On National Thai Language Day, many foreign diplomats in Thailand are embracing the occasion by sharing their own take on the local language on social media. The subjects range from Thai food, to slang words, to the number of syllables in the full name of Bangkok.
The European Union delegation celebrates the event by posting a video on their official Facebook page explaining 4 Thai slang words, including;
‘Kueap-tui’ (เกือบตุย) – ‘almost dead’
‘Jhung’ (จึ้ง) – the equivalent of ‘wow, amazing, excellent!’
‘Tid-Glam’ (ติดแกลม) – ‘addicted to glamour’, and
‘Dai-Yoo’ (ได้อยู่) – depending on the tone, this term carries both positive and negative connotations. Literally, it means ‘quite OK, it’s alright’ but figuratively it could also mean ‘that doesn’t quite work’.
These are slang words that the younger generations often use. Kueap-Tui (เกือบตุย) is a modification of เกือบตาย (Kueap-Tai), which means ‘nearly dead or nearly died’. It is often used in a light context to express the feeling of achievement after overcoming difficulties.
The British Ambassador to Thailand, Mark Gooding, celebrates the day by reviewing Thai food in Thai. The items on the menu include; durian crisps, noodle with pink sauce and fish balls, Chrysanthemum drink, Tokyo mini pancakes and steamed sticky rice with banana fillings. The programme is called ‘aroi mak mak’ which is a homophone of his English name ‘Mark’ (‘mak’ means ‘very’ in Thai, and ‘aroi mak mak’ means ‘very delicious’).
Ambassador Gooding ends the video by saying that he uses the Thai language not only for work but also in his daily life.
Robert F. Godec, the US Ambassador to Thailand also joins the event by singing Bangkok’s full name in Thai. The central theme was the question, “how many syllables are there in Bangkok’s full name?”.
The video ends with ‘can you guess how many syllables there are?’, but no one was quite sure of the exact number.
Both videos of the US and the EU embassies also feature the Thai ‘ya-dom’ or the herbal inhalers that are popular among Thais.
National Thai Language Day was officially designated by the Thai government in 1999. It coincides with the anniversary of King Rama IX’s speech at Chulalongkorn University on July 29, 1962 which emphasised the importance of the Thai language. The aims are to promote the use and proper understanding of Thai language, encouraging both native speakers and learners to appreciate its nuances and beauty.
