Does Speaking Thai Fluently Really Open Doors?

[Neeranam]

So I speak Thai at an intermediate level, have no problem going about my daily life but no way can I understand the speedy talking news people or really hold a solid conversation beyond basic/common stuff.

Just a question... what makes you place yourself at intermediate level when you can't hold a conversation beyond basic common stuff?

i got through "intermediate thai" so that is what i am basing it on!

If you're talking about some woman called Becker's Intermediate Thai, it is FAR from Intermediate

I did the Advanced one years ago and still call myself pre-intermediate.

[Neeranam]

the most ridiculous thing ever is when you hear farang pronouncing english words the way thais do it. they speak thai quickly, then give that pause, and then pronounce the english word slowly using the thai (incorrect) tones, change the r to l, etc... and all of their gestures mimick what you see all the farang who get on television doing.... dude, why dont you just talk the way you would normally talk. do you think that they wont understand you?

I sound ridiculous to you then. You probably sound ridiculous to 50 million Thais if you can't pronounce the word the way they do in their language.

Say you were living in France and spoke fluent French - would you say Paris the way the English do or the way French do?

[OmarComing]

So I speak Thai at an intermediate level, have no problem going about my daily life but no way can I understand the speedy talking news people or really hold a solid conversation beyond basic/common stuff.

Just a question... what makes you place yourself at intermediate level when you can't hold a conversation beyond basic common stuff?

i got through "intermediate thai" so that is what i am basing it on!

If you're talking about some woman called Becker's Intermediate Thai, it is FAR from Intermediate

I did the Advanced one years ago and still call myself pre-intermediate.

Its the one in all the book stores here. I am probably still a beginner but will continue to delude myself because intermediate sounds better.

[Neeranam]

Here's my test to determine a persons ability in Thai:-

My friend used to work as a lawyer

I'm used to eating hot food as I've lived her for many years.

I prefer fried bananas to papaya

I'm going to visit my sister-in-law the day after tomorrow

Maybe I'll go see a movie tonight at 8.30 pm.

Yesterday, I submitted my documents to the Embassy

3 out of 6 = beginner

6 out of 6 = intermediate to advanced, depending on the words used and the pronuncation.

This of course is only a speaking test.

[jstumbo]

I have Thai friends that speak english very well, but I find that when they are all together they prefer to speak Thai. If I spoke better Thai, beyond my very basic Thai, I could join in on conversations.

Edited February 8, 2008 by jstumbo

[p_brownstone]

the most ridiculous thing ever is when you hear farang pronouncing english words the way thais do it. they speak thai quickly, then give that pause, and then pronounce the english word slowly using the thai (incorrect) tones, change the r to l, etc... and all of their gestures mimick what you see all the farang who get on television doing.... dude, why dont you just talk the way you would normally talk. do you think that they wont understand you?

Some Thais truly find it difficult to pick English words pronounced in an English accent, in the middle of a number of Thai words.

I even pronounce my own name - both forename and Surname - in the Thai fashion when speaking Thai or, for example, answering the 'phone to a Thai etc..

Patrick

[rixalex]

the most ridiculous thing ever is when you hear farang pronouncing english words the way thais do it. they speak thai quickly, then give that pause, and then pronounce the english word slowly using the thai (incorrect) tones, change the r to l, etc... and all of their gestures mimick what you see all the farang who get on television doing.... dude, why dont you just talk the way you would normally talk. do you think that they wont understand you?

I sound ridiculous to you then. You probably sound ridiculous to 50 million Thais if you can't pronounce the word the way they do in their language.

Say you were living in France and spoke fluent French - would you say Paris the way the English do or the way French do?

Exactly. And when speaking English, do you pronounce all the borrowed vocabulary from other languages as they would be pronounced in the originating country? Do you for example pronounce "bungalow" with an Indian accent?

[taxexile]

this is the kind of thing i am talking about. why would i want to jump through all those hoops. i would much rather just hang out with my international thai friends. i just dont get why anyone would want to go through all that effort just so they can impress some upple crusts, plus are these peoples really going to care about anything other than you bank account anyways. for instance, will they be more impressed by a guy wearing a suit that costs 1/4 as much as mine because he is better at this sort of thing than i am? seems doubtful.

anyways, that is what i mean though. i have many farang friends who seem set on jumping through these hoops so they can be a side show or something at thai get togethers like "our farang friend". guys act totally different around the farang/thai international raised group.

i like thailand, but i am not thai. you guys aren't thai either and even if you figure out their codes i still dont see them ever really accepting you more than a side joke.

Ok, I see it and I dont because I was thinking that speaking Thai is kind of low-so because if you are a baller you are probably way to busy and rich to have time to learn Thai fluently. Thailand is a small little third world country the value of learning the language is very small. If it takes X hours to become fluent and learn all the correct words for each situation I could put that time to something way more productive like reading books, writing, travel, my hobbies, a million different things. i dont see the cost benefit and when a farang speaks fluent thai i think to myself: either he is an english teacher, or spending a ton of time in the villiage or he just has a lot of free time on his hands.

but i do agree that every farang should speak atleast at an intermediate level so they are not a total stumbling noob. the real cool thais you want to chill with speak english clearly anyways. trust me on that.

your arrogance speaks volumes.

[rixalex]

Perhaps the question you need answering isn't "Does speaking Thai fluently really open doors?"...

but rather...

"Does speaking arrogant nonsense really make me sound daft?"

[t.s]

It's not so much fluency that counts as the kind of Thai you speak.

Speaking the 'right Thai' definitely opens doors, speaking the 'wrong Thai' slams doors in your face...or opens the wrong doors

I really have no idea what you guys are talking about. The ability to speak good Thai is just about practice, it doesnt say anyhting about your intelligence or yourself as a person. How does speaking good Thai open good doors and speaking bad thai open bad doors. you guys are talking in riddles to me.

thailand is very class oriented. class distinctions are discernable through language. in short, speak thai like the king and people will respect yous, speak thai like a whore and they may not be so impressed.

simple innit?

[Neeranam]

speak thai like the king and people will respect yous, speak thai like a whore and they may not be so impressed.

I've known some very well spoken whores.

[t.s]

speak thai like the king and people will respect yous, speak thai like a whore and they may not be so impressed.

I've known some very well spoken whores.

me too actually

[A_Traveller]

Am I right to assume the Op is likely to disappear soon?

Regards

[GuestHouse]

Am I right to assume the Op is likely to disappear soon?

Regards

I strongly suspect that's something he's done in the past.

[silapin]

I find that speaking really good Thai opens many doors for me, but I have to say that learning some culture along with that (impossible to learn the language without learning some culture) is at least as influential.

I can find out the details of whats going on; I can build a good relationship with people around me; I can understand situations that occur at work and home and what everyone thinks about them;I can enjoy small conversations with many people I meet every day.

I used to encounter some problems however that I have mainly sussed now. They were to do with the fact that I spoke great Thai but then still acted like a farang; people found that almost 'misleading' sometimes and occasionally even resented it - couldn't trust me.

As for pronouncing English words the English way in the middle of a Thai sentence - I don't try to do this as it interrupts the flow of speech. Have you ever heard the English speaking Thai TV presenters when they read the news and refer to Thai politicians names with a Thai accent in the middle of an English speech? It sounds so stilted and false and 'non-flowing'.

I adopt an English accent for all words when speaking English and a Thai accent for all words when speaking Thai.

[mrbojangles]

Am I right to assume the Op is likely to disappear soon?

Regards

I strongly suspect that's something he's done in the past.

[meom]

speak thai like the king and people will respect yous, speak thai like a whore and they may not be so impressed.

I've known some very well spoken whores.

A lot of whores speak pretty decent English as well unlike their higher class sisters.

[lopburi3]

The OP has been provided a return ticket to the underside of his bridge after trying to start a number of such threads today.