Speaking English In Thailand

[t.s]

Thais who speak exceptional English are rare, even in tourist areas

Correct.

Agreed.

From my limited experience, English appears to be way down on the list of priorities for the Thai people, everyday survival is a common wish.

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Have been in Thailand for 7 years and have only recently took a trip to Cambodia and was suprised at the extent and standard of English spoken in Cambodia...appears to be way ahead of Thailand even in the more remote areas....would guess that everyday survival is more relevant of the average Cambodian, but they seem to have picked up at least basic English skills..??...makes you think doesnt it...

where in cambodia were you? that is certainly not my experience.

[t.s]

Most Thais cannot speak English. Too many of those that can when talking to a pale face can't get past: Where you go? What you do?, Sex CD?, Massage, Massage?, Farang!?**!?. Those few that can speak English reasonably well, usually found in BKK (albeit with errors in grammar/pronunciation/intonation missing ed,s,ing, on word endings) often don't want to talk with aliens. Often when you talk to say, waiters in restaurants or other sevice providers in English they often just look at you, nod their head, and then walk away and completely forget about you. After all you're always only a visitor to Thailand. Only very, very few Thais have the confidence, skill or wish to talk to westeners in English at an intermediate level or higher. Still some, (women) are reluctant to be seen speaking with a westener due to the social stigma attached ie: she must be a bar girl etc.

As for the remark a poster made about the skill levels comparing Thais and Cambodians, much of that is to do with the differences in the levels of arrogance, nationalism, short-sightedness, narrow-mindedness, insular, parochial, xenophobic attitude a large proportion of the Thai population have, especially towards westeners.

However, having said all that, almost all Thais would not see the value in changing anything. And realistically, providing they stay in Thailand or when abroad, deal primarily with Thais why should they?

What is it when people get off the plane in Thailand they get this massive conspiracy theorist hangup that everyone has it in for them.

While I'd love to be able to say (in this case) that my Thai ID card has clear instructions of how to stick it to the White man, the truth of the matter is that it doesn't.

I mean, I studied French at high school for five years. Do you think my inablity to speak it has anything to do with a "arrogance, nationalism, short-sightedness, narrow-mindedness, insular, parochial, xenophobic attitude " that I have, or could it simply be that I never had a chance to practice what I learnt in a French speaking environment, and hence none of it stuck???

And I had good French teachers!

Now lets see.

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nah, it must have been my hate of the French which did it for me.....

excellent point, being Canadian i have 12 years of french classes, but can barely speak the language. perhaps the point here is my french learning was also via the same rote learning method.

[barky]

Samran and msingh. I never said it was a conspiracy that's your word. And yes you can send it up or play it down I don't care. It doesen't change anyhting. In the main I'm right and that's that. The truth often hurts I guess. I am assuming you two are either Thai or pass as Thais and threfore are not affected by, nor notice, what I have mentioned. And thereby as far as I'm concerned your comments are worhtless as you have no experience in relation to the matter.

And on the off chance you are not Thai or resemble a Thai you must both be deaf and blind.

[TheDon]

All my trips I can communicate with mostly everyone using my english. I think they speak pretty good.

I mean everyone has japanese tourists in there country (there everywhere) and I doubt most countries touristy areas try to learn the language. I know in Cairns in Queensland they have started learning Japanese, just some of the basics and that. But Australia is just the best

[MSingh]

Samran and msingh. I never said it was a conspiracy that's your word. And yes you can send it up or play it down I don't care. It doesen't change anyhting. In the main I'm right and that's that. The truth often hurts I guess. I am assuming you two are either Thai or pass as Thais and threfore are not affected by, nor notice, what I have mentioned. And thereby as far as I'm concerned your comments are worhtless as you have no experience in relation to the matter.

And on the off chance you are not Thai or resemble a Thai you must both be deaf and blind.

1 ) I never said you did, i quoted Samran, not you....

2 ) Rightyho then.

3 ) I've lived here for 5 years out of 29 on the Planet, 22 of which i lived in London.

4 )

5 ) Nice.....

Someone chuck this Poster a Bone <deleted>....

[PeaceBlondie]

I spent a fair amount of time recently with a 20-year old Thai uni student who finished 12th grade at private school, a year at a fancy private uni, comes from money, has traveled abroad, taken private lessons, etc. His English is low intermediate, no better than the best students in grade 10 in the nearby provincial public schools. He leaves off the final consonant, says "she go to shopping Centran," confuses his infinitives and his -ing verbs, uses the simple present rather than the simple past (because he forgets his irregular verbs), prepositions are the wrong ones, etc. Yet he leaves for university in an English-speaking country tomorrow, and will probably own a travel agency in a few more years! Imagine how your middle class Thai speaks, with a fraction of the training.

I was impressed at the English of the Khmer kids on the road to Angkor Wat, in western Cambodia.

If I believed there was a huge demand for English proficiency here, I would encourage planeloads of good teachers to come on over. I think the demand, however, is mostly minimal and superficial. What percentage of all Thais seriously want to learn it?

[samran]

Samran and msingh. I never said it was a conspiracy that's your word. And yes you can send it up or play it down I don't care. It doesen't change anyhting. In the main I'm right and that's that. The truth often hurts I guess. I am assuming you two are either Thai or pass as Thais and threfore are not affected by, nor notice, what I have mentioned. And thereby as far as I'm concerned your comments are worhtless as you have no experience in relation to the matter.

And on the off chance you are not Thai or resemble a Thai you must both be deaf and blind.

you've equated with the lack of english ablility with an ingrained hate of all things western.

I've equated it with a lousy educational system and the lack of opportunity to practice the language.

As for farangs getting screwed over here in Thailand...well the ones who leave their common sense on the plane maybe, or the maybe the ones who didn't have it to begin with.

Or are you suggesting I buy a house, gold chain, and motor cycle for every Nit, Tuk and Dang that I meet on the street before I really understand the downtrodden existence of the Farang in Thailand?