Presnock

just remember, those kiddie books are for kids that already know much Thai. The State Dept school of languages for their consular officers that must be able to speak a foreign language at all levels due to a need to interview for visas etc ...when I left that class after one year I could read write and speak to just about any Thai on any subject. We began speaking words and phrases 6 weeks or so before tackling the script and reading. Of course we were doing that 5-7 hours daily for that year and were getting paid for it too. After another 10-11 languages, returned toThailand and lost a lot of vocabulary BUT, i can still read the language just don't always know exactly what it means. i can carry a conversation again after getting married to a Thai lady that doesn't speak English very well. To ensure daughter got the best of both worlds, I speak English with her and her mother speaks Thai with her and she learned Chinese in school for 5 years and at the same time taught herself to speak, read, write and teach in Korean while in HS. She is studying Japanese on her own at this time while an exchange student in Seoul.

I occasionally get the Thai price but don't have a pink ID card but do get the senior discount etc with just my Thai and pp

Been here more than 20 years continuously and never saw any reason to have a local ID card, though I did have a Thai driver's license. Used hospitals and never had any problems using that facility. I don't have any Thai taxes due to income and DTA and if I didn't have the DTA then visa would exempt me so no taxes either. I realize everyone is different but i sure wouldn't do extra paperwork for anything here unless it was absolutely necessary. Though those people that have said they have the Pink id, etc seem to think it opens doors for them that I have never found closed. I have participated in car buying, house buying through wife and have dealt with banks without any problem whatsoever when it comes to ID.

Having lived and worked in countries around the world in Eur (5 countries) Africa (2 countries), Central America (1 country) and Asia (7 countries), when retirement came up, i picked what i considered a paradise - Thailand! That was over 20 years ago and my feelings have not changed - life here is still GREAT!

Yessir, my daughter on an college exchange program is in Seoul finishing up her 3rd year and made plans to visit friends in Japan, then fly to Bangkok and luckily got her tickets before the big increase saying now it was almost double what it was when she got her tickets! I also see daily reports of airlines cancelling flights or having to pay more for jet fuel so are going to continue raising prices as long as the US and Iran continue their spat! Trump started it for no real reason explained adequately yet and finds himself stuck there now as Iran won't bow to his wishes. Israel isn't helping any.

I remember quite well, just before the ":Excursion" was launched, that there were ongoing negotiations between the US and Iran and that a report came out that the Iranians agreed to giving up on a nuke weapon but then of course Israel launched so Trump launched too and I don't know whether to believe this or earlier reports. I see that Trump's 15 desires on his side was rejected and lowered to 5 on the Iranian side. IMHO they will not give up on management of the Hormuz strait.

Does the cabinet think that tourists coming here on vacation will respect a change to these laws? Just wondering as many are now waiting to see changes in visas and the cost of flights to come to this paradise increasing almost daily as jet fuel price increases along with other petrol products. Many changes will be affecting tourism around the world for the rest of this year IMHO.

Well, she is one of those elected officials that used the office to better her life - moving large dollar govt contracts to her husband's business - after all how could she be worth over 700 million based on a govt salary? Yeah the Congress did pass an insider trading bill in 2011 but it only requires reporting which from open news says most ignore that law. Well IMHO and I am ashamed to say it as an American, but your assessment of our elected officials is spot on for sure! Surprisingly i read that in one of the bills DJT wants the Congress to pass but they are fighting him is a NO-INSIDER TRADING FOR CONGRESS PEOPLE AND THEIR FAMILIES!. That is how so many of them retire very rich indeed!

Well, IMHO I think that too many elected US officials for sure including the immediate presidential circle and families are basically corrupt when it comes to insider trading of any kind. Just check historically the attempts of the US Congress to floor and then pass an anti-insider trading law. They did pass something in 2012 but it basically just requires them to report certain trades but from news reports, most of the congress people ignore those reporting requirements. If there is any doubt whatsoever, check out how much money the Trump family has garnered since he is president - don't even need to check the previous 4 years, just look at this past year - he has collected more money than every president the US has ever had all combined! IMHO this is a sign of a corrupt individual taking advantage of his position and on top of that IMHO too, he is doing a horrible job for the US and its citzens.

and , one doesn't begin writing usually until after a few years of speaking that new tongue. well I am an American and it got so bad in the US that colleges dropped a foreign language requirement for HS graduates as most Americans expect the whole world to speak and understand English yet many non-Indian (native Americans) Americans speak English rather poorly IMHO though I am by no means an expert on this issue.

And some were found to be illegals too any he got away with that by controlling the DOJ and FBI and IMHO he is not afraid of the Congressional hearings either. jack Smith backed up the Mueller investigation saying Trump should have been indicted as well as taking classified documents and storing them in bathrooms and ball rooms at Mara Logo. But a Trump judge refused Smith's publically announcing these findings - BUT, the Congress queried him under oath and they then let the public know his findings as they could do that.

If you think he is afraid of ANY crime, you have not been following him except for recent years. He even CLAIMs that he is not scared of anything (except of the US military draft). What do you think that twice targeted with Tomahawk missiles girls' school killing over a hundred? But IMHO he will get away with that too as well as his raping and attacks on young girls in the Epstein era.

I always recall how snooty the French were unless one could speak French as a native does so they looked down on us speaking high school French! did my tourist bit and never went back.

this method used by governments around the world is called "Total Immersion" and with an open mind and good ears can be done quite well.

This is too true, everyone probably learns foreign languages in a different manner. I have studied over 12 languages during my lifetime and think that I am quite well in learning a new one but my youngest daughter, almost 60 years younger than me can run rings around me so to speak with how easy foreign languages are for her, she speaks, reads, writes and teaches in four languages, all with a different writing script, two with tones and two without tones. At one time while in HS, she was studying 4 languages at the same time and never mixed them up. Amazing. One should experiment with different opening lessons and see which fits your mind processing each and then go after that which seems to fit you.

I retired here after serving at the Embassy so have a lot of experience in life here. i was first here in the 70's and returned . I have lived in countries around the world and to me, when it was time to retire, Thailand was number one on my list. i thought it was a paradise and still feel that it is. I have seen changes in visas and taxes etc with a lot of talk about possibly more to come especially with a new government. As for visas, I was originally on a retirement O with an Embassy letter, then that dropped and retirement O monthly income remitted of at least 65K, then they came out with the LTR, and it fit my financial condition plus my income was already exempt due to the DTA between the US and Thailand but even if that changed, or the exemption from foreign income and the DTA does change (I don't think so during the remainder of my LTR) i might have a different opinion. I do see how others are affected by possible changes but then again, as much as something changes here it might change back shortly thereafter. Right now we have no idea other than it does appear that the 60-day visa free might be dropped to 30-day visa free with a possible extension. I am unsure how many expats that will affect. With the economy in such shape as it is today, together with the international problems right now, who knows what the government may or may not change to enhance tourists to come and stay here. Maybe something better for longer, who knows? But, I do wish the best for all so that they are staying here and HAPPY, something that seems missing in many countries now. have a great Songkran next month.

I learned Thai from a US govt school in DC 50+ years ago. We were not introduced into the actual Thai characters until at least 6-8 weeks into the school (1 year long). then we began seeing the characters for the beginning conversations we were taught. Tones were very evident too and some people really cannot do tonal languages very easily, like me an American but in the military, i passed an artificial language test and then progressed to an artificial "tonal" language test which I also passed and studied Vietnamese for a year. You are lucky to be here in Thailand and can immerse yourself into the language very easily. There are numerous schools that provide the language acquisition, watching television programs of any type, news is difficult at times but even that can help. I also note that Thai's can usually determine what you mean even if a tone is wrong when you speak it, don't be embarrassed it is just like the writing, Thais can figure out what the meaning is just by looking at tones without the characters, amazing to me anyway at how well they really understand their language. My daughter is fluent in Thai and English from school and my wife and I, plus she loved BTS KPOP (11 years ago songs all in Korean) so at the same time she was studying in school (included Chinese besides Thai and English) she taught herself Korean - easy she said as non-tonal and even the Chinese she said is easy because she speaks Thai and understand the tones. She is now fluent in Korean also (tested on their international test at the highest level) plus she taught in the 11th grade Chinese at another High School. She is currently studying on her own Japanese which she says appears to be fairly easy with her current languages and similar rules. Since I don't hang around with local on a regular basis I find that I have lost some of my fluency as I have studied over 10 languages several to very high levels and I notice occasionally when having a conversation with a Thai, a foreign word will sneak into a sentence - i then notice a strange look on the listener's face and in my mind all the words in the sentence are correct, then I will realize that one word comes from a different language that I have been fairly fluent in also and apologize but the Thai's are very understanding and seem to really appreciate it when a foreigner is trying to converse in Thai . I have never had any Thai complain about my Thai language capability but all have praised it and me for talking to them as once they note that I can speak Thai fairly well they always have questions about my life and where i am from and then questions about my home country. There are also numerous online learning too if you just want to get started and then maybe progress to a school for further use. Best of luck and IMHO any Thai you learn can be useful.

Well, as with any NEW government, especially in this country IMHO, the possibility of some changes might occur, especially with the economic situations not only here but around the world today due to the actions of the US president

Sorry, but if someone says "maybe" something might happen, I interpret that as possibly dreaming, just how my English language training and life taught me. Again I apologize if you are upset about my interpretation. Have a great weekend.

I notice when traveling on the roads, the majority of bike riders are wearing helmets - these look like Thai people and those almost totally without helmets look like foreigners IMHO anyway.

Dream on, last I checked was late 90's now who knows what the rate will be today or tomorrow!

With an abundance of oil, that means they could possibly even "buy" a nuke and they already know how to make the delivery vehicles. I am no Trump fan but definitely not a fan of Iran and their proxy armies either.

Although he has taken the oath of allegiance to the US Constitution and its laws, he hasn't IMHO cared to follow any that limited his actions in anyway possible.

Remember, this is about Mr. Taco-man himself. He won't admit that he is backing down on anything as that would require sane thoughts and he is far from that IMHO.

Yeah, I did mine at the same time in CM no problems at all.