Stu Jay Raj on Cursing, Dirty Talk & the Importance of Tones [S6.E2]

Stu Jay Raj on Cursing, Dirty Talk & the Importance of Tones [S6.E2]

Greg interviews our old pal Stu Jay Raj - linguist, polyglot, and true Renaissance man. As you would expect, the topic is the Thai language and foreigners' struggle to learn it properly, but with a focus on the trouble you can get into if you don't understand how tones work.

Stu begins with an important point: the nature of English allows a fair amount of flexibility in pronunciation and accent without sacrificing intelligibility, whereas Thai does not. In short, 'getting close' to correct Thai is often not good enough, leading to frustration among foreigners who don't understand why Thais cannot figure out what they are saying.

Greg gives Stu a few examples of difficulties he has faced, starting with the pronunciation of the popular street "Charoen Krung." It turns out even something so short and seemingly simple is not so, and even if a foreigner's tones are correct, a slight mispronunciation of the vowels can confound native speakers. Greg then brings up a common Thai curse word and the shocked reaction of Thais to any foreigner who uses it. Stu goes into an in depth explanation of close Thai relationships that allow a casualness with language that is very difficult to replicate as a foreigner.

The two continue discussing the Thai language minefield with Stu dropping many pearls of wisdom along the way. Listen in next week for Part 2 of this interview.

Don't forget that Patrons get the ad-free version of the show as well as swag and other perks. And we'll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

Jaksot(562)

Phil in Udon Thani Talks About Leaving Bangkok for Something New [S7.E44]

Phil in Udon Thani Talks About Leaving Bangkok for Something New [S7.E44]

Ed interviews our buddy Phil Allen about his adventures visiting, and eventually living in, the Isaan region of Thailand. Phil begins by explaining his arrival in Bangkok about five years ago as a rov...

5 Marras 202457min

Do You Have to be a Weirdo to Thrive in Bangkok? [S7.E43]

Do You Have to be a Weirdo to Thrive in Bangkok? [S7.E43]

Greg and Ed revisit an old topic from Season 2, Episode 48: Do you have to be weird to live in Bangkok/Thaiand as a foreigner? Ed begins by noting that the question depends on exactly why an expat has...

29 Loka 202431min

Wats & Working Girls: How Thailand Balances Buddhism and Red Lights [S7.E42]

Wats & Working Girls: How Thailand Balances Buddhism and Red Lights [S7.E42]

Greg and Ed begin a new series called "Thailand: Land of Contradictions" with the first installment addressing a fascinating, apparent conflict in Thai culture: how can Thailand have so many temples o...

22 Loka 202430min

Future Southeast Asia's James Clark on Thailand's Transport Infrastructure [S7.E41]

Future Southeast Asia's James Clark on Thailand's Transport Infrastructure [S7.E41]

Greg interviews James Clark, the founder of Future Southeast Asia, a website and newsletter focused on transport and urban development in Southeast Asia. The guys begin with the most exciting developm...

15 Loka 202449min

What Are the Limits of "Mai Pen Rai"? [S7.E40]

What Are the Limits of "Mai Pen Rai"? [S7.E40]

Greg and Ed discuss one of the pillars of Thai culture, the general attitude of 'mai pen rai' or 'no problem.' As the guys have mentioned many times, this attitude is one of the main reasons that livi...

8 Loka 202431min

Counselor Amy Pothong Talks About Mental Health in Thailand [S7.E39]

Counselor Amy Pothong Talks About Mental Health in Thailand [S7.E39]

Mental health in Thailand has never really had its time in the spotlight, but things are slowly changing as more and more Thais realize that taking care of your mental health is just as important as t...

1 Loka 202446min

Political Cheat Sheet: Prof. Ed Sums Up Ten Years of Thai Politics [S7.E38]

Political Cheat Sheet: Prof. Ed Sums Up Ten Years of Thai Politics [S7.E38]

In our semi-annual update on Thai politics, Ed does his best to explain the current situation and how Thailand arrived here over the last ten years. He begins with the framework that defined Thai poli...

24 Syys 202442min

The Dangers of Letting Bangkok's Delivery Apps Take Over [S7.E37]

The Dangers of Letting Bangkok's Delivery Apps Take Over [S7.E37]

Greg and Ed discuss the 'delivery lifestyle,' the habit of staying at home and relying on delivery services to bring food and products straight to your doorstep. Both guys admit to slipping into this ...

17 Syys 202441min

Suosittua kategoriassa Yhteiskunta

olipa-kerran-otsikko
sita
kaksi-aitia
ihme-ja-kumma
siita-on-vaikea-puhua
i-dont-like-mondays
uutiscast
gogin-ja-janin-maailmanhistoria
poks
antin-palautepalvelu
kolme-kaannekohtaa
mamma-mia
rss-murhan-anatomia
yopuolen-tarinoita-2
aikalisa
rss-nikotellen
loukussa
meidan-pitais-puhua
rss-palmujen-varjoissa
naakkavalta