I want to learn Thai language

[tgeezer]

You will learn that syllables end with Kay Pee tee Em en ng oy iw This is only true for the ‘live words’ em en and ng oy iw, dead words have no endings sounded, that is why they are called ‘dead’, they end by closing the throat ‘k’ by the tongue on the back of the teeth or gums ‘d’ or ‘t’ and by closing the lips ‘b’ or ‘p’ . So as someone said he used to hear kop and sometimes kob , he may well have done but the speaker didn’t make a sound because it isn’t the English ending, pa ba it is just a coming together of the lips no sound is made.

You don’t have to learn 125 vowels. There are only 9 vowels which can be doubled to 18 because they can be said long or short, and the 2nd 3rd and 4 th can be combined with the 1st, and again long and short, making 6 more, a total of 24, I can’t see how to make 125 vowels.



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[tgeezer]

Ah yes, the marvellous Dr Brown, now deceased, and his 'natural method'. I spent five wonderful, full-time months, thirty-one years ago, at AUA Rajadamri, being bombarded by my teachers (including the delectable Oiy) with slowly more complex Thai. Golden days.

I never met Marvin Brown, his natural method was something of a mystery, I just did regular reading and writing classes at the AUA for a few months in 1985 I think it was.
I was introduced to the AUA by a friend who spent most of his time in the language lab with his ear phones on reading from a mighty tome perfecting his language. He took private tuition or harassed, I am not sure which, the lady in the office at the other end of the corridor.


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[tgeezer]

If You say so.Have you tried eating water. Lazy Thai V Hi So BKK.

กิน means to chew: กินหมาก, to chew and swallow: กินข้าว and to swallow: กินนำ้
กิน includes ดื่ม but ดื่ม does not include กิน


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[HTC]

As previously mentioned I 100% agree that if you want to get a good understanding of the language and pronounce the tones correctly it is important to learn to read.

 

The letters are spilt into classes (low, mid, high). This coupled with the vowel length and ending sound of a word gives the tone. Also there are symbols above many consonants that denote or change the tone.

Basically when armed with this knowledge of the tone rules, you instantly know the tone for every word.

 

Ensure you practice a lot with a person who is willing to correct your mistakes properly. It helps.

 

Without sounding derogatory, I personally copy the accent of any language I am trying to speak. I actually perform an impression of a Thai person speaking. It feels strange at first, but believe me, it sounds correct to native speakers. It then becomes natural to yourself. You will lose your own accent when speaking the new language.

 

Once you get into a language, the cultural side just falls into place to a certain extent.

 

Good luck and don't be afraid to mess up. Thai people generally like to hear people speak their language and for me personally, it just makes things so much easier in life not having to rely on someone to translate all the time.

[smotherb]

19 hours ago, bergan said:

Thank you for that! Norwegian here as well, by the way.

 

Just felt the need to comment and tell my story, so the OP isn't discouraged from giving it a try. It would be helpful to know more about the OPs situation, though, as it is a lot easier to learn the way I did if you live in a village where you are constantly surrounded by Thais and have very few foreigners to talk to. The best approach always depends on the circumstances and your situation, IMO. Apples and oranges, etc.

I have to agree with being thrown into a situation where you have to speak the language is the best way to learn conversation, but school is best for proficiency in the language--grammar, reading and writing.

 

[mlkik]

17 hours ago, jgarbo said:

You can't learn Thai from a book, or even CDs. You don't know how to listen. 

Well I did!

[Baerboxer]

On 10/26/2018 at 8:05 AM, GinBoy2 said:

It helps if you already speak a tonal language.

I speak mandarin after living in China for many years, so it was pretty easy for me to hear the tones, and my wife basically coached me through it.

Now, had I not been able to hear the tones, I'm pretty sure me and my wife and come to blows and one of us would be dead right now.

So, professional language school is the way to go...they, unlike a spouse or girlfriend will be gentle with you

 

Agree with that. My wife's an experienced teacher but getting her to teach me to speak Thai is useless. Just doesn't work. 

Looking for good language school or person to teach me now.

[charliebadenhop]

Just to say again, for me the Lingopolo platform is excellent. It uses an SRS system (Spaced Repetition System). I easily study an hour a day and I am getting good results. Very gratifying!

 

 

[smotherb]

19 hours ago, jgarbo said:

You can't learn Thai from a book, or even CDs. You don't know how to listen. 

Some can learn; you have to have the will and some ability. I met a young video vendor in Vietnam who said she learned English watching the videos.

[Kwasaki]

On 10/26/2018 at 2:43 PM, wombat said:

a couple of places on Soi6/1 Pattaya run intensive tuition.

 

Yeah I know Thai for go ATM. 

[Kwasaki]

3 hours ago, smotherb said:

Some can learn; you have to have the will and some ability. I met a young video vendor in Vietnam who said she learned English watching the videos.

Not same. 

[Kwasaki]

5 hours ago, mlkik said:

Well I did!

Well all I know to avoid is some English words " he" "dark" and chip etc 

[Kwasaki]

On 10/25/2018 at 9:17 AM, HAKAPALITA said:

I just cringe when some ferangs speak Thai. Polite that they do try, but remember to Thais, as You laughed at the Swedish Chef on the Muppet Show and Ello Ello, thats just how U sound to them. Some Brits seem to Copy well. Germans are a bloody disaster.

I find Germans if they want speak Thai speak quite well because there language is back to front. 

Frankly it's a silly repeat language as far as I see and know, I know enough for what I want that does. me fine. 

 

[HAKAPALITA]

22 minutes ago, Kwasaki said:

I find Germans if they want speak Thai speak quite well because there language is back to front. 

Frankly it's a silly repeat language as far as I see and know, I know enough for what I want that does. me fine. 

 

When i learned a bit of Thai at 30 ish in Esarn , thought i was the Dogs Nuts. Out with Thais on the Pop every night. 6 months later in BKK Thais just grinned and said Thai Lao. I was a hit on Soi Cowboy with the Girls though.. they understood.

[GinBoy2]

2 hours ago, HAKAPALITA said:

When i learned a bit of Thai at 30 ish in Esarn , thought i was the Dogs Nuts. Out with Thais on the Pop every night. 6 months later in BKK Thais just grinned and said Thai Lao. I was a hit on Soi Cowboy with the Girls though.. they understood.

I had a kind of interesting language journey.

 

So we were living in Singapore when my wife was guiding me through the Thai thing. Now she’s from Khon Kaen so would speak Isaan Lao, Thai & English to our son, so he’s totally fluent in all of them.

 

So it’s a little interesting when you try to separate them, but essentially Lao & Thai are kissing cousins, and once you you know one, it doesn’t take much to decipher the other.

 

I would say however that I find Lao easier to hear, the tones, at least to my ears are crisper than regular Thai

[simon43]

I learnt to speak/read/write Thai with a very good (and tough) lady teacher in Silom around 2004.  Had to use Thai every day since my first Thai wife wasn't too good at speaking English, and our Thai workmen knew exactly zero words in English.

 

My Thai wives (1st and 2nd) and their family members all came from Issan and usually spoke Issan between themselves.  After learning Thai, it was easy to pick up some conversational Issan, and then use that as a building block to reading and writing Lao language.

 

Now I've been working in Myanmar for a few years.  I have Burmese language lessons twice a week (speaking, reading and writing).  After learning Thai and Lao, Burmese is just another bunch of 'squiggles'!  Fun to learn....

[smotherb]

3 hours ago, Kwasaki said:

Not same. 

Gee, I did not realize I said it was the same. People learn in different ways; books have long been a learning tool and so have sound recordings--long before CDs. Just because some cannot, doesn't make your statement correct; in fact, it makes you wrong.

[smotherb]

On 10/26/2018 at 5:02 PM, jgarbo said:

Never learn from a woman. You'll learn "phasaa ying" instead of "phasaa chai," Girl talk instead of man talk. You'll sound gay. From a bar girl you'll "phasaa talat" market talk (low class). Learn from a professional. 

No problem then; my ladyboy is a lawyer.

[HAKAPALITA]

51 minutes ago, GinBoy2 said:

I had a kind of interesting language journey.

 

So we were living in Singapore when my wife was guiding me through the Thai thing. Now she’s from Khon Kaen so would speak Isaan Lao, Thai & English to our son, so he’s totally fluent in all of them.

 

So it’s a little interesting when you try to separate them, but essentially Lao & Thai are kissing cousins, and once you you know one, it doesn’t take much to decipher the other.

 

I would say however that I find Lao easier to hear, the tones, at least to my ears are crisper than regular Thai

Boon Boon Gri.

[MyFriend You]

11 hours ago, Kwasaki said:

I find Germans if they want speak Thai speak quite well because there language is back to front. 

Frankly it's a silly repeat language as far as I see and know, I know enough for what I want that does. me fine. 

 

I'm sorry, I don't find that true at all, virtually all German owned bars and restaurants I go to, the owners speak street or garbage Thai, loud, boisterous,  mumbling baby talk Thai..........and some I have known for 25-30 years still don't know much more than their own little bar nucleus.  I did meet a German Bank manager that spoke incredibly good Thai, but he was the son of a German Diplomat posted to Bangkok for about 15 years.  He is the only German I have met, that I would say speaks and understands the Thai language, but all will tell you "I speak fluent Thai"  I find the Indian Business men in Bangkok and Pattaya speak a very nice fluent, easily understandable Thai, they have been here for generations.

[MyFriend You]

15 hours ago, smotherb said:

Some can learn; you have to have the will and some ability. I met a young video vendor in Vietnam who said she learned English watching the videos.

My Vietnamese Lady learned English by watching all my American VHS tapes, I had to work, she stayed home, and to this day "Good Morning Vietnam" is her favorite movie - she cried when she learned Robin Williams died.  She can't read a single word, but can chat up a storm.  We've been together 22 years.

Edited October 27, 2018 by TunnelRat69

[blackhorse]

100% depends where you live. I've seen farang practicing thai in busy English pubs on lower Sukhumvit and the waitress being seriously pissed off because she is to busy to be annoyed by some farang trying to impress and failing

If you live in isaan then you damn well better know your thai if only to over hear your extended family planning your demise and claiming your house. [emoji23]

[Kwasaki]

4 hours ago, TunnelRat69 said:

I'm sorry, I don't find that true at all, virtually all German owned bars and restaurants I go

I don't know farangie bars & restaurants owner don't want to.

My experience is where I live are retirees a German doctor and a German Company owner, they even speak better English than me. ????

[smotherb]

4 hours ago, TunnelRat69 said:

My Vietnamese Lady learned English by watching all my American VHS tapes, I had to work, she stayed home, and to this day "Good Morning Vietnam" is her favorite movie - she cried when she learned Robin Williams died.  She can't read a single word, but can chat up a storm.  We've been together 22 years.

Yes, this vendor was maybe 14, but she spoke English very well--proper verbs and possessives even. I asked her about school; she said they taught English in school. However, as I later learned, she quit school early. I have met many other Vietnamese who stayed in school, but do not speak as well. So go figure.

[HAKAPALITA]

Well, as long as its fun.Nothing worse than the Ferang whoes become an expert. Nothing beats getting it wrong, Like calling to the Family in Macro Car Park, Is their still time to Visit the Droopy Tit.?........ Num Tok instead of Nam. Laughing Mom n Pop owners , and one embarrassed Wife.

[Katia]

On 10/26/2018 at 3:33 AM, Kerryd said:

My main beef in Thailand is trying to get people to correct me when I say something wrong ! I will directly ask someone if I am saying something wrong and they will usually just nod. I think it's a cultural thing as they are scared to correct anyone.

 

I think that's it... but if it really mattered and I suspected Thai friends didn't want to correct me, I imagine that explaining to them that if they don't correct me, I'll lose face every time I speak to other people (look like a fool speaking incorrectly) might help to impress on them that correcting me, especially among friends where they can tell me gently and lovingly and no one will ridicule me, is actually the kinder (more greng jai) thing to do...

 

 

On 10/26/2018 at 3:33 AM, Kerryd said:

I've also found that some of the books (and CDs/DVDs) give contradictory pronunciations of different words. I was at work (in Afghanistan) and spent time trying to learn some basic words, like the days of the week. Come back to Thailand try speaking those words and no one can understand me. One book says Monday is "Wun Jun" and one says it is "Wun Jan". Now I am still screwed up about the proper way to say it and every time I go to say a day of the week I hesitate and second guess myself about the right way to pronounce it.

I spent ages (literally years) saying "gin khao" in a flat (middle tone) and no one would correct me or tell me that I wasn't saying "eat rice" but was saying "eat knee" (they knew what I meant to say but would never correct me) !

 

I've had difficulties with other words/phrases as well, as some people say "nit noi" and others say "nid noi". Or some say "khop khun krap" but others say "khob khun kap".
And that's without even going into the "tonal" aspect of the language.

 

That's precisely why you learn how to read (and/or listen to people speaking the words).  English transliteration of Thai can be ridiculous; even the Thais will spell things in impossible ways, in ways that I would expect from someone who knows just enough Thai to be dangerous but not enough to know how it really works... except these are *native speakers*... like "Sukhumvit" even though they know Thai has no V sound and "sawasdee" even though they know "S" is neither an ending consonant nor the ending sound for that particular consonant.  It's like they're setting up foreigners for failure from the get-go.

 

Also, a lot of English transliterations assume you use British-English pronunciation.  The British may pronounce "porn" the way it's intended, but for Americans you'd be better to spell it "pawn" (and would get fewer giggles and misunderstandings, as well).  Brits may pronounce "arn" the way it's intended, but for Americans it should be spelled "aan" or "ahn."  Yet even American sources meant for American learners won't do it.  Or as in your example... to pronounce it "jun" would suggest using an entirely different vowel ("เจิน" or even perhaps "จุน"), so it's doubly incorrect (though I imagine they're trying to keep you from pronouncing it as the name "Jan," which would also be an entirely different vowel ("แจ็น"), so... yeah, easier just to learn to read Thai than to figure out which of 3 or 4 ways they mean for you to pronounce the letter "A" in a particular word).  In the U.S. I can often be heard at Thai restaurants looking at the menu in despair and saying, "If they'd write it in Thai I'd know how to pronounce it!!!"

 

 

On 10/26/2018 at 5:57 AM, jgarbo said:

 The biggest problem is vowel sounds - Thai ~125 against English ~21. They must be pure. Long and short vowels are tricky

IMO Thai vowels can be easier... they don't have more sounds than we use in English, they just *write* more sounds.  Means you never question how to pronounce something.  In English, how do you pronounce the vowel "E"?  Who knows, until you are told how to pronounce the particular word.  In Thai, separate vowels will tell you how to pronounce different sounds that might all be ascribed to the same vowel in the English language (see also above).

 

Long and short easier to pick up once I figured out how my teacher pronounced them: word is same length, just depends on how soon you arrive at the next consonant.  "jaan" vs. "jann" (hard to explain in text, but long vowel: vowel is long, consonant is shorter.  Short vowel: vowel is short, consonant is longer and almost seems to be "held" for a moment, or vowel seems "cut off" by the consonant.  In this example, "jann" would represent the fact that you let the "n" sound resonate for a moment longer.)

Edited October 28, 2018 by Katia

[HAKAPALITA]

When you dream in Thai, youve cracked it.

[PATZAK]

You can communicate with Thai people or Thai friend  or can communicate with me .

[dinsdale]

Numbers, how to order a beer, how to order another beer, how to order food, days of the week and time.????

[Kwasaki]

27 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

Numbers, how to order a beer, how to order another beer, how to order food, days of the week and time.????

Write number down, Chang big, Chang big, point your finger at the picture in the menu, point at the calendar or show in mobile, point at the clock on your mobile. job done. ????

Edited October 28, 2018 by Kwasaki