Chinese Speaking Environment In Bkk

[luisparis]

Hi

We'll soon send a 20 y o chinese national to BKK for likely an extended period. We'll take care of his thai language school inscription and give him enough money to get by and rent a small place but we're afraid he feels totally lost upon arrival without knowing anyone and speaking only Chao Zhou, Mandarin and Cantonese - no clue of neither thai nor english.

Any advice on some association where he could meet straightaway chinese speaking fellows, and get some input on the city in a language he knows ?

Also we're looking for a studio or 1BR appartment for him in a similar chinese friendly environment.

Cheers

Luis

Edited August 28, 2007 by luisparis

[londonthai]

if he is 20 years old and can read and write chinese, but not english and thai, than maybe the best if he try to get in touch with the chinese community in bangkok, they might even have some internet discussion boards and advertising sites.

he can try to call small guest houses in china town to try to arrange his own stay and ask for help with the school, visa and work.

[LaoPo]

Hi

We'll soon send a 20 y o chinese national to BKK for likely an extended period. We'll take care of his thai language school inscription and give him enough money to get by and rent a small place but we're afraid he feels totally lost upon arrival without knowing anyone and speaking only Chao Zhou, Mandarin and Cantonese - no clue of neither thai nor english.

Any advice on some association where he could meet straightaway chinese speaking fellows, and get some input on the city in a language he knows ?

Also we're looking for a studio or 1BR appartment for him in a similar chinese friendly environment.

Cheers

Luis

Ouch...that will not be easy for him and it's indeed the best option to let him go into Chinatown in Bangkok upon arrival.

Did you ask the school for help ?

It's also best, before he goes, to learn (online is possible) at least some English words, next to Thai.

Tip: go to the search engine on the TOP-LEFT and search for 'Heng' an esteemed member here on TV. He might be able to give some tips to you. Send him a PM/Personal Message if you wish; if you don't try....

Good Luck.

edit:

I will ask my wife (wen she's back later) to send a link for online learning English versus Mandarin, ok?

When he's in Chinatown/Bangkok he will feel like a fish in water and will be able to speak Chinese within seconds...

LaoPo

Edited August 28, 2007 by LaoPo

[bangkoksingapore]

why are you sending him here?

[MrSnrang]

Isn't chaozhou the mandarin way of saying teochew? Some thai-chinese still speak it...

[LaoPo]

Hi

We'll soon send a 20 y o chinese national to BKK for likely an extended period. We'll take care of his thai language school inscription and give him enough money to get by and rent a small place but we're afraid he feels totally lost upon arrival without knowing anyone and speaking only Chao Zhou, Mandarin and Cantonese - no clue of neither thai nor english.

Any advice on some association where he could meet straightaway chinese speaking fellows, and get some input on the city in a language he knows ?

Also we're looking for a studio or 1BR appartment for him in a similar chinese friendly environment.

Cheers

Luis

Ouch...that will not be easy for him and it's indeed the best option to let him go into Chinatown in Bangkok upon arrival.

Did you ask the school for help ?

It's also best, before he goes, to learn (online is possible) at least some English words, next to Thai.

Tip: go to the search engine on the TOP-LEFT and search for 'Heng' an esteemed member here on TV. He might be able to give some tips to you. Send him a PM/Personal Message if you wish; if you don't try....

Good Luck.

edit:

I will ask my wife (wen she's back later) to send a link for online learning English versus Mandarin, ok?

When he's in Chinatown/Bangkok he will feel like a fish in water and will be able to speak Chinese within seconds...

LaoPo

Here are 3 links for studying/learning English online (in Chinese); please forward these links to him; he will understand:

1. http://news.hongen.com/news/list_28.html

2. http://news.hongen.com/news/list_28.html

3. http://cp.iciba.com/index.shtml

This last link is a Powerword link for 'mouse-over' studying; meaning it can be bought or downloaded for a try-out; the 2005 and 2006 programs are free; 2007 has to be bought.

It's a GREAT help tool for Chinese people, starting to learn English.

The 'mouse-over' says it: if you move the mouse/arrow over an English word, it explains the word in Mandarin.

Hope it helps.

LaoPo

[luisparis]

Yes, teochew and Chaozhou are the same language.

Actually almost every single company owner I deal with in Thailand is of Chao Zhou origin, but many of them don't speak the language anymore, and I don't want to disturb them more than necessary so would rather not ask for help when our boy is doing the move.

I haven't contacted the school yet, but will probably do in the next few days.

We're sending him to Thailand because we need someone there full time to grow businesswise, so he will have to become well acquainted with the place. First step for him is a few months of intensive thai studies than we'll see how it moves. Visa issues seem sorted for the moment but other issues will raise when he lands especially if noone he knows is in BKK at that time, which is likely.

i'll ask my wife to check but would be thankful if someone already has internet forum links for chinese in BKKs or associations' adresses.

Cheers

Luis

Edited August 28, 2007 by luisparis

[luisparis]

LaoPo

Thanks for the links, I'm not sure how internet savvy he is at the moment but it's definetely time to start.

Edited August 28, 2007 by luisparis

[LaoPo]

Yes, teochew and Chaozhou are the same langue.

Actually almost every single company owner I deal with in Thailand is of Chao Zhou origin, but many of them don't speak the language anymore, and I don't want to disturb them more than necessary so would rather not ask them for help when our boy is doing the move.

I haven't contacted the school yet, but will probably do in the next few days.

We're sending him to Thailand because we need someone there full time to grow businesswise, so he will have to become well acquainted with the place. First step for him is a few months of intensive thai studies than we'll see how it moves.Visa issues seem sorted.

i'll ask my wife to check but would be thankful if someone already has internet forum links for chinese in BKKs or associations adresses.

Cheers

Luis

Reading your posts, I'm curious WHY you didn't send him to English lessons/school in China in the first place, at a much younger age....?

Now he's 20 and doesn't speak one word of English but yet you decided to send him to Thailand to learn Thai....

That puzzles me

Whatever he's learning...English comes first but that's my own opinion.

LaoPo

[luisparis]

nah... my posts were perhaps misleading... I had no idea about that young man a short while ago and definetely didn't take care of his education. I can't even speak chinese actually

As my mother in law is a rather succesful businesswoman and Shantou people parachuted in BKK have been so repeatedly succesful there, we decided with my wife to ask her mother to select someone in her family to go and work for us in BKK.

Quite a few young Chao Zhou in BKK actually do similar work at the moment and they don't all speak fluently thai. I hope he'll hook up with them and do fine.

Not sure it's a great idea but despite having lived in BKK several years and going there many years more I still don't find a better idea, except moving back to BKK myself but I'm far from enthusisastic.

[chinthee]

I am surprised by this post actually. Chinese know better than any race that social and personal networking is the ONLY way to "parachute" into a strange country. Perhaps they are relying on your contacts OP? Anyway, it would be very foreign for him to be drop-shipped into Thailand with no English and no Thai.

The mandarin spoken is spotty. Chiew Chao is spoken in places along with other dialects, but spotty again. And, everything depends on personal connections. You should rethink THIS ENTIRE proposition.

He would be better off learning English somewhere first absolutely. Do not dump him into Thailand without either major language.

* Come to think of it, the only times I hear either Mandarin or Cantonese spoken in Bangkok outside Chinatown, for example at the grocery store, it's usually some old granny who came to live with her daughter who emigrated. (Yes, I do understand a lot of both)

Edited August 28, 2007 by chinthee

[LaoPo]

I am surprised by this post actually. Chinese know better than any race that social and personal networking is the ONLY way to "parachute" into a strange country. Perhaps they are relying on your contacts OP? Anyway, it would be very foreign for him to be drop-shipped into Thailand with no English and no Thai.

The mandarin spoken is spotty. Chiew Chao is spoken in places along with other dialects, but spotty again. And, everything depends on personal connections. You should rethink THIS ENTIRE proposition.

He would be better off learning English somewhere first absolutely. Do not dump him into Thailand without either major language.

I couldn't agree more...

The lad will feel 'lost' without English and he has to have a very STRONG personality to survive in BKK.

If your mother in law is a smart and intelligent Lady she would agree to send him to an English school FIRST for one whole year; study, dream, sleep and eat English.

He is still very young and the opportunity for learning/studying Thai is still there in one year from now !

Apart from that the OP says he doesn't know his computer skills....if he didn't learn, he should do that first, also.

My advise? (like Chintee): DON'T DO IT...NOW.

note: as for the Chinese, spoken in China town, I stand corrected as Mandarin/Cantonese is indeed not common and it will also be difficult for him to communicate. Sorry for my first 'optimistic' answer, earlier. My wife knows better than I do and told me so...

LaoPo

[luisparis]

Thanks for the various replies, and this last one. I'm still thinking this over.

During a few months not much more will be asked from him except than study languages and try to fit in the country. Than he will slowly mix with my connections there, which are almost all thai chinese, some 100% chinese. I need someone reliable who preferably could help bridge the gap between europe and HKG/China. I was about to cancel this but considering he's waiting with his passport and we can get 3months business visas done very easily in China and this all thing won't cost much we might go through it.

Besides I left my home country without much language skillls and even less money or connections years ago and did pretty well, so hopefully he can do the same, and again, the business I'm running is serious and booming, so within a year he could become very useful in Thailand, and find his perspective shinnier than in Shantou.

Thanks for all further input, very apreciated.

[chinthee]

I am surprised by this post actually. Chinese know better than any race that social and personal networking is the ONLY way to "parachute" into a strange country. Perhaps they are relying on your contacts OP? Anyway, it would be very foreign for him to be drop-shipped into Thailand with no English and no Thai.

The mandarin spoken is spotty. Chiew Chao is spoken in places along with other dialects, but spotty again. And, everything depends on personal connections. You should rethink THIS ENTIRE proposition.

He would be better off learning English somewhere first absolutely. Do not dump him into Thailand without either major language.

I couldn't agree more...

The lad will feel 'lost' without English and he has to have a very STRONG personality to survive in BKK.

If your mother in law is a smart and intelligent Lady she would agree to send him to an English school FIRST for one whole year; study, dream, sleep and eat English.

He is still very young and the opportunity for learning/studying Thai is still there in one year from now !

Apart from that the OP says he doesn't know his computer skills....if he didn't learn, he should do that first, also.

My advise? (like Chintee): DON'T DO IT...NOW.

note: as for the Chinese, spoken in China town, I stand corrected as Mandarin/Cantonese is indeed not common and it will also be difficult for him to communicate. Sorry for my first 'optimistic' answer, earlier. My wife knows better than I do and told me so...

LaoPo

Yes, LaoPo. So many of the speakers in Thailand and elsewhere in SE Asia are Hokkien. And, this generation of speakers speak it poorly at best. Singapore and Malaysia do a better job of maintaining Chinese language roots. Not Thailand.

[LaoPo]

Besides I left my home country without much language skillls and even less money or connections years ago and did pretty well, so hopefully he can do the same,

..also at 20....?

LaoPo

[luisparis]

Besides I left my home country without much language skillls and even less money or connections years ago and did pretty well, so hopefully he can do the same,

..also at 20....?

LaoPo

20,21, why?

Yet, I'd apreciate some input on lodging in areas with a very strong chinese presence in BKK, along internet forum links.

Thanks

Edited August 28, 2007 by luisparis

[luisparis]

I am surprised by this post actually. Chinese know better than any race that social and personal networking is the ONLY way to "parachute" into a strange country. Perhaps they are relying on your contacts OP? Anyway, it would be very foreign for him to be drop-shipped into Thailand with no English and no Thai.

The mandarin spoken is spotty. Chiew Chao is spoken in places along with other dialects, but spotty again. And, everything depends on personal connections. You should rethink THIS ENTIRE proposition.

He would be better off learning English somewhere first absolutely. Do not dump him into Thailand without either major language.

I couldn't agree more...

The lad will feel 'lost' without English and he has to have a very STRONG personality to survive in BKK.

If your mother in law is a smart and intelligent Lady she would agree to send him to an English school FIRST for one whole year; study, dream, sleep and eat English.

He is still very young and the opportunity for learning/studying Thai is still there in one year from now !

Apart from that the OP says he doesn't know his computer skills....if he didn't learn, he should do that first, also.

My advise? (like Chintee): DON'T DO IT...NOW.

note: as for the Chinese, spoken in China town, I stand corrected as Mandarin/Cantonese is indeed not common and it will also be difficult for him to communicate. Sorry for my first 'optimistic' answer, earlier. My wife knows better than I do and told me so...

LaoPo

No need to ask mother in Law about that one.

Studying 1 year english in China or spending 1 year in BKK studying thai, english and business... really a no brainer...

English and computer skills are important but not the most important for what we're doing - mother in law as you mentienned her has no clue of either one and she's be doing fine trading between HKG and shenzhen- we're in a low tech trade with a very strong Chao Zhou community. Add in that thai seems very easy for chao zhou to learn and the young man should be fine within a few months, when we'll be able to communicate with each other in broken thai. How good he'll be working for us is another issue though and we'll go slowly in that sense.

[LaoPo]

I am surprised by this post actually. Chinese know better than any race that social and personal networking is the ONLY way to "parachute" into a strange country. Perhaps they are relying on your contacts OP? Anyway, it would be very foreign for him to be drop-shipped into Thailand with no English and no Thai.

The mandarin spoken is spotty. Chiew Chao is spoken in places along with other dialects, but spotty again. And, everything depends on personal connections. You should rethink THIS ENTIRE proposition.

He would be better off learning English somewhere first absolutely. Do not dump him into Thailand without either major language.

I couldn't agree more...

The lad will feel 'lost' without English and he has to have a very STRONG personality to survive in BKK.

If your mother in law is a smart and intelligent Lady she would agree to send him to an English school FIRST for one whole year; study, dream, sleep and eat English.

He is still very young and the opportunity for learning/studying Thai is still there in one year from now !

Apart from that the OP says he doesn't know his computer skills....if he didn't learn, he should do that first, also.

My advise? (like Chintee): DON'T DO IT...NOW.

note: as for the Chinese, spoken in China town, I stand corrected as Mandarin/Cantonese is indeed not common and it will also be difficult for him to communicate. Sorry for my first 'optimistic' answer, earlier. My wife knows better than I do and told me so...

LaoPo

No need to ask mother in Law about that one.

Studying 1 year english in China or spending 1 year in BKK studying thai, english and business... really a no brainer...

English and computer skills are important but not the most important for what we're doing - mother in law as you mentienned her has no clue of either one and she's be doing fine trading between HKG and shenzhen- we're in a low tech trade with a very strong Chao Zhou community. Add in that thai seems very easy for chao zhou to learn and the young man should be fine within a few months, when we'll be able to communicate with each other in broken thai. How good he'll be working for us is another issue though and we'll go slowly in that sense.

I rest in peace along with my advises

LaoPo

[macular]

...

During a few months not much more will be asked from him except than study languages and try to fit in the country. Than he will slowly mix with my connections there, which are almost all thai chinese, some 100% chinese....

...

Besides I left my home country without much language skillls and even less money or connections years ago and did pretty well, so ....

I don't think it will be a big problem for a young man age 20+ adapting the new environment in Thailand, even if he can't speak English.

After all, Chinese and Thai are both Asian languages and therefore are more similar to each other than to compare with English.

I must say that it is easier to learn Thai with a Chinese language foundation than having an English language foundation. Chinese has 4 tones, Thai has 5 tones. In fact, it is best to learn Thai when none around you converse in Chinese or English.

Trust these "parachuters", only thing they needed is time to learn and adapt. They can fly from anywhere around the world, drop in France to speak French, in Germany to speak German, in India to speak Tamil and in fact anywhere else to get adapted to the local environment pretty fast.

Yes, there are still Teochew (or Chiew Chao/ Chao Zhou, whatever, since we're refering to the same) speaking Chinese in Bangkok especially if you often meet Chinese who are into business, but somehow their Teochew tonal essence may be quite different from those in Shantou.

Found sites that might interest you:

Chinese website to learn Thai:

http://www.wzqqip.com/learn_thai/

Hakka Association of Thailand, although not the Teochew dialect clan but he might find some friendly Chinese speaking friends:

http://www.hakkathailand.com/

Hope it's helpful.

Cheers!

[meom]

I need someone reliable who preferably could help bridge the gap between europe and HKG/China.

You can try to contact the Chiu Chow Chamber of Commerce in Hongkong. For sure they can give you info on sister organisations in Bangkok.

http://www.chiuchow.org.hk , [email protected]

[luisparis]

Thanks a lot for the links, missus just called to check and it seems our boy is comfortable with internet. We're forwarding them and will give a couple of calls the the associations see where it leads.

Cheers

Luis

Edited August 29, 2007 by luisparis

[luisparis]

And here's the Chao Zhou association and school contact in BKK, thanks Meom, we got the link from the HKG website:

一条：名称

中文名称：泰国潮州会馆

英文名称:THE TIO CHEW ASSOCIATI0N OF THAILAND

第二条：会徽

本会馆会徽图样如下

第三条：会址

中文：泰京沙吞县谷庄仁集路越卜一巷门牌一之一号，邮区10120

英文： No．1/1 Soi Watprok1． Sathorn． Bangkok 10120 Thailand

第四条：宗旨

tel: +66 221139050 - +66 221132040

fax: +6622124482

Edited August 29, 2007 by luisparis

[luisparis]

Yes, LaoPo. So many of the speakers in Thailand and elsewhere in SE Asia are Hokkien. And, this generation of speakers speak it poorly at best. Singapore and Malaysia do a better job of maintaining Chinese language roots. Not Thailand.

Some misleading info in this thread, this part about Hokkien being the majority is so far from my experience I did a google search and quickly came up with the following link on Thai Chinese demographics. Thailand is not Singapore.

http://www.experiencefestival.com/a/Thai_Chinese_-_Dialect_Groups/id/2076247

The vast majorty of the Thai Chinese belong to various southern Chinese dialect groups. Of these, 56% are Teochew, 16% Hakka and 11% Hainanese. The Cantonese and Hokkien constitute 7% of the Chinese population each, and 3% belong to other Chinese dialect groups. The Teochew Chinese, which constitute 56% of Thailand Chinese population, mainly settled in the region around Chao Phraya River in Bangkok. Many of them worked in government sectors, while others are involved in trade. During the reign of King Taksin, many influential Teochew Chinese traders enjoyed certain privellages granted by the king. These Chinese w ... »

I agree though those immigrants are very quickly forgetting chinese dialects. Yet there’s not only grannies speaking Teochew or mandarin in BKK. Actually new immigrants keep on coming, and Teochew is widely spoken for instance in Maesak and the Surrounding Silom area. I've noticed some of those new immigrants already speak thai to their children and I guess those will soon become full fledged dominant Thai Chinese.

Another interesting point raised is about studying English in China, which is not the most sensible location I'm afraid.

We do have young nephews in Shenzhen closer to us than other relatives in Shantou and we'd love them to learn this language but it's far from easy. They study english 45mns a day 5 days a week but can hardly speak a few words. Many (most?) English teachers in China speak nothing similar to what an english native speaker would call English and there's little hope for their students. Than it's not easy to enrol a full time English school with low starting skills, my nephew recently couldn't make it in Buji and this might not be such a bad news as his poor English skills would have meant he couldn't understand anything in other topics like history and sciences if they were only thaught in English , which is not good for a 11 y o boy.There seems to be a great bilingual school in Panyu but doubt he would be able to enrol it either. We've contacted them just a bit too late for this year ianyway.

We're pushing with the Missus to have the kid sent to London for a few years or the very least HKG but the parents and himself don't want to be too far apart from each other.

If LaoPo you have any valid advice on how to learn English in Shenzhen (preferably Buji) with an almost nil starting level, this advice will be most welcome. Money is not the issue there, but location is.

Edited August 30, 2007 by luisparis