[horoshevapola]

Say 'Sawasdee', not 'Hello'

The Office of the National Culture Commission has been asked to launch a campaign to promote the use of ''Sawasdee'' instead of ''Hello'' among Thais, particularly when answering the phone.

Natthee Phukkhayaporn, chairman of the Nakhon Sawan provincial culture council and a specialist at the National Culture Commission, said he had proposed the campaign to the commission due to the incorrect use of Thai language, particularly the appropriate greeting when taking a phone call.

Most Thais often say ''Hello'' rather than ''Sawasdee,'' the traditional Thai greeting, when they pick up the phone, he said.

He also called on the Public Relations Department to seek cooperation from radio show hosts or disc jockeys to address their audiences with ''Sawasdee'' instead of the more popular western-style greeting.

The commission should also encourage Thais to use polite phrases such khob khun krab/kha (thank you) and khor thot krab/kha (excuse me) more frequently, he said.

Bangkok Post

[LesLattis]

I'm not sure how such a prescriptive stance can help, but anyway....

I thought "hello" was the standard Thai greeting on the phone, just as it is in other languages. it comes up in all subtitled movies for phone scenes, whereas they do use "sawatdii" for hello as in good morning etc.

as for "thank you", I have repeatedly been told by Thais not to say "thank you" to waiters, cashiers, service staff. but why shouldn't I if the service I get is good? I don't look down on hard-working, smiling, honest people working in markets, restaurants, etc. it's of course different if you're treated rudely. but then, more is needed then a recommendation by some commission comprised of mummies (presumably!)

[RayFairhurst]

I wish this campaign good luck.

A similar drive was launched in the Philippines to say "mabuhay" instead of "hello" when answering the phone. That expression sounded very unnatural to native speakers to use as a substitute for'hello'. Needless to say, the campaign failed.

[Uplillacype]

as for "thank you", I have repeatedly been told by Thais not to say "thank you" to waiters, cashiers, service staff.

I doubt these Thais to tell you not to say 'thank you', if they really mean it, it's negative attitude. We have been taught to respect people in all levels, to respect their good deeds. In ethic class (maybe not all schools ), ¤¹ÃѺãªé or any one who serves us should be appreciated their works and deserved the word 'thank you'.

Normally receptionists/operators in financial institutions always answer the phone with 'sawaddee kha' .

[bobibnoxx]

I wish this campaign good luck.

A similar drive was launched in the Philippines to say "mabuhay" instead of "hello" when answering the phone. That expression sounded very unnatural to native speakers to use as a substitute for'hello'. Needless to say, the campaign failed.

How the drive in Phllipines culminated is understandable. And the present drive in Thailand apparently by some political authorities is not surprising news to me either.

The present day Speaker in Parliament in my country, Sri Lanka, namely W. J. M. Lokubandara, is a very pleasant man, loved by all irrespective of political differences. He is anyway very nationalistic-minded despite his training as a lawyer in the British tradition. His everything, just his own self is a symbol of nationalism.

When he was a Minister in the ruling party long long years ago, he launched a campaign to replace 'Hello' with the traditional native greeting during phone conversations.

Now, 'Hello' is universal and convenient and it has even become traditional by long use. You can imagine how his campaign finally ended up. It just failed.

Applying the same logic here, the Thai Sawasdee campaign is doomed to fail, I predict with confidence. Hearing the phone ring, you get hold of the receiver and say Sawasdee k..., then that one at the other end, maybe, from Timbaktu (you never know from where) might well be offended to hear this 'strange' word, from his perspective.

To adopt from Marie's expression, needless to say, the campaign will fail!

[BluewayAllere]

I don't think I ever heard someone suggesting you don't say thankyou to service staff.

Slightly off topic, but I have noticed that generally Thai people don't say "please" and "thank you" even though they have words for them. This isn't because they are not polite. They have other ways to show respect like saying "krap/kaa". This causes problems when they start speaking English because they don't sound so polite. In our culture, we have to say "please" and "thank you". Thai people don't understand why I say "thank you" in Thai when the cashier gives me my change. They argue that I have just given them money and it should be the other way around. But, I tell them that I am thanking them for their service.

This is not every Thai as I see some say "thank you". But then maybe not as often as me. I even say "thank you" to the bus driver when I get off the bus.

[BluewayAllere]

The strongly nationalist government of Plaek Pibulsonggram in the early 1940s promoted the use of the word sawasdee amongst the government bureaucracy as well as the wider populace as part of a wider set of cultural edicts to modernise Thailand."

A lot of the so-called "Thai culture" which our wonderful Culture Ministry is trying to promote and preserve actually dates back to this period and is not as "traditional" as they make it out to be. Other traditions and so-called heroes are actually made up. It is time for the school books to be re-written.

[BluewayAllere]

Most Thais often say ''Hello'' rather than ''Sawasdee,'' the traditional Thai greeting, when they pick up the phone, he said.

But how traditional is "sawasdee" for a greeting? Surely telephones have been around longer? So, isn't saying "hello" more traditional?

Anyway, there is a big difference between how you say the Thai hello and our hello.

[Aswdwdfg]

Well, I guess "recent" is relative...and to Richard's point, the telephone was invented before...so the culture of hello may have came with the invention of the telephone....

[Oswczrdz]

I suppose my 1st grade lessons in how to answer the phone has stuck with me because that is also the year phone service came to the area where we lived. I don't believe that is taught in schools here anymore.

We were taught to answer with 'Hello, W_________ household'. If we were the one making the call, we should respond with 'Hello, this is Susana. May I please speak with Jane?' These rules were strictly enforced in my home!


Nowadays, most people don't answer their home phone with their name for privacy reasons, but with a simple 'hello'. When I answer a call and the person on the other end says 'who is this' I figure they don't know me well enough to recognize my voice, so I clench my teeth and respond with my sweetest accent and reply "Who is calling, please?". Anyway, most calls to my home phone now are telemarketers or recordings of a telemarketer or scam artist. Rules do not apply! A simple "I do not respond to telephone solicitation. Goodbye' will do.

Cell phone calls are another matter. Among friends, we usually just say 'Hey, gotta minute?'

Please, thank you, yes mam, & yes sir are still taught around here, too. I sometimes find myself saying 'yes m'am' to someone, then realize that person is way younger than me!

When I first went to Thailand, I found that the expectations were somewhat different. I think a polite acknowledgement of good service is always appropriate, even if just in the form of a smile or nod.

Waii-ing is a different subject. I hope we'll have a discussion another time!

[LesLattis]

yes, that's what I have been trying to do as well. all those wais make things slow if you want to hand out 26 pencils, 26 books, and 26 erasers :-)

[Oswczrdz]

Actually, I had thought that was when it began, and I suppose in the big picture which is history, it is recent! My personal history with Thailand began in 1970, and I still have a lot to learn.

Thank you for the enlightenment!

[Oswczrdz]

Yes, I remember the 'thank you' wai, and have used it myself, and remember students at AUA used it, also.

What I was thinking of was this, and some other situations: After I was in Thaland for just a few days it was decided we should go to the National Theater (at least I think that is where we went) to hear a performance of His Majesty's music. It is important to note here that I had been told that a wai was a greeting, sort of like a hand shake, so that is the way I was still thinking of it. I had never been in the presence of royalty or even dignitaries before, either. While waiting in the lobby, someone said to me ' here comes the Queen Mother'. Suddenly everyone was waii-ing except me. I realized what was happening in time to save myself from too much embarassment, fortunately.

There are other instances, too. The last one was when I met someone I had come to consider a friend after not having seen her for a year. I wai-ed first, which I was told later was a no-no, given our 'stations in life'. I see it now as a very spontaneous thing to do, & a sign of friendship. I still do not think I did wrong, unless of course it embarassed the other person.

I think it would be a great idea if the language schools would (and perhaps they do) offer courses in Thai etiquette.

[Nothatspecial]

My typical greetings evolved from "Sawatdeekrup" to "wadee- kup" to now "hello- kup". Small chance it'll goes "Lo- kup" though.

With incoming calls to a mobile It all depends whose name shows up on the phone's screen. If it's a close friend or family member calling, the person answering sometimes simply presses the answer button and says "Waa ngai kha/khrab" ÇèÒ䧤Ð/¤ÃѺ

[themsrsdude]

I mostly called Hotels, Travel Agencies, Airlines and such in Thailand but they all answer "Sawasdee Khap/Khaa" but I noticed when I call someone private they usually answer "Hello Khap/Khaa"

I don't think I ever heard someone suggesting you don't say thankyou to service staff.

[Uplillacype]

I mostly called Hotels, Travel Agencies, Airlines and such in Thailand but they all answer "Sawasdee Khap/Khaa" but I noticed when I call someone private they usually answer "Hello Khap/Khaa"

Yes, you're right and as Marie mentioned 'telephone etiquette', most of us have already used 'sawaddee kha/krub' in the office and business calls, during hectic time we prefer answering the phone with 'hello'. Many Thai people consider answering the phone with ‘sawaddee kha/krup’ is too formal.

This campaign will work well if they focus on private calls which most people tend to greet with 'hello'.

Nowadays, many complaints that people don't say '¢Íâ·É (Khor thot), ¢Íº¤Ø³ (Khop khun)' and having less ¹éÓ㨠(kindness, generosity).

We used to say 'thank you' every time for that chance, normally the reaction is smiling but some might talk back with '¼Ùé´Õ (phu dee) – snob or ….' sarcastically. It's sensitive issue for some people, some have negative thought that those who speak nicely to 'people in lower social status' (I don't know if I am using the right word) are pretending. Some have the idea that they are better than others/richer, etc., no need to say ‘thank you’. Complicate mind, it’s the result of social class for long time.

[BluewayAllere]

I am having a hard time teaching my students (aged 5-6) to say "thank you" when I hand out snacks, pencils, books, homework, anything. they just don't get it.

In Thai class they don't normally say "thank you" in these circumstances. However they are taught to "wai" first before they accept anything. This is the Thai version of thank you. It is a bit of a pain when you are handing out homework or some other kind of work to the whole class as you have to wait for their "wai" each time. In English classes I tell them to say "thank you" instead, explaining that this is our version of the "wai" in this situation.

[bobibnoxx]

Once, I was having a beer in the open air just in front of the Bankok railway station all by myself. It was almost midnight. Some guy came and sat at my table and started a chat. He introduced himself as a Burmese living in Bangkok and was very critical of Thais. He seemed drunk and specifically critical of vehicle drivers who, according to him, are very reckless.

But all that is by the way. I ordered different items from time to time from the shop nearby. Each time it was served, I said 'thank you' to the one who served it.

The Burmese guy stressed, 'No need to thank each time'.

Saying 'thank you' is almost a reflex action in my country and it is so commonplace.

[RagonaCon]

When I was in the army, you get "extras" for not saying the greetings properly and worst, for not recognising your camp commandant's voice. Talk about ego.

[Aswdwdfg]

From Wikipedia:

"This word was coined in the mid-1930s by Phraya Upakit Silapasan of Chulalongkorn University. This word, derived from the Sanskrit svasti (meaning "well-being"), had previously been used in Thai only as a formulaic opening to inscriptions. The strongly nationalist government of Plaek Pibulsonggram in the early 1940s promoted the use of the word sawasdee amongst the government bureaucracy as well as the wider populace as part of a wider set of cultural edicts to modernise Thailand."