Embarrassing myself in Thai

Yesterday I took my first Thai language lesson in Chiang Mai, and my excellent and funny teacher at TSL (Thai as a Second Language school) helped me with pronounciation and vocabulary. Halfway through the lesson, I told her I’d been having trouble asking for bottled water at shops.

She asked how I was asking for it, and when I pronounced “nom yay”, she was rolling on the floor with laughter.

Apparently, “nom yay” in Thai means “big breast”, นมใหญ่. Picture a foreign man on a bicycle walking up to a woman at a small shop in the middle of nowhere and asking for a big breast. Yeah, that explains the looks I’ve been getting!

Instead, I should be asking for “naám yay”, น้ำใหญ่.

A very important lesson, indeed! Looking forward to learning more…

3 Replies to “Embarrassing myself in Thai”

  1. I guess it’s better than asking for breast water. Love that you’re taking lessons and I get the feeling you have a knack for it.
    Love and jugs, I mean hugs.

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