Why haven't you learned Thai even after several years as an expat in Thailand?

[Rhys]

I have tried to keep up with the times... and take lessons,.. but I am fluent enough to interact in most social situations.  Tones are still the killer and the problems sounds for western speakers is still an issue. 

[Hummin]

On 4/22/2025 at 6:43 AM, StandardIssue said:

I've lived in Bangkok and Pattaya on and off for the last 12 years. 

 

Most all the long term expats I've met don't know much Thai at all even before the use of Google Translate which many now rely on.

 

I never really asked why. I decided to learn early on and tooks some classes at the local library.

 

Question: As an expat in LOS why did you decide to not learn Thai and why?

 

ready set go. From a curious expat

I did speak and understand southern Thai okay, but when I got a new gf who speaks fluent Isaan and Central Thai, I lost my interest. To hard and to much energy when I was getting closer to 50, and after 8 years living permanently, I moved back to my origin. There is not much that inspires me to learn either Isaan or Thai really. 
 

And for some of you, it could be okay to know the fluent Thai you claim to speak and understand is on pair with a 5 year old Thai, maybe. Only one we have met who works with Thai for the last 12 years she says speaks and understand Thai well enough without complications. 
 

all credits to those of you who is willing to make the effort, but think twice before you claim you are fluent. 

[Hummin]

On 4/22/2025 at 8:19 AM, KannikaP said:

Yeh, like every Englishman speaks the King's English. 

That’s what they all learn at school, Thai, central Thai! There is no school in Thailand with other “public” language. 

[GammaGlobulin]

I speak the local language whenever I choose to live in some place worth living.

 

[NoDisplayName]

No interest.  Nothing I want to say to the locals or hear from them.

 

Lived in China, learned Chinese.

 

Sometimes I'll give 'em a cheery "Ni hao!"

[pomchop]

I accept that i will never be willing to put the effort in to be fluent in Thai .

 

However I did at least learn a basic amount of thai decades ago and while i will not be able to watch tv or carry on any serious conversations at least i know enough  to get along in everyday situations.  Yes it did take an effort on my part as it does not just drop down from the sky. 

 

A decision that has brought me a lot of fun as thais seem to love to try and figure out what is falang trying to say and have a lof of good laughs...not at me but with me.  

 

It will never cease to amaze me how many falangs seem to spend decades here and can't count to ten or much of anything else which would maybe take a normal person a few days to learn.   IMO their loss.

 

 

[Luuk Chaai]

On 4/22/2025 at 12:33 PM, BritManToo said:

I spent two years learning central Thai (speaking, reading and writing).

It was completely pointless because.

1. Most Thais we encounter don't speak central Thai (Southern Thai, Lao, Lanna are more popular).

2. Many Thais are too stupid to realise a foreigner is speaking Thai.

3. They hate you for knowing too much.

 

Obviously I only speak with low class Thais, and don't know any Bangkok CEOs like the rest of you.

Lots of tribal girls hanging about Chiang Mai, most of them can barely speak any Thai language, Akha, Lissu, Hmong, Arabic all fairly common.

 

and.........  if you learn to speak the  universal dialect   "Baht"    amazingly,  no problem at all

[simon43]

All students learn central Thai at primary school.  This was a policy introduced yonks ago to unite the Thai people with one common language.  Have you ever wondered why schools in Isaan do not teach Isaan? (of course, it is only a spoken language, no Isaan script as such).

 

I'm not sure if schools in the far south teach Yawri - I think the central government might have allowed that to appease the Muslim majority, but I'm not sure...

[KannikaP]

54 minutes ago, simon43 said:

All students learn central Thai at primary school.

Yeh, like all UK students learn King's English in Newcastle or Liverpool or Glasgow.

[DualSportBiker]

16 hours ago, Magictoad said:

I don't think everyone is a clueless idiot just because they choose not to integrate with the native population of any given country. Supposing I lived in Germany for a 10 years or Russia? Why should I bother to integrate with either peoples? It would make me the novelty and possibly force me into loads of unwanted conversations.

If one were to live anywhere for 10 years, would that be being forced to? Or a choice? I am guessing that for most people, moving anywhere is a positive choice; "I moved to xyz for the [insert your own personal reason] climate, food, cost of living, ease of doing business, access to a large regional market, my employer paid me to be here...] Does it make sense to make such a move harder by refusing to simplify and improve every interaction one has? Colour me stupid, but I would not want to ensure everything I do is harder, less reliable, possibly fraudulent or misguided just because I lack the respect to learn even a little of the local language. I would absolutely want to reduce the chances I get taken advantage of and maximise that which I understand. 

 

I don't think people who don't are idiots. I think they are lazy, potentially arrogant, fooling themselves and willingly disrespectful to their hosts. Worrying about being perceive a novelty is ridiculous - how vain can you get?

[DualSportBiker]

5 hours ago, Hummin said:

I did speak and understand southern Thai okay, but when I got a new gf who speaks fluent Isaan and Central Thai, I lost my interest. To hard and to much energy when I was getting closer to 50, and after 8 years living permanently, I moved back to my origin. There is not much that inspires me to learn either Isaan or Thai really. 
 

And for some of you, it could be okay to know the fluent Thai you claim to speak and understand is on pair with a 5 year old Thai, maybe. Only one we have met who works with Thai for the last 12 years she says speaks and understand Thai well enough without complications. 
 

all credits to those of you who is willing to make the effort, but think twice before you claim you are fluent. 

I don't make such claims. Almost every new Thai I talk to does :)

[DualSportBiker]

5 hours ago, NoDisplayName said:

No interest.  Nothing I want to say to the locals or hear from them.

 

Lived in China, learned Chinese.

 

Sometimes I'll give 'em a cheery "Ni hao!"

How would you know?

[Harrisfan]

6 hours ago, Hummin said:

I did speak and understand southern Thai okay, but when I got a new gf who speaks fluent Isaan and Central Thai, I lost my interest. To hard and to much energy when I was getting closer to 50, and after 8 years living permanently, I moved back to my origin. There is not much that inspires me to learn either Isaan or Thai really. 
 

And for some of you, it could be okay to know the fluent Thai you claim to speak and understand is on pair with a 5 year old Thai, maybe. Only one we have met who works with Thai for the last 12 years she says speaks and understand Thai well enough without complications. 
 

all credits to those of you who is willing to make the effort, but think twice before you claim you are fluent. 

Don't need high fluency just ask the right questions and joke around.