Gaccha

oh dear. Not by my definition.

But simply because it is illegal does not mean the Thai legal system is legitimate.

This is Thailand. It has an elected government. Thaksin is Thai. Where should be tried? Brussels? Good idea that, because they might nail him for the extra-judicial murders that he ordered.

Why the special sympathy for this man? Because he is rich? Some poor farang overstays his visa and people here scream throw the book at him.

I have no special sympathy . If the facts are true, he manipulated his position in power to enrich his family. He also damaged democracy by mixing special favours with principles of good governance: he acted like an opposition leader while he was the governing leader. As an example, he provided large subsidies to regions that voted for him, and "punished" regions that voted against him . I merely wanted to question your decision to call him a criminal. States have a virtual monopoly on the imposition of this term (the ICC which you raise above is an interesting exception), and if the state is rotten, it can lead to rotten decisions.

As for: "where to try him", I think we should wait for Thailand to regain some stability (the present government has not passed a single piece of legislation since coming to power...). The ICC could bring a prosecution against him but he would be very hard to pin on the matters you are talking about. They have, of course, no jurisdiction over the current charges that are arraigned against him.

"I think someone who skips the country to avoid a required court appearance is a criminal by any definition. "

oh dear. Not by my definition. Obviously by Thai law, if without lawful excuse, he does not attend the trial that he must attend (i.e. breaches bail) then that is a crime in Thailand. But simply because it is illegal does not mean the Thai legal system is legitimate. And crucially, me thinks you are concerned with the latter(--"by any definition").

He has apparently not applied for asylum in the UK. I am not sure he will need to. Whether the UK will extradite him depends on the terms of the extradition treaty with the UK. The treaty requires that the UK judge should decline to extradite if he is unlikely to gain a fair trial. I can see a UK judge making that finding of fact. Thailand is a non-functioning democracy with a weak legal system.

Without any doubt, having to spend the rest of your life in the UK is punishment enough.

Quick request:

What companies can provide a quick, rough & ready standard package for travelling to generally regular tourist spots (i.e. Cambodia, Burma)? Ideally, want insurance that can be bought automated off the internet in a standard package at a reasonable annual rate (say 6,000 baht).

[also, anyone recommend any war insurance specialists-- real pain trying to get it, except through brokers back in England...]

Thanks...

What is the address of this shop and what is the best way to get there. I want to go (seriously). I'm a collector of law enforcement stuff. I have patches and pins from all over the world...but not Thailand.

If you come to Pattaya there is one in the grounds of the Pattaya station on soi 9. Open during the day.

The shop is directly opposite the Immigration Office of Bangkok. To get to it: walk south from BTS Sala Daeng, down Soi Sala Daeng until you hit a big road. Turn right (i.e. West) until you reach the pedestrian bridge. Cross the bridge and head back East to the first Soi. Turn right down that SOi, keep walking until you see the Immigraiton office on your left and the police shop on the right. If you are still not sure, ask almost any white people living in Bangkok, as they virtually all ,rather relentlessly, have to head to it every 90 days.

Simon

Very intrigued that you worked at Lumpini Police Station. I know there are foreigners as police in Pattaya and Chiang Mai. I was a Special Constable (i.e. volunteer police officer) in the UK. It was great fun being able to help people and get in the odd fight. Any websites to provide further information? A Special Contable in the UK has an identical uniform , equipment and powers of a regular police officer; what is the position in Bangkok-- is it more like "advisor"?

Oh so you were one of those specials were ya? enjoyed getting into fights? No wonder you never made it.

"A Special Contable in the UK has an identical uniform , equipment and powers of a regular police officer" But the only problem is you didnt get paid right?

I am suspecting, and it is no more than a suspicion (albeit a reasonable one [editor's note: this is a UK lawyer/police joke]) that you are a tad anti-police and are attempting to goad me into a fight. Well, sir, I dealt with many of your sort on police patrol. They usually spent the night in a cell sobering up and then apologising the next day for behaving so disgracefully.

So, you ask a question, and I will for the pleasure of thrid parties, answer it, "But the only problem is you didnt get paid right?". Au contraire , not getting paid was the point. It is civic duty. An opportunity to do good. To climb above the simple need of earning your bread and to help society. (eh, having said that, Specials are paid certain bounties and a minimal hourly sum). Ah, you jest, "No wonder you never made it." Never made what? You know my dreams, my ambitions, my crushing failures better than I? Pray tell, what did I never make?

What is the address of this shop and what is the best way to get there. I want to go (seriously). I'm a collector of law enforcement stuff. I have patches and pins from all over the world...but not Thailand.

Obviously wetted your appetite. So you can rush off and get one of these:

But the pain of choice, should yoiu get this:

or this:

Or you could direct traffic with this:

Or how about this:

eh, or this:

Yep, I've found their website. The Bangkok police are rather trusting. To buy British police uniforms, the ordder address has to be a police station to ensure only police officers get them...

http://www.yakyya.com/

What is the address of this shop and what is the best way to get there. I want to go (seriously). I'm a collector of law enforcement stuff. I have patches and pins from all over the world...but not Thailand.

If you come to Pattaya there is one in the grounds of the Pattaya station on soi 9. Open during the day.

The shop is directly opposite the Immigration Office of Bangkok. To get to it: walk south from BTS Sala Daeng, down Soi Sala Daeng until you hit a big road. Turn right (i.e. West) until you reach the pedestrian bridge. Cross the bridge and head back East to the first Soi. Turn right down that SOi, keep walking until you see the Immigraiton office on your left and the police shop on the right. If you are still not sure, ask almost any white people living in Bangkok, as they virtually all ,rather relentlessly, have to head to it every 90 days.

Simon

Very intrigued that you worked at Lumpini Police Station. I know there are foreigners as police in Pattaya and Chiang Mai. I was a Special Constable (i.e. volunteer police officer) in the UK. It was great fun being able to help people and get in the odd fight. Any websites to provide further information? A Special Contable in the UK has an identical uniform , equipment and powers of a regular police officer; what is the position in Bangkok-- is it more like "advisor"?

Nice to hear from you. It is your 300 word list that can be put onto Voca that impresses me. Where did you get the audio files and when you speak of getting to 1500, do you have them in the Wordlist format. I would love you to upload it here or at the Voca home page. Any audio you provide I would love to add to my own idea.

It's not a 300 word list, it's now over 1500 and will be closer to 2000 (or even over) before I'm done. As for the audio, my Thai teacher will be recording it once we've gone over the list to make sure the ones I've compiled fit the criteria (commonly used). As you can imagine, I've run into questions working my way through and a native is the obvious choice for answers.

Desi,

That is nice to hear. Please upload whenever you feel it is ready.

For all,

I want to firm up my objectives here as there are a lot of good things out there but they don't quite do what I want.

The aim of the learners' dictionary is to get the basic 4,000 words absolutely mastered. To have them explained, broken down into their various meanings and given examples. To be small enough that it can be carried about. (The idea of the PDA is interesting, but perhaps a hard copy is the way to go) To be able to take words from it and add to a 'wordlist'(*) (or to have a wordlist already , that can then have the words highlighted on it...) that can then be used to test your knowledge (via reading and listening).

I think the major point ahead is to work out which words, where to get an audio, and how to extract good example sentences.

(* this is a document that holds a list of vocab on a piece of computer software, such as Voca. The list can be altered, much in the same way the "Windows explorer" lists programmes by either date/author/creation date/type of document. The list can contain audio files. The list can then be tested by, for example, multiple questions or by self-correction)

How do you spend you time and money when you are at the Immigration Office in Bangkok for your 90 day notification? How about crossing the road to the official police souvenir shop, then buying the Royal Thai immigration police shirt, cap, reflective gear, and heading across the road to stand in line for your immigration visa. It has to be worth the 500 bahts for the amusement factor.

And if that is not enough, you can always buy police lights for your car (along with police stickers), pepper spray, rank and medals, truncheon, police holster (automatic or revolver), police bag, motorbike helmet (yep, the really silly ones), the peaked caps (even sillier). The uniforms are either normal police, tourist police or immigration police. All of these will look hilariously incongruous on a farang standing on Sukhumvit Road and so worth every penny.

It is not quite possible to copy a police officer as the uncomfortable brown shirt is not in stock, but I am sure that will all will change with the new uniform.

I think the fact the police are selling pepper spray suggests to me it is probably legal to possess on the streets. In the UK it is classed as a firearm. And as for the extendable truncheon, I tested it, and unlike the awful Chinese ones, it actually fixes in place and doesn't fly apart.

Is there a point to this childish behavior?

Childish behaviour does not need a point.

But like much general prankery it aims to raise questions on society, see through social norms and question our understanding of the world. Why are there no farang police in Bangkok. In England, my local police station had an American, a German (with a made-for-tv hilarious 'vee hav vays off making vuu talk' accent) and a Pole. None were British citizens.

Another issue it raises is of the silly and petty immigration rules. Why have a 90 day notification procedure. If you ahve a 1 year visa, why are you chronically telling them where you live. If you wear an immigration officers uniform while standing at the immigration officer desk, it may just, it just might, with hope and head raised high, raise a question as to why things are as they are.

Comedians take themselves very seriously.

How do you spend you time and money when you are at the Immigration Office in Bangkok for your 90 day notification? How about crossing the road to the official police souvenir shop, then buying the Royal Thai immigration police shirt, cap, reflective gear, and heading across the road to stand in line for your immigration visa. It has to be worth the 500 bahts for the amusement factor.

And if that is not enough, you can always buy police lights for your car (along with police stickers), pepper spray, rank and medals, truncheon, police holster (automatic or revolver), police bag, motorbike helmet (yep, the really silly ones), the peaked caps (even sillier). The uniforms are either normal police, tourist police or immigration police. All of these will look hilariously incongruous on a farang standing on Sukhumvit Road and so worth every penny.

It is not quite possible to copy a police officer as the uncomfortable brown shirt is not in stock, but I am sure that will all will change with the new uniform.

I think the fact the police are selling pepper spray suggests to me it is probably legal to possess on the streets. In the UK it is classed as a firearm. And as for the extendable truncheon, I tested it, and unlike the awful Chinese ones, it actually fixes in place and doesn't fly apart.

I've been putting a dictionary together by scouring out the top basic words used. I started with 500, increased to 1000, I'm now at 1500 (but haven't had the time to complete it - busy, busy). Looking at it, I'm aiming to top out at around 2000. Time...

Desi,

Nice to hear from you. It is your 300 word list that can be put onto Voca that impresses me. Where did you get the audio files and when you speak of getting to 1500, do you have them in the Wordlist format. I would love you to upload it here or at the Voca home page. Any audio you provide I would love to add to my own idea.

To all,

I had a friend work on making a learners' dictionary back in England. Her job was to select the appropriate sentences from a computer extracted list of 5 options. The computer extracted the sentences from sources on the internet. Anyone know the software that does this or can think of any other way to get real/natural Thai sentences...?

I am thinking the sentences really need a native speaker recording of them. Think I can get this done myself.

The XL file is based in an earlier post in this forum, maybe a search will unearth the original, I believe it is based on 3 systems which analized written Thai.

Oz

I was having a look around Glenn's website just before coming back to this. Would be nice to pull of the audios-- wonder if Glenn would mind... It is definitely good but it is limited to the internet. I just find that when I am looking up words I am not carrying my computer with me...

It would be nice for a starter to get the audios together with the top 2000 as a word list so it can be stuck onto 'Voca' [http://www.oriente.nl/voca/] (this is an updated version of Vocatude that many of you will know and love). Can get it here, but more importantly, it allows Wordlists to be uploaded so everyone can get hold of them. There is currently no Thai word list but I saw one on this site with around 300 words so I am not alone in this ambition.

What would work wonders is to combine the fullness of the Thai language dictionary site with the capabilities of the Voca. Then get these licensed onto one of those electronic dictionaries and we are all laughing. I am sure Sony or Canon would be interested to hear from Glenn and Voca man.

I want to be able to sit in Starbucks, open the electronic dictionary, look up a tough word, see the example sentences, add the word to a vocab list, do a listening test of the new vocab added that month, finish my coffee and then head home. All the technology and work is already out there, just needs to be combined...

And while I wait for that dream, I'll carry on with my paper 4,000 word dictionary.

Can I ask on what basis these are the top 1,000. Are they the most spoken? The most widely written? Who says they are. Also, be handy, if you can increase it to 2,000

Thanks.

(I really want to get this right)

Actually, had a look around and the voacb lists on this site look promising. Particularly interested in the Haas one.

Can I ask on what basis these are the top 1,000. Are they the most spoken? The most widely written? Who says they are. Also, be handy, if you can increase it to 2,000

Thanks.

(I really want to get this right)

Has anyone been through this program? I've found a couple of old and vague posts about it, but nothing too descriptive. I have gathered though that it is very intense, which is exactly what I want... but any other info? I'm very interested in how well it prepares your listening and comprehension skills - I don't want to be fluent just on paper.

Are there any other similar programs in Bangkok? I know there are many thai programs, but I'm looking for intensive programs.

Thanks for any info.

Well, I only know one person who has done it. And I spent one hour consoling her for dropping out of it. She described it as very intense. 6 hours of classes and 3 hours of homework every day. I can come back to you in a few days as to what exactly was in the course. But if you are man enough, I suspect it will be extremely good.

The dictionaries available for native English speakers learning Thai vary from dreadful to poor. For a learners dictionary to be useful it must do the following:

1. highlight the most common 2,000 spoken words (and then highlight the 2,000 most common written)

2. Limit the dictionary to 4,000 words

3. Carefully break down the usages of each word

4. Provide natural examples gleaned from real usages

5. Be a Thai-Eng dictionary, not a Eng-Thai (this is far less important for learners)

6. provide a good phonetics system (the 'Teach Yourself Thai' system is designed for native English speakers and is the most intuitive I have come across)

7. Have an audio recording of every word

So I want to make a dictionary. [pause for shock and the hours of work ahead of me]. I need to do the following:

a. work out what are the 2,000 most spoken words. I will hunt academic resources for this.

b. use advanced dictionaries (ie. ones for Thai people with more than 35,000 words)

c. suck off examples from old dictionaries (out of print)

d. create an audio recording ( I have found a very old,large Thai-Japanese dictionary with every word on tape [yep, not CD] that I can put onto MP3, cut apart and stick back together in the right order)

Obviously, this could take some time. Anyway, any thoughts on things I am missing, ways to achieve this quickly etc.

[please no tedious comments about copyright infringements etc. I am a lawyer and I know the general principles of intellectual property law. This dictionary is to give away and is non-commercial.]

Im looking to take the level 4 exam this Dec, anyone know where I can apply? Is it possible to skip levels, can I go straight for level 3?

I took the level 1(basic) course at Piammitr but didnt like the course material that much, so took level 2 at the brexley institute in the mall Ramkamheang, the teacher here is awesome and they use the nihongo yoroshiku 1 book (but use Thai as the medium for teaching), they limit group sizes to 4. I'm also taking business japanses as my minor is AU, the classes are pretty intense there and they progress very fast, we have to learn about 40 new kanji a week.

...and yes you can skip levels. You could do Level 1 if you wanted. I recommend taking a level you can comfortably pass, as if you fail, you will have to wait a whole year before you get another chance. If you pass, then you get a certificate and you have achieved something. And if you find the exam easy you will get 95%.

Im looking to take the level 4 exam this Dec, anyone know where I can apply? Is it possible to skip levels, can I go straight for level 3?

I took the level 1(basic) course at Piammitr but didnt like the course material that much, so took level 2 at the brexley institute in the mall Ramkamheang, the teacher here is awesome and they use the nihongo yoroshiku 1 book (but use Thai as the medium for teaching), they limit group sizes to 4. I'm also taking business japanses as my minor is AU, the classes are pretty intense there and they progress very fast, we have to learn about 40 new kanji a week.

The JLPT is available in Bangkok as well as Chiang Mai and Songklha. 3900 people took it in Bangkok last year. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_lang...ion_in_Thailand

The test is administered by the "Japanese-Language Proficiency Test Administration Committee in Thailand". Give them a ring on (66-2)234-6951.

The Japan Foundation may be able to provide further details.

http://www.jfbkk.or.th/

The exam will be on the 7 December and application forms will be available through August (this is a 1 month period that is quite tight as you need to collect the application, fill it in and send it to them with lots of admin rubbish-- it needs to be filled in in Japanese and can take some time. You will need a Level 3 or above Japanese speaker to fill it in for you). The application forms seem to be available from the same places that the exam will be held. The addresses are in English on this page:

http://www.jfbkk.or.th/jl/announce0136jp.html

Ganbatte!

Hey

I know this is the thai language forum but maybe some of you knows..

Is there anywhere in Bangkok I can study japanese at beginners level up to the The Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) /Nihongo Noryoku Shiken? Maybe an intensive study over 6 months?

Thank you

You have a lot of options. A lot of the language schools that teach Thai, teach Japanese. Piammitr Language School offers Japanese classes at a decent rate for about 2 hours a day. You could increase the intensity by taking classes at another school as well. But what is your aim? You say up to JLPT level. There are four JLPT levels. You will easily pass Level 4 if you get out of bed and attend the 2 hour classes a day for 6 months. With a lot of effort you could pass the Level 3. If you want to pass Level 2, that is virtually impossible, and if you want to pass Level 1 (12,000 words and 1250 chinese characters) then you are dreaming.

For anyone intermediate (passed Level 3 level) and above I would recommend visiting the Japan Foundation where they have a pic'n'mix selection courses: everything from Manga reading studies to drama/movie studies. They have specialist courses to pass the JLPT and they have a large library with a wide selection of test materials, CDs, and DVDs of Japanese movies.

Thanks Gaccha, the Japan Fundation sounds cool, im looking to complete level 3 as its the equivalent of Beginners Japanese A at the university i want to apply at.

So, now thats clear, do you have any idea how much the entire course would cost? Also, is there good oppoutunities to practise the language with japanese students at any of the schools or somewhere else?

I was being a little shady on the costs because I'm not sure. The classes at the Japan Foundation are virtually all 1,000 bahts but the information sheet I have doesn't say how long this is for... I think the staff said 4 weeks. I think you might have to take a look. The offices are at the Skytrain/underground junction on Sukhummvit. Google for details. You'll need to go to have a look at the fantastic library. It is very cheap to join.

As for Piammitr, I can't remember the cost, but I remember thinking it was competitive, probably around 3,500 bahts a month.

I think if I was choosing, I would want a class with a Japanese teacher, rather than a thai or a farang, but that is your call: there are pluses and minuses with both. Both the Japan Foundation and Piammitr use both. Piammitr are more than willing to have a chat with you. Just go their offices in the "Trendy" building just off Soi 13 of Sukhummvit. I would personally use both schools as there methods are quite distinct. The Japan Foundation is trying to clean up errors in your Japanese, the language school is trying to ste-by-step progress you. The Japan Foundation has specific classes for passing the Level 2 and Level 1, but not, I'm afraid, Level 3. But hey, just take the "drama class'-- sounds like great fun.

Hey

I know this is the thai language forum but maybe some of you knows..

Is there anywhere in Bangkok I can study japanese at beginners level up to the The Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) /Nihongo Noryoku Shiken? Maybe an intensive study over 6 months?

Thank you

You have a lot of options. A lot of the language schools that teach Thai, teach Japanese. Piammitr Language School offers Japanese classes at a decent rate for about 2 hours a day. You could increase the intensity by taking classes at another school as well. But what is your aim? You say up to JLPT level. There are four JLPT levels. You will easily pass Level 4 if you get out of bed and attend the 2 hour classes a day for 6 months. With a lot of effort you could pass the Level 3. If you want to pass Level 2, that is virtually impossible, and if you want to pass Level 1 (12,000 words and 1250 chinese characters) then you are dreaming.

For anyone intermediate (passed Level 3 level) and above I would recommend visiting the Japan Foundation where they have a pic'n'mix selection courses: everything from Manga reading studies to drama/movie studies. They have specialist courses to pass the JLPT and they have a large library with a wide selection of test materials, CDs, and DVDs of Japanese movies.

It seems to me all you have to do is work relentlessly on your tones.

I'm not sure why you think it's tones. When I hear Thais speak, I don't hear words at all. It's just noise. When I listen to my wife speak to her family, friends, or even service people at The Mall I always listen very carefully but I almost never understand anything. But, if I can get my wife to write it down (in Thai) or repeat it back, I almost always understand. At least I can hear words and know which ones I know and which ones I don't.

I think my problem is more fundamental than tones. In other words, I don't yet hear Thai well enough for tones to be a problem. I've been struggling with this for many years now. I can understand Thai Lesson Thai (Rosetta Stone or Pimsleur or Becker), I just can't understand Thai as spoken in the real world; this in spite of three years of listening, eavesdropping, soap operas, news, etc., etc.

I apologize for the Windows crack. I get more annoyed than I should when I run across someone who assumes that the entire world runs on Windows....

(And, yes, Kris, I do know how to search for Mac software....)

You are just describing sometihng that everyone goes through, I suspect. Are you saying not a single word in Thai is understood by you? Within one week of living in Thailand I could comfortably hear the numbers when they were spoken (even in conversations near to me of which I was not privy). I can't imagine after 3 years you can't hear them. So I bet you can hear some.

I note you can understand after having it written down. Yikes! You are on a hiding to nothing. A great big flashing beacon went on when I read that. This is the worst thing you can do for listening practice. Okay, let me tell you exactly how to learn how to listen. Watch and record a news story. Nothing fancy-- ideally a murder. The story should be about 1 minute long. Look up or guess the vocabulary before listening again. Record the story on your MP3 player (ie. no visual stimulae). Listen to it and then try to write every word down (of course, if you don't hear "words", then try to write any sounds you hear). Do this at least 15 times before giving up (when you get more used to this you should be doing it 40-50 times). While listening write sounds you want to check in the dictionary. After that, have your Thai wife write exactly the dialogue. Look up words you didn't know, listen again and again and again. Eventually the 1 minute dialogue will be very easy to follow-- so easy that for a moment you will think you are suddenly fluent. (However, if you were to listen to another dialogue it will feel hopeless again). You will be able to return to this dialogue in 2 months and still have a remarkable ability to understand it. You will find that you start liking certain phrases, tones of voice. This is good-- you are moving away from relying on having it written down or spoken artificially slowly to you.

As an alternative, you can try Western movies dubbed into Thai. You will be familiar with the dialogues in English (so you can guess the vocab), you know you enjoy the movie (so you can persist) and there is a certain excitement in learning how to say your favourite phrases in your target language (how does Yoda say: "No. Try not. Do or do not . There is no try." in Thai?).

You are in an ideal position to do this. You have a large vocab but your ears are not used to it. I can remember using a word in conversation and then not understanding the word when it was spoken back to me: not because of a tone or accent but simply because my brain had not learnt the word "to hear it").

Please trust me on this. Your listening ability is going to skyrocket but give it 6 months of 30 minutes a day before you are P8 level.

Post 90 asked about studying at Thamassat or Chula. Well, I happen to know about Thamassat.

They have 36 hours for 5,500 bahts.

Courses are 2pm- 5pm. And there are two: "Listening & Speaking" and "Reading & Writing". There are three levels of each.

As an example, Reading Level 3 is described as "Study of the more complex vocabulary, idioms, and structutres". I have no idea what is their teaching method but they will not do a class without 7 people.

They only operate subject to demand. Next course is 5 Aug- 12 Sept.

So if you are keen on an uncompetitive price, of an infrequent course, for a course that might not run through all the levels, then head to the classes in the Department of Thai in the Faculty of Liberal Arts (first on the left when you walk into the campus from the main South side entrance).

You can e-mail them at basicthai#yahoo.com

...and this is what you have been waiting for. The excitement is palpable.

Think that it is. Now we just need someone of a higher level and greater wisdom to paraphrase the contents, elucidate their thoughts, challenge our misconceptions, and then we can all head to bed in peace.

...oh, and just to add to the excitement, some of the pages have been scanned upside down.

A Thai test for what purpose?

I think he/she (the OP) must be talking about a/the language test for P.R. can the OP clarify please?

It is a test designed *for foreigners*.

Okay, I have a little more information. The Thai government, rather surprisingly , has failed to update its website for this new test, but here is the website address for when they get around to it, apparently in the next couple of months. It's all in Thai, so it will be even more language practice for you all...

http://bet.bopp.go.th/

Thai is hard to pronounce for many farang (certainly harder than japanese)

And there lies the crux of the matter. I know lots of Thai words, but when I'm out in the real world I almost never recognize spoken words that I know or understand what I hear. If I listen to Rosetta Stone or Pimsleru or a Becker tape, no problem. I got it. But, step out to 7/11 and it's all just unrecognizable noise.

It seems to me all you have to do is work relentlessly on your tones. And this is how to do it. It seems your ears are not cooperating. You need to study the matter. Do you really know the tones of Thai? For example, the falling tone doesn't actually just fall-- it initially rises and then falls. The mid tone is not flat: it actually rises very slightly in the first half. You can see this if you look at the Thai language entry on http://slice-of-thai.com/tones/. Your solution is then to download "Frequency voice analyser software" and practise matching your voice to those tones. I recommend "voice viewer" from slice-of-thai. There then follows hours and hours of tedium until your voice and ears "get it". Don't worry you can do tone changes, as English has them.

As for your Japanese ability, the Japanese, like the Thais, are not ones to ration their compliments. In Japan, you know you are really good when they stop complimenting.