Utreg near Africa
Have you ever gotten a little tired of talking to Thai bar ladies? Starting with the general “Welcome” followed by the vocabulary: “What's your name” and “Where do you come from”?
It is an opening question that does not interest anyone in the slightest and has just as little meaning as the question so often used by many Thais: “Pai ti nai”? Where are you going? As if the questioner will care in the least whether you go to the right, to the left, to the pub or to a shop.
Recently I found something on it, at least when asked where I come from. Nowadays I invariably come from Utrèg. Usually you get the simplest answer “Oh”, which then demonstrates the interest of the question. Then the conversation continues as usual and the following question follows as usual: “What's your name?” If the ruse does not work and the questioner in question says she has never heard of Utrèg before, this could lead to an interesting conversation.
With the necessary panache and a lot of gestures, or even with pen and paper, you can then use a 'global' (you recognize the word global) drawing to explain that Utrèg is near Africa. If, at least if the story is believed to be true, you are then asked why you are not dark-skinned, then you are definitely dealing with an above-average intelligent lady. Offering a drink can certainly do no harm and you should definitely not omit it. Then tell them honestly that it was a joke. Usually the average Thai can appreciate a bit of humor.
And while we're crossing borders: C'est le ton qui fait la musique! Incidentally, a few years ago I experienced a German conference who gave a very funny conference about Thai ladies, their beautiful eyes, beautiful slim figure, but also their idiosyncrasies, habits and language skills. Do I still remember the question of a 'farang newcomer' who asks his newly acquired beauty the question: “Do you love me”? Her answer: “Up to you”!
Nice article, Utreg.
The German conferancier must have already had some Thai experiences, Up to you. Yes, nice.
Similarly, e.g. in a dispute where someone takes a position and propagates it, the other avoids everything, avoids or stops any discussion or conversation with ... you need to know if you want to think that way ... or ... need those others to know if they think like that or… what they think doesn't matter to me. So no real interest. It can be.
Nico B
That question also made me so sick that I had a business card printed
What's your name ??? piet
Where did you come from ? Holland
Where do you stay? Hotel Amari ( very important question for them then you were simultaneously estimated on the wealthy
Are you married?? Depends……
As soon as this game started I gave this card
The reactions can be guessed hhhhhh
Piet
My brother always replies that he comes from Effrika, you see them thinking that Thai, why your not black??? And in 9 out of 10 cases we are rid of the intrusiveness of unwanted visitors.
Nice those stories, we were on Phuket last November.
Standard answer was: Where you come from – Afghanistan.
Either it was okay and gone or laughing and saying that wasn't possible. Haha, most of the time we were rid of unsolicited attention. What a wonderful country
In the times that I went on holiday to the Netherlands, I found out that I had a Thai pronunciation
took it without even thinking about it. When a question from family or friends about what to do
we do. Was my answer very much. What you want.
You become infected with what you deal with.
Cor van Kampen.
I was also asked this question last week.
Not in a bar beer, gogo or something like that.
But in our town of Pasang where I live nearby , this at the local Tesco Lotus super .
A nice young lady , she was a high school student at the end of her year .
They sometimes do an internship here , I can tell by the sticker on the Lotus trainee uniform or something like that .
I am from Holland , the Netherlands , we are Dutch , Amsterdam , windmills , woodenshoes .
We are direct neighbors of Germany , and on the other side of the sea is Great Britain or England .
Do you know what they say to me in broken English .
Never heard of the Netherlands , where is it .
I tried to salvage something with some well-known Dutch football players names.
I then answered despondently at the end , in South America .
Long live the Thai school system.
Jan Beute.
For me it was the same. when I say that I am from the Netherlands , then I see them thinking too .
With the question afterwards , why I am brown . Then I thought to myself that from now on I'm going to tell them that I
comes from Aruba. Let them think where Aruba is. Even Australia they don't know where that is.
I always answer “I come from Zaltbommel”, and then those young ladies ask: “where is that, is that a big city”. Then I answer: "there only very poor people". Well then they don't even dare to ask for a lady drink! And then I raise my glass to a friend of mine who lives there somewhere.
Not only the barmaids can ask these difficult questions, the same thing happens on land.
Together with my wife we were invited to a party, where I was the only farang, and although I can maintain myself reasonably well on Thai, you always have Thai people who want to test their English.
In principle, this is not a problem, and where I can help someone, I am happy to do so, if it is not constantly limited, to the above questions. Often they are people who have learned these few sentences with great difficulty, and wait until you are in the company of Thais, of whom they are sure, they do not speak a word of English, so that they can impress the rest of the Thai company. If you are now talking to another group an hour later, it is usually possible that exactly the same person comes back with exactly the same questions. Not that this person is so forgetful, but the only goal is that this new group will also be convinced of his knowledge of languages. Many Thais are very proud when they can impress other people with a foreign language. When I'm in a song taew with my wife, she prefers me not to speak Thai, so since we live partly in Germany, she prefers to speak German, so she can enjoy the astonishing looks of her compatriots.
Hello Nico,
The next thing I always say to the relevant questions from the ladies.
My name Donald Duck from Disneyland. And indeed they look at you with
a pair of eyes as if you just came from planet Pluto. A few people would like one
one step further and then asks where Disneyland is located. Well, you can give it a pendulum yourself.
It's funny.
Gr Ruud Rambo
Have you had enough of those standard questions for years because the conversation of the bargirls hardly ever goes beyond a couple of questions and then switches to delving into their mobile phone again, and to the question “where you come from?” I always answered Foodland, only a few who realized that something was not right.
farangland?
I don't mind questions like this anywhere in the world at all. I was running in North Holland yesterday. That's what I call it, young people think I'm trying to get ahead and it's going to be exciting or before I get home before dark. A nice Dutch lady comes to me. Hi, what's the weather like? i.. blah blah. Said, do you come here often? Are you from the area? What's your name? How old are? Gosh, you look good, don't you? Glunder, gloat, I'm getting more and more interested in this lady. Shall we have a cup of coffee? I ask without realizing it myself. Wine is something I'm looking forward to now, I get the answer. In short, the first conversation around the world is often a bit of how this author describes it. But maybe you guys know a more creative way. How should a Thai lady or gentleman handle that according to you? Anyone who doesn't say anything will be passed by, right?
If I may respond to this posting from Jack G .
If I were a creative Thai lady , would I approach this in this way .
I would then not ask the question, where are you come from.
But asking the question, are you single, and how much money do you have on your bank account.
Jan Beute.
Nothing against the 'welcome', 'what's your name' and 'where do you come from?'. The ladies have to start somewhere to make contact. It becomes a bit different when 'you handsome man' is added to it because they often say that to everyone anyway, no matter what you look like.
Although the ladies have seen it well with me, of course. 😉