Miserable Studying Thai in Bangkok

[Disgruntled Student]

I've just spent the past hour of my Sunday evening reviewing last week's Thai lessons in anticipation for my class tomorrow. I understand the material, more or less—I'm a good student, more or less—but the thought of going to tomorrow's class (and all the others) fills me with dread. Allow me to explain my situation.

 

Like many of you, I signed up for the ED visa because I wanted to stay in Thailand long-term without the threat of being denied entry at the border each time I came in as a tourist. But in addition to the fact that the ED visa itself has been far from a panacea on the immigration front, Thai school has proven to no cakewalk—and I'm not talking about the language itself.

 

I started studying in May as part of a small-group class of total beginners. Although I found it difficult at first, I attended every lesson and quickly became one of the strongest students in the group. My studies, combined with bi-monthly weekend trips to more remote provinces of Thailand, saw me master casual conversation within a few weeks. Unfortunately, over the course of these same weeks, my teacher had gone from arriving slightly late to each lesson to missing half (or more) of it. This stressed me out because it wasted my time; it saddened me because she was personable and easy to learn from, if not very by-the-book.

 

Weeks later, I learned that her tardiness had not simply been due to the fact that she was Thai. Her daughter, it seems, had a chronic medical condition, one that by the end of my second month of studies caused her to have to resign. An older, much more socially awkward woman replaced her. Not only was she a far less effective teacher; she was regularly an hour (or more) late to our 100-minute classes. Everyone but myself and one other student ceased attending before the end of her first full week as our instructor.

 

I was pleased, initially, when the school offered me private lessons with the teacher of my choice as a substitute for the group classes. I chose to study with a woman who'd substituted for my first teacher once and taught in a structured, clear-to-follow way that I loved. What I've found as I study one-on-one with her, however, is that without the presence of other students, this teacher has unrealistic expectations of me. She expects me to memorize every single vocabulary word and grammatical structure taught in each lesson before I return for the next; if I don't, she makes me go back to the previous lesson and re-learn it all from the beginning. She goes off on tangents with almost pathological frequency, introducing still dozens more vocabulary words and/or grammatical points at each turn.

 

The thing is—and I've expressed this to her and to the school, multiple times and with varying levels of diplomacy—I don't want or need to be perfect at Thai. I don't ever plan to have a job here, or to live here for more than the next few years. I have many Thai friends, but all of them speak better English than I could ever speak Thai. I simply want to become more comfortable listening and speaking, and to read and write more effortlessly than I currently do. Even more than that, I want to live in Thailand, and to come and go from the Kingdom more or less as I please, without the fear of being arbitrarily denied entry.

 

I feel like if I want to remain here legally and long-term, however, I have just two choices: Continue suffering through drill-sergeant private lessons that focus exclusively on the minutia of the Thai language; or waste my time in group classes that occur at the mercy of whenever the deadbeat teacher chooses to arrive at school. Or three, I guess: Forfeit the 50+ hours of Thai classes I'm still owed and study somewhere else, which might end up being worse than this place. All pretty shitty options, though, if you ask me.

 

What would you do?

 

Edited December 3, 2017 by Disgruntled Student

[scottiejohn]

Change schools if you insist on using "education" as your "excuse" to quote you " I want to remain here legally and long term".

 

You cannot have it all ways.  Stay on an "ED Visa" (sic) and abide by the rules or obey the other rules for trying to stay here long term.

 

You have not stated it but I assume you are not eligible for extensions of stay on marriage/retirement/etc long stay  criteria hence the ED Visa route.

[glegolo]

Go, marry a nice girl, and live here happily ever after..

 

glegolo

[Myran]

Come to Hua Hin. I'm really enjoying my time here studying Thai and the school is excellent, both the teachers and the administration. No drills at the immigration either and the pacing of the classes is really nice, allowing you to pick up everything as you go as long as you spend a couple of hours a week reviewing the classes at home.

[craftyhen]

seems a lot of effort and money just to stay here longer, i'm assuming you don't like the idea of teaching...

 

you can get by just learning numbers in thai, or if you're interested in learning to listen, gin cow means 'eat'

[Disgruntled Student]

17 minutes ago, craftyhen said:

seems a lot of effort and money just to stay here longer, i'm assuming you don't like the idea of teaching...

 

you can get by just learning numbers in thai, or if you're interested in learning to listen, gin cow means 'eat'

I have my own successful US-based online business; I don't like the idea of working full-time again in any capacity, ever. Also, I know the entire Thai alphabet and about 1,000 words and phrases already, but thanks for the condescension.

[tingtongtourist]

Can you tell the name of this school? Is in Bangkok?

Im sure some people will appreciate such a school where teachers and students dont have to show up!

 

As long as you get visa from them it sounds like a great deal to me

 

If its me and i dont like the private lesson then just go with the other class.

Any extra stuff you wanna learn can do easily yourself.

 

Many books, stuff on the net. even many apps that can put on your phone.

[tonray]

20 minutes ago, Disgruntled Student said:

I have my own successful US-based online business; I don't like the idea of working full-time again in any capacity, ever. Also, I know the entire Thai alphabet and about 1,000 words and phrases already, but thanks for the condescension.

If you have a successful business...then buy an Elite Visa and be done with the aggravation

[anon789561]

i have a friend who 'goes to a school' hasn't attended in months and no issues with immo at all apart from the usual nonsense. those schools are still operating but the way i see it if you're going to pay then find a decent school and learn. i can give you the name of the school that requires pretty much zero attendance if you inbox me. cheap too he says. i've never had to use that route as married over 16 years now ; ) like the poster said above, find yourself a nice little wife an settle down 5555 that was a joke by the way, the bit about the wife not the school

[gk10002000]

I love the place, but I think this is just another classic example of why one should be careful about paying for anything in advance in Thailand.  Even if they meant well, they tend to have a challenge following through, or maintaining things.  They take the money, then, well lots of randomness

[zombie nights]

10 hours ago, tonray said:

If you have a successful business...then buy an Elite Visa and be done with the aggravation

Agree with this. Get the Elite Visa to avoid immigration hassles. 

A person with a successful business can avoid misery by promptly finding a decent school for learning Thai .

 

[jspill]

You can torrent a huge 8 gigabyte 'thai language pack' on the thepiratebay, just saying... a dozen ebooks including 'teach yourself thai', entire audio courses, etc. I learnt Thai that way, never had a lesson. Had an Ed visa to avoid visa runs but didn't attend classes just taught myself. 

[Farang99]

13 hours ago, glegolo said:

Go, marry a nice girl, and live here happily ever after..

 

glegolo

When I first began to live in the tropics my then boss recommended a sleeping dictionary as the best way to become familiar with a language.

 

[midzo]

Can you ask for a different teacher and remain at your school?

 

Not attending is a bad option, unless you teach yourself Thai. More and more immigration officers are quizzing you in Thai when you enter Thailand or renew your ED visa. They are also documenting your level of proficiency. 

 

If progress is not being made, you may find your visa is not renewed. 

 

I’ve heard some bogus ED visa holders are taking Thai cooking classes for this reason. It’s unlikely anyone is going to ask you to whip up Rad Na Moo at the airport.

[glegolo]

1 hour ago, Farang99 said:

When I first began to live in the tropics my then boss recommended a sleeping dictionary as the best way to become familiar with a language.

 

drop that boss opinions plse..... What he gave you, was insane many runs to the immigration, mostly in vain...

 

glegolo

[janejira]

Can you bring this up to admin at the school? Or a head teacher? Not to the teacher directly. 

 

You should be able to talk to someome to talk to her or ask to be assigned a different one-on-one teacher.  You could take the approach that you feel you are not the best student for this amazing teacher because you want something a bit more casual-- not focusing on 100% mastery.

 

[F4UCorsair]

How much dosh will you blow if you bail out of the 50 lessons you'll forfeit?

 

It can't be so significant as to keep you there if you're miserable.

 

You say you have a successful business, so write it off.... you'll recover.

[SiSePuede419]

I remember my first class at Walden Thai Language School.

 

Day one vocabulary included the words for wall, ceiling, window and door.

 

Exactly what you need for starting a conversation with a "Somtam" vendor, asking for change for a 1000B at 7 or checking into a new hotel. 

 

Brilliant.  You're learning already that a Thai School is the last thing you need to learn passa Thai. ?

[JackThompson]

I would not continue enduring a painful experience. Options:

• Change Teachers
• Go back to group-classes - and learn Thai more on your own - use the "waiting for teacher" time as more set-aside study-time
• Change schools - though I'd use-up your paid-hours first - even if it means wasting some time in group-classes.  Others have reported issues with unused-hours still counting against the total hours you are allowed to have an ED Visa to study Thai, when taking a break, or switching schools.

What I would Not do, is pay a lump-sum for an "Elite," for 5 to 10 years of "advance visa" - as compared to what is offered by neighboring countries on a quarterly, semi-annual, or annual basis (Vietnam, Cambodia, Philippines).  Though I don't need it (on a Non-O), it would make me sick to my stomach to think who might be getting that money. 

 

Preventing people like yourself from spending their foreign-sourced incomes here actively reduces Thai people's work-opportunities, which are created every time foreign-currency is spent by foreigners into the Thai economy.  Clearly, it is not in the vested-interests of the beneficiaries of the 'elite visa' to have regionally-competitive visa-options (which don't line their pockets) - so it stands to reason they would oppose forward-looking visa options which would benefit the Thai people.

 

Existing visa-options would also be a "threat" to elite-proceeds.  Consider the posts like, "Get the Elite Visa to avoid immigration hassles."  One has to wonder if there is a connection to the "crackdown" on Tourist and ED visa use.  It would seem that, "immigration hassles" are "good" for the beneficiaries of the Elite - no?  There is no way I would help people who benefit from immigration nightmares suffered on visitors who are following the law - even if they did not actively encourage this behavior.  These "hassles" - and lack of future-looking visa-options - are cutting the legs out from under Thais, who are loosing their business as a direct-result.

[captpkapoor]

4 hours ago, jspill said:

You can torrent a huge 8 gigabyte 'thai language pack' on the thepiratebay, just saying... a dozen ebooks including 'teach yourself thai', entire audio courses, etc. I learnt Thai that way, never had a lesson. Had an Ed visa to avoid visa runs but didn't attend classes just taught myself. 

Would much appreciate a link for this please.  I'm never in Thailand long enough at a stretch to attend classes, but if I could download a whole lot on my laptop that would be great. Many thanks. 

[RIC23]

Call Arkom on 0926982639, he is Thai at KPLS in Phuket & speaks very good English & German having lived there for 20 years 

He does lessons by Skype to Switzerland so BKK should be no problem. Great teacher & never misses a class 

[tingtongtourist]

1 hour ago, SiSePuede419 said:

I remember my first class at Walden Thai Language School.

 

Day one vocabulary included the words for wall, ceiling, window and door.

 

Exactly what you need for starting a conversation with a "Somtam" vendor, asking for change for a 1000B at 7 or checking into a new hotel. 

 

Brilliant.  You're learning already that a Thai School is the last thing you need to learn passa Thai. ?

What happen to that Walen guy anyway?

He was on here all the time arguing with all his haters. 

Always make very entertaining threads

[ubonjoe]

A inflammatory post that used a profanity has been removed.

[sanemax]

Think yourself luck , when I took a years Thai lessons , the "teacher" always turned up 10 minutes late , finished 10 minutes early and usually had to disappear for 20 minutes during the lesson to do some photocopying .

   Kept suggesting that we have "activities days" , which included making loy krotong things, all going to the market and even talking to a ladyboy in the class and one lesson consisted of an American student standing if front of the class and trying to write the Thai alphabet on the whiteboard and the final lesson was a five minute test

[FritsSikkink]

55 minutes ago, SiSePuede419 said:

I remember my first class at Walden Thai Language School.

 

Day one vocabulary included the words for wall, ceiling, window and door.

 

Exactly what you need for starting a conversation with a "Somtam" vendor, asking for change for a 1000B at 7 or checking into a new hotel. 

 

Brilliant.  You're learning already that a Thai School is the last thing you need to learn passa Thai. ?

There are good schools too, I liked:   https://www.phuket-languageschool.com/ 

[FatVern]

Go to the group classes and play dead. Fill the time learning on your own or studying something else. You said you don't care so don't care!

[AlexRich]

Do a six-month course and apply yourself to the study, then leave Thailand for a few weeks and see a neighbouring country, come back on a 60 (convert to 90) day visa, take another break, come back for another 60 (convert to 90) day visa, leave then do another six months in language school. 

 

In the 6-7 month break you will spend 6 months in Thailand free of classes, and you can use that time to practice your Thai, speaking and writing, before taking the next 6 months. You'll enter the next classes with a solid foundation.

 

I sympathise with your plight. You can't really "wing it" when you are learning Thai, and if you don't keep up with vocabulary, etc it is hard to catch up. Alternatively, you tie up a great deal of your time with learning. A six month plus break allows you to catch up and build a solid foundation ... it also means you can explore more of Thailand in the break as you are not tied to classes.

 

[LivinLOS]

18 hours ago, tonray said:

If you have a successful business...then buy an Elite Visa and be done with the aggravation

B visa and work permit springs to mind. 

[LawrenceN]

I don't see in your original post whether you actually discussed this with your teacher. Tell her what you told us. Discuss your goals with them, teacher and school. You're an adult with other things on your mind, not a naughty schoolboy who's failed to do his homework. Tell your "drill sergeant" to chill a bit, slow the pace, and quit demanding perfection. Do all of this, of course, calmly, without ranting or criticizing. Smile.

[Wake Up]

6 hours ago, glegolo said:

drop that boss opinions plse..... What he gave you, was insane many runs to the immigration, mostly in vain...

 

glegolo

I thought he meant find a Thai girl to sleep with as that is the best way to learn Thai. ?