|
There
are few jai phrases more difficult
to translate and explain. And there may
be no other heart phrase more important
than “awe heart,” which is
the heart of hearts of the Thai culture
and class system. The phrase reflects
a rich brew of feelings and emotions—a
mingling of reverence, respect, deference,
homage and fear—which every Thai
person feels toward someone who is their
senior, boss, teacher, mother and father,
or those in powerful position such as
a high-ranking police officer. Anyone
who is perceived to be a member of a higher
social class is owed kreeng
jai. In practice, a person with
“awe heart” would be inhibited
from questioning or criticizing such a
person. “Awe heart” also includes
social decorum so that children are thought
to be well raised when they know who and
when to kreeng
jai.
“Awe
heart” remains a core jai
expression that also accounts for what
appears on the surface as an incredible
degree of politeness and civility found
in exchanges between Thai people. A sense
of face is also involved in this phrase.
The social rank and class is mapped or,
better, encoded in “awe heart.”
It defines the way that people of various
ranks communicate, behave and react with
one another. It defines also their expectations
about the range of behavior to be received
from others.
One
of the first songs school children learn
is about the importance of kreeng
jai. To say that someone knows
kreeng
jai. is to confer a substantial
compliment. That is, depending on your
point of view, you can be deemed to be
well-mannered, or submissive to authority
and to your place in the caste system.
It explains the tendency to maintain a
smile, to never complain and to never
reveal feelings of disappointment or frustration
with someone of a higher social rank.
The public mask must, in other words,
be one of perfect contentment. On the
opposite side, to say that someone does
not know or practice kreeng
jai means he or she is being
rude or doesn’t understand or follow
the conventional social decorum. The social
system depends on the smooth working of
kreeng jai; once it is breached, then
the whole structure of class and of the
relationship between people is called
into doubt.
“Awe
heart” marks the social boundaries
in a highly hierarchical system in which
the sense of station and relationship
to others is keenly felt and respected.
Kreeng
jai also means a display of consideration
between those of unequal social rank,
whether in the home or workplace. An employer
demonstrates considerate behavior toward
an employee or servant, and the employee
or servant reciprocates with a display
of considerate behavior toward the employer.
This
definition merely touches the surface
of “awe heart,” which is in
part the creation of social theater but
is also seen by many Thais as essential
to the consideration every person should
show to each other. Viewed as another
way of showing how to be considerate in
a social context makes this essential
jai phrase more accessible and
understandable to foreigners.
Thank
You Heart
khÒOp
jai (v.) ขอบใจ
khÒOp
òk khÒOp jai
(v.) ขอบอกขอบใจ
These
jai verbs translate as “thank
you” but should be used with caution
foreigners as they might create the
impression that the foreigners consider
themselves in a higher social class.
It is better for foreigners to stick
with khÒOp khun when
expressing thanks to a Thai. KhÒOp
jai implies a superior/inferior
social relationship, or one between
people of unequal social rank, and is
also a sign of age difference. For instance,
it might be used by someone senior to
express their appreciation to someone
who is their junior. It is another example
of the way the social system is ordered
in Thailand. The lesson is that the
simple words “thank you”
convey a powerful social message.
The
word òk in the second
jai phrase acts as an intensifier.
It is often used when an act is beyond
the call of duty or friendship. Normally,
the phrase appears when talking about
the kindness or generosity of a third
person. For example, your friend tells
you a story about how Daeng’s father
is ill but Daeng doesn’t have money
to pay the hospital. Lek lends Daeng 20,000
baht and Daeng khÒOp
òk khÒOp jai Lek. |
Sample jai
phrases from hearttalk
Learn more