Why do people in the south of Thailand speak faster while those in the north speak slower? Is it because of the culture, geography or external factors? We will discuss the topic in more detail below.

As an avid traveler and explorer, I find the South and the North of Thailand charming in every possible way; be it varieties of spices, fruits, magnificent temples, and unique culture.

Being a Thai, I’m still fascinated by the way the southerners and northerners in Thailand speak. No surprise, they have their local dialects much like other Asian languages. However, there’s this speed that has been a wonder to my mind. The Southerners tend to speak much faster, their words are shorter, more concise and generally, the conversation wraps up pretty quickly. Meanwhile, in the North, things are the other way round. In this article, we aim to dig deeper and see what are the reasons behind such characteristics.

About Thailand and its seasons

Thailand’s geography is quite diverse. The North is full of mountains and cooler weather. No joke, but the winter there is like European countries’ spring or summer which is about 15-20 degrees Celsius whereas the South is all about the sea, beaches and yes it’s hotter there. The temperature range from 28-35 Celsius.

The key to their talking speed lies here; the weather. But before we go further into details, I need to share the different behavior of people in Thailand and Europe.

Thailand is a hot, tropical country thus having sunshine throughout the year is quite common. As a result, not many people are a big fan of a hot sunny day. They are likely to carry UV-protection umbrella and prone to stay indoors with air conditioning. The winter in Thailand is rare and we cherish those few days or if lucky weeks we have per year (the temperature is about 20-25 degrees). That’s when outdoor restaurants make the most money, people go to the park and just chill in their “winter”.

How the seasons play with language

Now you know that the weather preference, as well as Thai people’s behavior, are generally the opposite of the Europeans. In the north of Thailand, as the weather is much cooler than the South, people feel there’s no need to rush. They speak slower and have a longer conversation because it’s nice and cold outside. Southerners, on the other hand, tend to keep it short because it’s so hot there. They wrap things up, cut the words short and don’t waste any time as the sun isn’t always their cup of tea.

The different speed plays a key role in their local dialects’ difference that you can experience yourself if you have a chance to visit the region. I hope this article benefits you one way or another. Contact us if you need any more information when it comes to Thai or any other Asian languages’ dialect knowledge and tips.

Tissana Wateesatogkij
Thailand Marketing Manager