4 minutes ago, ronnie50 said:

Disagree. My Thai wife disagrees with that too.

So does this site: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1456015/asia-english-proficiency-ranking-by-country/

555. Your wife agrees with you? And why wouldn't she? 55 She wants to go through the day with you in disagreement? I spent 3 months in Vietnam two years ago. North in Hanoi, to Da Nang to HCMC. I knew very little about Vietnam before traveling, but the lack of English with street vendors, etc, was very evident. Hotel reception? Good. But trying to get a cup of coffee or rent a motorbike, etc, in Vietnam .. no question, much more difficult in Vietnam than in Thailand.

48 minutes ago, sikishrory said:

Think Thailands level is bad then try Japan

I don't think the Japanese give a damn.

17 hours ago, HappyExpat57 said:

Her ignorance is only surpassed by her hubris.

I can never find a girl’s hubris.

Just now, AaronBux1 said:

555. Your wife agrees with you? And why wouldn't she? 55 She wants to go through the day with you in disagreement? I spent 3 months in Vietnam two years ago. North in Hanoi, to Da Nang to HCMC. I knew very little about Vietnam before traveling, but the lack of English with street vendors, etc, was very evident. Hotel reception? Good. But trying to get a cup of coffee or rent a motorbike, etc, in Vietnam .. no question, much more difficult in Vietnam than in Thailand.

So now we are getting more clarity.

You are referring to street sellers and vendors.

Yes, you would be right in that area, as Vietnam is just starting to explode onto the tourist scene, so it's obvious that, at that level, they will be behind countries that have had massive tourism for years.

It filters down from the top.

However, if you go into a hotel in Vietnam or an area accustomed to dealing with tourists, such as Halong Bay, you will see their English proficiency on display.

Anyway, learning and communicating in an exotic country used to be part of the fun of travelling.

1 hour ago, 0ffshore360 said:

Just prior to the shut down over Covid I was in Laos changing my Visa status and while in the queue at the Immigration Office my wife and I got into a short conversation with a Filipino who claimed to be an English teacher somewhere in Thailand.

I struggled to understand him and my wife said afterwards that she could not understand him at all !

Like the phone support people for my US insurance, and I usually can't understand them. They'll get snitty if you let that on. Like this gal.

4 minutes ago, Scouse123 said:

Where have you travelled?

I travel a lot and have had a very different experience from yours, speaking with Vietnamese, Lao and Cambodian nationals.

Many of those people are highly educated, and even the Myanmar people have a much better understanding of and pronunciation of English than the run-of-the-mill Thais.

I traveled through Vietnam for 3 months. No question "run-of-the-mill" Thai people speak more English than Vietnamese. And you talk about two different classes. "Highly educated" ( I never said the Vietnamese were not intelligent) .. and "run-of-the-mill Thais". Unfair. Yes, most educated people around the world speak English. But not all "run-of-the-mill" people do.

16 hours ago, bdenner said:

There's the "pot calling the kettle black".

My step daughter spent her high school years in a private school with Filipino English teachers and the lot of em were hopeless illiterates.

The problem is hiring filipino to teach English....55555. Bad move.

And I thought it was only we British who expected the whole world to speak English.

When I first came here as a tourist, I traveled all over the country. I didn't speak a word of Thai, but I don't recall any problems with communication. I did, however, start to learn Thai as soon as possible.

Crispy also puts out funny vids using her excellent ability to accurately mimic English accents (London, brummie and scouse).

17 hours ago, ikke1959 said:

Complaining will not work as teaching Thai students English in government schools. They lack the motivation to learn, because they will pass every subject. And a PM once stated that Thai will be a global language and another is not welcoming foreigners..

Former PM Pryut once stated, Thai students need to think "in the box, not outside of it".

That says it all.

Nothing has changed.

4 minutes ago, Scouse123 said:

So now we are getting more clarity.

You are referring to street sellers and vendors.

Yes, you would be right in that area, as Vietnam is just really starting to explode onto the tourist scene, so it's obvious they will be behind countries that have had massive tourism for years.

It filters down from the top.

However, if you go into a hotel in Vietnam or an area accustomed to dealing with tourists, such as Halong Bay, you will see their English proficiency on display.

Agreed. But the article is about what and who? A spoiled brat who was lucky to be educated in an English system .. complaining about Grab driver delivering her food. No one was talking specifically about the hotel industry or those needing to cater to tourists. When I travel, I travel to see and experience the actual people and culture .. not for someone to cater to me.

A lot of the Thai rap kids are very proficient in Ebonics....no worries.

10 hours ago, NickyLouie said:

Love the fake Brit accent on the Thai Minx , so posh and naughty

AI generated

Thai English is clap, especially when it is taught by a Thai or a person from the Philippines!

18 hours ago, webfact said:

Crispy insisted that mutual respect far outweighs perfect language skills when connecting with people from different backgrounds.

That would perhaps be true, if it was not for the fact, that Thailand is promoting itself as a major international tourist destination/hub!

1 minute ago, AaronBux1 said:

Agreed. But the article is about what and who? A spoiled brat who was lucky to be educated in an English system .. complaining about Grab driver delivering her food. No one was talking specifically about the hotel industry or those needing to cater to tourists. When I travel, I travel to see and experience the actual people and culture .. not for someone to cater to me.

So, you are only speaking from your limited point of view of basically backpacking or solo travelling?

You aren't speaking in the broader context of people who use the hospitality industry, which is what most travellers do.

32 minutes ago, AaronBux1 said:

What a spoiled brat. How ignorant of her. The only reason Filipinos speak so much English is because of the American imperialism they have been forced to adapt to. Also, Thai people speak much more English than Vietnamese, Lao, Cambodians, or even Koreans or Chinese. Does this “master of English” also travel to other countries to complain about the inconveniences to her delicate nature? What a spoiled brat.

Hmmm, so genius, what about the 300+ years of the Spanish "Imperialism"? Did you forget that in history class? Or are you just hating on Americans? Guess what, Americans were gone after WW2. Ask the Filipinos who they believe were better at "Imperialism"...then comment ok.

I would say that generally Thais can be pretty quick on the uptake, and when they pick up enough English they can have a remarkable sense of irony and sarcasm.

1 hour ago, cdemundo said:

I don't blame the Grab drivers, I can hardly understand Philipino "English" myself.

For me the same with Americans... British are speaking clearly.

2 minutes ago, Scouse123 said:

So, you are only speaking from your limited point of view of basically backpacking or solo travelling?

You aren't speaking in the broader context of people who use the hospitality industry, which is what most travellers do.

Wrong. Are you reading my words? I only stay in hotels. I am aware of the Englsh spoken in the hospitality industry. Again, you are ignoring the article. A Grab driver. You are trying to change the narrative to only the hospitality industry. Talk about being limited. I spent 3 months in Vietnam .. with the purpose of trying to learn as much as I could about the culture and life there .. so I could make a decision about if I wanted to retire there in the future. I was not there just to take pictures of pretty things, which seems to be more your focus. Again, zero question, when dealing with everyday life or .. getting coffee (from say, at a market .. and not from the catered to hotel), or renting a motorbike, or talking to fisherman on the beach or vendors in the many markets .. no question, Thai people speak more and better English than Vietnamese. Everyone .. no matter what country .. speaks English well when welcoming you to their hotel. That is not what we're talking about.

10 minutes ago, Taboo2 said:

Hmmm, so genius, what about the 300+ years of the Spanish "Imperialism"? Did you forget that in history class? Or are you just hating on Americans? Guess what, Americans were gone after WW2. Ask the Filipinos who they believe were better at "Imperialism"...then comment ok.

Goofy. I am an American. The Spanish language is not the topic at hand here .. you dolt. Love it when idiots call other's intelligence into question. 555

Cultural understanding has nothing to do with language proficiency. They are two different subjects.

12 minutes ago, AaronBux1 said:

Wrong. Are you reading my words? I only stay in hotels. I am aware of the Englsh spoken in the hospitality industry. Again, you are ignoring the article. A Grab driver. You are trying to change the narrative to only the hospitality industry. Talk about being limited. I spent 3 months in Vietnam .. with the purpose of trying to learn as much as I could about the culture and life there .. so I could make a decision about if I wanted to retire there in the future. I was not there just to take pictures of pretty things, which seems to be more your focus. Again, zero question, when dealing with everyday life or .. getting coffee (from say, at a market .. and not from the catered to hotel), or renting a motorbike, or talking to fisherman on the beach or vendors in the many markets .. no question, Thai people speak more and better English than Vietnamese. Everyone .. no matter what country .. speaks English well when welcoming you to their hotel. That is not what we're talking about.

As stated, Thailand has been exposed to mass tourism far longer, so, obviously, the fishermen, etc., you describe will have been exposed to English.

You’re arguing past the point.

No one claimed hotels were the benchmark, and repeatedly insisting otherwise doesn’t strengthen your case.

A single interaction with a Grab driver isn't evidence of discrimination or prejudice. This was one instance of a Filipina and her comments being blown out of proportion, as usual.

Language exposure is shaped by history, education, tourism patterns, and policy, not by how many months any one person spent “immersing.”

Vietnam and Thailand differ, but sweeping claims based on anecdote aren’t insight; they’re preference dressed up as fact. You’re entitled to your experience, not to declare it definitive.

Regarding you looking to retire in Vietnam, that's not on the cards unless you are in business or married to a Vietnamese national. They don't have retirement visas.

I have had experiences of very poor English in hotels spoken by Lao nationals, but I don't claim it's a countrywide problem.

When a middle-aged teacher conducts a video rebuttal about professionalism with a giant green pair of sunglasses as a filter you know there are problems.

Apologies if she is one foot tall and those are her real sunglasses.

1 hour ago, AaronBux1 said:

555. Your wife agrees with you? And why wouldn't she? 55 She wants to go through the day with you in disagreement? I spent 3 months in Vietnam two years ago. North in Hanoi, to Da Nang to HCMC. I knew very little about Vietnam before traveling, but the lack of English with street vendors, etc, was very evident. Hotel reception? Good. But trying to get a cup of coffee or rent a motorbike, etc, in Vietnam .. no question, much more difficult in Vietnam than in Thailand.

Ok see the link I posted

...The Biggest Irony...(?)

...Although Not Up To Date...It Does Give A Glimpse...(?)

Novio (2014) acknowledged that 20,000 Filipinos are residing in Thailand and more than 16,000 are teachers working in different schools.

Dominant Foreign Group: In 2021, Filipinos were the largest nationality among foreign teachers in Thailand (2,667), followed by British and Americans, notes a Taylor & Francis Online article.

Meanwhile there are a number of us retirees who would love to help out at our local schools teaching a bit of English or reading stories.

But we're not allowed.

18 hours ago, Jim Blue said:

Just like Esperanto ?

Remember that movie filmed in only Esperanto starring Capt Kirk/William Shatner? It was curious, but I couldn't get through much of it

13 hours ago, Maybole said:

I speak English with a rural Ayrshire accent, this can be difficult for even fellow Scots to understand.

I speak fluent gibberish when drunk. According to international treaty that is the common language of choice among drunks

I see more points here that I agree with than in any other discussion yet. No, they're not obligated to speak English, but yes, without doing so they put themselves 20 years or more behind the western world on all levels from social to political to economic. You can't have a high functioning culture if communication breaks down at every step.