To what extent is coming on line here to read, chat, argue and joke a substitution for not being able to fully communicate with the Thais around you?

Quite a lot I'd guess especially when it comes to cultural differences.

There have been more than a few occasions when I've just got 'Thai-ed' out and had to head to Bangers or Patters for a weekend of Brit/Irish/Aussie/US pub chat before I went mad.

Forums like this help but theres no substitute for some good face tp face banter and a few beers with ones own.

I don't know.I feel I can express myself more freely here in thai language in thailand rather than my mother tongue back in home country.I don't understand why so !

Interesting topic GuestHouse, I guess being able to speak, in my mother tongue, with people is something i do miss a wee bit. That is untill a few people kick off at me, then i go back to Thai

I don't speak Thai very well, and so often communicated in slow simple English. And when I came back to the UK it took me maybe a week or more to stop talking slowly and simply.

What I couldn't accept was that my 5 year old niece understood my English better than my Thai university English students.

I sometimes go a few months without seeing or speaking to anther "falang", so yes this forum is a nice place to keep in touch with people, as professor fart said nothing beats good face to face banter.

I just speak to the wall.

Seriously, though, it gets to me sometimes when I can't/don't speak Thai because everyone around me is speaking English.

Why am I here?

I find myself struggling for the appropriate words in my mother tongue, English, as I do not use it enough.

When I do speak English here, I have to dumb it down.

There is no point in using big words when they will not be understood.

When I do speak English here, I have to dumb it down.

There is no point in using big words when they will not be understood.

Are you talking about this forum Astral!!??

I usually talk English with the voices in my head. It's the only thing that keeps me sane.

I must be on the road to ruin.

I'm thinking in Thai.

It really gets to me sometimes and THE FORUM is great for chatting and reading English again. Sometimes I can get lost in a book for hours but all of this is still not enough for me. My mother tongue is Afrikaans and if it wasn't for Marty in Pattaya, I wouldn't speak any of that. Even then, I have to think of words to express myself. And Afrikaans is such an expressive language. I miss that.

I must be on the road to ruin.

I'm thinking in Thai.

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You have probably been here too long..........................

I must be on the road to ruin.

I'm thinking in Thai.

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You too...........?

When I do speak English here, I have to dumb it down.

There is no point in using big words when they will not be understood.

Are you talking about this forum Astral!!??

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No, I was refereing to talking with Thai's,

but the same applies in the forum with all the non native English speakers,

like the Yanks and Ozzies!!

NO!!

I just woke up to reality. It hurts and I've got to get my phrasebook again.

I prefer communicating with farangs in this forum rather than face-to-face in, most cases. Keeps my life more peaceful

As for using English or Thai, I feel equally comfortable with either language (not saying my profiency is equal). I simply enjoy communicating with all folks from anywhere on most any topic. I don't fear making language mistakes, only in being misunderstood, but I never lack confidence that I'll be able to make myself clear in any situation even if I do have the language skills of a Prathom student (or annubaan 6? )

No, I was refereing to talking with Thai's,

but the same applies in the forum with all the non native English speakers,

like the Yanks and Ozzies!! 

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They're more native non-English speakers.