How to practice my Burmese language skills in Thailand?

[simon43]

I'm open to practical suggestions!

 

At the end of October, I will return from Myanmar to live in the back of nowhere, somewhere east of Chachoengsao.

 

While living in Myanmar, I have studied spoken and written Burmese (Myanmarsa) language.  I'm still at a fairly basic level, but I'm very happy with the progress that I've made ?

 

I've invested money into learning Burmese, because my plans are to return to do volunteer teaching in the country when I've had enough of a paid job.  (A likely volunteer organisation is VSO who pay a basic salary, but also provide accommodation and medical insurance).

 

I already speak/read/write Thai to a good level, also Lao to intermediate level.  So I'm sure that these languages and my previous professional and volunteer teaching experience in Myanmar can be put to good use.

 

But right now, I do not want to forget the Burmese that I've learnt!  Well, I want to practice it on a daily basis to improve it...

 

The only option that I can think of (apart from having a Burmese wife/GF - not a good idea for me!), is to employ a Burmese maid in my house who will occasionally clean the place, but mostly just chat in Burmese with me.

 

But how to find a Burmese maid in the sticks?  (I'm sure Burmese communities exist throughout Thailand, but short of walking around the local fresh market with a big job advert sign in Burmese, I'm not sure how to locate a candidate for the job ?

 

Suggestions to solve this problem are welcome ?

[Rhys]

Volunteer at the Burmese Refugee camps, they could use your language skills...aye.

[simon43]

Volunteer at the Burmese Refugee camps, they could use your language skills...aye.

 

A reasonable suggestion if I were living near a refugee camp - not sure such things exist east of Chachoengsao...

[melvinmelvin]

OP,

 

you'll find heaps of Pama in Bangkok

in Nonthaburi

in Nakhon Pathom

in Samuth Sakhon

(not to speak of Ranong)

 

shouldn't be tricky at all to find a housemaid

[FritsSikkink]

Have a look at a construction side in the neighborhood.