[MannyLopez]

Quote[/b] (Makiy0 @ June 25 2003,03:46)]I believe that the Thais assimilated a lot of words from the English language especially those involved with electronics, science and technology.

Yes, you are correct. That is what I hear most often when I overhear two Thai people talking on the telephone or a D.J. on the radio. In Thai it is called ·ÑºÈѾ·ì. Most people don't know that they are using English words (much the same we don't always realise that many English words come from other languages).

I do a lesson on ·ÑºÈѾ·ì every year with my English class. I ask them to think of some Thai words that have been borrowed from the English language. They usually just come up with words like "ice cream", "foot-bon/football", "t-wee/t.v.", "lif/lift", "com/computer" etc. We then go through some of their text books. By the end of their lesson we have usually found about 200 words or more. Which means that in just one lesson they just added 200 new words to their vocabulary list!

That is one group of English words that is used in everyday language. You cannot really call this "speaking English" as they have been assimilated. They are now more Thai than English.

However, there are a number of people who, for no particular reason, come out with a word and even a sentence in English! At first I thought they were doing it for my benefit, but that it is not true. I still say that they are doing it as a fashionable thing to do or as a way to show off! Much the same way some of my students might use the odd Japanese word they pick up from Japanese songs/cartoon books. If everyone understands then it is acceptable.

I have seen this in other countries like Singapore and India. However, the situation here in Thailand is very different. Thai/English is spoken on a much smaller scale. You won't see it very often. Maybe odd words like "OK", "let's go" or even "hot, wery, wery hot!".

[poekfpojoibien]

I believe that the Thais assimilated a lot of words from the English language especially those involved with electronics, science and technology.

Examples include: "air" for air-conditioning, "TV" for television, "computer" for "computer" and "message" when refering to "short messages service (SMS)" for the mobile phone. This list is definitely not exhastive.

I also agree with Richard on the point that many Thais use certain English words to be "cool". Words like "sure", "really" and many others.

But my take is that most Thais I know don't mix any English words in their conversations except for assimilated ones. They speak pure Thai even to a novice to the language like myself.

[Junrlaeh]

Quote[/b] ]"hot, wery, wery hot!".

This phrase I heard many times spoken by my Thai friends and I find it simply hilarious when they say it...

[KacypeJeope]

My guess is no , but yet to be confirmed by the Thai forum members .

However , this is rather common in Malaysia or Singapore .

[enentique]

I agree, aside from the electronics, science and technology words that Makiyo mentioned, they don't seem to be mixed often. My experience is a bit different to Delawang's though, it does seem to me that English words are gradually creeping in - I've heard a Thai say to a taxi driver to "go airport" (â¡ á;ÍÃì· (I think that's the spelling)) rather than "pai sanaam bin", heard people use "take care" à·¤á¤Ãìà¸Í rather than "doo lae" ´ÙáÅ and a few others. Still, as of yet it's not very common. It'd probably be easier to learn if there was more 'mixing' but I actually quite like it being different, makes it more interesting!

[MannyLopez]

Yes, you will often hear people mixing English in their Thai conversations. Just turn on the radio and you will hear the odd English word spoken two or three times a minute. In some ways it is fashionable to use English like this. It is almost like they are showing off. However, it is also lazy because sometimes it is easier for them to use an English word (albeit with a Thai accent) than a Thai word which can be long-winded. On my desk I have a book of English words that are used in every-day language.

[primaveraloler]

I have not heard others doing it, but my wife and I speak Thainglish to each other all the time. I am trying to learn Thai better and will speak to her as much as I can. The problem is that I am still not very good and I have to resort to English frequently. I try to get her to speak Thai to me, but I understand so little that she ends up mixing in English when I don't understand. It's frustrating and amusing at the same time.

[Stasher11]

Thanks for your replies. Whatever I read tells me that it is nowhere close to how it is mixed in our city life in my country. When I talked of mixing it was far more extreme than what you mentioned. For instance, if 'bpy' is 'go', then you could hear us saying 'Lets get 'bpy'ing' ! Though its not serious language, its a light hearted way to speak among friends.

That way of speaking, I guess is not happening in Thailand for sure. And I guess its good for us learning thai. Else it would make us lazy and we may not learn proper thai.

[Stasher11]

In my country, in the cities, where we get to learn English as part of our education everyone ends up speaking two langauages almost always. Which means its very common to see some of us speaking sentences which are half English, half native language. And almost a way of speaking. Its funny and full of improvisation. I know teachers hate this mix, but its done. Does that happen in Thailand?