Hello, I am currently living in Bangkok and would appreciate any comments, feedback and recommendations about Thai language schools here in Thailand. I'd esp. be interested in hearing about schools outside of Bangkok such as in Chiang Mai or Phuket.

I have been studying Thai on my own using Bejawan Becker's Thai For Beginners, Thai for Intermediate Learners series, and am happy with the progress I've made using those books, but I find myself still unable to understand Thai t.v. programming, movies, songs, etc. and only able to hold rudamentary conversations. So, I believe I'm looking for intermediate or advanced level courses.

Please share your experiences on this...

i'd like to say that books can not teach u "everyday used Thai" .

if u want to study everyday used language ,u'd better find

a non professional thai teacher .Since they're not professional

they will not teach u a formal thai .Also they might not be a good teacher as well

it's all depend on ur luck

Good luck

KUKKUKs advice is good - but I believe one does not have to exclude the other. You will need to interact with real-life Thais a lot to get into the heart of the language and learn the colloquialisms, swearwords and idioms people use in everyday life. BUT you also need somebody who has a bit more schooling and can explain things to you more coherently... because some Thai expressions are hard to grasp if not explained through the facet of linguistics, or your native language.

The best place to do this is Bangkok - even though everyone under 40 in Thai cities outside of the Central Plains speak Central Thai quite well and understand everything of movies and such, you are much more likely to be successful in becoming really good at Central Thai if you get it from the horses mouth.

I say this because I now live in Chiang Mai, and have had to wake up to the fact that people here speak Kham Meuang (Northern Thai) with each other in everyday life, and that their Central Thai is not as colourful and innovative as that of the Bangkok Thais.

What I think you need is somebody from Bangkok with a university education - a third year student of linguistics or English who needs extra cash or who needs English lessons in return might be a good idea.