Tips on Communicating on Koh Phangan

Arriving on the boat to Koh Phangan, you will already encounter many people speaking many languages with different sets of cultures and histories behind them.

You’re in a foreign country, the national language is already different from your own and you may not have practised or been learning any thai so far, but you really are lucky, thai people like to speak and learn english and even if yours is not that good, you will be able to get by on the island.

Some people struggle with different aspects of communication whether it's being shy and introverted or too loud and abrupt and we understand it can be frustrating when you can’t communicate what you are feeling or need to say.

Here are some tips on communication, sourced from our own heads and others…

Try to be personable, build a rapport with someone and treat them in a friendly manner even if you don’t know them or can’t understand them fully. This will help all parties feel at ease quicker.

If you are trying to get information then you need to make that person feel comfortable enough to do this, especially if it isn’t their particular job. A bike mechanic isn’t going to want to help you with directions if you just rudely interrupt their work even if they happen to be the only person around but a gentle polite approach will be more well received.

To listen and be interested is a valuable skill even if it is something that you are not initially interested in yourself you may learn something new from someone. There is a whole world full of amazing, talented, interesting individuals with exceptional life stories and experience to share with you on this amazing island.

You will engage and come across people from all walks of life and lots of different countries so be respectful of this, most importantly the thai community. Thai’s consider manners of high importance especially towards older people so communicate with them in an honourable way as you owe your place here to them.

Smile and be nice, no one wants to talk to a grumpy bugger!

Adapt a little of yourself to ‘their way’, if someone is a little shy then tone down a little and spend a bit more time in making them feel at ease before you start sharing information together.

And be open minded - not everyone is like you.

When it comes to language barriers you can overcome this by trying to turn it into a positive. Read our article on thai basics, this will go far and help your fellow farang with their english if it is not their native language.

You need to give people time, you can say a lot even without words so you may know what they are trying to get at but try not to give them the word they are looking for straight away and most people appreciate this, but then they are also grateful when you come up with a really nice word in english (or thai or another language you speak) that they did not know before!

You may have to change your ways a little, for example instead of a handshake or kiss on the cheek, the polite thing to do in Thailand is to give a ‘wai’ - hands together in front of you.

Now this does get even more complex, depending on how important that person is, whether they’re an elder also or what situation you are in the ‘wai’ is respectfully done higher or lower.

It’s just the little customs to think about but if you are going to visit or live somewhere which is not your birth country then you need to be open to the fact that different cultures have different customs.

How do you make sure that someone has understood you? Try to explain things in as much of a simple way that you can, show them visuals also if possible or you can gesture or point with your hands, but not too franticly!

This is another part of making people feel at ease with you as you want them to be comfortable enough to come back to you with their own questions.

The way you compose yourself can do wonders with people if you need to talk with them. Body language can be open and friendly yet not too ‘out there’ so you don’t disturb the mechanics of what is going on around you or in the situation.

Have a sense of humour and show your soft side to people, anything can be made funny, any situation can be turned into something fun, as long as you have the sense of humour to realise this. It’s a good way to help make people at ease and to show them that you are human when communicating.

Make your language more simple and without all of the English complexities and many words.

Break down the question or speech e.g. 'What do you enjoy about teaching yoga to other people' can be more understood with 'Why you like to teach?', then when they get into answering it you can then prompt for more from them, and say everything with a smile, don't make them feel bad, here at Phanganist we sometimes apologise for not knowing their language whether it be Thai, Russian, French, Spanish or Israeli!

This is just some guidance we have picked up and learnt along our way but the general rule would be to be polite and respectful, learn hello and thank you in thai and this will bring some warmth to any locals face.