Puut thai dai dii gwaa (Speak Thai can better)
My Thai is getting better. When I was in Phuket town I bought the first two books from a language course. They are excellent, because they teach the fundamental principles of the language at the same time as learning vocabulary and practicing conversations. This means that I can actually read some Thai now, enough to identify certain dishes on menus, like Khao Man Gai, Khaw Kaa Muu, or Guay Jiaw for example.
One of my Thai lanaguage party tricks is to order from the Thai bit of the menu instead of the English bit. I only do this to try to impress the waiter, which sometimes works, but other times the waiter just gives me a strange look.
Another party trick is to respond to something that somebody says about me in Thai. For example, when I checked into the City Hotel yesterday, one of the cleaning girls was standing at the reception counter, and when I walked in, she said "Loh, loh" to her friend, which means "So handsome!". She was very embarrased when I thanked her in Thai.
