Thai Language Seen as Vital National Symbol, Survey Shows

[snoop1130]

 

A recent study sanctioned by Thailand's Ministry of Culture and carried out by Suan Dusit University reveals a powerful national pride for the Thai language. The survey, in line with National Thai Language Day 2024, shows that 71.22% of the 22,109 participants regard the Thai language as a key national symbol.

 

The study emphasised the impact of educational institutions on the right use of the Thai language with schools and universities as primary influencers. Furthermore, social media platforms were identified as frequent spots for language misuse especially in spelling and pronunciation.

 

Culture Minister Sudawan Wangsuphakijkosol said that the Thai public values the language not just for communication purposes, but also for knowledge and creativity development. The survey showed that teachers, news announcers, and show hosts play a pivotal role in shaping the current use of the language.

 

 

The results also indicated the public's desire for the government to focus on improving Thai language skills through initiatives such as language-centered exhibitions, competitions, and educational media production.

 

The Ministry of Culture has been regularly advocating the significance of the Thai language through various activities such as publishing poetry, hosting song contests, and creating videos to encourage correct language use. Every year, on July 29, the ministry celebrates National Thai Language Day, honouring those who excel in the usage and preservation of the language, while urging all Thais to value and maintain their language legacy.

 

File photo for reference only

 

-- 2024-07-29

 

 

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[Tropicalevo]

2 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

The study emphasised the impact of educational institutions on the right use of the Thai language with schools and universities as primary influencers

I agree with the heading.

It is very sad though that so many Thais cannot read and write.

This is thanks to the poor education system once Thais are outside of the major cities.

Then there are the folk who cannot afford the schooling.

[BobBKK]

Fair and free survey right?  🤐

[MartinBangkok]

What utter bull<deleted>. The lack of proficiency in English is one of the major problems holding this country back. Almost on par with corruption and the obsequious deference-behaviour brainwashed into 99% of Thai "children" from birth.

[kickstart]

23 minutes ago, Tropicalevo said:

I agree with the heading.

It is very sad though that so many Thais cannot read and write.

This is thanks to the poor education system once Thais are outside of the major cities.

Then there are the folk who cannot afford the schooling.

Education up to 15 years old in Thailand at government schools is free, the expensive things are school uniforms, which the government helps, with 320-baht, school meals and transport to and from the school.

As for the Thai language anyone who can learn the 44 consonant's and 22 valves plus tone marks of Thai language is doing well in my book. 

[ikke1959]

Put it on the World Heritage List, as almost everything in Thailand

[BangkokReady]

1 hour ago, MartinBangkok said:

What utter bull<deleted>. The lack of proficiency in English is one of the major problems holding this country back. Almost on par with corruption and the obsequious deference-behaviour brainwashed into 99% of Thai "children" from birth.

 

Foreign language leads to foreign ideas... 😉

[stoner]

30 minutes ago, BangkokReady said:

 

Foreign language leads to foreign ideas... 😉

 

deport. 

[Tropicalevo]

2 hours ago, kickstart said:

Education up to 15 years old in Thailand at government schools is free, the expensive things are school uniforms, which the government helps, with 320-baht, school meals and transport to and from the school.

As for the Thai language anyone who can learn the 44 consonant's and 22 valves plus tone marks of Thai language is doing well in my book. 

If you believe that education is free then you live in a different world to mine.

There are lots of 'extra' charges.

The money for school meals and uniforms from the government 'disappears'.

No uniform - no education.

Lots of articles on scammed school dinners.

In class, if the teacher is not given an 'incentive' then the child is at the back of the class and no homework. They do not pass exams.

Here the police do' helmet checks and seatbelt checks' before the start of term so that they can pay for these things.

As I said in my original post - away from the cities.......

[MalcolmB]

3 hours ago, Tropicalevo said:

It is very sad though that so many Thais cannot read and write.

Laziness.

It isn’t rocket science. 4 year olds can do it.

[connda]

Thai Language Seen as Vital National Symbol, Survey Shows

 

Thais are extremely nationalistic.  That's considered to be a "bad thing" in the West and yet the same people saying Western nationalism is bad will approve of Thai nationalism.

From my perspective it explains why their education system is sub-par and Thai language skills with foreign languages are also sub-par. 

[BigStar]

3 hours ago, MartinBangkok said:

The lack of proficiency in English is one of the major problems holding this country back.

 

Japan has always had a low level of proficiency, and even today the level is barely above Thailand's. Perhaps you can think of other reasons Thailand didn't develop an economy on par with Japan's.

 

3 hours ago, MartinBangkok said:

Almost on par with corruption and the obsequious deference-behaviour brainwashed into 99% of Thai "children" from birth.

 

Common in Asia. Japan's been the same. China of course yet is the rising world power.

 

Tell you the truth, though, seeing the degeneration and decadence of Western countries, I think kids could do with a bit more deference and patriotism taught in schools over there.

 

 

[daveAustin]

Don’t blame them  Wonderful, logical language. Just a shame they can’t keep the volume down on school microphones while expressing it. 😋

Also don’t mind Thais being a bit nationalistic in protecting their country and culture. It’s a shame some of our countries in the West aren’t doing the same. Of course people nowadays will see looking after one’s own first as being racist and xenophobic. Whatever. Nowt as queer as folk. 

[CygnusX1]

6 hours ago, kickstart said:

As for the Thai language anyone who can learn the 44 consonant's and 22 valves plus tone marks of Thai language is doing well in my book. 

Compared with the colossal amount of work required in order to learn to speak Thai with just a basic level of competence that’s nowhere near fluency, learning less than a hundred symbols and a few tone rules is trivial.

[Mbolo]

Oh, come on. Move on and join the 21st century. 

[newbee2022]

9 hours ago, MartinBangkok said:

What utter bull<deleted>. The lack of proficiency in English is one of the major problems holding this country back. Almost on par with corruption and the obsequious deference-behaviour brainwashed into 99% of Thai "children" from birth.

True.

I read recently about Singapore and how it became so successful:

Decades ago there was a dicision to implement English as first language. Along came a high score school system (always top in PISA). 

However, the elites need their ants to work  for them. "Useful idiots"

[tpbon]

9 hours ago, kickstart said:

Education up to 15 years old in Thailand at government schools is free, the expensive things are school uniforms, which the government helps, with 320-baht, school meals and transport to and from the school.

As for the Thai language anyone who can learn the 44 consonant's and 22 valves plus tone marks of Thai language is doing well in my book. 

Valves?

[hotchilli]

12 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

The survey, in line with National Thai Language Day 2024, shows that 71.22% of the 22,109 participants regard the Thai language as a key national symbol.

So why do many Thai children take years to master their own language, 

[Expat Tom]

Having been a teacher in Thailand with time spent working  in a major Thai University, I can attest that poor education is among the reasons for the huge disparity between the upper tier Asian nations; Japan, Korea, Taiwan and Singapore and the bottom tier, Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand. The Bangkok elites fear the masses might become too educated.

[BangkokReady]

6 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

So why do many Thai children take years to master their own language, 

 

It's very difficult to learn.

 

This is really an opinion piece. If Thai was replaced by English, it wouldn't have any tangible detrimental effect, as long as everybody learnt it (it would probably improve communication). People wouldn't like it, though, as they would likely feel like their national identity was being taken from them. They would also probably feel that it meant foreing people and foreign ideas would be too refill embraced.

[hotchilli]

3 minutes ago, BangkokReady said:

People wouldn't like it, though, as they would likely feel like their national identity was being taken from them

As the other language often mandated in government schools is Chinese, I think that's already happening.

[Snackbar]

96% literacy ain’t bad. 

[JoseThailand]

5 hours ago, daveAustin said:

 Wonderful, logical language.

 

What language on Earth is not wonderful and logical?

[nobodysfriend]

12 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

the Thai public values the language not just for communication purposes, but also for knowledge and creativity development.

 

That is good to know ...

There is quite a bit of development needed .

 

13 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

National Thai Language Day, honouring those who excel in the usage and preservation of the language, while urging all Thais to value and maintain their language legacy.

 

Nobody wants to take away the thai language from thai people .

But , the language and the way it is written , poses a threat to the development of Thailand into a 1st world country , at least as long as there is a resistance to learn or speak english , the main language of the internet .

 

[thesetat2013]

10 hours ago, Tropicalevo said:

I agree with the heading.

It is very sad though that so many Thais cannot read and write.

This is thanks to the poor education system once Thais are outside of the major cities.

Then there are the folk who cannot afford the schooling.

You forgot that many Thai also speak horribly. Unable to give competent instruction or direction. I recall driving around with wife and asking where to find a place. The directions she got in Thai were horrible and did not give us the information needed to find what we wanted. Thais have many signs using bad Thai as well as bad English. If they want to use it as a cultural thing then they should teach it properly to ensure the people actually learn their own language well enough to speak, read and write with comprehension. 

[JoePai]

7 hours ago, BigStar said:

 

Japan has always had a low level of proficiency, and even today the level is barely above Thailand's. Perhaps you can think of other reasons Thailand didn't develop an economy on par with Japan's.

 

 

Common in Asia. Japan's been the same. China of course yet is the rising world power.

 

Tell you the truth, though, seeing the degeneration and decadence of Western countries, I think kids could do with a bit more deference and patriotism taught in schools over there.

 

 

Perhaps you can think of other reasons Thailand didn't develop an economy on par with Japan's

 

The corruption from top to bottom in Thailand is one

[koolkarl]

May be a national symbol but go outside of Thailand and not  a soul speaks Thai.

[JimHuaHin]

11 hours ago, kickstart said:

Education up to 15 years old in Thailand at government schools is free, the expensive things are school uniforms, which the government helps, with 320-baht, school meals and transport to and from the school.

As for the Thai language anyone who can learn the 44 consonant's and 22 valves plus tone marks of Thai language is doing well in my book. 

"Education up to 15 years old in Thailand at government schools is free, the expensive things are school uniforms, which the government helps, with 320-baht ..."  Free?

 

Checking out my local CP department store earlier this year, it costs about Baht 1,000 for a full school uniform.  Then there is the sports uniform, the scouts uniform, and in some cases another uniform.  Baht 320 does not go far.  Then there are all the school expenses, such as bus trips to other locations (temples, etc.), stationary, maybe electronic devices, etc.

 

Free?  Hardly.

 

And (quality) school meals, don't get me started.

[lordgrinz]

I can't pick up the differences in tones, so I gave up long ago on learning Thai. I also find the high pitched sounds they make sometimes sounds like they are arguing to me. It's like Quint scraping his nails on a chalkboard, it's not a very calming language. 

[Srikcir]

14 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

71.22% of the 22,109 participants regard the Thai language as a key national symbol.

Was the 29% disagreed from the indigent Malay Muslims in the so-called Southern provinces (formerly known as the Kingdom of Patani) whose national language in their sovereign Islamic Kingdom was crushed by the Thai Buddhist annexation?