Learning the local language and an "intellectual debate"

[bkkguy]

Is that F...as in Fake?

as I am sure cdnmatt is about to point out there is no F sounding consonant in English either - you just change the tone on the PH consonant cluster, which is why so many English speakers have such a problem booking air tickets and accommodation in Phuket (but if you are a BBC fan keeping up appearances that does not rhyme with bucket - it is pronounced fouquet!)

bkkguy

[frequent]

He (cndmatt) did not follow the immigration laws.

Encapsulated in a single response is the reason why written language doesn't always convey the sense of what was written. I know cdnmatt did not follow the Immigration laws (or pay income tax); my comment was entirely ironic

I did learn Thai to be able to use buses and taxis, buy things at local market, deal with restaurant and hotel staff, and most importantly do meet gay boys who speak no English.

I don't go to the local market, I've never had a problem with restaurant or hotel (or for that matter supermarket) staff in the last few years, I don't bother with boys who won't speak English, I've never had a problem with a taxi driver in the past few years

Three caveats:

1. I recently had a dialogue in English via Grindr with a Vietnamese massage boy and, while sceptical of Vietnamese massage boys generally, I invited him over. The conduct of the entire conversation while we were in my condo was fascinating. He spoke into his phone in Vietnamese and showed me what he had just said in English via Google Translate. Clearly he had done the same during our Grindr dialogue. The massage and the sex was awful too
2. My last Thai conversation with a taxi driver was twenty years ago, with me making some utterly banal comments in Thai, and him following up by showing me his proficiency in English: "You - big fat pig". Fortunately I was sufficiently aware culturally that "pig" does not have the same connotations as those if spoken by a native English speaker, and "fat" is actually a compliment because it implies wealth. It was, however, a conversation stopper (after I had finished laughing)
3. The last time I took an AOT limo from Swampy the driver asked (in Thai) if I minded him playing Isaan music. I replied I had Isaani friends. That led to the information that he came from between Roi Et and Buriram (or so I inferred from the few Thai words I understood). That was the end of the conversation. Noblesse oblige

None of that means I have any interest in conversing in Thai. As I say, most English conversations (like most posts here) are sufficiently banal for me to know it won't be worth the effort

[cdnmatt]

Well, if you taught yourself Thai, you could leave the farang ghetto once in a while. That would be cool, don't you think?

[frequent]

Well, if you taught yourself Thai, you could leave the farang ghetto once in a while. That would be cool, don't you think?

Your unparalleled understanding of “banal” is amazing

[cdnmatt]

You don't need to talk about terraforming Mars to learn something new.

[frequent]

You don't need to talk about terraforming Mars to learn something new.

As is quite evident, you certainly don't

[cdnmatt]

Just trying to point out, if you actually listen to the "banal" conversations around you, that you may learn something new from time to time.

Or continue wandering around life belittling everyone because you think you know more than them. That works too.

[gerefan2]

most English conversations (like most posts here) are sufficiently banal for me to know it won't be worth the effort

.

Another great example of your floccinaucinihilipilification. Why stay?

[arsenal]

That's a little unkind Gerefan2. Mr Frequent reminds us of the illegality of prostitution in Thailand and is therefore worth exactly the cost of membership here.

[frequent]

Just trying to point out, if you actually listen to the "banal" conversations around you, that you may learn something new from time to time.

I've assessed the cost-benefit of such a course of action and decided the actual costs far outweigh any potential benefits. If I wanted to undertake such a foolish course of action I'd start by taking a number of posters here off my Ignore list