Thais often don't understand my Thai. Simple things,  like ordering a coffee at 7/11.

Google understands almost everything I say in Thai and will write it correctly in Thai (I can read it, but if I write it myself I need 2 minutes per word). I chat with Thais by dictating my text (in Thai) to Google, Google understands and writes everything,  and then the Thais think I am Thai :).

 

Why is it that Google understands my Thai better than Thais do?

I used to have fun with my ex gf. I'd show her how I used Google translate to help my spelling when I needed to write Thai (I have the same issues writing as you do. My reading isn't exactly super hot either).

 

She'd then have a go and Google wouldn't have a clue what she was saying.

 

That being said, I don't have too many issues making myself understood, either.

8 hours ago, Lorry said:

Google understands almost everything I say in Thai

One rather bizarre explanation for this could be that even though in Thai language classes and Thai language books we are told there are pitches in the letter clusters, in fact, in everyday reality, Thais flatten the pitches.

 

You can prove this (they won't believe you because it's a matter of honour for Thais that they have their pitches 555...) by recording regular conversation and then running it through a pitch analysis machine. Then compare this with the actual pitches (be very careful, the  lowering pitch actually rises at the end,  and so on).

 

They deaden pitches and the machine might not cope. 

 

There could be lots of reasons, but this one is entertaining to think about. I say this as someone baffled by being told the pitch rules and then having an ear sensitive enough to notice it's all a lie! 555

34 minutes ago, Gaccha said:

One rather bizarre explanation for this could be that even though in Thai language classes and Thai language books we are told there are pitches in the letter clusters, in fact, in everyday reality, Thais flatten the pitches.

 

You can prove this (they won't believe you because it's a matter of honour for Thais that they have their pitches 555...) by recording regular conversation and then running it through a pitch analysis machine. Then compare this with the actual pitches (be very careful, the  lowering pitch actually rises at the end,  and so on).

 

They deaden pitches and the machine might not cope. 

 

There could be lots of reasons, but this one is entertaining to think about. I say this as someone baffled by being told the pitch rules and then having an ear sensitive enough to notice it's all a lie! 555

Actually,  my experience is the opposite. 

If I don't care too much about pitches even Google won't understand me. Then I have to repeat what I said and consciously stress the pitches. Then Google understands. 

 

I was wondering if this is the reason that Thais sometimes don't understand me: in the wild, I do flatten the pitches (people complain about this).  And maybe I flatten them a lot more than when dictating to Google.