Slaves and Unpaid Servants in Thailand: Kaa-gao Dtao Liang

31 thoughts on “Slaves and Unpaid Servants in Thailand: Kaa-gao Dtao Liang”

1. A marvelous post and a wonderful read both the interview and the comments. Only sorry I didn’t catch this before. Great work Catherine–much appreciated.

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   • Thanks Dominick. It was quite the eyeopener (both doing the interview and the helpful comments).

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2. It’s now 2015 and I have an update and clarification to a few points there were (mis)understood before.

   All these years, Khun Pha was under the assumption that Khun Porn had been born in Thailand of (possibly) Cambodian parents or born in Cambodia and brought over at a young age. And that the people with her were her mother and father.

   When Khun Porn finally decided to go through the process of becoming legal she had to ask a former neighbour to be a witness as to where she came from. The neighbour says Khun Porn was born in Cambodia and come across with her father, who died during their flight from the Khmer Rouge (this puts her closer to 40 than the previously assumed 30, but she looks like she’s in her 30’s, hence the added confusion). Khun Porn does not know where her real mother is. After her father died another person stepped in as Khun Porn’s mother and introduced herself as such when looking for work. She told the neighbour (at least) but not Khun Pha’s family.

   Anyway, Khun Porn is now in Thailand legally, complete with Cambodian passport. She has no desire to go to Cambodia and she wouldn’t know where to look for existing family members anyway. She’s happy in Thailand and I imagine feels Thai.

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3. Thanks, Khun Catherine. There are many western languages which, when compared to Thai, is not as society driven and places a lot (perhaps too much) value on factual accuracy. For example, kinship terms are used more in Thai than in say, English. There are so many “relatives” and “siblings” in Thailand, that you would not be the wiser as to what the actual relationships are unless and until you specifically dig deeper (which, in the absence of special circumstances, may not always be considered proper and/or polite). So if there had been no specific and detailed discussion of ข้าเก่าเต่าเลี้ยง, to all intents and purposes Khun Porn would be referred to as a relative (which to her mind, she is and which to everyone else, she is). The old meaning/use of “retainer” is “servant” which still implies compensation for services rendered. So I beg to differ in that I think that we can get around “old faithful retainer”, and we should. In Batman, Alfred is Bruce Wayne’s butler, not his old faithful retainer. If they are Thai, Alfred would be Bruce’s relative.

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4. Hi David, I asked Kaewmala about your suggestion. This is her reply:

   The term is legalese. Thais would not use that precise term บุคคลที่เป็นเสมือนญาติ in normal conversation but you might see it in legal documents.

   Basically ข้าเก่าเต่าเลี้ยง means “old retainer” in English, 18th century sentiment and you can’t get around that.

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5. Khun Catherine, for want of a better definition of a ข้าเก่าเต่าเลี้ยง as you have so beautifully described herein, one which would capture most of the characteristics of the same and at the same time not be politically incorrect, would probably be: “an informal relationship wherein a person who is to all intents and purposes a quasi relative of another person (relatively the one with the wherewithal), permanently stays in the house of the latter (the one with the wherewithal), and the former provides such house services as the former is fit to carry out in exchange for accommodation and support for life, all done gratuitously and without there being any form of formal contract”. In short, you could refer to Khun Porn as a “quasi relative” (in Thai: บุคคลที่เป็นเสมือนญาติ which in my book, sounds far better than ข้าเก่าเต่าเลี้ยง all day long).

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6. You are welcome Kris. Researching this subject showed me yet another side of Thailand (with so many more to go!)

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7. Thanks Catherine. This is a wonderful post on your blog – one of the best things about Thai language and culture I’ve read in the last year.

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8. Kaewmala, thanks for “เด็กคนใช้ในบ้าน”. My HouseTalk series is finally kicking off this Friday and I don’t believe I have that one (might not have ผู้ทำงานรับใช้ในบ้าน either).

   ผู้ทำงานรับใช้ในบ้าน – good grief the terms are getting longer. I do prefer the shorter versions, with แม่บ้าน sounding sweet to my ears.

   The relationship between Khun Pha and Khun Porn seems a lot closer than what would normally be for a แม่บ้าน. The concern shown between the two is almost like what you’d find between an older and younger sister. But then, with the extended family units, I don’t know what’s normal here.

   Alice (Amah in Borneo) refused to eat at our table. She’s the one who kept a strict line between our two families, not letting me cross. Even through those years together I was only allowed to babysit John once (I offered often) and that was due to an emergency. She wouldn’t leave him with me so she could get a deserved break.

   I once asked Alice if being called “Amah” bothered her. She looked at me like I’d lost my marbles. All she cared about was doing a good job in order to send money home to her sons. She’d leave the Orang Putih to spend their days worrying about being politically correct because her day was plenty busy already.

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9. Cat, the standard Thai word for “servant” is คนใช้ /khon chái/. It is an exact equivalent in meaning, referring to a person, persons or employee(s) working in domestic service. It’s a generic term for all domestic workers – from แม่บ้าน (housekeeper), แม่ครัว or พ่อครัว (cook) and คนขับรถ (driver) to คนสวน (gardener), พี่เลี้ยงเด็ก (nanny) and assistants ผู้ช่วย to these. (Not so different from the English butler, valet, footman, cook, scullery maid, etc.)

   Many Thais are still using the term คนใช้ (if you want to see this in action, turn on any prime time TV soap), although the term has become somewhat pejorative the way it has in English (at least among certain segment of progressive Thais). I myself don’t use the term คนใช้ with my household help (or others’), and my housekeeper doesn’t like that word either. Once, a Thai workman came to our house and found our housekeeper eating at the same table with us and he made a comment to my mother that it was unbecoming that we treated her “as equal,” and he said something else I don’t remember but my housekeeper did have an issue with him calling her a คนใช้. My housekeeper (who is Burmese who speaks fluent Thai) said she was a ลูกจ้าง (employee) just like the workman was a hired help.

   Also often you’ll hear the term “เด็กคนใช้ในบ้าน” (lit. “kid domestic servant”), these tend to be younger as indicated by the word เด็ก, who is usually a housemaid, houseboy, to errand girl/boy (or sometimes even man/woman,if the employer is older). In NGO circle, a politically correct term of domestic workers is ผู้ทำงานรับใช้ในบ้าน, lit. person who works in domestic service – not คนใช้.

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10. Kaewmala, once again, thank you for helping me get my head around this.

    “the relationship of which is much closer, tied in, and there’s a high level of loyalty and emotional connection involved”

    That makes sense. Khun Pha mentioned that there is no new Thai word so Thais will use ข้าเก่า เต่าเลี้ยง to give a ballpark explanation. So what we need now is a NEW Thai word to replace the outdated ข้าเก่า เต่าเลี้ยง. Are you game? 🙂

    Btw -I mentioned in my post that there is no social security in Thailand. I’ve since been notified that there is but at 500 baht a month it’s almost not worth a mention.

    I did read that new laws are now in place for children going to school but that it will take time to become a given. But I don’t know how easy it would be to get papers for someone with no traceable ancestry. Too much is an unknown…

    When I was in Borneo I had a live-in housekeeper, Alice, who came up pregnant shortly after she was hired. The typical reaction when this happened was to send them back home, so doubts were raised when I first had a pregnant housekeeper, her husband, and then a baby. He was over four years old when I left for another country.

    What I did helped her family get through a financially strapped time (they had two more kids at home so needed to send money back for schooling – so her not working…). But it was nowhere near the commitment you and others take on.

    Alice still comes to me for advice and friendship, but I do not have the financial responsibility of her and her family for life. But… same as I’d do for my son, if she asks for money, sure, I will send it. Would I send money to other housekeepers I’ve employed? No. So my generosity is limited to those I respect and trust.

    While the western way is sometimes temporary, the Thai way is more permanent so it’s a huge responsibility (and one I’m leery of). Unless we are married to a Thai, I don’t feel that westerners have the needed insight to be able to pull it off without going astray in some way. I’m not taking about legal adoption, I’m talking about a loose arrangement of extended family members who are generously supported for the rest of their lives… but… I’m not done thinking on the subject so I realise that I could very well be wrong.

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11. Cat, about 20 years ago the paperwork was probably a bit easier I think (before the recent wave of new ‘aliens’/migrant workers flooding in Thailand). Even now many have paid the right officials to get identity documents (lots of new Chinese Thais up in Chiang Rai, for example). These days, precisely since 2003, children born in Thailand regardless of nationality or lack of identity papers is entitled to education *by law*. Now, it is true that a lot of them (mostly migrant children or ethnic minorities without proper identity papers) are still missing out, but that’s more due to the prejudices of the school administrators than anything else. There are ministerial orders etc. to tell the schools to admit the kids, but at the local levels the headmasters can do pretty much anything in their fiefdom. One aspect of the old Thai attitude that underlies classes, ethnic/racial prejudices and discrimination that’s continued widespread in this country.

    Anyhow, I believe that Khun Pha is a good, kind lady who took responsibility for Khun Porn. While there is this good old tradition and it’s still practiced by some (in some cases working very well), I guess what I was trying to say is that it’s not always wonderful, esp. for the servants, if the attitude of the master/patron or mode of relationship doesn’t change with time.

    If I can help reiterate, ข้าเก่าเต่าเลี้ยง is a specific category of old, as in long-serving, servants, of more than one generation, within a clear *master-servant* relationship (no matter how benevolent the master). To take someone in or support some less fortunate family does not really make members of that family ข้าเก่าเต่าเลี้ยง. I think the latter is a different mode, different relationship; broader, more patron-client, more fluid, and less fixed than ข้าเก่าเต่าเลี้ยง, the relationship of which is much closer, tied in, and there’s a high level of loyalty and emotional connection involved.

    My own family history (on my father’s side) has had several modes of “servants”. My great grandparents had slaves; my grandfather’s and father’s generation of the family had/have ข้าเก่าเต่าเลี้ยง and adopted new ones (non-slaves, some not necessarily servants); and my generation now has household help in the new context. So I can see how this had changed over time. I don’t know much about the slaves in my ancestors’ time other than that they had them and I actually have met some of the former slaves’ descendants who became neighbors — at the time of abolition of slavery, my ancestors gave them land to establish their households and they set up nearby (my father told me when I was a very young child). In my father’s generation (which became a lot less wealthy, no more elephants, etc.–his was a northern noble family) became professionals, local bureaucrats, etc., they helped other less fortunate families or individuals within their capacity. I don’t know if it’s because of his family history, my father was always helping out or supporting somebody, some family or other.

    Just now I recall an old man whom I later learned to have been “adopted” by my father (he was older than my father) because the man was very poor, wasn’t that well mentally and had no one to take of him. My father took him in for some years and later sent him to live with his young brother’s family, which took care of him until he passed on in old age not long ago. (That person wasn’t a servant because he couldn’t really work but just helped a bit here and there around the house.)

    My relatives have also adopted children or families (lived-in or out). Those who live in have become part of the family; most have gone to school and now have real jobs and their own independent lives. In my case, my housekeeper who’s been with us for 7 years got married last year so we have taken in her husband who became our gardener and we have told them when they have children–if they still choose to stay with us–we will have a place for their children too (but not as servants, they will go to school and we will help as necessary, etc). I and my (foreign) husband consider our housekeeper and her husband “employees” not “servants” (though my mother sometimes still sees them as servants); they earn full salary besides room and board, holidays and medical benefits.

    Some old traditions are “wonderful” but may or may not adapt well to changing time. I guess, the former slaves of my ancestors still set up houses and continued to live nearby, they couldn’t have been treated so badly. They might have been happy to continue to be “servants” but I think these days and age, very, very few people are happy being at others’ beck and call with little or no individual freedom in the old fashion.

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12. Another point he made (that anyone living here will be familiar with) is that Thais do not like living alone. In the west many of us have one person abodes but it’s not common with Thais. Due to this alone, he reckons that Khun Pha and Khun Porn are comfortable in their relationship together, even if it’s not as common as it once was.

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13. This week I was talking to my hairdresser about ข้าเก่า เต่าเลี้ยง. He’s turned 60 this year, so was growing up in Bangkok at the same time as Khun Pha. He mentioned that ข้าเก่า เต่าเลี้ยง was common in his community. That a family would offer another family or person support if they moved in and worked for free in exchange for their skills (gardening, housecleaning, working in a store, etc). And it didn’t have to be a wealthy family. Food was not expensive so a relatively poor family could afford to support an extended family without going broke. He also made the point that unlike supporting a family in a western country, living in Thailand doesn’t have to be expensive.

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14. Lani, I found the subject thought provoking too. I still go around and around, wondering what I’d do in the same situation. And I come back to the fact that I would not be as generous.

    Thais, especially those from the older generation, are said to do what their mothers expect of them. Khun Pha experienced a western culture for a chunk of years, then came back to Thailand and slid right back into the role of the dutiful daughter and younger sibling. When Khun Porn was sent her way, did Khun Pha have a choice in the matter? I’ll have to ask.

    I’m not mean-minded but if I found myself responsible for a young adult (for whatever reason) I’d insist on them helping out financially in some way (remember, Khun Porn studied English since childhood so marketable skills are there + a small house does not take all the hours in a day). Khun Pha works 7 days a week to pay their expenses. In her 60’s, she’s tired. Freedom? Not sure. Responsibility, sure. Equality? Hmmm…

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15. Fascinating story. Reminds me of indentured servants. Although with indentured servitude there was usually a contract that was up after 7 years in the New World.

    Thought provoking. Makes me think about how we have to chose, in our societies, do you want freedom or equality? Because I’m not sure how you can have both. . .

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16. Thanks Talen. I figured it was going to cause some pain – compiling the materials I muttered a few WLHeck’s myself – but I specifically asked for the warts to be included (and as close to real Thai conversation as possible). None of that “let’s hide the truth from farangs” wool. Did we succeed?

    In the following post I’ll take it further back, to her mother’s time. And maybe when more of the story gets told this post will become clearer.

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17. Cat, what an excellent article and as Martyn said excellent responses as well. This is they type of top notch writing that brings real information about Thailand to people and it’s hard to come by these days!

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18. Rick, I’m interested in knowing more about comparisons between Thailand and the west.

    After the slaves were freed in the US some continued to work for their former masters due to a collection of reasons – fear, uncertainty, the devil they knew.

    And in the modern societies of today people allow themselves to be shackled to unhealthy relationships (that don’t allow for growth) for the exact same reasons.

    I don’t know how it is in Thailand but in the west there is a mindset that no matter how abused or neglected, once they hit adulthood people are then responsible for their own lives.

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19. Riveting post.

    The hi-so British English term would be ‘old family retainer’, and it is a concept recent enough in British society to have been the core of a TV series called Upstairs, Downstairs which was originally shown in the 1970s but had enough traction to be revived with a new cast in 2010.

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20. Thanks Martyn. That’s pretty much how I saw it. I had to lay aside my many western prejudices to make an attempt at understanding both the history and what’s still going on today.

    The comments are the absolute jewels – coming from different angles, both Hugh and Kaewmala made excellent points.

    Note: I’m not going to edit out the snafu in my post because it’d make some of the comments obsolete: ข้าเก่า เต่าเลี้ยง /kâa-gào dtào-líang/ would be unpaid, loyal servant.

    Also, the mistake is a good example of what happens when a post is edited countless times. Over the course of four or more weeks the sound files were revisited (redundancies were left out, then added back, and then some taken out again, while discussing all at length each time). The translation was discussed, tweaked for clarity, and then discussed many times more. So when it was coded in (for a second time) on the final day I just wanted it over with. I didn’t revisit my notes (big mistake) and as ‘unpaid, loyal servant’ received a strong mention when discussing Khun Porn, that was that. I was too ready for it to be over with to question it yet again – even with ‘lifetime live-in loyal servant’ clearly in the running for ข้าเก่าเต่าเลี้ยง. So this will have to be a lesson for next time.

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21. Catherine – An excellent post which gets even better with the great comments attached. I think anyone reading the post might start off thinking, ‘slavery…how barbaric’ but as they read on they’ll change their view to a much fairer one.

    Thanks for the insight into an old Thai way of life that is still around to a smaller extent today.

    A top banana post.

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22. Ok, I found a fairly recent article – 2009

    Give minorities a chance in life

    It is no secret that government authorities have been responsible for much of the persecution of ethnic minorities. Ranking Interior Ministry officials quietly admit that many of their bureaucrats hinder rather than help those who apply for citizenship. This is not entirely due to prejudice and attitude problems on their part. Some civil servants routinely block applications from stateless minorities seeking naturalisation simply because they do not understand the complexities and legalities of the whole time-consuming process. They need to return to the classroom for mature training and then undergo on-the-job supervision.

    Without Thai citizenship, minorities have no formal access to higher education, health care or other state benefits…

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23. Thanks Kaewmala. Excellent points. And you brought up an issue I had too – the lack of an education.

    Not mentioned above (the story was getting way too long so I stripped parts) is that Khun Pha was not living in Thailand for the first 6-7 years or so of Khun Porn’s time with the family. And that’s why she didn’t hear Khun Porn’s story until much later.

    And as Khun Pha wasn’t around during the early days I’m not sure if she was aware of the efforts made on Khun Porn’s behalf (I’ll ask).

    Paperwork in Thailand is a nightmare now, so how easy was it over twenty years ago when Khun Porn was ten? With both parents deceased and possibly from another country? Btw – she is now in her 30’s.

    And this problem continues to happen in Thailand even today. I’ve read stories about children born in similar situations not having much of a chance to become legal, to get passports, etc. Even with help and publicity. If I can find the article I’ll post it here.

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24. Excellent post, Cat. Very revealing and thought-provoking.

    IMO this cultural aspect is very complicated and has both bright and dark sides to it. While the expression ข้าเก่าเต่าเลี้ยง (lit. “old [long-serving] servant, raised [pet] turtle” is Thai, the concept and practice is certainly not uniquely Thai. Other traditional societies have similar traditions.

    First off, let me say that Khun Pha comes across as a kind lady, and Khun Pi was great! He managed to be both gentle and provocative. This concept & practice (in its diluted form) is still quite widespread in Thailand – helpful to many people, but also taking advantage of many. I personally have had experience with such practice (to a different degree) in my own family, and seen it in my relatives’ and friends’ families. So, it’s not uncommon. However, in most cases (not all) the “servants” are paid monthly salaries, in addition to free room and board and occasional other help such as children’s school fees, medical care, etc.

    I *personally* have a problem with employers not paying someone who works for them these days in the cash economy (I don’t care how you frame your relationship, but for a person who works and provides services not to be paid at least something on a regular basis is to me plain exploitation). But an even larger problem I have with Khun Porn’s story is that she never went to school – that to me is a cruelty done to her. The idea that “servants are treated like family” rarely lives up to the words. It’s little more than a nice sentiment. When push comes to shove, the servants are still servants–not like a real child, brother or sister, aunt or uncle to the employer. Say, if Khun Porn was really treated as “family”, then why wasn’t she sent to school? Sure, there was no paper, but such things could have been arranged. This is Thailand, if you put your mind and resources to it.

    I once lived near a compound in Sukhumvit, a rich lady next door had a mother and child as her “old servants, pet turtles”, the boy never went to school. He lived in a condition much worse than my dogs. Neighbors reported to social services after his mother died (in poor health, when he was in his late teen or early twenties), he refused to go because he felt obliged to take care of the old lady who gave him a place to live, but never sent him to school or afforded him a proper living condition fit for humans. So, not all employers, “masters” and “mistresses” feel the moral obligation to do the right thing and take on the responsibility. In that boy’s mind, what truly were this choices?

    Talking of choice, without schooling or viable skills other than housework, without savings, how do you expect the children of the “old faithful servants” not continue to be “faithful”? Are there real choices and options for them to choose to stay or leave when they come of age? The employer may say “she doesn’t want to leave”, perhaps true, perhaps not. People are often scared to leave what they have always known all their lives. Is the employer not taking advantage of the person in that life situation?

    It is wonderful to take care of the old servants, but time has changed. In today’s reality, no one can survive without some education, skills and some money. The minimum test IMO for whether the employer treats the “servant” as true family is whether the employer affords the opportunity for that servant to acquire such passport to survive in the real world. If not, the “family” speech is just self-serving.

    Many employers who employ children in household work (in countries like India, Indonesia, the Philippines) often use this “we treat them as family” line when they keep the kids working around the clock, offer them no chance of schooling, or sometimes inadequate food, some sleep in the kitchen. And no, they don’t do that to their own kids. So, how is that “family”? The compensation the kids get is usually just room and board, perhaps a little money. Because they are kids, they don’t get salary–they don’t have expenses, so why pay?

    In Thailand, the problem of child exploitation in that way is less severe now, but the attitude is there (and the helpers are now no longer Thai, but that’s another story). Many household helpers in Thai or Thai-Chinese families often don’t get days off. Certainly, there are good families who support and take care of families less fortunate that provide them with services (usually household help), support the kids’ schooling, etc., and some who would otherwise have become the new generation of “pet turtles” have come into their own and now live independent lives.

    However, this system and attitude of old no longer works to the benefit of the “pet turtles” in this new reality. What’s most important is that each human being has the right to choose his or her own path in life and is afforded at least the minimum set of the tools to follow it.

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25. Ok, I’m back from a HOT HOT HOT outing in BKK…

    Looking at my original notes for the above post (before the final edit to ‘unpaid servant’), ข้าเก่าเต่าเลี้ยง is tagged as ‘lifetime live-in loyal servant’. Khun Porn has an added twist because, as mentioned above, she is an ‘unpaid, lifetime live-in loyal servant’.

    But when I listen to Khun Pha talk about her life, Khun Porn is more like family than servant.

    Khun Porn is considered family and it’s her responsibility to take care of the house. Khun Pha’s responsibility is to make money to support both of them. It’s not a big house and there is only Khun Pha so Khun Porn could easily go to work outside but she doesn’t want to.

    This morning I asked Khun Pha to clarify ข้าเก่าเต่าเลี้ยง further. She believes that what the saying stood for in the old days before slavery was abolished no longer exists as originally intended – ‘slave since childhood, one born in slavery, unpaid, lifetime live-in loyal servant’ – but when Thais need to to explain the special relationship of extended family and responsibility, the old saying continues to be used (but it’s understood that there is no more slavery).

    So it’s anyone who has served you or your family for a long time (can go back generations).

    And she wanted to put an emphasis on responsibility. That when someone serves you for a long time, they are your responsibility for life. And that you need to do what you can for them, to your best ability anyway.

    For years, Khun Porn’s parents were neighbours of Khun Pha’s mother and worked odd jobs for her, as did Khun Porn. So Khun Pha’s mother felt a responsibility to their daughter when they died. Khun Pha’s sister was asked to take on the responsibility and then passed it to Khun Pha. And when the time comes, Khun Pha’s niece will take on the family responsibility of Khun Porn.

    There’s another, similar story to go with this one but it’ll be for later… just let me untangle it first.

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26. Hmmmm… when we wrapped up the smaller details we were focused on Porn. So I’m guessing that when I asked for the final clarification, their agreed translation of ข้าเก่าเต่าเลี้ยง only referred to Porn = unpaid servant.

    (‘slave’ never came into it – Porn has always had free will)

    But rereading it again, further up is บางที = sometimes, occasionally

    บางที เนี่ย เรา ไม่ได้ จ้าง เขา เป็น เดือน หรอก อยู่ ด้วยกัน เหมือน เป็น ครอบครัว
    Sometimes we don’t pay this kind of servant a monthly salary. We live as family.

    I forgot ‘sometimes’ or I would have asked for clarification coming from another, slightly different direction. I’ll ask tomorrow but I’m pretty sure that’s what happened. When tying up loose ends, that one slipped through.

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27. Hugh, thank you for your wonderful contribution.

    When we first started discussing ข้าเก่าเต่าเลี้ยง, Khun Pha used the English word ‘slave’ and that threw me.

    And when I looked it up in several Thai dictionaries they all had ‘slave since childhood, one born in slavery’ … T2E has ‘one born in slavery’. So Google is just going with the flow really.

    But after sitting with Khun Pha to get to the reality of her story, it’s not about slavery at all. It’s about her generous family saving a young ten year old from the very real potential of a hard life.

    Khun Pha did point out that for ข้าเก่าเต่าเลี้ยง there is no salary involved. Khun Pi and another confirmed it. And all three went with ‘unpaid servant’ as the translation. But maybe if I asked the question from a different angle I’d get a different answer. We’ll see. I will say that this post took a fair amount of time to compile so I did ask a lot of questions.

    As I mentioned in the post above, Thailand does not have social security. Family and extended family fills that role so I don’t see that part of Thai generosity disappearing. It’s too deeply woven into the fabric of Thai society.

    On the subject of ข้าเก่าเต่าเลี้ยง disappearing from Thailand, there was more to the conversation but I cut it. Khun Pi is of the mind that the modern youth won’t work for free. And that if he did not give his kids money they wouldn’t stay with him either.

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28. My wife and I have been here long enough that we have a number of people that would be considered ข้าเก่า เต่าเลี้ยง /kâa-gào dtào líang/. I want to emphasize, in case the “let’s say as many bad things about Thais as we can” crowd starts talking about how Thai servants are treated like slaves, that there is a lot to this simple idiom.

    The ข้าเก่า /kâa-gào/ part of the idiom could be translated as “old slave” but in fact it more correctly means “old faithful servant”. The เต่าเลี้ยง /dtào líang/ part expresses the fact that we, who have “used” this person’s labor for so long, have a responsibility to them (เลี้ยง /líang/ to care for) .

    Here is an example. Our long-time (part-time) gardener/handyman came down with a lung infection and ended up in the ICU for 21 days. In fact, he had to be resuscitated twice when his heart stopped beating – so he was in bad shape. We were at the hospital to make sure they knew he had some people with means who cared about him (makes a big difference here) and helped to get him transferred to a different hospital with better equipment. We paid for all the extras that his government insurance wouldn’t pay for and gave his wife enough to support the family while he was out of work. He is fine now but not very strong. We pay him for any hours that he wants to work now and he shows up when he wants.

    Also, it is not only him that we are responsible for but also for his extended family. We have helped with hospital bills when a nephew was shot, paid for a cousin’s funeral and donated to the local temple when his sons entered the monkhood.

    People with means in the West give to charities. There is not a lot of official charity giving in Thailand. Here, people who can, give to those around them who need help. They don’t talk much about it though so you may not hear much about it. That is not the Thai way. I have never told anyone the story above but I share it with you because I thought it would illustrate that Google Translate got it all wrong when they translated the term ข้าเก่าเต่าเลี้ยง /kâa-gào dtào líang/ as “Slave since childhood”. There is a lot more to this simple idiom than that. I hope it doesn’t disappear like Khun Pha thinks.

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29. Thanks Michel 🙂 And I hope no one minds that I didn’t add the transliteration all the way through. With a post such as this, the value is in the conversation. That’s what I’m thinking anyway.

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30. Great article Cat!

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