Of the Thai speakers/readers/writers out there I’m somewhat surprised that nobody has nominated one of the most quintessential Thai words of all, namely ‘sabai’ (р╕кр╕Ър╕▓р╕в) or, if you prefer a slightly different form of romanization – ‘sa-bai’ . The word refers to a highly desirable state of being incorporating (though without exhausting) the meaning of such English words/expressions as ‘comfortable, content(ed), well, happy, at ease, pleasant, agreeable’ and incorporating the idea of being ‘painless/hassle-free’ (ugh! a shocker I know, but it’s common and very widely understood). Sabai is a word that is very easy to pronounce for English speakers without any tonal difficulty. Unlike many words in Thai you’d really have to go out of your way to mangle the pronunciation.
As I have suggested it is a quintessentially Thai term and somehow embodies the often elusive attractiveness of the country despite some decidedly unattractive features of the society and culture. I doubt there is anyone, anywhere – except for the unreconstructed masochists out there – who would not like to be, or to feel ‘sabai’.
Yingluck is not stupid at all. Nipon Poapongsakorn of Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI) claimed that the amount of corruption only in the notorious rice project under the Yingluck administration was Baht 111.1 billion. She is awfully clever.
When I write for publication I never put down the name of my employer because I intend to present my own views, which may –or may not — represent those of my employer. Mr. Saxer may have felt the same way.
Ya I’m sorry my message was misunderstood but Jerry Drake calling me a liar and a corrupt assassin is a bit strong, are you confusing me with someone else Jerry Drake? is there another Dan D out there?
Cebok (Indonesia – Verb)
Cleaning ur anal rectum / anus after defecating with running water.
Melela (Indonesia – noun/verb)
Literally means flaunting or act like swaggerer, but mostly used as coming out from the closet, usually refer to sexuality apart from heterosexual, like homosexuality include pansexual and bisexual
I really like the word PAKIE-AN. This is a Dutch word that dates back to Dutch colonial legacy in Indonesia. It probably came from two different Bahasa words: BAGIAN (task, part) and PAKAIAN (clothing). In Dutch one could say “fit is niet mijn pakkie-an”, which would mean “this is not my task” or “I don’t like this” and in that sense it has the connotation of “that suit (clothing) does not fit me” kind of in the same way when an Englishman says “that’s not my cup of tea”…
If we’re going to compare the stupidity of Yingluck and Prayuth, lets look at the progress made by Prayuth on some of the more stupid/controversial Peua Thai practices that ‘created the justification for the coup’:
1) Yingluck was impeached for nepotism for promoting a relative within the police force. So Prayuth responds by promoting his own brother within the military. http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/431458/reshuffle-bulges-with-1092-generals
Great progress on the nepotism front ?
2) Putting an end to silly, expensive and non productive populist policies was a major rallying call of the pro coup crew. Now Prayuth throws public funds at impressive populist policies like free movies, football, concerts and free public transport. More progress?
3) The much vaunted parliamentary dictatorship whereby Peua Thai controlled a little over half of the MP seats has been replaced by an absolute parliamentary dictatorship where absolutely anything that Prayuth cares to submit is rubber stamped without question. A step in the right direction?
4) The failed blanket Amnesty for all sides was unforgivable when proposed by Yingluck but using his dictatorial powers Prayuth shamelessly pushed his own more universal amnesty (for his team only) through which displays remarkable progress and vision on the Government accountability front????
5) Putting an end to age old system of Kick backs and corrupt practices was apparently the central reason for staging the coup. This is a very broad area so let’s look at just one of the most glaringly obvious areas of institutionalized corruption within Thailand, That is the Thai military system of kick backs through promotion.
The kick back system within the Thai military works through promotion in return for obedient subservience and favors, and the goal for all ambitious officers is to be promoted to the rank of general whereby one oversees broad ranging activities and most importantly management of significant military ‘resources’ including associated discretionary budgets. The end result of paying off so many officers through this corrupt system of promotion is that Thailand incredibly has a General to subordinate ratio that is around 3000% higher than within the Chinese military and 700% higher than in the US military. So what does Prayuth do to put an end to this glaringly obvious system of institutionalized corruption under his direct command?, Why of course he increases the ratio to totally unprecedented levels to ensure his boys are adequately paid off for their total obedience and subservience. http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/431458/reshuffle-bulges-with-1092-generals. What Prayuth does to ensure obedience and subservience within his own house is exactly what he will do nationwide now that his house is exponentially bigger!
It would indeed be interesting to hear an explanation from Prayuth as to why Thai generals are only one thirtieth as efficient at managing their subordinates compared to their Chinese counterparts, although no one expects one to be forthcomming.
Its clear that Prayuth has made a consistent policy of outdoing Yingluck in all areas that his supporters used to justify the coup in the first place. Now that’s stupid!
This is a much delayed task that I’ve promised to Nicholas. After eight years of residing in Bangkok (since 2005), I, well informed and/or frightened by the messages in the conflict, have retreated back to Taiwan.
Understanding Prayuth’s thinking is of great importance. If someone has read Prayuth’s thesis or book, I’d be curious to know more about what he said.
Two quotes in Pavins’s post appear quite interesting as they might signal important shifts in agricultural and environment policy :
1) agricultural problems in rubber and rice cultivation are caused by overproduction. The solution lies in shifting to other crops. This explanation could be seen as coherent with current massive operations against rubber plantations in de jure forests. The latter is explained in relations to the fight to increase forest cover, but it also helps slowing down the rubber boom. Following Prayuth’s logic, this would help sustain rubber prices (although what matter most in the recent reduction of rubber price is perhaps located in China).
Again, coming back to Prayuth’s forest policy: it is rather surprising that the fight to increase forest cover and reclaim ‘encroached’ land is not explained in relation to the need to fight against floods.
The Thai term “khed” has no straight translation, but succinctly connotes the proverb, “once bitten, twice shy”. To be “khed” is simply to have experienced something negative and learned never to put oneself through the same experience again. This seemingly universal “never again” term surely deserves a place in any language!
Khun Niphon has given many “jai” words, and as he indicates, from his list “krengjai” stands out as one that has no precise English translation. There is another “jai” word that connotes a feeling very difficult to translate simply into English – “sa-jai”. To feel sa-jai is to feel “yes! mmmph!”, and can is often used with a feeling of mild revenge (serves him right!), achievement (finally the underdog got her just victory) or at last eaten something that’s exactly right and has been longed for.
This stand-alone Lao word (which has no equivalent in Thai, not to mention English) means “frustratingly in-between”. It is used in the sense of time or quantities that are a bit too much for one purpose but a bit too little for the next step down. For example, there is too much luggage to fit in a small bag but too little for a bigger one, or you have to wait too long for the next train but there’s not enough time to leave the station to get a drink for fear of missing it, or the cloth piece on sale is not enough for a long-sleeved shirt but too much for a short-sleeved one. It seems to fit many situations in any culture, yet there seems to be no single-word equivalent in most other languages.
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Competition: Speaking of Southeast Asia
Of the Thai speakers/readers/writers out there I’m somewhat surprised that nobody has nominated one of the most quintessential Thai words of all, namely ‘sabai’ (р╕кр╕Ър╕▓р╕в) or, if you prefer a slightly different form of romanization – ‘sa-bai’ . The word refers to a highly desirable state of being incorporating (though without exhausting) the meaning of such English words/expressions as ‘comfortable, content(ed), well, happy, at ease, pleasant, agreeable’ and incorporating the idea of being ‘painless/hassle-free’ (ugh! a shocker I know, but it’s common and very widely understood). Sabai is a word that is very easy to pronounce for English speakers without any tonal difficulty. Unlike many words in Thai you’d really have to go out of your way to mangle the pronunciation.
As I have suggested it is a quintessentially Thai term and somehow embodies the often elusive attractiveness of the country despite some decidedly unattractive features of the society and culture. I doubt there is anyone, anywhere – except for the unreconstructed masochists out there – who would not like to be, or to feel ‘sabai’.
Wisdom of General Prayuth
Yingluck is not stupid at all. Nipon Poapongsakorn of Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI) claimed that the amount of corruption only in the notorious rice project under the Yingluck administration was Baht 111.1 billion. She is awfully clever.
Siamese dreams in the time of the junta
When I write for publication I never put down the name of my employer because I intend to present my own views, which may –or may not — represent those of my employer. Mr. Saxer may have felt the same way.
Wisdom of General Prayuth
Ya I’m sorry my message was misunderstood but Jerry Drake calling me a liar and a corrupt assassin is a bit strong, are you confusing me with someone else Jerry Drake? is there another Dan D out there?
Competition: Speaking of Southeast Asia
Cebok (Indonesia – Verb)
Cleaning ur anal rectum / anus after defecating with running water.
Melela (Indonesia – noun/verb)
Literally means flaunting or act like swaggerer, but mostly used as coming out from the closet, usually refer to sexuality apart from heterosexual, like homosexuality include pansexual and bisexual
Competition: Speaking of Southeast Asia
I really like the word PAKIE-AN. This is a Dutch word that dates back to Dutch colonial legacy in Indonesia. It probably came from two different Bahasa words: BAGIAN (task, part) and PAKAIAN (clothing). In Dutch one could say “fit is niet mijn pakkie-an”, which would mean “this is not my task” or “I don’t like this” and in that sense it has the connotation of “that suit (clothing) does not fit me” kind of in the same way when an Englishman says “that’s not my cup of tea”…
Wisdom of General Prayuth
Prayuth might become the Thai version of Hun Sen, who is basically a Chinese stooge.
Wisdom of General Prayuth
If we’re going to compare the stupidity of Yingluck and Prayuth, lets look at the progress made by Prayuth on some of the more stupid/controversial Peua Thai practices that ‘created the justification for the coup’:
1) Yingluck was impeached for nepotism for promoting a relative within the police force. So Prayuth responds by promoting his own brother within the military. http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/431458/reshuffle-bulges-with-1092-generals
Great progress on the nepotism front ?
2) Putting an end to silly, expensive and non productive populist policies was a major rallying call of the pro coup crew. Now Prayuth throws public funds at impressive populist policies like free movies, football, concerts and free public transport. More progress?
3) The much vaunted parliamentary dictatorship whereby Peua Thai controlled a little over half of the MP seats has been replaced by an absolute parliamentary dictatorship where absolutely anything that Prayuth cares to submit is rubber stamped without question. A step in the right direction?
4) The failed blanket Amnesty for all sides was unforgivable when proposed by Yingluck but using his dictatorial powers Prayuth shamelessly pushed his own more universal amnesty (for his team only) through which displays remarkable progress and vision on the Government accountability front????
5) Putting an end to age old system of Kick backs and corrupt practices was apparently the central reason for staging the coup. This is a very broad area so let’s look at just one of the most glaringly obvious areas of institutionalized corruption within Thailand, That is the Thai military system of kick backs through promotion.
The kick back system within the Thai military works through promotion in return for obedient subservience and favors, and the goal for all ambitious officers is to be promoted to the rank of general whereby one oversees broad ranging activities and most importantly management of significant military ‘resources’ including associated discretionary budgets. The end result of paying off so many officers through this corrupt system of promotion is that Thailand incredibly has a General to subordinate ratio that is around 3000% higher than within the Chinese military and 700% higher than in the US military. So what does Prayuth do to put an end to this glaringly obvious system of institutionalized corruption under his direct command?, Why of course he increases the ratio to totally unprecedented levels to ensure his boys are adequately paid off for their total obedience and subservience. http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/431458/reshuffle-bulges-with-1092-generals. What Prayuth does to ensure obedience and subservience within his own house is exactly what he will do nationwide now that his house is exponentially bigger!
It would indeed be interesting to hear an explanation from Prayuth as to why Thai generals are only one thirtieth as efficient at managing their subordinates compared to their Chinese counterparts, although no one expects one to be forthcomming.
Its clear that Prayuth has made a consistent policy of outdoing Yingluck in all areas that his supporters used to justify the coup in the first place. Now that’s stupid!
How to understand Thailand’s conflict
Chinese translation here:
http://seafaceblog.wordpress.com/2014/05/26/thaiconflict/
This is a much delayed task that I’ve promised to Nicholas. After eight years of residing in Bangkok (since 2005), I, well informed and/or frightened by the messages in the conflict, have retreated back to Taiwan.
Will be your loyal reader as usual. (Ann)
Wisdom of General Prayuth
And, then, there is the new submarine base being built at Sattahip…Why? To tend Chinese submarines, maybe? Thailand doesn’t have one single submarine.
Competition: Speaking of Southeast Asia
Agree sa-jai would be another good addition to English.
Bringing Malaysia back to the “middle”
Hai Greg,
I remember you had asked the question “Can Najib be trusted”
Well now you know the answer. With the flurry of spurious sedition charges, it seems Najib has gone beyond “un-trustworthy”
Wisdom of General Prayuth
Thanks Pavin,
Understanding Prayuth’s thinking is of great importance. If someone has read Prayuth’s thesis or book, I’d be curious to know more about what he said.
Two quotes in Pavins’s post appear quite interesting as they might signal important shifts in agricultural and environment policy :
1) agricultural problems in rubber and rice cultivation are caused by overproduction. The solution lies in shifting to other crops. This explanation could be seen as coherent with current massive operations against rubber plantations in de jure forests. The latter is explained in relations to the fight to increase forest cover, but it also helps slowing down the rubber boom. Following Prayuth’s logic, this would help sustain rubber prices (although what matter most in the recent reduction of rubber price is perhaps located in China).
2) Floods are natural. This is quite a remarkable quote considering how floods have ‘traditionally’ been explained in relation to deforestation. This time, many efforts seem to concentrate on drainage in lowland areas (http://reliefweb.int/report/thailand/pm-orders-ddpm-fight-floods-full-force-assist-sukhothai-residents)
Again, coming back to Prayuth’s forest policy: it is rather surprising that the fight to increase forest cover and reclaim ‘encroached’ land is not explained in relation to the need to fight against floods.
Wisdom of General Prayuth
Have you been plagiarised?
http://time.com/3315701/thailand-kittisak-soomsri-human-rights-southeast-asia-coup-general-prayuth-chan-ocha-superstition-bizarre/
Wisdom of General Prayuth
> Yingluck government was probably the most corruption free government Thailand has ever had
> Yingluck government was THE LEAST CORRUPT in Thai history
Do you realize that the two of you are saying the exact same thing (in different words)?
Bringing Malaysia back to the “middle”
Interesting point Jay.
Could you please elaborate further on what you mean by “that it was a Malay country” further.
Thanks.
Greg
Wisdom of General Prayuth
your English is rubbish mate…
Competition: Speaking of Southeast Asia
Khed
The Thai term “khed” has no straight translation, but succinctly connotes the proverb, “once bitten, twice shy”. To be “khed” is simply to have experienced something negative and learned never to put oneself through the same experience again. This seemingly universal “never again” term surely deserves a place in any language!
Competition: Speaking of Southeast Asia
Sa-jai
Khun Niphon has given many “jai” words, and as he indicates, from his list “krengjai” stands out as one that has no precise English translation. There is another “jai” word that connotes a feeling very difficult to translate simply into English – “sa-jai”. To feel sa-jai is to feel “yes! mmmph!”, and can is often used with a feeling of mild revenge (serves him right!), achievement (finally the underdog got her just victory) or at last eaten something that’s exactly right and has been longed for.
Competition: Speaking of Southeast Asia
Kathoen (Lao)
This stand-alone Lao word (which has no equivalent in Thai, not to mention English) means “frustratingly in-between”. It is used in the sense of time or quantities that are a bit too much for one purpose but a bit too little for the next step down. For example, there is too much luggage to fit in a small bag but too little for a bigger one, or you have to wait too long for the next train but there’s not enough time to leave the station to get a drink for fear of missing it, or the cloth piece on sale is not enough for a long-sleeved shirt but too much for a short-sleeved one. It seems to fit many situations in any culture, yet there seems to be no single-word equivalent in most other languages.