Around Chiangmai and the north, I never hear the "r" (okay, half way between an "r" and an "l") and only hear them pronounce it "kap" (or similar to that).  I do hear the "r" (or whatever) more often in Bangkok and Pattaya but not all the time.

And, when listening to Thais talking, even Thais of lower class, I seem to hear it quite often.  Very often when two thais are talking to each other, you'll hear the one not speaking repeatedly interjecting "kap" (or krab/krap) almost as an interjection or acknowledgment that they're still listening and/or that they agree with what's being said.  Sometimes it seems to me that this is just a way of shortening a more formal "chai, kap."

Listening to Thai TV news readers ~ and many of them ~ I can say fairly comfortably that a very large majority of them use the Thai 'polite' word which sounds like "kup", rather than "Khrup".  The leaving out of the "r" may well be an example of 'lazy' speech ... but it is demonstratably ubiquitous, by a very wide margin.

Cheers ...

Amazing how a thread about the price of off fees morphs into a discussion about pronunciation. Cha!

homintern wrote:

Khor tose wrote:

Homi, Kipling called on the USA to take up "The White Mans Burden" when we took the Philippines.  The poem was for America and Americans.  He wanted us to be as destructive of the native culture as the British were at the time.  Sad to say he succeeded.  Hardly a tradition I wish to carry on or to be proud of doing.  If you still believe imposed solutions work, then I have a job for you in Iraq.

Thanks for the history lesson (rich, coming from a native of the one country with no sense of history ...).  However for me the White Man's Burden is ensuring that every Soi Prostitute go-go show has at least an audience of one.  It's a challenge, but someone has to do it

Sorry I was so late in getting back to you.  There are some Americans that appreciate the lessons of history.  Sadly, none of them are in the White House at the moment.  I freely admit that your version of the "white man's burden" is one that I can fully support.  Should you find that the task becomes onerous or grows tiresome, rest assured that I will be glad to enlist and share this burden with you.  Considering the quality of some of these shows, I fully appreciate the sacrifices you have had to make, and the pain you must endure.  You are truly a brave man, as you can--in the words of Irving Berlin--"Face the music and dance."