14 minutes ago, Vacuum said:

It's not about lack of decency. It's a very difficult language to learn, especially if you're older than 40. However, I don't read Thai but understand and talk a bit and I've never had any problems  understanding what documents are needed for Immi purposes.

To learn a basic Thai I think this should be possible for everybody… even older people. I mean that you can have a basic Smalltalk. There are a lot of foreigners who able to talk with Thai people about normal daily problems.

 

But to learn Thai to a level to understand and read an official letter or something similar is much much more complicated. And I think there are not many foreigners who really are able to read a contract or a letter. and that would be needed to understand a letter which have to be signed. So I understand that this is not possible for maybe 99% of the foreigners.

 

But still I am thinking, that if you life in Thailand you should at least learn a basic Thai!

 

 

14 minutes ago, HampiK said:

But still I am thinking, that if you life in Thailand you should at least learn a basic Thai!

Can you define "basic Thai"?

2 minutes ago, Vacuum said:

Can you define "basic Thai"?

a good question and not easy to answer.

I would say that you are able to have easy conversations with other Thais. So you can order food by yourself, on a market you can ask the price, maybe can bargain about the price. When you are on a Taxi, can tell the taxi driver where he have to drive (left, right, straight on, …). I know that the Thai language is difficult, and I guess most Thais are already happy when you are able to talk a little bit (  I mean more than only hello and thanks.)

1 minute ago, HampiK said:

a good question and not easy to answer.

I would say that you are able to have easy conversations with other Thais. So you can order food by yourself, on a market you can ask the price, maybe can bargain about the price. When you are on a Taxi, can tell the taxi driver where he have to drive (left, right, straight on, …).

Ok, thanks. I'm at that level (perhaps a little bit more), but I can't sit down and have a 'small talk' conversation, wish I could though.

I try to learn it when I was 53, it didn't work well.

 

I stopped the day I was at a local market trying to order something in Thai, and the vendor told me : " Can you say it in English, Sir ".

On 10/17/2018 at 2:56 PM, R123 said:

 

The OP waited 7 hours and more and I am wondering if there is some ways to ease the boredom of such a wait.

Down load Netflix to your smartphone/tablet and download a bunch of shows. 

Just like a long flight...

On 10/17/2018 at 3:19 PM, ThailandLOS said:

"The agent spoke no English so she could not tell me anything about why I needed the new documents or map"

 

And you spoke/read no Thai after 14 years in Thailand and couldn't ask why you needed the new documents or map. Works both ways buddy ????

Exactly. I've seen this time and again. Guys reside in this country for years and never take the time (even a few hours a week) to take a few inexpensive classes and learn some Thai. I learned Thai at the local library. 10 1 hour lessons for 1000THB. I went 3 times a week for a few months. My Thai is now good enough to handle most simple business situations ... along with Google Translate I can get along fine where nobody speaks any English.

6 hours ago, Vacuum said:

Can you define "basic Thai"?

74 languages ......maybe ..??

                                      Basic thai is your daily street talk an good mannerism everyday to the old and the young ...hi.hello,how r u,raining today ,how much ,good morning ,good night ,love you ,do not understand ,ETC....2/3/4/5 WORDS MAX....they understand real quick an usually embarass you when they talk back to you in english..

OH i forgot ....

"Trolls to the left of me ,Trolls to right ,Trolls straight a head of me ,seems anything i say is never right" ...

 

On 10/17/2018 at 2:37 PM, TSF said:

Dunno about Vietnam, got a friend living there, married to Viet gal, they have 2 children together, last year he told me imm refused to give him a further ext and told him to depart the country, get a new visa then return, which is what he did. At least in Thailand if you're married to a Thai and have the 400,000Bt they'll keep giving you annual exts. But, yes, I do agree, Thailand has been making life difficult for many expats in recent times. 

Think there is probably more to this story. I also have a friend married to a Vietnamese girl and he has never had a problem renewing his 5 year marriage visa. I also have a 1 year visa renewed on the internet yearly without having to visit an immigration office. Your friend has done something to attract their interest.