Chiang Mai University

[RAZZELL]

As it says, I've "googled" to my heart's content, but can't seem to find an actual page with the Thai courses listed.

Could someone provide me with a link?

Also, has anyone any personal experience of CMU or Payap language courses?

Not too sure about Payap...How much of a "Christian" University is it?

Thanks in advance.

RAZZ

P.S. Did find this about Payap:

http://ic.payap.ac.th/certificate/thai/about.php

[BambinA]

Contact : Language Institute CMU then http://www.li.chiangmai.ac.th/th/newwwww2.htm

Language Institute, Chaing Mai University

็ฺ HB Building (Room#6160) Faculty of Humanities, Chaing Mai University

239 Huay Kaew Road, Suthep, Muang,

Chaing Mai 50200, Thailand Tel. 0-5394-2655 Fax. o-5394-2656

As I found the course (2006) http://www.li.chiangmai.ac.th/engine/Thai%...0foreigners.pdf The site may be not update yet

[RAZZELL]

Thanks Bambina

RAZZ

[amexpat]

I visited Payap U last month. After a lot of searching and comparing on the various forums, etc, it looked like the best bet in CM for me. BTW their site says 97% of the students are buddhists. I guess they understand our reservations about religious influence.

Payap scheduled an intro class for Nov 5 and I signed up (no baht yet) but they are not sure they will have the required six students to launch.

Anybody care to join me in intensive thai Nov 5?

wecanmakeithappen, yeah wecanmakeithappen, yeah, wecanmake (sorry, waxing old Chicago)

[meadish_sweetball]

Amexpat, maybe you should post in the CM forum asking people to join up, I'm not too sure everyone there reads the Thai language forum.

[amexpat]

Amexpat, maybe you should post in the CM forum asking people to join up, I'm not too sure everyone there reads the Thai language forum.

Good point. I was directing this one to the OP.

[Tung_Thaid]

I visited Payap U last month. After a lot of searching and comparing on the various forums, etc, it looked like the best bet in CM for me. BTW their site says 97% of the students are buddhists. I guess they understand our reservations about religious influence.

Payap scheduled an intro class for Nov 5 and I signed up (no baht yet) but they are not sure they will have the required six students to launch.

Anybody care to join me in intensive thai Nov 5?

wecanmakeithappen, yeah wecanmakeithappen, yeah, wecanmake (sorry, waxing old Chicago)

I can thoroughly recommend the Payap courses for Intensive Thai. http://grad.payap.ac.th/fl/it/

My first attempt at the introductory course (5 weeks) saw me struggling a bit - (they dont call it INTENSIVE Thai lightly) - so I did the same course again later and really enjoyed it the second time around. All class materials supplied - a day trip to somewhere in Chiang Mai included - some sessions in their language lab - makes it a varied and interesting program. For me - the best part - was hearing Thai being spoken and explained carefully by the teachers there in its correct text book / formal way. Try getting your Thai friends to do that for you.

They do not teach you karaoke Thai. Its full on spoken and written THAI - from the first session. Challenging, but it works !

[RAZZELL]

I visited Payap U last month. After a lot of searching and comparing on the various forums, etc, it looked like the best bet in CM for me. BTW their site says 97% of the students are buddhists. I guess they understand our reservations about religious influence.

Payap scheduled an intro class for Nov 5 and I signed up (no baht yet) but they are not sure they will have the required six students to launch.

Anybody care to join me in intensive thai Nov 5?

wecanmakeithappen, yeah wecanmakeithappen, yeah, wecanmake (sorry, waxing old Chicago)

I can thoroughly recommend the Payap courses for Intensive Thai. http://grad.payap.ac.th/fl/it/

My first attempt at the introductory course (5 weeks) saw me struggling a bit - (they dont call it INTENSIVE Thai lightly) - so I did the same course again later and really enjoyed it the second time around. All class materials supplied - a day trip to somewhere in Chiang Mai included - some sessions in their language lab - makes it a varied and interesting program. For me - the best part - was hearing Thai being spoken and explained carefully by the teachers there in its correct text book / formal way. Try getting your Thai friends to do that for you.

They do not teach you karaoke Thai. Its full on spoken and written THAI - from the first session. Challenging, but it works !

That's what I want to hear. Better than AUA?

RAZZ

[amexpat]

"That's what I want to hear. Better than AUA?"

I've seen complaints about AUA using outdated materials and an uninspired approach. On the Payap campus I got directions from a young Thai guy who spoke perfect english and seemed to have left behind the subtle, indirect, Thai way of communicating. He said "AUA sucks." Some like it, I guess. I had to distill a ton of data from forum comments and site claims to arrive at a conclusion. If not Payap, I may try a school in Bangkok. The time and energy commitment is large, so I want to get the best help I can.

[meadish_sweetball]

Should be noted too that all good courses require the student to study a lot outside of regular class hours. While different schools and courses definitely vary in quality, people have different learning styles too - and in the end it is your own potential, motivation and perseverance that gets you there.

As for AUA Chiang Mai, I have not tried their regular Thai courses and so cannot say anything about them - but after studying elsewhere for two years, I came to CM to study with 5 others for 2 months in a late intermediate/advanced level intense course with one of the teachers from AUA Chiang Mai, and all of us who attended were very happy with that.

The English teaching activity and the Thai teaching activity at AUA CM are separate from each other. An opinion from a Thai person who has studied English at AUA may not have much bearing on the quality of their Thai language instruction.

I know we've had other assessments of the places in the forum, which should be easy to find with the search function.

Looking forward to hearing from you again with a review after you've decided on a place to study.

[Lizphuket]

Thanks Bambina

RAZZ

Hi, Can't join in immediately but I am moving to Chiang Mai in the next 4-6 months to live in Mae Rim. I have been studying Thai off and on for around 3 years and can read and write to a certain extent. What level are you at? Have you found anywhere that can help with Northern dialect as opposed to Bangkok Thai?

LIZ PHUKET

[meadish_sweetball]

If you speak reasonable Central Thai, Wat U Mong have classes in Northern Thai (kham meuang). They will not take students who do not yet have a good grasp of Central Thai.

AUA Chiang Mai also have Northern Thai classes for beginners.

[appleman]

Here is a list of a few Thai schools I have found in my research:

Bangkok

AAA Thai Language Center: (02) 655-5629

AUA Natural Thai: (02) 252 8170

Berlitz Language Center (02) 231-3652

Thammasat University (02) 613 2608

BIS International School (02) 258 5099

Boston Academy (02) 233-7723

Inlingua (02) 631 1850-3

Nisa Thai Language School (Sathorn) (02) 671 3359-60, (02) 671 3343-44

PRO Language (Sukhumvit) (02) 250-0072

Rangsit University, (Pathum Thani) (02) 997 2200

Siri Pattana Thai Language School (02) 286-1936

Somchart Thai Language School (02) 651-2735-6

Taiyo Langage School (02) 319-1390

Thammasat University, Faculty (02) 613 2608, (02) 613 2675;

Thai Solutions (02) 655-3146

Thonglor Language Center (Sukhumvit) (02) 391-6358, 0-2390-0244

Union Language School (Surawong): (02) 233-4482

Unity Thai Language School (Sukhumvit) (02) 653 1538

YMCA Language Center (Bangrak) (02) 235-0241-2

Chiang Mai

AUA Language Center (053) 278407

Chaing Mai University (053) 221285

Payap University (053) 245350

Phuket

Anna's Language School

and Translation Services (076) 296372

Patong Language School (076) 340373

[RAZZELL]

Looking forward to hearing from you again with a review after you've decided on a place to study.

Hopefully by the middle of 2008.

RAZZ

[chiang mai]

Adjarn Om at Payap is one of the best language teachers I've ever come across. The course is not easy but she makes it a fun and manageable learning experience.