When in BKK last week I was going to my car when I was greeted in thai, I returned the greeting and then to my surprise in an American accent I heard, "yeah, I heard you spoke excellent Thai". I was taken aback but it turned out it was his hotel and his staff and been impressed by my use of the language.

I think if you are going to live here its a good move to show a willingness to integrate. Obviously I don't live in BKK (by choice) where you don't need to speak thai to survive but I would have though it would helpl public relations anywhere. I have certainly found it is appreciated.

So what is the concensus?

Ps. Helpful to let us know how long you've been here or been coming here if you are not a resident.

Edited May 7, 200719 yr by Loz

Not too necessary in farang venues but I think indispensable up country.

A have a few books, which i browse from time to time when i get bored.

I think i'm getting better but still no good. I just hope i don't end up being one of those people who's been here 20 years and still can't speak the language.

I spent a lot of time attending AUA classes the first few years that I was here, but I have never "studied" other than just remembering what I picked up screwing around in class and traveling around.

Mostly I just rap with hookers and ladies who give me a massage, but it comes in handy sometimes.

One time our slow boat turned over in Laos and we had to spend the night in some God-forsaken village in the middle of nowhere. I was the only person who could communicate with the locals, so I got to be hero for a day.

Your poll does not, in my humble bilingual opinion, have enough options. How about adding,

I tried a little, but the complexity just blew me away, more than batski-kop did.

I'm tone deaf and probably too old to master a third language.

I don't have nearly as much need to learn it as many farang have.

There are more reasons and obstacles to keep from learning Thai, as there are incentives to learn it.

I'm tone deaf and probably too old to master a third language.

That's me! Maybe in another year I'll have the basics down pat...

PB, I agree it is a broader church. But having read this forum so much I am confident that it is not beyond the wit of your various members to elect an option of "best fit" and be done with it. They are a canny lot. It will take more than a restricted menu to bamboozle them, to be sure!

Your poll does not, in my humble bilingual opinion, have enough options. How about adding,

I tried a little, but the complexity just blew me away, more than batski-kop did.

I'm tone deaf and probably too old to master a third language.

I don't have nearly as much need to learn it as many farang have.

There are more reasons and obstacles to keep from learning Thai, as there are incentives to learn it.

Maybe the option "I make up a series for reasons to justify my lack of effort" should be added.

Or, "I just got here, not sure I'm going to be allowed to stay, and have an aversion to Pali script"

Or, "I already speak 4 languages other than my native tongue; not enthusiastic about learning another 1 country language"

Or, "no compendo el ingles, que te pasa pinche guerro, sabes, a tu madre!"

Now use to the local shop owners rolling about the floor, tears streaming from their eyes when the missus sends me for the shopping. Sure she calls them and tells them I'm on my way as there always seems to be a crowd

Mind you it's not half as funny as listening to the missus trying out her Aberdonian

I actually picked '2' without reading it properly. I have only a little bit of Thai but intend to learn it properly when I move there. Even having a little helps a lot!

I do not know how long I will be allowed to stay here so I think making the remarkable effort of learning such a difficult language is not worth the trouble.

I think that I have put quite a lot of effort into learning Thai. Since moving to LOS five years ago I spend at least an hour a day studying. I got rid of my UBC pay-to-view channels and now only watch Thai TV and I spend time reading Thai everyday.

I still have a way to go but can watch TV and understand almost everything (depending on the type of show). I listen to Buddhist audio talks in Thai and can follow them. I would like to improve my pronunciation and eventually speak Thai with a Thai accent but know that this will time.

I actually enjoy learning Thai and think it is vital to be continuously learning in order to progress. I no longer use Thai language course books but found them useful when I needed them. I love reading and my slowly improving ability to read Thai has opened up a whole new world to me.

I am currently on an 8-week working holiday in Ireland but still spend an hour a day on my Thai.

I sad to see most of the negatives are due to "can't be bothered".

I speak a little of 5 other languages but now Thai is my second/Third best language. I could get away with not speaking much more than the basics but I have been able to have great laughs and fun times through being able to understand and participate with local folk.

I guess it depends on WHY you are here. It does get easier with practice. my first 3 months were hard but then it started to come together. My two penneth is give it a chance. Much less scope for those uncomfortable missunderstandings.

Garro,

I've got mad respect for your learning to read Thai. I can make out some words and I can write my name but thats about it. I will make that breakthrough this year I trust and look forward to the world of reading thai!

I think that I have put quite a lot of effort into learning Thai. Since moving to LOS five years ago I spend at least an hour a day studying. I got rid of my UBC pay-to-view channels and now only watch Thai TV and I spend time reading Thai everyday.

I still have a way to go but can watch TV and understand almost everything (depending on the type of show). I listen to Buddhist audio talks in Thai and can follow them. I would like to improve my pronunciation and eventually speak Thai with a Thai accent but know that this will time.

I actually enjoy learning Thai and think it is vital to be continuously learning in order to progress. I no longer use Thai language course books but found them useful when I needed them. I love reading and my slowly improving ability to read Thai has opened up a whole new world to me.

I am currently on an 8-week working holiday in Ireland but still spend an hour a day on my Thai.

Good effort Garro - I wish I could say I did as well, but alas it is much more seldom these days.

I do speak and read it well enough to get around ok using no other language though. But since I decided to make this my home for as long as I can stay, I don't think that is good enough.

Garro,

I've got mad respect for your learning to read Thai. I can make out some words and I can write my name but thats about it. I will make that breakthrough this year I trust and look forward to the world of reading thai!

Loz, I am sure you will if you put the effort in. I have personally found reading Thai to be easier than speaking it. I can get shy in large groups of Thais and in this situation tend to keep fairly quite. I still make tonal errors when I am speaking but now know that I am doing it. I was speaking to someone the other day about 'Phitsanulok', where I live, and I kept on using the wrong tones (there are four tones in it). I knew that I was doing it but felt to lazy to change it. Strangely I hear the tones much better when I am reading. If that makes sense.

Yo Garro, nice to hear from you again. Just wanted to say, you're doing exactly with Thai what I recommend to my learners for German and English. Continuity, listen, read and repeat every day. You can't fail to learn.

A have a few books, which i browse from time to time when i get bored.

I think i'm getting better but still no good. I just hope i don't end up being one of those people who's been here 20 years and still can't speak the language.

More than that, i would hope to not end up being one of those people who end up greeting fellow farangs in Thai once they've grasped a basic knowledge of the language.

More than that, i would hope to not end up being one of those people who end up greeting fellow farangs in Thai once they've grasped a basic knowledge of the language.

why not? its fun and its good practice in a safe environment. just made me realise I have have gone for weeks without speaking to a farang. Only in school holiday time but still. its quite remarkable now I think on it.

I think that I have put quite a lot of effort into learning Thai. Since moving to LOS five years ago I spend at least an hour a day studying. I got rid of my UBC pay-to-view channels and now only watch Thai TV and I spend time reading Thai everyday.

You must be very keen to learn. I cannot abide Thai tv at all. When you understand it all, its immeasurably worse.

I remember my first day here, sitting in front of a tv and not understanding a single word, took me way back to when I was 5 or 6 and couldn't understand a single word of English.

I've studied a bit but must admit I'm a bit lazy, do make the effort to listen to conversations around me, Thai radio and tv. My pronunciation is apparently very good, thanks to years of impersonating teachers, friends, celebrities, playing music and singing.

Carp!

D'oh!

I do not know how long I will be allowed to stay here so I think making the remarkable effort of learning such a difficult language is not worth the trouble.

My sentiments exactly. Not having a Thai partner, and living in Pattaya I don't really have incentive to learn. Having a partner who's Thai certainly would make it a lot easier.

I have been in and out since 1993 and living here full time since the end of 2001 and living up country since the middle of 2004 with my Thai wife who speaks fair English. I am 63 this month and my wife is 42.

I tried to learn Thai before but I always found a reason not to try too much.

In 2006 I made a resolution to learn but as most resolutions fail so did this one.

Our son will be 3 soon and he has been going to kindergarten for about 6 months.

He speaks and understands Thai, speaks and understands a little Muser from the people who work for us and understands English quite a bit but doesn't really speak it yet. He can do this as he is with Thai people all day and not with me for so long.

This year I decided that I MUST learn Thai to speak and understand him.

I now spend around 1 hour a day using the books and cassettes by Benjawan Poomsan Becker called Thai for beginners, Intermediates etc. I find that leaning the vocabulary of words is easier as the speech is much the same whatever the content of the sentences.

However at my age it IS hard work but worth it.

Most of the people in the village understand what I want when I go shopping but in Makro yesterday I could not remember if a torch was fai chak or fai chi and the assistant and I went to about 4 racks before the correct one.

Learning to speak Thai (reading helps and so does writing) is essential if you are going to live here for your life. The most important things however are determination and patience. You will get there in the end and it is sometimes nice to be in a strange place to understand what people are saying (sometimes about you).

:D

and it is sometimes nice to be in a strange place to understand what people are saying (sometimes about you).

:D

I think it's better not to know. Certainly it's more peaceful if you don't.

and it is sometimes nice to be in a strange place to understand what people are saying (sometimes about you).

:D

I think it's better not to know. Certainly it's more peaceful if you don't.

Tropo, I take my hat off to you, sir! Good job!

I agree, it is a bonus when sat in a shop with friends a new person comes in and says in thai, "Ah, falang... have you ripped him a new A**hole on the price yet??" to which my friend the shop owner sharply retorts, "Kon Dang chart phut thai, Geng! Pen ajarn ti [name of highly regarded school]!" then the newcomer starts quizing me in thai to pretend to be friendly but really to cover his embarassment I suspect. This happens frequently now and I take it as a compliment. I like to listen to the staff in a 7/11 I've not been in before. When I first go in there is a kufuffle... Never seen a "Farang Nico" before! then they speculate... then I aske for help in thai for what I am looking for (which often I know where it is but I like to see the reaction to my well presented thai in local dialect.

Always good for a laugh.

and it is sometimes nice to be in a strange place to understand what people are saying (sometimes about you).

:D

I think it's better not to know. Certainly it's more peaceful if you don't.

And i think it's the other way around - paranoia leads people to believe that Thais slag farang off, while in reality they just talk about their latest bowel movements.

I personally don't know how i could get around here without speaking Thai, worlds here have opened itself to me because i can speak Thai which would have otherwise been closed to me. I am am somewhat lucky though because i have a knack for memorizing languages quickly without making any real effort.

I have a few tone deaf friends, and i feel sorry for them, because it is almost impossible for them to be able to communicate in Thai, even though they have made often far more efforts than me in learning Thai.

Never seen a "Farang Nico" before!

Would that be a Farang of the darker persuation?

Mighty polite term there compared to the one that I usually overhear.

I am am somewhat lucky though because i have a knack for memorizing languages quickly without making any real effort.

I have a few tone deaf friends, and i feel sorry for them, because it is almost impossible for them to be able to communicate in Thai, even though they have made often far more efforts than me in learning Thai.

ColPyat, old buddy, We already know that you are brilliant (and I mean that sincerely).

Quit showing off!

ColPyat, old buddy, We already know that you are brilliant (and I mean that sincerely).

Quit showing off!

Brilliant my arse - i would wish i would be just a tiny bit smart in the practical things of life, i seem to be only gifted in those sort of utterly useless things that will not be reflected in a positive level in my bank account. Every plumber knows more about how to make money grow than i do.