The Northeast of Thailand, or "Isan", was formerly part of the Kingdom of a Million Elephants (Lane Xang) - or in other words, was part of Laos. It was the French colonialists who helped demarcate the new Thai-Lao border at the frontiers of what is now known as Isan. So it is not because we eat “laap” and sticky rice and too many searing chilies that we speak oddly – it is for historical reasons!

The dialect spoken here is, fundamentally, only a "dialect" for geographical and political reasons - as elsewhere it would be called the Lao language (although admittedly over the years certain minor discrepancies between the two have emerged.) Whilst attempts were made to assimilate the Northeasterners more closely into the Thai population, with the use of the Thai alphabet and the homogenizing employment of central Thai in schools, the lilting Lao tones still linger languorously on our tongues!

Whilst visitors to Thailand will often delve into a Thai phrasebook and dabble in Thai, the chances are high - wherever they may be - that the "first' dialect of the interlocutor will be Isan or Lao. So you may like to amuse yourself and your hosts by using a Lao phrasebook instead. When used with Isan natives, this will elicit giggles and delight. When used with Thais from other regions, they will simply be as confused as if a Thai visitor to London started communicating in a heavy Scottish accent.

At Gecko Villa, we do our best to speak English but will be happy to teach you both Thai and Isan or Lao phrases. As an example of the difference between Isan/Lao and Thai, here are a few words in English with their Isan and Thai counterparts:

I - Koi -  Phom/Chan (male/female)
You -  Jao -  Khun
We  -  Hao -  Rao
Not/No -  Bo -  Mai 

What? - Ee-Yang -  Arai

Can you speak Lao/Thai? - Wao Lao Dai Bo?  - Phuut Thai Dai Mai?

Never Mind - Bo Pen Yang - Mai Pen Rai

Tasty - Saep -  Aroi 

Whilst as a Westerner you are a "Farang" in Thai, you are a "Bak SeeDa" in Isan. For a Thai you are a guava, for those in Isan you are a Mister Guava in our dialect. Perhaps the scoville units have gone to our heads after all, and the Thais of Isan are the ones separated not by one, but by two, common languages.