Sense of humor of a Thai
Funny or not?
This is a subject that I know little about, but that interests me: the sense of humor of a ภาษาไทย.
My personal experiences in this area are very positive. Most Thai people I know are up for a joke and have a lot of humor. In addition, I think it's great that despite the limited command of the English language, they can still come up with a lot of wit. They are usually great company too. If you go out with them for a night, it will soon be crazy. Will that have to do with the 'Sanuk' setting?
On the other hand, when I watch Thai TV, I am surprised at what a Thai apparently finds funny. You see a guy in a skirt, or someone who is overly effeminate with some make-up on his face. The Thai are then completely in a dent. In yet another program, a guy hides in a wardrobe, the Thai scream. Flip to another channel. Yes, someone smashes an egg on someone else's head. You can carry off the Thai in a fit of laughter; they almost need oxygen to recover.
In short, a Thai would pee his pants laughing if you put on Sesame Street. An episode of Peppi and Kokki would not even be without danger. Maybe they'll stay in it.
It's hard for me to reconcile that with my experience. On the one hand, they are very witty and funny. But on the other hand when I watch Thai TV it's too childish for words and I don't see the humor in it.
Is that me?
Who will help me solve this mystery?
Most bargirl humor is very sharp and witty - this is a direct copy of what they learn from the English customers.
The Thais who do not come into contact with the English only know the underpants fun as you describe it.
Then I underestimated those English people 😉 I can appreciate English humour, better than American ones.
The non-bargirls who speak English also have a sense of humour, in my experience. So it's not completely clear to me yet.
Allo Allo editors, listen very carefully, me shall say this only once.
Humor is always evolving.
Then the Thai are still at the forefront of that development. I can't even laugh at what I see on TV.
Thai people have a good sense of humour. It's just a different species, similar to our former Snip and Snap. Humor is a development process that we have gone through in the Netherlands in recent decades. In many Western countries you can make jokes about almost anything, see Fons Janssen with his 'Laughing Church', or the imitation of Queen Beatrix (who can also laugh about it herself). I hope that Thailand also goes through this development, although I have doubts about some subjects. Until then we have to do it on Thai TV with underpants fun.
Although I sometimes miss the point, I enjoy it when my girlfriend howls with laughter when she is watching a Thai TV program. She laughs so loudly that I'm laughing at her in another room while I'm reading a book. Not much comes of the latter.
Highly recommended in this http://www.dootv.tv for when you are outside Thailand.
You should put on a Mister Bean DVD for your Thai company.
They keep liking them, even if you play the same sketch 20 times.
haha!! I can totally see it. You do have the tendency to laugh along, if only at the reaction of the Thai.
The problem is that you can only go by what you see. If I could understand the language it might be much more fun…
The Thais I've been making with this for years now laugh a lot and hurry about everything. Indeed a great Andre van Duin and sometimes very banal content. But yes does not deviate much from the level of local Italian TV humour.
A Thai also laughs out of courtesy, even if he doesn't understand the joke.
A night out (often with just a little too much alcohol) also gives a lot of sanouk. Usually at the corny end.
Sharp witty humor, especially sarcasm is not always understood. You are then soon too “serious” (so boring and annoying). Underpants fun and ambiguous remarks are preferred.
Everything has been said about humor on Thai TV.
Explaining Thai jokes and humor is impossible. Are we (me) too boring and sober for that? Unless enough Chang or Leo consumed. My preference for Cola Zero is not really helpful in this regard.
In my own relationship and environment I sometimes get annoyed by what I consider to be stupid and corny humor. Admittedly, that says more about my attitude and misunderstanding than the Thai's capacity for eternal Sanouk
The fact that we don't really understand Thai humor and Thai humor has something to do with culture and language.
The Thai language is full of humour, you just have to understand the jokes.
And indeed a large part of the Thai thinks that underpants fun is wonderful (ala Andre van Duin) but there are certainly Thai people with a slightly more developed sense of humor. But language barrier destroys more when you are sweet. If you understand what I mean.
Chang Noi
The funniest joke is that none of those present understands it and I think that's the joke. The Thais could also laugh about this. Let them laugh and laugh along and occasionally tell a nice joke from us translated into Thai-English, they also like that.
And if the Thai have a different sense of humor than we do, then they are not underdeveloped. (a development process come on) Can they also say about us. Iki wishes we were all still doubled over with snip and snap instead of grumbling about everything.
By the way, we also laugh at a "" fart "" and not so little. So the difference is not that big.
We're just normal
Ruud
Despite the fact that only Ruud apparently really understands it, I have to say that it is often difficult for 'us' to appreciate the Thai humor. As far as I'm concerned, there is a difference between humor and fun. Thais especially like the latter. Unfortunately, being able to understand what it's about doesn't make it more pompous at all. It's mainly the flatter the better. Understatement is rarely understood nor practiced by the Thais.
Despite Buddhism, Thai perspective is not so good. Fatalism is not the same as the ability to put things into perspective. For me this makes it difficult to live with Thai friends for a long time. The soap operas on TV don't help with that either and when you hear what the telephone conversations are about, you don't get happy either. Maybe I should never have learned Thai, because as long as you don't understand what it's about it's less disturbing. However, short-term relationships with Thai ladies are a pleasant alternative. That also prevents a lot of other misery and the Thais are happy to laugh.
The humorous programs on Thai TV are indeed of a level a la the Mounties of Andre and Corry. And then every night for hours on various channels, it's unbelievable that there are people who appreciate that.
I have never seen a documentary or other news program on the Thai channels, at most a crying granny who had something happened.
If this comedy represents the level of most thai then I know enough!
That was no different in the Netherlands in the 70s Nok !!!
I think it was in 2002 or 2003 when I was on a sing a song night with my Thai friend and her whole family. About 6 to 700 frenzied Thais were having a great time, and in turn the local jokers groups came on stage, one of those jokers had targeted me (the only faranc) and I've never felt so embarrassed in my life, constantly he managed to make me a joker and I tried to laugh like a peasant with a toothache, the break came as a rescue for me and I then stood at the exit, when my teasing spirit came up again with his costumed joker group I saw him looking with his eyes through the room, Ben then went outside,
My girlfriend didn't understand why I left. When I said to her sweetheart you have to imagine you are on a party night in the Netherlands 700 white people in the room and ONE Thai and that's you,,, now a comedian (in a dress) is going to make embarrassing jokes about YOU and you can don't defend yourself and don't give a reply, HOW WOULD YOU FEEL,,,,, we didn't go to such an evening together after that, she understood me exactly.
Thanks for the nice news, including the article about Lob Buri or whatever it's called,, I'm going there for the first time in June
greetings leo (CASINO)
It's also not that long ago that entire tribes went flat for John Lanting and his underpants fun. A stage with two or three doors and two or three couples.
Howling with laughter. And that was not so long ago. The Mounties, was that such a high level. But it's not about why you're smiling, as long as you're smiling.
Regards, Hans G.
How would the Thai think about shows like "I love Holland" personally I can't laugh about it myself, the audience is in awe at the forced jokes that are made, even then "everyone is crazy about Jack" stolen from the Americans only with people who perform a fine example of overacting.
Sorry Nok, my Thai wife watches a lot of documentaries on Thai channels, she prefers to watch documentary. then to thai movie. So please don't generalize.
Recently I saw a very unsavory scene on TV where a farang was tied to the back of a kneeling also handcuffed almost naked man, while his pants were slowly stripped off in order to show his tattooed blunt ass. The farang looked decidedly unhappy in its trapped position. I don't know how he ended up there, because I only ended up on that TV channel later. And the Thai bystanders were shaking with laughter. Disgusting; totally did not understand what was laughable about that, but nationwide commotion about the bare breasts of the 3 Silom girls during the Songkran!
Incidentally, it often happens that the farang plays a ridiculous role in those Thai farces, next to the dwarf and kathoey.