“Don’t complain about our English, If you can’t speak Thai” - sign at restaurant goes viral - again

[ravip]

4 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

The astonishing thing about social media, from my point of view, is the number of incredibly petty things, like this sign, which in reality means nothing, that "go viral". What does it mean? What bearing does it have on anything? Does the world really have that much time on their hands, where they have to break tiny, incredibly insignificant things like this down? Is that what we have been reduced to? Is that not a very alarming statement about contemporary culture? 

A resounding YES!

This is the price of 'development'. You will never see this type of bikkering in the 3rd, 4th, or in the 5th world countries and below!!!!!

Money + an idle mind = ?

[jlwilliamsjr18]

Define Ethnocentric.  It's been stated before, Thailand is in a world of it's own. Up until recent years, that worked, but now with a desire for 40 million tourist, they better well learn English. In case you haven't noticed, China is soon the be the large English speaking population in the world. No knowing Thai is not problem, but people who work in retail and tourism, it is a problem.  

[Mitkof Island]

1 hour ago, Ventenio said:

Dinner:  Farang 1000 baht, Thai 20 baht

Use Restroom:  Farang 1000 baht, Thai free

Drinks:  Water, Farang, 1000 baht, Thai free

 

Love you  

God i hope you don,t live here with that sickening attitude.

[Mitkof Island]

5 minutes ago, kenk24 said:

man have you gone negative.. but you have been here long enough to know that an extremely high tourist area is not representative of yhe rest of thailand..

You are thinking that most foreigners understand that the tourist slums are NOT like the other areas. You are giving them too much credit. Ask them to find Thailand on a map. And that there is Thai food besides Pad Thai.

[BigStar]

16 minutes ago, Bundooman said:

I just think that this Thai originated sign is inexcusably rude and unnecessary.

It was no doubt motivated by an encounter with a rude farang. Usual case of rudeness begets rudeness. But it does start with "Please," which they probably don't much hear from farang customers.

 

22 minutes ago, yokat said:

it would never come to me to complain about someone's english, especially in a country where it's not the official language.

Nor to me. Now, I find Thaiglish pretty cute. Taglish from Filipinos is somehow just very annoying, though misunderstandings might be fewer.

 

[ravip]

20 minutes ago, Assurancetourix said:

I want to understand that in a Thai restaurant the normal language used is Thai so I totally agree with the sign;
but on this forum,  obligatory language is English, it would be good for ALL the members to make the effort to write in comprehensible English and not in Thaiglish as it is the case for some ....

Some foreigners try to be more Thai than the Thai's themselves!

This also I dedicate very sincerely to the 'developed' minds.

[riverhigh]

For what its worth the most aggravating restaurant experience I had was a meal with my American friends. The restaurant provided their customers with menu that showed preset meals with a photo and a number attached. The Americans started shouting out the menu numbers with special requests like no fries but extra salad or put the fries on a separate dish. Most of my American friends were 65+ but behaved like 6 year olds, No empathy for the staff. The menu dishes were reasonably priced but the Americans wanted to pay little money but expected five star service. I no longer go out with them for meals.

[StefanBBK]

I am not complaining about local business and their employees getting buy with basic English to serve their foreign customers. Matter of fact I applaud them for giving it their best! What annoys me are the more official mistranslated signs, news, documents, etc. Big restaurants' expensive menus that are full of spelling mistakes. Stuff distributed by the kids school. All the way to shopping centers wishing you a Mary Christmas to shops that are close (...by I assume)... 

[Mister Fixit]

27 minutes ago, Bundooman said:

I just think that this Thai originated sign is inexcusably rude and unnecessary. 

There's no way that sign was 'originated' by a Thai.  As has already been mentioned upthread, that was almost certainly written by a native English speaker, but perhaps at the behest of an irritated Thai wife.  

 

[Saint Nick]

1 hour ago, ThomasThBKK said:

 

 

If you go to a random german or spanish restaurant in the sticks, like this one obviously is, and demand to be able to speak english, you will get punched in the face, that's all you will get.

 

I am from a german air spa village, tons of tourists, no one speaks english. Would be utterly useless anyway as most guests don't speak english anyway.

 

  

They aren't popular in europe either ????

Well...I am from Germany, too and I bet you: if push came to shove, even in your Spa- village, a bunch of people would be able to help out with English!

You are aware, that we teach it in school, right?!

[Yinn]

44 minutes ago, Moonfire said:

 

 

When correcting speech, say showing the correct sounds the letters make to be able to speak the word correctly.....this is often taken as a complaint.

 

Just the other day it was the word yoga, most Thais that I know say it where it sounds like yoka.

Yes, is with “k” sound. Not sure why English say it wrong.

 

It come from Sanskrit language (India). 

the most impact on Thai, especially the roots of Thai words, are the Indian languages of Pali and Sanskrit. Although both are “dead” languages, similar to Latin, you can still hear Pali spoken daily as it is the language of the Buddhist scriptures and chants.

 

 

 

44 minutes ago, Moonfire said:

 

Try to explain the ga sound and what happens, stop complaining about my speech.

Because you wrong.

 

44 minutes ago, Moonfire said:

 

When in fact just trying to help. Thus as always a big deal is made out of nothing other than trying to be helpful. 

I think they try to help you. But you not want to listen. 

 

[Saint Nick]

1 hour ago, ThomasThBKK said:

Did they say that??? NO.

 

They tell people to stop COMPLAINING about their english skills, not that they refuse to speak english.

 

And it's quite clear which group of people are those that complain about other peoples english skills - the one who speaks only 1 language.

Ahm...so...if I am a tourist from Germany and do speak German, English and French...which are 2 +1 languages...how does that help me in this case?

[ravip]

Yes. well. English is the default uniquitous language of the world. Thai isn't. It must surely be the responsibility of Thais to speak English, not for Europeans or Americans (both of whom come here mainly for cheap beaches, cheap food or cheap sex) to learn how to order Somtam in Thai or to engage a waiter whose IQ is likely less than 90 in conversation (quantum mechanics anyone?).

 

Seems reasonable for foreigners to boycott jingoistic little restaurants like this one. It probably isn't very clean anyway and it seems they need a few lessons in how not to <deleted> their customers off.

 

Cheap Charlies will get what they deserve. Try a 5 Star hotel next time to satisfy your "non jingoistic" requirements! WOW! What expectations for a cheap one night stand! 

Europeans & Americans... is THAT the code word for all this blabber????

[malibukid]

don't complain about my Thai if you can not speak English

[Mister Fixit]

28 minutes ago, Assurancetourix said:

you can write the same thing about a pub or a restaurant in Great Britain ... or in Germany or in Spain or in Italy ...
I do not quote the Netherlands because curiously in this country many people are bi and even sometimes tri-lingual

My mother was born in Holland and she spoke five languages so I suppose she was quin-lingual.

[Just Weird]

2 hours ago, ThaiBunny said:

2 hours ago, ravip said:

Do all the staff in restaurants in your home country speak all the languages of their customers? Arrogance & Racism will bring out more stuff similar to this. 

No, but all airline pilots must speak English which is nowadays considered to be a basic requirement for doing business almost anywhere. If you want to be in an industry that caters to tourists ...

What have the qualifications to be an airline pilot got to do with this?

Edited January 20, 2020 by Just Weird

[Yinn]

4 minutes ago, Mister Fixit said:

There's no way that sign was 'originated' by a Thai.  As has already been mentioned upthread, that was almost certainly written by a native English speaker

 

Maybe.

 

or maybe use thai-English app.. And grammarly app.

sometime can be perfect. Only one sentence.

[malibukid]

3 hours ago, ParkerN said:

Yes. well. English is the default uniquitous language of the world. Thai isn't. It must surely be the responsibility of Thais to speak English, not for Europeans or Americans (both of whom come here mainly for cheap beaches, cheap food or cheap sex) to learn how to order Somtam in Thai or to engage a waiter whose IQ is likely less than 90 in conversation (quantum mechanics anyone?).

 

Seems reasonable for foreigners to boycott jingoistic little restaurants like this one. It probably isn't very clean anyway and it seems they need a few lessons in how not to <deleted> their customers off.

i prefer early Renaissance painting

[Mister Fixit]

18 minutes ago, Mitkof Island said:

God i hope you don,t live here with that sickening attitude.

You mean pointing out the double standards and double pricing of Thais?

 

That's not sickening, that's reality.  Don't be so full of yourself.

[ravip]

17 minutes ago, riverhigh said:

For what its worth the most aggravating restaurant experience I had was a meal with my American friends. The restaurant provided their customers with menu that showed preset meals with a photo and a number attached. The Americans started shouting out the menu numbers with special requests like no fries but extra salad or put the fries on a separate dish. Most of my American friends were 65+ but behaved like 6 year olds, No empathy for the staff. The menu dishes were reasonably priced but the Americans wanted to pay little money but expected five star service. I no longer go out with them for meals.

This is development! The 1st world. The reason many are abandoning ship, but still floundering due to their mindset.

????

I am NOT generalising. The majority are jewels of the crown, but a handful are throwing the dung in the pail of milk.

Edited January 20, 2020 by ravip
Add

[Mister Fixit]

16 minutes ago, Mitkof Island said:

You are thinking that most foreigners understand that the tourist slums are NOT like the other areas. You are giving them too much credit. Ask them to find Thailand on a map. And that there is Thai food besides Pad Thai.

One of my little japes when teaching was to show students a world map and ask them to point to Thailand  Not one of them could get it right.  Maybe some could point to to SE Asia in general, but they seriously didn't know.

They are useless at geography because often it isn't taught or if it is, it's almost completely Thai-centric. 

AND they are taught that as they live in what they have had rammed down their throats is the greatest nation on earth, why would they want to know about anywhere else anyway?

 

Oh wait, another country thinks that way too ...

[tonray]

3 hours ago, Denim said:

Sigh.....nothing much happening in the world today I guess.

 

In other riveting news , a man crossed a busy road to go to a 7/11 store and survived.

Didn't he see the 7 on his side of the road ?

[Saint Nick]

21 minutes ago, Mitkof Island said:

You are thinking that most foreigners understand that the tourist slums are NOT like the other areas. You are giving them too much credit. Ask them to find Thailand on a map. And that there is Thai food besides Pad Thai.

How much more arrogant and condescending can you get?

[malibukid]

most Thais have little interest in English.  Thailand to them is the center of the Universe, so why should they.  now if one where to journey East to say Vietnam you will find many who will love to practice English with you.  

[Mister Fixit]

20 minutes ago, riverhigh said:

For what its worth the most aggravating restaurant experience I had was a meal with my American friends. The restaurant provided their customers with menu that showed preset meals with a photo and a number attached. The Americans started shouting out the menu numbers with special requests like no fries but extra salad or put the fries on a separate dish. Most of my American friends were 65+ but behaved like 6 year olds, No empathy for the staff. The menu dishes were reasonably priced but the Americans wanted to pay little money but expected five star service. I no longer go out with them for meals.

Exactly my experience too.

[Isaanbiker]

3 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Translation of Love you.

Hate you.

Bring money.

Shut up.

Go home. 

Nope, that's not true. You show the typical reaction of an American who only speaks one language which is also mentioned in the text.

 

   I think that the Love you is honest and they do not hate you.

 

  And stating that they want you to bring money, shut up and go home is what you believe. I disagree with your post and think that they're right with so many people thinking that all Thais have to speak English.

 

Does everybody speak English if you go on a vacation in let's say Italy?

 

  Your post is just another Thai bashing one, nothing else. 

 

 

 

 

[Coremouse]

1 hour ago, 4MyEgo said:

Sawadee Krup Yinn

 

Just to clarify, I am Aussie, born from Greek parents, I have been travelling to Thailand since 2005, moved here in 2015, never learned Thai, nit noi, nung, song, sum, see, ha ha ha, now, yen, catoh, tiruk, etc, etc.

 

I don't have the patience to learn another language, even though I live here, you know the older you get your brain slows, that said, it doesn't take much for a person to be polite when visiting another country, smile, sawadee, sabi dee, point at a bottle of water, run your finger down the list of a menu, pet pet, muk, muk, cop kun krup, I have always found Thai's to be willing to assist.

 

I have never had a problem, sign language/gestures with Thai's works most times, but at the bank the other day I asked the teller if she could photocopy the page on the bank book, I pointed to the page and with 1 finger, copy please, she came back with a copy of my name page, I said sorry, no, politely and asked again, she stood back and a colleague of hers came over and I point to the page and showed him 1 finger, copy please, no I didn't show him my middle one, and he did the copy for me, I said cop coon krup and to the girl who looked a little upset at me, but "up to her" as the Thai's say, I was polite and we can all try, it doesn't take much to live together, but as for farangs who get upset, well, that's just the bottom quality of impatient and uneducated tourists, and Budda help the Thai's if they intend on moving here, mai pen rai ????

 

Exactly - life have so much to do than dedicate time to another language not necassary. Take myself a Chinese working & loving here, I found no problem rely on English for either academics, working, diy eg. a simple life. Thus it is not optimal for me to trade precious time just to be blend in. 

 

Plus I can improve language little by little just living here. Respect local culture = open mindedness + polite + decency, I don't learn Thai ≠ I don't respect local culture. I work for Thailand, pay tax to Thailand, spend in Thailand, and often defend LoS against some stereotype, if I don't love local culture I wouldn't be doing these anymore right?  

 

Have no issue with Thai people don't speak English, but seeing that 'english... thai... love you' sign still rings <beeped>. It's just a silly excuse that is also provocative. I work in Mahanak area here you see many Thai women rudely cut in line whenever shopping, take bus, etc. And I noticed some shop employees frowned upon seeing a foreigner and prioritize queue-jumping locals, maybe because they presume foreigners don't speak Thai thus more trouble and hassle? One time a halfhearted 7-11 girl ignored me(the first in the row) and checked two locals first, while I'm holding in my hands a pack of ice and several chilled bottles. Extremely rude. 

 

 

Edited January 20, 2020 by Coremouse
clarity

[ParkerN]

3 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

I speak only a few Thai words but I agree with the sign.

Only because I have witnessed too many Falang get upset or even yell at staff at various places because they cannot understand English.  Calling them stupid and the such.

It can be frustrating but not really their fault. Blame the government for not making them learn English in school.

If you want good English interaction with mostly polite people, go to the Philippines 90% there speak.

 

Fully agree with this, one cannot blame the averge Thai for teaching decisions not made by him/her, but made either by unintelligent parents, or incompetent teachers and their equally incompetent management. I speak pretty good Thai and I can tell you that with many Thais, it matters not whether you speak good Thai or bad Thai or no Thai, it only matters if you are Thai, such is the extent of their jingoism.

 

I also agree that it is not good for any foreigner to berate Thai staff for their inability to speak English, but in fairness, I have on many occasions had a Thai look down their nose or be rude to me because they assume I am not good enough to speak Thai, only to be embarrassed and lose face when it becomes clear I am neither. I have equally no patience with this very special kind of half-wit.

 

The notice is disgraceful, but no more disgraceful than the racist sentiments that gave rise to it.

 

In respect of the posters who down-voted my post; good luck. you are entitled to your opinion, as I am to mine.. You are quite wrong but I expect you've been told that on many occasions in the past. The reality seems to be that you are confused, but on this occasion, it comes not from bad schooling but from being a bit thick or from too much brown-nosing.

Edited January 20, 2020 by ParkerN

[Yinn]

35 minutes ago, Roy Baht said:

No. This has been a good discussion. Many points of view have been raised. Multiple perspectives considered. For the most part, logically and politely. No flames or trolling that the mod had to remove. This is TV at its best. It's food for thought and everybody feeds.

If you look the link, it from twitter account in USA.

 

The comment is “people go to THAILAND and get mad cause their english isn’t good........? stay yo <deleted> in america”.

 

I think the thai person say it more polite. Say “please” and “love you”.

 

Welcome to thailand. 

Please not complain. Love you.

 

[ballpoint]

3 hours ago, Denim said:

Sigh.....nothing much happening in the world today I guess.

 

In other riveting news , a man crossed a busy road to go to a 7/11 store and survived.

Now, that someone would be so stupid would be news.  If he had have walked 50m in either direction without crossing the street he would have found at least 2 of them.