After Age 60: Is it possible to learn to Read and Speak Thai? And, Is it Worth the Effort?

[PixelPaul]

Of course you can learn a new language after the age of 60, there is no biological reason why you couldn't. Learning a new language is difficult at any age, but with a bit of determination and daily practice, surely you can do this.

[olfu]

No reason learn particular language--I speak universal language called money.

[GinBoy2]

22 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

No.

Waste of time especially if you travel around the country.  The dialects are different Thais lets say in the north, cannot understand everthing a Bangkok Thai says.

 

10 hours ago, GinBoy2 said:

No thats totally wrong.

 

We aren't talking dialect we're talking language and I think you have it totally backwards.

 

The Thais in the North and Northeast will speak Lanna & Lao, but they all speak Thai as well. They can all understand  completely what a person in Bangkok is speaking standard Thai is saying.

 

The reverse however is not true. Take a Bangkokian to Khon Kaen and they won't have a clue whats being said to them, until the person changes to Thai.

 

I just thought about this.

 

You do understand one of the absurd aspects of Thai education is language.

 

In the Northeast, kids and teachers are forbidden to speak Lao as soon as they enter the school gates, and they must speak Thai.

 

As soon as they leave school both kids and teachers revert to speaking Lao.

 

Years ago I was talking to a friend of mine who is Welsh. He told me in years gone by in Wales they had something called the 'Welsh Stick' which was used to beat a kid who dared speak Welsh in school. Thailand isn't far off that!

[ChristianBlessing]

I can't answer your second question, but for the first question, you most can learn Thai or any other language. At 68, upon my retirement, I began studying Thai more as a mental challenge than as a necessity as I only visit Thailand 2-3 months a year. There is significant scientific evidence to support that the effort (if not success) in studying a language will result in neural plasticity and better cognition and memory in aging adults.

 

I am currently in my home country and am focusing on learning the Thai alphabet and reading Thai. I spend, on most days, an hour or two. While what I'm doing is more decoding than reading, I am making progress. As I'm no longer working so it hardly interrupts my day. I regard it as one aspect of my daily exercise and health regimen. 

 

As you can read in other replies it may not be useful or prudent, but if you're motivated it is most certainly possible.

[GinBoy2]

15 minutes ago, ChristianBlessing said:

I can't answer your second question, but for the first question, you most can learn Thai or any other language. At 68, upon my retirement, I began studying Thai more as a mental challenge than as a necessity as I only visit Thailand 2-3 months a year. There is significant scientific evidence to support that the effort (if not success) in studying a language will result in neural plasticity and better cognition and memory in aging adults.

 

I am currently in my home country and am focusing on learning the Thai alphabet and reading Thai. I spend, on most days, an hour or two. While what I'm doing is more decoding than reading, I am making progress. As I'm no longer working so it hardly interrupts my day. I regard it as one aspect of my daily exercise and health regimen. 

 

As you can read in other replies it may not be useful or prudent, but if you're motivated it is most certainly possible.

I know as dumb as this might sound, but to improve your language skills try watching a Thai lakorn for an hour or so a day.

 

If you already have basic language skills your brain will start to fill in the blanks.

 

I did it for Mandarin when I lived in China, and it's a well documented way that Latina hotel staff learn English while cleaning rooms and watching Daytime TV

[izod10]

The only time you will need Thai language is when lost in the jungle,finding the way out

[luckyluke]

It was mandatory, when I was young, to learn the 3 national Belgian languages. 

Than English, I think around when we were 14-15.

20 years ago, when I came to Thailand to live permanently, I intended to learn Thai, but quickly gave up : too lazy, too difficult, not really necessary ( I buy, don't sell, anything). 

And Thais are pleased (vain) when I tell them I am too stupid to learn/speak Thai, but admire their English knowledge ( Usually worse than my English). 

Thais have mostly a high self-esteem of themselves. 

You tell a lady she is beautiful, and she believe it,

you tell a Thai he/she is clever and they believe it. 

 

 

Edited June 4, 2020 by luckyluke

[thaipo7]

I have been in and out of Thailand for 50 years now and I still do not know the language.  I can get around and eat and stuff like this but to hold a conversation - Now way.  I can't get the tones right.  I think my hearing plays in this.  I am 72 now.  My wife learned English must faster that I could ever learn Thai.  Yes you are treated differently when you know Thai words that are above what a normal farang would speak.  I do seem to speak more Thai when I am very mad or have been drinking.  lol

[1FinickyOne]

53 minutes ago, izod10 said:

The only time you will need Thai language is when lost in the jungle,finding the way out

how about for conversing with someone? getting to know people is interesting... especially from a different culture. It can be a daily activity. unlike, for most of us, getting lost in the jungle.. 

[1FinickyOne]

21 minutes ago, thaipo7 said:

I do seem to speak more Thai when I am very mad or have been drinking.  lol

Bottoms up. 

[vogie]

If you live in a country surely it is only respectfull to learn some of that language, the Thais will love you for it. I have more respect for someone in my country speaking english than someone expecting me to know their language, it is total arrogance to think that everyone should speak your language.

A little time and effort learning some thai costs nothing and the Thais might even like you instead of thinking you are an arrogant foreigner.

 

[pineapple01]

If You should crack it Lucky You. But dont sound like these Ferang Fools i hear who recon they can.Thais find them embarrassing but are to polite to say. You Speak Good, and off they waddle believing they can.

[OneMoreFarang]

10 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Why would I want to talk with stupid people?

(Beyond simple commerce)

Why would you want to live in an area with stupid people around you?

And how do you know they are stupid if you don't understand them?

Or are you one of those people who think others are stupid because they are not fluent in whatever language YOU speak?

[thaibeachlovers]

On 6/3/2020 at 7:35 AM, hgma said:

the more you learn the more distance will appear between you and GF, phone calls are answered in a different space etc etc

my suggestion is lean basics for polite returns to family and unknown Thai, the less you know what is simmering around you the better off you be. and gives you more time to watch and check the most important issue here......money trails

Agree. Anyone can learn basic Thai to get by, but why anyone would want to converse about food or Thai tv soaps is beyond me.

Why learn to read it? Do you want to read Thai books? Might help when the divorce comes though, so one can know if the wife is screwing one in the divorce documents.

[thaibeachlovers]

17 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Why would you want to live in an area with stupid people around you?

And how do you know they are stupid if you don't understand them?

Or are you one of those people who think others are stupid because they are not fluent in whatever language YOU speak?

When I lived in the village the gossips used to gather under the house to converse about the "farang". I had no desire to know what they were saying about me.

I have no idea if they were stupid or not, but I had zero desire to converse with any of them, and least of all with my horrid MIL or the greedy family.

 

When living in the city, everyone I needed to talk to spoke English.

[thaibeachlovers]

32 minutes ago, vogie said:

If you live in a country surely it is only respectfull to learn some of that language, the Thais will love you for it. I have more respect for someone in my country speaking english than someone expecting me to know their language, it is total arrogance to think that everyone should speak your language.

A little time and effort learning some thai costs nothing and the Thais might even like you instead of thinking you are an arrogant foreigner.

 

Did you not read the headline? At age 60 it becomes more difficult to distinguish tones, on which the Thai language depends. At 60 I was unable to hear any difference in tones at all.

One can definitely learn enough Thai to get by at any age though. Just don't expect conversation.

[sezze]

Yes you can do it . And Yes it is worth it , if you step out 1 foot of the tourist zone . In tourist area , it isnt necessary but people wont look at you the same . If you go out of the tourist area , you gain a lot of face , and it makes all a lot easier .

You do not have to speak everything and/or read write ( thats a lot harder ) , but basic conversation /understanding is certainly appreciated by Thai people ( not in bars , there they switch straight away to Isaan or local dialect if they spot somebody who can understand them ) .  

[vogie]

2 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Did you not read the headline? At age 60 it becomes more difficult to distinguish tones, on which the Thai language depends. At 60 I was unable to hear any difference in tones at all.

One can definitely learn enough Thai to get by at any age though. Just don't expect conversation.

Maybe you don't have the flair or judging by your last 3 posts are even possitive enough to learn thai.

[Orton Rd]

46 minutes ago, vogie said:

If you live in a country surely it is only respectfull to learn some of that language, the Thais will love you for it. I have more respect for someone in my country speaking english than someone expecting me to know their language, it is total arrogance to think that everyone should speak your language.

A little time and effort learning some thai costs nothing and the Thais might even like you instead of thinking you are an arrogant foreigner.

 

In my experience they don't love you for it at all, more often they misunderatand you, often deliberatly according to the Mrs and refuse to enter into an exchange. It became obvious years ago it was a waste of time when the cashiers at Big C etc hardly ever underdtood the card number I gave them. Recently went into local shop who suddenly did not understand beer chang song kuwat, despite me going in there fairly often but usually with the Mrs. They had to trot out an 8 year old to translate, luckily her Englsih was amazingly good and she did they whole transaction, top of her year at school. Kids are usualy better at understanding me speaking to them in Thai, why is that?

Edited June 4, 2020 by Orton Rd

[vogie]

2 minutes ago, Orton Rd said:

In my experience they don't love you for it at all, more often they misunderatand you, often deliberatly according to the Mrs and refuse to enter into an exchange. It became obvious years ago it was a waste of time when the cashiers at Big C etc hardly ever underdtood the card number I gave them. Recently went into local shop who suddenly did not understand beer chang song kuwat, despite me going in there fairly often but usually with the Mrs. They had to trot out an 8 year old to translate, luckily her Englsih was amazingly good and she did they whole transaction, top of her year at school.

I have never found that, most Thais I converse with are very polite and understanding.

Maybe they truly didn't understand you, I cannot comment because I don't know, I wouldn't have thought that they would deliberately misunderstand though, what would be their purpose for such an act?

[Orton Rd]

2 minutes ago, vogie said:

I have never found that, most Thais I converse with are very polite and understanding.

Maybe they truly didn't understand you, I cannot comment because I don't know, I wouldn't have thought that they would deliberately misunderstand though, what would be their purpose for such an act?

Many do not like foreigners, in Bangkok at least.

[StevieAus]

On 6/3/2020 at 5:25 AM, bkk6060 said:

No.

Waste of time especially if you travel around the country.  The dialects are different Thais lets say in the north, cannot understand everthing a Bangkok Thai says.

I think you have it the wrong way around Thais in the North learn Lana which is the tradional language here but when they go to school they learn “ Central  Thai” which is the National Thai language.

Only a couple of days ago I spoke to my daughters teacher regarding the same subject and she confirmed that if she speaks to her friends in Bangkok in Lana they don’t understand her but using “Central Thai” they do.

Just for the record we have travelled extensively throughout Thailand and I don’t recall my wife having problems communicating with the locals presumably she speaks “Central Thai”

[ChakaKhan]

I could be wrong but wasnt the Op just talking about leaving LOS days ago?  I could be mistaken....

 

This is among my top 4, basic daily questions by thais sizing me up..daily since 2008--exhausting

1- where u from???  I now say Mogadishu and enjoy the reactions

2-how long u sa-tay thai-laaaan?  I say I just arrived---(been here since 2008).so they can trick me

3-Do u sha-ah-peak thai?---I say Mai chai and again watch their faces before they gossip about me

4-do u have thai lady? I say I dunno--DO I?  and wink.....hee hee giggle giggle from thais, then say Im poor

 

So when they hear me speak basic survival thai they AUTOMATICALLY say I must have a thai GF

No can u believe I actually use my brain to learn---I then counter with--YOU must have a falang BF

since you can speak eng-grish!!!!  Ooooooo..nooooooo mai mee..no hab no hab....oh but I must have thai gf?!

 

I use basic thai memorized to do basic things, but smile and nod when they start talking to me-gaeng mak!

I basically just study-watch-observe thais and copy them--when in rome amirite??  joop joop teerak!!!

[thaibeachlovers]

23 minutes ago, vogie said:

Maybe you don't have the flair or judging by your last 3 posts are even possitive enough to learn thai.

LOL I could speak Thai.

[vogie]

3 minutes ago, Orton Rd said:

Many do not like foreigners, in Bangkok at least.

I can only take Thais as I find them, most have been amicable, of course there are always going to be occasions where you get one that doesn't like foreigners, I sure that happens in most countries, but it worries me not, I treat people as I wish to be treated.

Maybe I have been lucky and maybe you less so.

[cyril sneer]

I learned the numbers to lesson the chance of getting screwed over every time I pay for something

 

The rest seems more effort than it's worth. There still arn't enough decent learning apps/resources available like there are for other languages

 

Some people say conversing with people is best way to learn, but then you have to enjoy conversing with people

[BritManToo]

10 hours ago, Sujo said:

If the girl cannot converse enough with you in english then dont bother.

I've always found typing the amount on my phone then showing it to her works in any country.

"$30?"

[Bender Rodriguez]

is Thai useful outside of thailand?

 

a few more years and we (kid) are out of here for university

[Surasak]

10 hours ago, teatime101 said:

Ask the guy in the mirror.

All very well, but they don't make mirrors like they uses to☺️

[BritManToo]

1 hour ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Why would you want to live in an area with stupid people around you?

And how do you know they are stupid if you don't understand them?

Or are you one of those people who think others are stupid because they are not fluent in whatever language YOU speak?

Having an IQ of 140+, it's fair to assume most people around me are stupid ........ comparatively speaking.

It's lonely at the top!

 

But agree, you may well find Thais more on your level.

Where did I say I can't understand them?

Edited June 4, 2020 by BritManToo