Reading Smiles' report on his friend's struggles with basic English (flu pig) made me think about the changes in fluency of boys over the years.
The first boy I off'd over 13 years ago was pretty fluent in spoken English, but I've certainly encountered a number of guys who have virtually no English (even very recently) as well as those who are sufficiently fluent that you don't even think about it.
I have one guy who I see regularly whose spoken English is great and who can read or write SMS text messages and emails in English and is totally able to negotiate the Internet and use a number of computer applications.
Of the last three guys I've off'd, one was totally at a loss with English and would probably sound like Smiles' friend, and the other two have sent me frequent SMS messages in English and can speak English effortlessly.
I was with a guy yesterday, we were watching a Thai program on TV and I heard the word "payaan," a "witness," which I didn't know. I asked what it meant and he explained it in English (without using the word "witness") without batting an eye.
If you have a regular Thai friend(s) or frequently off guys, do you find the language barrier a problem? Are you improving your Thai to improve communications? Do you find that the level of English spoken by Thai boys in the bars is improving? Do you resort to pidgin Thai-nglish and hand signals like Smiles apparently does to convey your thoughts? Do you find the boys better able to use SMS messages, email, the Internet and computers more generally?
Do you suppose there's a connection to the change in economic circumstances? The less well educated farm boys being replaced by computer savvy, English-fluent guys who can't find work elsewhere?