Learning Thai In Chaingmai?

[ChiefMonkey]

not another where do I learn Thai thread!

Look mate you'll have to go with AUA because if anyone suggests another location, they'll be hung, drawn and quartered. Personally, I studied at AUA and thought it was crap. My teacher lectured for 2 hours - that's not the way to teach language normally, but it is the way languages are taught by Thai teachers in general. Buy a do-it-yourself kit and go at your own pace.

I have had differing experiences there over the last twenty years. For sure it depends on your teacher. My suggestion is Ajarn Oranute, the best teacher I had there.. Definately for me not a waste of time

Absolutely! Khun Oranute at the AUA was fantastic. Maybe it was 5 or 6 years ago now.

The fees were reasonable and location perfect.

I do remember an old bat called Malee, she was not so great as a teacher but K Oranute was brill!

Good luck.

[MacWalen]

Hi there,

The name of Walen school has been mentioned a few times in this thread. We are listening. For every negative opinion there are a few positive. It is hard to please everyone, show me anyone who can. It is true that we help students learning at our school with long term student (ED) visas. I would, however, like to assure the readers that we are not a visa shop and saying that most students study at our school just because of visa is simply not true.

If you study at our school you WILL be able to SPEAK and READ Thai faster than using other traditional methods. All you need to do is attend your lessons. I would like to know more about the reasons why Ritti would not study at the Walen school again, I never received any feedback from him. We appreciate feedback as we can improve things.

Students can come for a free demonstration and can also sit in a class before they enroll. There is no problem with talking to students at school, you can also read a lot of things on the internet about our school (I do not think there is any other school so widely covered).

The comments about our books are also not true, if there are so many mistakes perhaps we can hear some specific examples? If students miss classes was it bacause they did not like their lessons or because they would not come anyway even if the best teacher in the world was teaching the class?

The teacher is not required to explain a lot in English, what about if you cannot speak English? It is a Thai school and everything is taught in Thai, it is all quite easy if you attend your lessons, moreover we have a lot of clever people working at our school so if there was some help and explanation needed there would be just too many staff willing to help.

Also with so many classes to choose from if somebody is not happy with their class they can easily move to another class. We are sincerely trying to give all the help we can to our students.

Regards, Mac

Walen School of Thai

[Drew Aitch]

Hello Mac, and thanks for your response.

I've noticed your banners state that your next school is here in CM. Do you have a date and location for that?

Thanks in advance

Aitch

[MacWalen]

I hope around April 09 but if things are easier with the construction and registration than in Pattaya it might be a bit sooner. We are getting emails just about everyday asking about the Walen school in Chiang Mai. I hope that investment will be the right one.

[haiku]

Has anybody ever attended the Thai language classes at the Language Institute at CMU? They seem less intense then AUA. Any experiences?

Thanks

[Loaded]

I hope around April 09 but if things are easier with the construction and registration than in Pattaya it might be a bit sooner. We are getting emails just about everyday asking about the Walen school in Chiang Mai. I hope that investment will be the right one.

Many come to CM but few conquer.

[harrry]

Has anybody ever attended the Thai language classes at the Language Institute at CMU? They seem less intense then AUA. Any experiences?

Thanks

I aongly recomend it. I speak thai allready but currently finishing the first course at CMU and can stro the course has been invaluable in helping me use better tones.ngly recomend it. I spoke thai before I started however the course has been invaluable in improving my terrible tones. I am continuing the second course. A side benifit is that you get may of the advantages of a CMU student, the gym the library and the swimming pool. Just being on campus has given me a view of thailand I never had when I lived here 30 years ago.

[Blinky Bill]

Has anybody ever attended the Thai language classes at the Language Institute at CMU? They seem less intense then AUA. Any experiences?

Thanks

I aongly recomend it. I speak thai allready but currently finishing the first course at CMU and can stro the course has been invaluable in helping me use better tones.ngly recomend it. I spoke thai before I started however the course has been invaluable in improving my terrible tones. I am continuing the second course. A side benifit is that you get may of the advantages of a CMU student, the gym the library and the swimming pool. Just being on campus has given me a view of thailand I never had when I lived here 30 years ago.

harrry, might I suggest that you get your keyboard serviced or repaired. It would appear that a number of the keys are not functioning correctly.

[CaptHaddock]

Has anybody ever attended the Thai language classes at the Language Institute at CMU? They seem less intense then AUA. Any experiences?

Thanks

I aongly recomend it. I speak thai allready but currently finishing the first course at CMU and can stro the course has been invaluable in helping me use better tones.ngly recomend it. I spoke thai before I started however the course has been invaluable in improving my terrible tones. I am continuing the second course. A side benifit is that you get may of the advantages of a CMU student, the gym the library and the swimming pool. Just being on campus has given me a view of thailand I never had when I lived here 30 years ago.

Is it an intensive course? How many hours per week? How many students per class? How good are the teachers?

[wrbc]

Has anybody ever attended the Thai language classes at the Language Institute at CMU? They seem less intense then AUA. Any experiences?

Thanks

I aongly recomend it. I speak thai allready but currently finishing the first course at CMU and can stro the course has been invaluable in helping me use better tones.ngly recomend it. I spoke thai before I started however the course has been invaluable in improving my terrible tones. I am continuing the second course. A side benifit is that you get may of the advantages of a CMU student, the gym the library and the swimming pool. Just being on campus has given me a view of thailand I never had when I lived here 30 years ago.

Is it an intensive course? How many hours per week? How many students per class? How good are the teachers?

my experience at cmu are different from yours. last year, i took the beginning and reading courses at the language institute of cmu, and this year i have just taken book 2 at aua, under the amazing (ly good) kun boonmark. aua is in a completely different class than cmu. i would highly recommend going the aua route. you will be able to actually speak thai, rather than just parrot back a few phrases.

[joy2]

Does anyone know a place where I can get affordable, introductory-level Thai language lessons, preferably form an English-speaking instructor?

Hi, hope you are already found the techer but if you still want to have intensive cours I would suggest teacher Lah. But usually she would not accept the reservation, you have to take luck only, to see if she would have time availble for you.... her phone is 086 1938768....many friends of my said she is qualify teacher....good luck... joy 2

[johnjydee]

Does anyone know a place where I can get affordable, introductory-level Thai language lessons, preferably form an English-speaking instructor?

Yes,i can recommend ,Learn Thai with Lah..tel,0861938768. I have had Thai lessons in Bangkok and Phuket as well as Chiang Mai and she was the best of them all and cheaper,she is very hard working and conscientious of the results you achieve and i found her system not difficult and enjoyable.One tip ,she is normally quite busy in the high season so best to contact her a bit before you plan to study...chok dee.

[butterisbetter]

I had a wonderful teacher who was very patient and always cheerful. Her name is Rujirra. A lot of the Chiang Mai missionary community use her. Which may possibly be offputting to you but these missionaries are very serious and motivated about learning Thai. So if someone is in high favor in their community, he or she is going to be very good. Rujirra is a Christian. too, but she never tried to proselytise to me at all. Whatever energy she employs in that direction is expended on Thais.

There was also a fellow at AUA who taught according to the Peace Corp Method, which he learned, naturally enough from the Peace Corp in order to teach their volunteers. He had some very interesting techniques for teaching Thai. He also had a kind of chart which was the clearest exposition I'd ever seen about how the Thai alphabet works vis a vis pronunciation. It was devised by some hot shot linguist. I can't recall this teacher's name. Perhaps somebody in the forum will know who I am talking about.

[bunta71]

Free and IMO very good to have on your computer for when you feel like practicing. Thai-language dot com

[southerndown]

More hostility than anticipated...

hmmm... no not really, i think you got off rather light, this forum is full o' <deleted> who are just waiting, fingers poised at the ready to cut you down.. especially with an inane thread topic as yours, not to say that to you it is inane, but to most of the others that read this site with a DAILY vigilance, and in a sense of the meaning of absolute boredom of life but anything other than T V and of course that <deleted> of a place T u Skers... I mean what else to life is there?

it is true though. this forum is full of where can i learn thai/buy a decent burger/buy pad thai threads it gives most a headache.. personally i think this T slash V forum is well over rated and am waiting for the next big thing to go use and abuse...

but then look at me, i am here i am reading this crap as much as the next tosser so who am i to argue, i guess i just peruse this occasionally as i do like to know where the BEST burger of the night is found, where i can learn to pood the pasaa thai gadai and where are the local ExPat knob 'eads and which bar they drink in so i know where i have to avoid.

chok <deleted> dee LoL

you've hit the nail right on the head. i'm looking for a good decent thai forum but can only find this.. any ideas?

[Blinky Bill]

So let's have a Thai speak-off at a venue and date yet to be decided so as we can see who has learnt what, from where, and how well.

Tuskers would be as good a venue as any and the lovely staff there can be the judges.

Prizes could be awarded.

[Ulysses G.]

southerndown

you've hit the nail right on the head. i'm looking for a good decent thai forum but can only find this.. any ideas?

A lot of people have tried to compete with Thai Visa, but this is, by far, the best Thailand based forum, so I guess it just isn't that easy to do it right.

I know of one other Thai forum that has a good admin and mods but hardly any posters and there is another one that could only be described as hateful. It is populated by racists, Nazis, left-wing nutters and every Troll and crybaby who has ever been banned from Thai Visa and still bears a grudge. The funny thing is that sounds like it might be worth looking at, but pretty much the only interesting threads they ever have are the ones whinging and whining about Thai Visa.

Edited January 12, 2009 by Ulysses G.

[Blinky Bill]

So let's have a Thai speak-off at a venue and date yet to be decided so as we can see who has learnt what, from where, and how well.

Tuskers would be as good a venue as any and the lovely staff there can be the judges.

Prizes could be awarded.

And I'd lay money any day that the guys and girls that learnt to speak Thai on the streets and in the bush speak far better Thai than any AUA or similar formal classroom Thai language course.

[Blinky Bill]

What do you think Martin and Joe?

[keo]

Started lessons at Pro Language on Niminhamen road. So far, so good. Did 2 out of the 10 lessons so far. Three times a week for two hours. Will give an opinion when I have completed all the lessons.

how much is it? and what times are the classes?

I looked on the website, but couldn't find this information.

Anyone serious about learning Thai should check out>>> MrAsia2007

[keo]

Started lessons at Pro Language on Niminhamen road. So far, so good. Did 2 out of the 10 lessons so far. Three times a week for two hours. Will give an opinion when I have completed all the lessons.

how much is it? and what times are the classes?

I looked on the website, but couldn't find this information.

Anyone serious about learning Thai should check out>>> MrAsia2007

Two hours every monday, wednesday and friday. For a group course its 3500B. I was in a group course but am now in private lessons, due to no fault of my own. Classes from 10am till 12. But I think they are flexible with the times.

Thanks.

3500B for 20 hours? Jesus! And there was me thinking the Payap course was expensive!

Anyone know anywhere that is good but doesn't have the huge farang price tag?

[realthaideal]

"Anyone serious about learning Thai should check out MrAsia2007"

Keo, dude, MrAsia's gonna make me laugh or cry, not sure which yet. Glad I got pointed to it. I can imagine how you found it. Probably better to go grab a Rosetta Stone DVD or something to get much more content for time elapsed. I watched all of the money one and wanted to tell him to go put on a shirt.

Good luck in your quest. My advice is to learn a little bit any way you can, then go out and use it as often as you can and be willing to make a fool out of yourself. Only repeated real life practice on the streets will have you actually doing the do.

[Puwa]

Thanks.

3500B for 20 hours? Jesus! And there was me thinking the Payap course was expensive!

Anyone know anywhere that is good but doesn't have the huge farang price tag?

Is that expensive? It works out to 175B per hour. Really good Thai teachers get 3 times that amount for 1-1 lessons.

[amexpat]

Thanks.

3500B for 20 hours? Jesus! And there was me thinking the Payap course was expensive!

Anyone know anywhere that is good but doesn't have the huge farang price tag?

Is that expensive? It works out to 175B per hour. Really good Thai teachers get 3 times that amount for 1-1 lessons.

Not from me, they don't. I've had a couple of really good ones @ 200-250 / hr. They are booked up though.

[keo]

Keo, dude, MrAsia's gonna make me laugh or cry, not sure which yet. Glad I got pointed to it. I can imagine how you found it. Probably better to go grab a Rosetta Stone DVD or something to get much more content for time elapsed. I watched all of the money one and wanted to tell him to go put on a shirt.

Hilarious isn't it! I can't decide whether I love him or hate him. What I do know is that he's a terrible teacher! The money one - 6.28 mins and all he teaches is "money", "Baht", "satang" and "good luck". Unbelievable.

Thanks.

3500B for 20 hours? Jesus! And there was me thinking the Payap course was expensive!

Anyone know anywhere that is good but doesn't have the huge farang price tag?

Is that expensive? It works out to 175B per hour. Really good Thai teachers get 3 times that amount for 1-1 lessons.

I dont think thats expensive, as you say, its 175B/hour. For a professional teacher, good value. I guess some people are just a litte too "key neow".

The Payap course was 8000 baht for 60 hours (133baht/hr), which for me, in my financial situation, is expensive. It's not about being ขี้เหนียว ผมเป็นอาจารย์ภาษาอังกฤษ มีเงินไม่พอ

เงินยืมได้ไหมครับ

[PeaceBlondie]

Rather than an expert, I am a total failure at learning Thai in northern Thailand. Twice burned, shame on me. YMCA, CMU - as Loaded says, most Thai teachers teach Thai like they learned it as Thais. In my limited experience, teaching Thai as a foreign language does not exist, and most of them do not really know how to teach foreigners. The teachers seem to speak very poor English, wrongly and too quickly, rushing through essentials like pronunciations. I got less than 30 minutes of vowel and consonant instruction in each course, and the books either are WRONG or do not bother explaining it. Even Benjawan, who thinks the first vowel sound in Thai sounds like the first a in Alaska. Close, but not quite...unless Benjawan speaks the state as ahh-laskahh. It took a Slovene an hour to show me that most Thai vowels are the same as....Spanish!

Maybe there is a perfect class for you, or a perfect private tutor. I wish you good luck. You can wish me buen suerte.

[Ulysses G.]

Maybe you are too concerned about being perfect? My Thai is terrible compared to a Thai, but about average compared to other farangs. I can converse for long periods of time with some people and only in the most basic way with others, but you get so much respect for even trying. I'm really glad I made the effort.

Edited January 13, 2009 by Ulysses G.

[Puwa]

Thanks.

3500B for 20 hours? Jesus! And there was me thinking the Payap course was expensive!

Anyone know anywhere that is good but doesn't have the huge farang price tag?

Is that expensive? It works out to 175B per hour. Really good Thai teachers get 3 times that amount for 1-1 lessons.

Not from me, they don't. I've had a couple of really good ones @ 200-250 / hr. They are booked up though.

I should have been more specific, since "really good" is a relative term open to wide interpretation. I mean teachers specializing in teaching Thai as a foreign language, with international teaching experience, and skill in creating original teaching materials suited to individual students' needs.

[Blinky Bill]

Khorthort, pom aahaan pasa Thai my dai. So I have no idea what you wrote.....but I will find out. Then I will find out where you live! Joking.

But it appears what ever course you did take, you got your satungs worth, chia mai? Did you end up taking a university course?

It's not about being ขี้เหนียว ผมเป็นอาจารย์ภาษาอังกฤษ มีเงินไม่พอ

What he is saying here is that he is not being tight-arsed but he is an english teacher in Thailand and the money he has is not enough.

BTW, I have never had a lesson in the Thai language, just mixed and worked with Thai people for many years.

[Boksida]

BTW, I have never had a lesson in the Thai language, just mixed and worked with Thai people for many years.

Me too, and I've been able to bring many of them down to my own level.