. and the afook award for most condescending xxxx goes to ajay75.... Let me get this right. Because someone is less educated, basically just ignore them, they are not worth talking to? In my role here in TF I have to be impartial, but really, who the hell do you think you are? That's the biggest load of steaming poo I've read here in a long time and that's saying something! I think also, if that statement is correct, that if an "educated" Thai ignored me because of my Thai language skills, then why would I want to talk to them anyway? In fact, talk to your "educated" Thais only...you deserve each other! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alan675 Posted January 21, 2009 Report Share Posted January 21, 2009 As long as your getting respect from educated Thais then I really wouldnt worry about what people at street level think. Most of them speak Thai that personally I dont ever use as if you were to speak it to other Thais of a certain educational level they would basically just ignore you.Dont worry about it and just ignore them would be my advice. Some Thai's on street level are just pretty rude sometimes esp motorbike taxi's. and the afook award for most condescending xxxx goes to ajay75.... Let me get this right. Because someone is less educated, basically just ignore them, they are not worth talking to? In my role here in TF I have to be impartial, but really, who the hell do you think you are? That's the biggest load of steaming poo I've read here in a long time and that's saying something! I think also, if that statement is correct, that if an "educated" Thai ignored me because of my Thai language skills, then why would I want to talk to them anyway? In fact, talk to your "educated" Thais only...you deserve each other! Hear Hear! Couldn't agree more .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
primetime Posted January 21, 2009 Report Share Posted January 21, 2009 Which language does Jonathan translate Thai to? He sure as hell can't write in English. Maybe its all that time in Thailand that has caused him to forget proper English. Alan675 - Have you heard from afook recently? I haven't seen him mentioned here in ages. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stegee Posted January 21, 2009 Report Share Posted January 21, 2009 As long as your getting respect from educated Thais then I really wouldnt worry about what people at street level think. Most of them speak Thai that personally I dont ever use as if you were to speak it to other Thais of a certain educational level they would basically just ignore you.Dont worry about it and just ignore them would be my advice. Some Thai's on street level are just pretty rude sometimes esp motorbike taxi's. *****!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neo Posted January 21, 2009 Report Share Posted January 21, 2009 ... if you were to speak it to other Thais of a certain educational level they would basically just ignore you. Yes, I've found that if you speak very bad Thai to someone with no education at all they ignore you because they don't know how to deal with a farang who can't speak decent Thai :wink: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chatty Posted January 21, 2009 Report Share Posted January 21, 2009 So, I have spent over half my life in Thailand. I consider my Thai fluent and translate for the media regularly. But how should one respond when you meet someone who imitates a bad western accent speaking Thai when respond to you, even though you asked in a fairly correct manner and the quite lucidly too. A Thai friend of mine said I should say, " Please don't consider me a 'Dua Dalog' Joker. just because I am a foreigner? Is this too strong? Do I make the recipient lose face? This jesting only happens on the street level, 5 star hotels, government ministers, international businessmen and top airline companies etc give me the respect to reply in the language the dialog was started in. As I do with them. Please forgive me if this posting seems like a direct criticism, it is a real inquiry to ask what the proper response should be to a situation I encounter everyday. After reading it about 10 times ++ I made up my mind to response your post. Please correct me if i'm wrong. You can response them just like you have been told... but please give a smile. To be honest, as a Thai, I think and most of us think, the foreigners who try to speak Thai are cute... the accent are so cute and cool. That's the reason why some of us copy the accent. I do it sometimes :roll: sorry about that. The people in the street level are not all rude ok? Many of them respect you unless you did bad things or bad manners to them. But they might show off something difference, it's up to their background and the families they came from. For the educated ones... Sure they might act difference from the people on the street... cuz they know how to act. It teach in the school and the training rooms. But how you know it's real? How you know they are not wearing masks... I'm so surprise that you have been here half of your life but you don't get used to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grezzzy_greer Posted January 21, 2009 Report Share Posted January 21, 2009 Yes I have to agree with bCool and others that express surprise about this thread. The fact that someone "plays" with you in this manner is probably not meant to be offensive in the least little way at all. Turn the tables and see what you think, exactly as bCool says - how cute when a Thai person says something that is in English, but maybe has a bit of an accent or a very slight unintentional mispronunciation. My ex couldn't pronounce AVOCADO - she always called it A-WOC-ADO, and even her Thai son thought it was funny and cute - but because it was just gentle "ribbing" it didn't matter. No-one got their knickers in a twist about it when Opec (her son) and I would say it to each other. Maybe you are going through that sensitive time that many expats experience after a few years where almost everything grates for a while...it will settle... "Don't sweat the petty things, and don't pet the sweaty things..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chatty Posted January 21, 2009 Report Share Posted January 21, 2009 Turn the tables and see what you think, exactly as bCool says - how cute when a Thai person says something that is in English, but maybe has a bit of an accent or a very slight unintentional mispronunciation. My ex couldn't pronounce AVOCADO - she always called it A-WOC-ADO, and even her Thai son thought it was funny and cute - but because it was just gentle "ribbing" it didn't matter. Thks kha... my farang friend always correct and try to fix my accent and grammar when I speak English... It's hardly to deal with "Th" and "V" It's not easy to speak "Three" "The" "Through" ect. I know how... but it's not easy, that's all. Anyway, when I spoke German with German they said it was cute as well... lol My recommend for the poster... don't be serious... you should be proud to make people laugh and smile. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeusbheld Posted January 21, 2009 Report Share Posted January 21, 2009 As long as your getting respect from educated Thais then I really wouldnt worry about what people at street level think. Most of them speak Thai that personally I dont ever use as if you were to speak it to other Thais of a certain educational level they would basically just ignore you.Dont worry about it and just ignore them would be my advice. Some Thai's on street level are just pretty rude sometimes esp motorbike taxi's. c*nt!! No need to come across like that ok. Just make yourself look a bit of a mug. not to put words in his mouth, but i suspect his point might have been that your post makes you come off a bit like a posturing elitist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stramash Posted January 21, 2009 Report Share Posted January 21, 2009 As long as your getting respect from educated Thais then I really wouldnt worry about what people at street level think. Most of them speak Thai that personally I dont ever use as if you were to speak it to other Thais of a certain educational level they would basically just ignore you.Dont worry about it and just ignore them would be my advice. Some Thai's on street level are just pretty rude sometimes esp motorbike taxi's. c*nt!! No need to come across like that ok. Just make yourself look a bit of a mug. not to put words in his mouth, but i suspect his point might have been that your post makes you come off a bit like a posturing elitist. DAMN THOSE POSTURING ELITISTS!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeusbheld Posted January 21, 2009 Report Share Posted January 21, 2009 As long as your getting respect from educated Thais then I really wouldnt worry about what people at street level think. Most of them speak Thai that personally I dont ever use as if you were to speak it to other Thais of a certain educational level they would basically just ignore you.Dont worry about it and just ignore them would be my advice. Some Thai's on street level are just pretty rude sometimes esp motorbike taxi's. c*nt!! No need to come across like that ok. Just make yourself look a bit of a mug. not to put words in his mouth, but i suspect his point might have been that your post makes you come off a bit like a posturing elitist. DAMN THOSE POSTURING ELITISTS!!!! i don't speak British, but isn't "posturing elitist" a polite way of saying "flash *****"? i'm still learning, sifu. that poster comes off better in his later post, i was merely trying to be helpful by translating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stramash Posted January 21, 2009 Report Share Posted January 21, 2009 As long as your getting respect from educated Thais then I really wouldnt worry about what people at street level think. Most of them speak Thai that personally I dont ever use as if you were to speak it to other Thais of a certain educational level they would basically just ignore you.Dont worry about it and just ignore them would be my advice. Some Thai's on street level are just pretty rude sometimes esp motorbike taxi's. c*nt!! No need to come across like that ok. Just make yourself look a bit of a mug. not to put words in his mouth, but i suspect his point might have been that your post makes you come off a bit like a posturing elitist. DAMN THOSE POSTURING ELITISTS!!!! i don't speak British, but isn't "posturing elitist" a polite way of saying "flash c*nt"? i'm still learning, sifu. that poster comes off better in his later post, i was merely trying to be helpful by translating. nah mate; flash c*nt is all about the bling innit? Its about the showy wheels and the stacked eye candy. Some sharp threads and a bit of gold. Flash c*nts are usually chavs, wide boys or Jamaican drug dealers. While posturing elitists usually have no money to speak of, but because their family is mentioned in the Domesday Book, or because Great Auntie Agatha used to wipe the Duke of Edinburgh's ar*e, they are therefore innately superior and are trained from an early age to adopt a look of disgust whenever around the 'common people', as well as taking courses in uselessness, advanced buggery and chasing foxes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeusbheld Posted January 21, 2009 Report Share Posted January 21, 2009 nah mate; flash c*nt is all about the bling innit? Its about the showy wheels and the stacked eye candy. Some sharp threads and a bit of gold. Flash c*nts are usually chavs, wide boys or Jamaican drug dealers. ah the people i'd heard called flash ***** were either bankers, record producers, or footballers. i guess the lesson is, think footballers. While posturing elitists usually have no money to speak of, but because their family is mentioned in the Domesday Book, or because Great Auntie Agatha used to wipe the Duke of Edinburgh's ar*e, they are therefore innately superior and are trained from an early age to adopt a look of disgust whenever around the 'common people', as well as taking courses in uselessness, advanced buggery and chasing foxes. ah. so hi-so wannabe would be the correct translation for steegee's use of "*****" in this case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stramash Posted January 21, 2009 Report Share Posted January 21, 2009 nah mate; flash c*nt is all about the bling innit? Its about the showy wheels and the stacked eye candy. Some sharp threads and a bit of gold. Flash c*nts are usually chavs, wide boys or Jamaican drug dealers. ah the people i'd heard called flash ***** were either bankers, record producers, or footballers. i guess the lesson is, think footballers. While posturing elitists usually have no money to speak of, but because their family is mentioned in the Domesday Book, or because Great Auntie Agatha used to wipe the Duke of Edinburgh's ar*e, they are therefore innately superior and are trained from an early age to adopt a look of disgust whenever around the 'common people', as well as taking courses in uselessness, advanced buggery and chasing foxes. ah. so hi-so wannabe would be the correct translation for steegee's use of "c*nt" in this case. That's it!! You'll be having a knees up down the Old Kent Road with some jellied eels before I can say Pearly Queen!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PSA Posted January 25, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 25, 2009 Have a look at my photographic work please,my inquiry didn't imply the same situation wouldn't be encountered by any expat living in any country worldwide. I am not that ignorant and still address racism when directed at me or others. My question was how should I address it with out either losing face myself, still addressing an issue I feel needs addressed but in a tone that is correct and won't get anyone's backs up is important and I wanted your advice but not abuse. Yes, my English is incorrect at times when I visit these forums. But again last night I worked to dawn taking pictures of bonded children, sold into beggar gangs by their parents, doped senseless each night so they look more needy and passive when their mobster "carers" beg for money from mainly foreigner passers by who don't understand the true circumstances of the children involved. I deal with my anger each morning with a drink or three. The mafia minder stepping up to me for a row last night was fun too. Any statement or paragraph written in my opening lead that seemed negative to Thai's alone was NOT At ALL Intended. Or should I just address issues of Western racism. I lived with my Asian step laws in East London, Plastow, for five years. I see the unforgivable condescending arrogance many westerners carry with them. This also makes me as incensed if not more so. But this prejudice is of course in all of us. Why do I take the bate, I will keep any further entries, fluffy and safe. JT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeusbheld Posted January 25, 2009 Report Share Posted January 25, 2009 Why do I take the bate, because that's what internet forums are for? I will keep any further entries, fluffy and safe. prickly is better, fluffy and safe usually gets overlooked. nature of the beast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now