Many Thais speak English to one degree or another. Understanding those with limited English skills can be a lot like understanding the Middle Eastern clerk in an American convenience store. The longer you are around someone, the better you will understand his English, because you grow accustom to his unique accent. The longer you are in Thailand the better you will understand all the boys, as you grow accustom to their unique way of speaking English, commonly referred to as Tinglish

As a general rule, Thais do not understand as much English as they can speak, but I have encountered some that actually understand more than they can speak. In these cases it’s usually a person that has gotten out of practice speaking English, but still remembers the words when they are spoken.

If you want to talk to another farang about a Thai boy, while he is in your company, be careful of the words you choose. Speaking quickly does tend to make it more difficult for the boy to keep up, but better is to use more obscure words he is less likely to be familiar with.

Something else to remember is most boys can read and write English much better than they can speak it. Don’t be surprised when you meet a boy on-line that can chat rather fluently, but in person, or on the phone, can barley utter a word of English.

Another noteworthy item is Thais are very good at reading lips, as an aid in understanding what you are saying. Thus, it is often more difficult for them to communicate in English while on the phone.

Tinglish (also Thenglish, Thailish or Thainglish)

Before I continue, read this definition from Wikipedia…

Tinglish is the imperfect form of English produced by native Thai speakers due to language interference from the first language. Differences from native English include incorrect pronunciation, wrong word choices, misspellings, and grammatical mistakes.

It is important to understand beginners are generally going to learn English as a direct translation of how it would be spoken in Thai, just as we would do when learning their language. Thai is not a wordy language, so what might seem choppy, broken, or even a bit rude, may be a result of direct translation. That, and the fact their vocabulary is extremely limited, means a lot of words will be used when, in proper English, there is a more accurate, or polite, way to communicate it. To understand what the boy is really trying to say, you want to avoid taking things too literal.

Some good examples are: give me, not want, not good, you want, and not like. Don’t expect a boy to say things like “may I have”, “no thank you”, “not the best”, “would you like”, or “I don’t care for”.

Thais have difficulty with some common components of English words - ST, CH, TH, V. G, Z, and R are often very difficult for them to pronounce. Consequently, string comes out as sling, and thank you is pronounced sank you.

I should also mention a lot of English words adopted by Thais are from British English. As an example, Thais understand what a lift is, but have no idea what you are talking about when you say elevator. Another example is vitamins are pronounced with a short “vIt” as the British do.

The following is a brain dump of words and phrases you will likely encounter, and what they most likely mean. I’ll add to the list, as I think of more.

Words usually driven by difficulty with ST, CH, TH, V. G, Z, and R:

snake = sah nake or sah neck
spaghetti = sah pah ghetti
stop = sah top
really = weally
shark = shock
friend = fend
sure = shoeah
cheers = cheahs
album = ah la bum
light = wite
headache = head aesh

Words and phrases driven by limited vocabulary and/or direct translation:

I tell you true - means I’m being honest or accurate with you.

Sure can mean sure, but usually means you believe me or I believe you. Sure I tell you true means believe me I’m telling you the truth.

Talk - means speak, tell, say, mention, explain, or ask - “I talk him go disco.” means “I asked him if he wants to go to the disco.”

He - can mean either he or she - I don’t know the full explanation, but it’s driven by direct translation.

Him - can mean either him or her- I don’t know the full explanation, but it’s driven by direct translation.

More better - means nicer or likes more or of higher quality.

Not good - means not nice, or does not like, or is of poor quality.

Not good for me - means you are being told he doesn’t like the situation, agreement, arrangement, or proposal.

My friend me - means my friend.

You can - means can you or will you- “You can go disco?”

See you - means meet with you in person - “I can see you now?”, “When I see you?”

Open/Close - can mean on/off.

Not sure - means I don’t know.

I stay - means I am at - “I stay disco”, “I stay room.”

I go - means I am going to.

Fire - often means electricity.

Water - often used to communicate something is in liquid form, including things like gravy, or cough syrup instead of a pill or lozenge.

Your room - means your home, house, apartment, condo, hotel room.

Take away - is universally used in place of take out (food), but is also the replacement for “remove” something.

Finish - means stop doing, over with, the end of, ended, closed, completed, or quit - movie finish - beer finish - disco finish (closed for the night) - finish work.

Cool heart - means even tempered, easy going, pleasant disposition at all times.

Hot heart - means short tempered, short fused, easily angered or annoyed over the little things.

Boxing - anything having to do with one or more people physically fighting - with or without weapons.

Drop – as a result of direct translation, means either drop or fall. If concerned about falling out of bed, a boy will say drop, not fall.

Holiday – means holiday or any scheduled day(s) off from work or school.

Casino – is what boys will say when they really mean to say gamble or gambling.

Sharp - means smart - OH! You very sharp about this! He so sharp computer.

Tissue - can mean toilet paper, facial tissue, paper napkin, or paper towel.

Look - means watch, observe, stare, gaze, gawk, appear, or see. I look (watch) TV. He look (stare at) me long time. You look (appear) same not happy. I look (see) before mall.

Other important things to understand or be aware of:

Sorry is used by Thais to interrupt conversation, or to initiate a conversation with a stranger. It is the equivalent of our saying “excuse me”, or “pardon me.” Sorry can also men sorry…it just depends on the context.

When you find yourself in a situation of wanting to say no to a boy, but are uncomfortable with being too harsh, “next time” is a great phrase to use. A good example would be the boy is asking to go home with you…just smile and say next time. He will immediately step off the subject, perhaps disappointed, but not offended.

The word darling is apparently a direct translation for the only word in Thai that is equivalent to darling, honey, sweetie, baby, dear, and so on. For what its worth, when a boy calls you darling he is most likely a money boy.

When asking a boy if he has something, such as “Do you have a mobile?” don’t be surprised if his answer is as simple as “have” or “not have.” He might also say “have mobile” or “not have mobile.”

Boys usually don’t understand the word “ago”, such as “two days ago.” What they do understand is “before“, but may not understand second, minute, day, week, month, or year. If a boy understands day he may not know the names of each day of the week. Same goes for months of the year. So if it is Wednesday, and you want to talk about last Monday, you would say “two day before”, as apposed to “last Monday.”

Same Same can mean exactly the same, but more often means similar, a lot like, almost the same, kind of like, very little difference.

Thais usually understand the word maybe, but when used it is often a polite way of saying no. Q: You go disco tonight? A: Maybe I go.

Sugar is often used to talk about something related to children. As an example, the boy tells you the video game is “not good.” You ask why and he says “for sugar.” What he means is the game is for little kids and not sophisticated enough for his more mature entertainment needs.

While brother or sister can mean a sibling, more often than not it means very close friend. In fact, most Thais will speak in Thai when referencing a sibling - nong shy means little brother, but it can also mean younger male friend. To really nail it down you will probably have to ask something like, “He have same same ma (mother) you?” If the answer is no, he may say something like, “no he fend me.”

A Thai may not know how to say cruise ship, but might say it is “boat have casino.”

Thais often do not know what plain or train is, so you have to make choo choo sounds or stick your arms out like wings to communicate these two. They do, however, know what a bus is.

A large motorcycle, rarely seen in Thailand, is often referred to as a chopper.

Thai boys usually do not understand “roommate“, but will probably understand “you live alone”, and may understand” you share room boys.”

It may not be a good idea to answer “yes” when asked if “you like” something or someone. This is often a polite pressure tactic to get a commitment as apposed to simply soliciting your opinion. In many situations, “maybe” or “not sure” might be the safer answer.

The question “you happy” usually means “are you satisfied.” If you answer yes, and it is in reference to services provided (sex or otherwise), a request to pay the bill will follow shortly there after.

When a Thai speaks of going to the hospital it can mean going to check in at a hospital, going to see a doctor (office visit), or going to see a pharmacist about getting some medication. With rare exception, doctors in Thailand practice from a hospital. A lot of Thais self medicate, with the assistance of a pharmacist, as many drugs do not require a prescription from an MD. If the boy can avoid seeing a doctor for treatment of an ailment, he saves a lot of money, because most drugs in Thailand are very cheap. In Thailand, pharmacies are more abundant than 7 elevens.

Power often means physical strength or stamina, particularly in context of experiencing weakness from poor health or illness - “He go hospital. Not have good power.” It may also be used to talk about drinking a caffeine stimulant to gain power - “He drink M50 for make good power.”

Joking means anything relating to humor, including funny, humorous, comedy, kidding, teasing, spoofing, lampoon, and satire. I joking you means I’m just teasing you. He good joking means he’s a very funny guy. Joking movie means it’s a comedy film.

Slowly, usually repeated twice, can mean doing something slowly or carefully, but more often is used to address one’s emotions or temperament during a stressful situation. It is a polite recommendation you should calm down, or chill out. To ignore this suggestion will most likely result in your loosing face.

Little bit means not to much, slightly, a little, or a little while. I speak English little bit. I stay disco little bit. Q: How do you like the food here? A: I like little bit.

Copy means replica or fake of which the quality can only be determined by the context it is used. For example, artificial plants and flowers are referred to as copy (artificial). Knock off items, such as watches, hand bags and clothing items are described as copy. Bootleg software and music CDs are referred to as a copy. I was buying a DVD player and the store clerk informed me, “Sorry…not play copy,” meaning it would not play bootleg movie DVDs or music CDs. I saw a new movie for sale that had not yet hit the theaters. I asked the boy I was with if we should get it. He said, “no…copy.” He was telling me the quality would be so poor it was not worth purchasing.

What you working? This is how you ask a Thai boy what he does for a living. His answer, honest or otherwise, will be the type of work he does, or the company he works for, or that he is a student, or he may even tell you he is a money boy. He might also say he works at a bar, usually meaning he is a money boy, but not always.

University is the only word boys understand when talking about institutions of higher education. They don’t know what a school or college is and may not know what student, study, teach, major, or learning means. I go university means he is a student. While a lot of money boys are students, some are not, but often say they are. Marketing seems to be the major of preference for those claiming to be a student, but are not.

So Much means “a lot” or “very much”. You will run into Thais, with limited English skills, that understand “very much”, but it’s unlikely any will understand “a lot”. Example - I like him so much. A commonly used Thai word for this is maak, usually repeated twice, but with a slightly different tone between the first and second.

Thais do not understand the words trash or garbage (trash can – garbage pail), and it should go without saying “waste receptacle” won’t work either. In many cases, when looking for your trash can, the boy will try and ask where the bin is. More often he will just hold up what he wants to throw away and give you a questioning look. Even though he might know how to say bin, “where is” may be outside his limited English vocabulary.

Snake Snake Fish Fish is the direct translation of a Thai idiom that means much the same as our “Good enough for government work”, “A lick and a promise”, “Didn’t give it his all”, and the ever popular “half assed.” You probably won’t hear it said too often in English. If you do, it will most likely sound more like sah neck sah neck fis fis. If you have an opportunity to use it in conversation, and the boy understands it in English, he will probably be caught off guard and impressed. EXAMPLE - Q: Did you finish your homework? A: Snake snake fish fish.

The phrase “look same” means “appears like” or “seems to me that you are.” You look same not happy. He look same gay.

Fashion is sort of a catch all for anything having to do with looking good – clothing, jewelry, accessories, and hair style. While we use it the same way, the important thing to understand is it’s the only English word they use for this. As an example, the boys wear a lot of things that are directly tied to their Buddhist religion. So if you were to ask a boy if the necklace he’s wearing is for Buda, and its not, his answer will most likely be, “No…fashion.” To articulate in any greater detail is outside their limited English skills. Boys that speak only a few words of English will typically know the word fashion. I’m guessing this is because fashion is also used in the Thai language, but I’m not sure.

Thais probably won’t understand the word change, as it relates to money. The most common phrase I’ve heard used is “money come back“. After you have sent the boy to the store for something, he may hand you the change and say, “Money come back [insert amount] baht.” If the boy forgets to give you your change, you can question, “Money come back?” He should smile, maybe say “OH!” and dig into his pocket for the change. If he spent all the money, expect him to say “finish”. That said, most boys will say nothing and just hand you your change, or put it on the table for you to see.

The boys have a unique way of telling time, that is probably a result of direct translation, but I’m not sure. As apposed to twelve thirty, a boy will say twelve o’clock thirty. When it comes to quarter hour increments they typically get a little flustered when trying to speak it, but usually understand when spoken by you – eleven forty-five. They probably will not understand five till nine, but usually comprehend five minute before nine. The boys typically do not have any problem speaking about time in terms of how long something will take – one hour, thirty minute, two hour thirty minute. Of course, a standard rule of thumb is to double whatever they say, but that’s not an English translation issue.

Freshy, from the word fresh, typically means young or new. For example, a boy might refer to a younger male farang (late teens – early twenties) as “Freshy Boy”. As apposed to Freshmen, first year university students are called Freshy. I also saw it used as a product name for an item in the grocery, but I’m not sure exactly how that translates. I’m guessing there is more to this I’ve not yet discovered.

A lot of boys understand “sea food” but not necessarily in the way you might think. To them, sea food is anything that comes from the sea. Thus, fresh water equivalents (fish, shrimp, crab, clams, frogs, snakes, and turtles) may still end up being ordered at a restaurant. If you start by saying sea food, and follow with specific examples, they will still think you are only talking about things that live in the sea. You can not utter the words sea food if you hope to cover all the bases. Try saying, “I not like anything come from water”, followed by some examples - fish, shrimp, and so on. The more of these you know how to say in Thai, the better. Clams are always a difficult one, and may require some clever hand gestures.

If you notice a boy has just gotten his hair cut and you say “change hair” in commenting on it, he will politely inform you he has not. Thais only consider their hair changed when they have changed the style or color. Style changes are common with a lot of the boys that have long hair. Boys do not understand “hair cut” or “cut hair”. The only thing I’ve found that works is a hand gesture using your fingers like scissors as if you are cutting your hair.

Most Thais know what a microwave is, but when talking about cooking with one they just say wave. You want wave? I wave for you.

Thai boys do not take pills, they eat pills.

If you ask a boy something, and his response is “nothing” it means he does NOT want to talk about it.

READER CONTRIBUTIONS

Submitted by mahjongguy:

“He very special for my life and still lay in my heart every time but he have bf …so funny”. “So funny”, of course, doesn’t mean humorous at all. It’s always said with sadness or even anger.

WEBMASTER NOTE: For clarification, funny means funny. In this example the boy was being satirical. From my research it is not clear that “funny” is used this way to the extent it would be classified as Tinglish. It may just be unique to the one boy.

Secondly, it seems common for them to say “I don’t mind” when they really mean “I don’t like”. This can be a big problem if you are suggesting somewhere to go eat, etc.

Not really Tinglish, but just how they say it in Thailand:
Benz = Mercedes
Take away = Take Out (food)
Mobi (Moe By) = Cellular Phone
Powder = Baby Powder
Toilet = Bathroom
Zed = Z
Cinema = Movie Theater
Soda = Soda - not Coke, Pepsi, or any other soft drink
Condom = Drink Coozy - it also means condom
Lady Boy (katoy) = drag queen - TV, TS or TG
Cabaret = drag show, but often includes men performing with lady boys
Malig - is short for malignant and the word Thais use for cancer
Air Con - Air Conditioner

Country Names

These are the countries I’ve identified that are pronounced so uniquely different you might not even recognize them. Others, like America, are not on the list, because they are easily understood. This list was sourced from an Isan boy who insisted all Thais say them the same way, BUT there may be slight variations. In addition, the tonal inflections are difficult to convey, so this will just give you a general idea of what to expect. You can assume the R’s are always pronounced with a rolling LR.

England - Angret
Germany - Euranamy
France - Farangset or Farangsit - note the root is farang
Ireland - Ilan - similar to Island, but drop the D
Greece - Kreech
Turkey - TurAHkey
Russia - Lasseah - basically their way of dealing with the R
Greenland - Gleenlan
Saudi Arabia - Sah OO DE Arabia
Israel - Islah L
Miramar - Pamar
Cambodia - Cambolia - I’ve also heard Cambosia and one reader suggests khmer
Malaysia - Malays E AH
Japan - Yee Poon
Korea - Gowree - I think I’ve also heard Koree
China - Gcheen - Sounds similar to Gin or chin with the “I” drawn out EA or EE

Difficult English To Learn

English words that are frequently used, when living with a Thai boy, that seem particularly difficult for them to learn.

Towel
Sheet (bed)
Blanket
Quilt
Laundry
Trash
Sandal(s)
Scissors
Pants
Shirt
Watch (time piece)

Other good references for Tinglish:
TInglish - Wikipedia
Reference.com - Tinglish
Thaiglish - PattayaWiki

I’m opening this up for comments for those wanting to offer corrections or contributions.