Speaking styles: Laotians speak in a straightforward way without adding the polite words (ka/krup) . Lao may sound more formal than Thai because Laotians tend to speak in complete sentences and include the pronouns "I" and "you". This is in contrast to Thai where informal conversation is abbreviated in a cute, fun way, and pronouns are usually omitted. (In both Thai and Lao words can be omitted from sentences, and the more complete a sentence is the more formal it sounds.)