English What Now? is an ongoing series based around the humorous, head-scratching, or just plain amusing English found around Thailand observed and written by Teresa Derr.
Teresa Derr, 134 YinD
It is almost as common to see English on shirts as it is to see Thai, in my opinion, and sometimes these shirts, sweatshirts, and other clothes are more than a little eyebrow-raising. Here are several, collected by myself and other volunteers, that have made us laugh:
In one of the first articles I posted in this series, I poked fun at some of the shirts I’ve seen my sister wearing. The shirts students wear are equally deserving of a laugh! I am fairly confident that the students have no idea what the words on their shirts mean, but in my experience, many of my students would be happy to call themselves party animals. I will be completely stumped as to how and why *that* hub is sponsoring shirts for Thai kids … but it deserves a facepalm, at the least.
There are certainly some days where these clothes adequately sum up my emotional state, especially in the Peace Corps. But, it certainly isn’t everyday for me and I really hope it isn’t everyday for you, too! (If it is, please reach out to someone! The PSDN is amazing!) But I know my Thai friends aren’t making a commentary on their emotional state when they buy these, so I just laugh when I see them and either agree silently or remember a day I did agree and feel happy that I don’t agree at the moment.
As a person from Seattle, Washington, I am very much a Seahawks fan. I love spotting Seahawks gear away from home, because it is always fun to see your home team represented abroad, even if you’re (mostly) sure those wearing such shirts have no idea who they’re representing. Though, perhaps this older gentleman is truly, at heart, a Seahawks and Wine Kinda Girl. Who am I to judge?
Of course, the best way to spice up everyday wear is with stickers! Often, our students do this with heart stickers, but Bradford saw this student and had to share with the rest of us, as it is “The most relatable sticker in all of Thailand!”
¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Whatever you choose to wear on any given day, whether you choose it for the vibes or the fashion, I hope what you wear brings you confidence and you take as much pride in it as our wonderful Thai friends, whether or not you fully understand the message you are sending. And send along other shirts you see that make you laugh to get featured in another article!
Sticky Rice 
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