Best Book For Learning To Read Thai?

[HalfSquat]

I am going away for a while so won't have my computer so would like a book I can use to learn to read Thai. I've started learning the characters using online soundboard type things to help me recognise the characters and learn the sounds but don't know how the words are made up, final sounds, punctuation and things like that.

Can anyone recommend just one book (if there is one) I can take with me that will get me going? Or any other materials I could take with me to learn (non-computer based).

Also, roughly how long did it take you (hours per day, days, weeks, etc) to learn to read Thai?

I've seen this book and it looks quite good, anyone had any experience of it:

Thai -Reading for Speaking by Darryl Sweetland

Thanks!

[farangnahrak]

I never used a book to learn, I did it almost entirely on my own. Not sure if its the best way as I can't relearn to compare, but it definitely worked for me.

First you need to memorize the alphabet. I bought a chart of the Thai alphabet, and asked my Thai friends to write the english equivalent next to each letter. The letters that don't have equivalents will require extra practice. Some farang take up to 1-2 years to pronounce ง ต ป แอ and อื correctly, me being one of them.

I spent about a month learning and practicing the letters . . . about an hour a day. Other people reported 2-3 weeks with 2-3 hours a day, but that was just too much for me at the time.

After that month I bought some Thai childrens books and forced myself to read them. It was extremely painful and slow at first. Like one page an hour. But within 2 months I quickly sped up to like 3 pages an hour. Not having spaces between words made it really difficult at first. Don't even bother looking up words in this phase, just practice your reading speed.

You can also start memorizing how to spell really common words as you start to build up your vocabulary. I didn't start learning to read and write until 7 months after I started learning Thai . . . so I had a workable vocabulary by then. But if I had to do it over, I wouldn't have waited 7 months!

I read everyday, about an hour a day, and have finished dozens of novels. After about 6 years I can read at 10-15 pages/hour, depending on the material.

There aren't any Thai books between 3rd grade and highschool level as most Thai people don't read (or write books). So you'll just have to trudge through it when time comes. Right now I'm reading ลูกอีสาน . . . its highschool level with tons of Isaan vocabulary . . . I'm 6th grade level and it hurts to read it . . . but hopefully I'll be that much better when I'm done!

Oh and don't even both with reading the newspapers until you've been learning for at least 3 years.

(hope that helps you judge the effort required)

Edited May 23, 2010 by farangnahrak

[Colabamumbai]

"Thai Made Easy" by Andreas Schottenloher is a good book available in Bangkok

Bhat $350. It has the English words then the Thai pronunciation then the word in Thai script.

The phonetics allow you to pronounce correctly.

This book is better than any dictionary I have found in Thailand. I have shown it to many Thai people who are interested in purchasing it including Thai nationals who are teachers here, who do not speak much English.

At the back of the book it has the reverse The Thai script the phonetic pronunciation then the word in English. 500 pages with a green and black cover. Basic knowledge, vocabulary and pronunciation. More than 10,000 important words and phrases, explanations and sample sentences.

[HalfSquat]

Thanks farangnahrak. Sounds like a massive undertaking! I'll give it a go and see how I get on. How do you know when one word ends and another starts?

Cheers Colabamumbai, I will have a look for it. What level is your reading at and wow long did it take you to get where you are?

[Colabamumbai]

Thanks farangnahrak. Sounds like a massive undertaking! I'll give it a go and see how I get on. How do you know when one word ends and another starts?

Cheers Colabamumbai, I will have a look for it. What level is your reading at and wow long did it take you to get where you are?

I can't really read Thai letters. I took a course at Thai Language Solutions where they taught me in phonetics, although I could take a course there to learn to read and write in Thai script. The book comes in handy for extra word work or trying to teach my friend English... 100 hours at the school and I can speak enough Thai to impress taxi drivers and ask for whatever I need anywhere.

ie: Phonetics Phom Bpen nak rian phaa saa Thai. = I am learning to speak Thai. Easier and faster for a foreigner to get a command of the spoken language before learning Thai script. I hve no need to write in Thai alphabet but reading it would be handy for buses and vans etc.

[HalfSquat]

I am already learning to speak Thai using phonetics but would like to learn to read a bit as well.

[lime123]

I am Thai , need foreign to practice speak english , in the otherway I will teach Thai language to you , anybody interest please PM to me , Thanks

[farangnahrak]

How do you know when one word ends and another starts?

You need to know the word to know its a word.

(hence vocab is important)

The hardest part are those darn compound words - you think its two separate words but really its just one with an entirely different meaning. Perfect examples are the Thai words for 'responsibility' or 'quality'. They definitely threw me off at first . . .

I hve no need to write in Thai alphabet but reading it would be handy for buses and vans etc.

I used to think the same way, which is why I waited 7 months. But actually, I find 'wasting' the 2-3 months learning to read and write greatly sped up my ability to learn to speak Thai. It'll also greatly improve your pronunciation. In the long term, you'll actually save time by making the investment.

And after you learn everything in the 'learn thai' books (which by the way won't get you much farther than mid-intermediate level), you'll have to read Thai to further your studies.

[Colabamumbai]

How do you know when one word ends and another starts?

You need to know the word to know its a word.

(hence vocab is important)

The hardest part are those darn compound words - you think its two separate words but really its just one with an entirely different meaning. Perfect examples are the Thai words for 'responsibility' or 'quality'. They definitely threw me off at first . . .

I hve no need to write in Thai alphabet but reading it would be handy for buses and vans etc.

I used to think the same way, which is why I waited 7 months. But actually, I find 'wasting' the 2-3 months learning to read and write greatly sped up my ability to learn to speak Thai. It'll also greatly improve your pronunciation. In the long term, you'll actually save time by making the investment.

And after you learn everything in the 'learn thai' books (which by the way won't get you much farther than mid-intermediate level), you'll have to read Thai to further your studies.

y girlfriend buys books to learn English and they have the Thai translation so I do find them helpful but they are standard type questions and or sentences, like I have a dog, Where are you from etc.

[Tod Daniels]

I'd recommend Benjawan Poomsan Becker's books. Work you way thru all three (get the ones with the C/D's too, as they're worthless without ‘em). As you go thru them, you can get some of her "Speak like a thai" series as there's some stuff of value in there too.

If you can get all the way thru the three levels (Basic, Intermediate, Advanced) you should be able to read, write and certainly converse (depending on your interaction with thais as you learn) at least at a very understandable level of thai.

Granted, you might not be talking about savin’ the frickin’ pangolins, global warming or solving world peace but you will be talking to them. Also, depending on your native accent you may still sound like a foreigner speaking thai, BUT hey, at least it'll be semi-cohesive fairly well structured thai rather than '2-word-tourist-thai' or 'horse-peak' .

Once you get thru her stuff maybe get either; "Thai Reference Grammar (the structure of spoke thai)" by Higbie & Thinsan, or "Thai (an essential grammar)" by David Smyth. They are NOT books to teach you thai, but to teach you how the thai language is structured. I've found them to carry the most value of almost all the books I've got ONCE you understand enough spoken thai to make heads or tails out of ‘em.

Although this is slightly off topic I think it still has marginal merit ;

I'm trading english for thai to some thais who live on my Soi but who can't read english beyond the most basic level. They can speak & understand english well enough, have a good working vocabulary, they just can't really read nor write it.

I found there are TONZ of thai books designed to teach english conversation to thais. Most have the thai word สนทนา (converse) in their title and Se-Ed Books has shelves of them.

It's the exact same basis for the phonetic engrish we see used in almost all the books to teach thai to foreigners, just in reverse.

There will be an english sentence written out in english, under it is the same sentence written out phonetically in thai script and below that is the thai translation of the sentence. It's pretty frickin' close to sounding like english when it's read out loud by a thai.

Here's an example I pulled from the book I'm using on them;

Do you remember me from the party last nite?

ดู ยู ริเมมเบอะ มี ฟรอม เธอะ พาร์ทิ ลาสทฺ ไนทฺ

คุรจำฉันที่อยู่ในงานเลี้ยงเมื่อคืนได้ไหม

(FWIW; I'm NOT sure what the subscript dot under some of the ending letters denotes, as I've rarely if ever seen it used except in the RID when the word comes from pali or sanskrit)

To answer 'halfsquat' and the question about learning where one thai word stops and another starts; Sadly there's no short cut to this and it comes down to 100% word memoriziation. Until you can see a thai word and recognize it, you're gonna be at the bottom of a very long learning curve.

No one who learns to read, ever reads ANY language letter by letter except at the very very early stages. They read by recognizing 'groups' of letters equate to a word and the corresponding meaning in your native language. It is a hard slog to memorize enough vocabulary so you can the individual words in a thai sentence 'jumps' out at first glance.

Good luck, DON'T give up, if I can teach myself to read, type and to a lesser extent speak thai, anyone can, as I'm far from the sharpest knife in the drawer

I concur with farangnahrak; thai compound words which carry a completely different meaning than the individual meaning of the component words are indeed tough 'rows to hoe' in garnering the real meaning. His example รับผิดชอบ (receive-incorrect-likes) is priceless and one that stumped me for AGES.

[HalfSquat]

Thanks for the reply tod.

I will have a look for those books for Thai to learn English. When I go in those books shops and try and find the Thai basics books (for Thai people) I get overwhelmed and can't find anything and have to leave!

[HTWoodson]

I have a somewhat ridiculous collection of books from my years studying Thai. Here is just one bookshelf:

The best book I've found for a beginner trying to learn reading and writing, without a doubt, is "Reading and Writing Thai" by Somsonge Burusphat. Here's a picture of the cover:

If you can find it, I give it two enthusiastic thumbs up. It's very well structured, easy to work your way though and covers everything.

This is not a book that will give you much vocabulary. It's focus is just on being able to read and write, not comprehension.

[HalfSquat]

Thanks HT, will keep my eyes peeled.

That's a lot of books!

[singa-traz]

I concur with farangnahrak; thai compound words which carry a completely different meaning than the individual meaning of the component words are indeed tough 'rows to hoe' in garnering the real meaning. His example รับผิดชอบ (receive-incorrect-likes) is priceless and one that stumped me for AGES.

For this example, I was actually wondering what was this "receive-incorrect-likes" before breaking down the word.

The good news is that with some regular reading, the vocabulary will build up rapidly and those compound words will not be a difficulty anymore, as you will automatically recognize/understand them as single word.

I always find a bit frustrating initially and then funny when reading "English" word that have been written in Thai, like "ซอฟแวร์".

Happy Learning!

Edited May 28, 2010 by singa-traz

[Alpha]

There usedo be a great book caleld "Fundamentals of the Thai Language" - I used it to learn how to read but alas it seem to be out of print now.

[desi]

Can anyone recommend just one book (if there is one) I can take with me that will get me going? Or any other materials I could take with me to learn (non-computer based).

My favourite book for learning to read Thai is: Introduction to Thai Reading with CD

Not sure what you mean by computer based - is an iPod ok? You can pull the sound files into your iTunes and whatever you need to from there.

Another one I like is Everyday Thai For Beginners with CD in MP3 Format.

It's not exactly a beginners book and ditto on the sound files.

Neither lean on transliteration (a rarity).

If you want to start from the beginning with writing by getting away from the tight Thai script taught to school kids, then Reading Thai is Fun by James Neal is excellent.

[desi]

There usedo be a great book caleld "Fundamentals of the Thai Language" - I used it to learn how to read but alas it seem to be out of print now.

It's online at Fundamentals of the Thai Language - So not what he is requesting, but he could print it out?

[sarahsbloke]

ie: Phonetics Phom Bpen nak rian phaa saa Thai. = I am learning to speak Thai. Easier and faster for a foreigner to get a command of the spoken language before learning Thai script. I hve no need to write in Thai alphabet but reading it would be handy for buses and vans etc.

No it isn't, learning Thai script first is most important, else you will make many pronunciation mistakes that you will need to unlearn later.

I concur with farangnahrak; thai compound words which carry a completely different meaning than the individual meaning of the component words are indeed tough 'rows to hoe' in garnering the real meaning. His example รับ ผิดชอบ (receive-incorrect-likes) is priceless and one that stumped me for AGES.

Thai2English on my PC translates "รับ ผิดชอบ" (rap-pit-chawp) as "(to) Be Responsible (for)"

for example

Pom ja rap-pit-chawp man ehng = I will be responsible for it.

I rather like "Teach yourself Thai" by David Smyth, it uses English and Thai script.

Edited May 28, 2010 by sarahsbloke

[Colabamumbai]

ie: Phonetics Phom Bpen nak rian phaa saa Thai. = I am learning to speak Thai. Easier and faster for a foreigner to get a command of the spoken language before learning Thai script. I hve no need to write in Thai alphabet but reading it would be handy for buses and vans etc.

No it isn't, learning Thai script first is most important, else you will make many pronunciation mistakes that you will need to unlearn later.

I concur with farangnahrak; thai compound words which carry a completely different meaning than the individual meaning of the component words are indeed tough 'rows to hoe' in garnering the real meaning. His example รับ ผิดชอบ (receive-incorrect-likes) is priceless and one that stumped me for AGES.

Thai2English on my PC translates "รับ ผิดชอบ" (rap-pit-chawp) as "(to) Be Responsible (for)"

for example

Pom ja rap-pit-chop man ehng = I will be responsible for it.

To each his own.

[Asianrider]

รับผิดชอบ

this used to catch me out a lot too

this is where some paid tuition, even an hour or two a week, can help enormously !

[bhoydy]

รับผิดชอบ

this used to catch me out a lot too

this is where some paid tuition, even an hour or two a week, can help enormously !

You shouldn't need to pay someone to find out something which is in a dictionary. But if you want to i'll do it for you, just PM me when you want to look up a word.

[HalfSquat]

My favourite book for learning to read Thai is: Introduction to Thai Reading with CD

Not sure what you mean by computer based - is an iPod ok? You can pull the sound files into your iTunes and whatever you need to from there.

Computer based as in need to use a computer. An Ipod is ok as long as an internet connection is not required. I will have a look for those ones. Thanks!

[unblocktheplanet]

I have found the University of Wisconsin's Thai Reader Project helpful (and free!): womenlearnthai.com/index.php/free-resource-thai-reader-project/

Some inspiration can be had from Women Learn Thai: womenlearnthai.com/ and Marcel Barang's blog: marcelbarang.wordpress.com/ and www.thaifiction.com

Doug Cooper's Center for Research in Computational Linguistics website is a gem with lots of free Thai texts interpaginated, Thai time and other goodies: crcl.th.net/ (Shameless plug: my own translation of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz into Latin can be found compared to the Thai edition I published in 1992 translated by Dr. Charnvit Kasetsiri.)

For spoken Thai, the US State Dept's Foreign Language Institute courses, as free mp3s, are hard to top: fsi-language-courses.org/Content.php?page=Thai

If you have the commitment, a proper, structured Thai immersion programme is the fastest route to fluency. Chula's Thai Studies Centre is the best here: www.arts.chula.ac.th/international/thai/. More programmes are found here: thaiarc.tu.ac.th/thai/thcourse.html

Ever wondered how those young, corn-fed, white Mormon lads on bicycles speak such great Thai? (No, wise-ass, it's not "speaking in tongues"!) Some missionary types use the Union Language School but I think the multiple-wives crowd has their own programme. If any body knows, I want to know more. TIA!

Sorry to report, there is no substitute for sink-or-swim hard work and commitment. If Thailand is home for you, going native leads to great satisfaction. It's worth the work, without a doubt.

[desi]

For spoken Thai, the US State Dept's Foreign Language Institute courses, as free mp3s, are hard to top: fsi-language-courses.org/Content.php?page=Thai

The FSI Thai courses don't have Thai script so we teamed up to produce Thai Language Wiki. There are no pdf downloads yet as we are waiting to update some of the conversations. But you can easily download from fsi-language-courses.org and get the Thai script from us.

Glenn is gradually putting it on his site here - http://thai-language.com/lessons - so there is that too. He's doing a fabulous job, but it is on computer for now (just like TLW).

Btw - Thanks for the plug

Edited June 1, 2010 by desi

[SoftWater]

Phonetics Phom Bpen nak rian phaa saa Thai. = I am learning to speak Thai.

No, that translates as: I'm a student of the Thai language.

(which doesn't necessarily mean you're learning to speak it - lots of Thais study Thai (linguistics, etymology etc) and lots of farangs study reading & writing but only splutter at speaking, me included!)

I'm learning to speak Thai = ผมเรียนคุยภาษาไทยอยู่

/pom rian kui pasaa thai yoo/

[Lit: I study talk language thai doing]

Sorry, for the pedantry, its past my bedtime

[LivinLOS]

I am finding, after years of failed starts, that the system used in 'Read Thai in a day' is working..

I normally hate anything with such a hyperbole title, and maybe purists will find holes in it.. But I have learnt more in the last 48 hours, and can read simple Thai words, even tho I dont know what the words are, in way that weeks of other kinds of learning hasnt achieved. I am at a very basic level, but I feel that this time I am actually getting the basics in where other ways I simply failed, gave up, got bored.

So as a basis for getting the letters to sounds, by using memory mapping and images, its working for me.

What I now need, is simple Thai text to read.

[farangnahrak]

What I now need, is simple Thai text to read.

I recommend มานี มานะ.

Its what all the little'uns use to learn Thai. It even puts spaces between the words.

http://www.ee43.com/photo/topic/182.html

Just walk into a Thai library and ask for 'Manee Mana'. And any 1st grader work-books, too. It'll be just like learning your shapes and 1+1 all over again (but in another language). hehe

[LivinLOS]

What I now need, is simple Thai text to read.

I recommend มานี มานะ.

Its what all the little'uns use to learn Thai. It even puts spaces between the words.

http://www.ee43.com/photo/topic/182.html

Just walk into a Thai library and ask for 'Manee Mana'. And any 1st grader work-books, too. It'll be just like learning your shapes and 1+1 all over again (but in another language). hehe

Thanks I just did a thread for which this may be the perfect answer.

[Tod Daniels]

I recommend มานี มานะ.

Its what all the little'uns use to learn Thai. It even puts spaces between the words.

Thanks I just did a thread for which this may be the perfect answer.

FWIW, if you don't have a thai national handy to help you with the pronunciation those Maanee/Maana books are about as worthless as tits on a bull.

It's the same as most thai language books for school. You NEED a native thai speaker to help you with the vocab, the toning and vowel length. Without one (a handy native thai speaker) those sort of books carry very little bang for the baht. I also think the entire Manee books are online somewhere with sound files too.

I looked for a thread about low/intermediate reading materials but didn't see it (this new look to the forums screws me up ). Anyway, I'll post it here;

For general not too difficult reading I mentioned before that I stumbled across the books by the guy whose known to all thais as "คุณ แอนดรูว์", or Andrew Biggs.

His books, obviously written in thai for thais to learn english, are really quite interesting and easy to read. They contain a LOT of common sense things that can be applied to foreigners who are learning the thai language as well.

The book I bought first was;

เฮง, เฮง,เฮง, ขายของไห้ฝรั่ง - กลยุทธ์ดูดเงินจากกระเป๋าฝรั่งโดยใช้อังกฤษเป็นอาวุธ

My poor translation is;

Triple Good Luck! Sell things to foreigners - "Tactics to suck money from the pocket of foreigners by using the english language as a weapon". (Actually, if the truth be told, I neither knew the word for tactics/strategy กลยุทธ์ nor the word for weapon อาวุธ until Id bought the book and looked 'em up in the dictionary. But hey; there're two more words to my vocabulary..)

Still it's an interesting easy read for anyone who has even a low intermediate grasp of thai, (and comes with a c/d to work on your english pronunciation too ).

Except for the book I just mentioned above, which is available almost everywhere, his books are frickin' tough to find and even Chula bookstore doesn't stock 'em. I finally went out to his school at Major Ekami and bought some more (plus you get 10% off buying 'em there)

The other three I bought today are;

วิธีพูดภาษาอังกฤษเหมือนฝรั่ง - Methods to speak english like a foreigner

ภาษาอังกฤษง่ายนิดเดียว เล่ม ๑ English; its a 'piece of cake', Book 1

ภาษาอังกฤษง่ายนิดเดียว เล่ม ๒ English; its a 'piece of cake', Book 2

(FWIW I didn't know the thai term ง่ายนิดเดียว was an idiom which carried the same meaning as its a piece of cake, or easy as pie until a thai told me.)

Anyway, for not too difficult of stuff to read, they're well worth the baht, and if you happen to have a thai significant other, they can help them in learning better english as well.

Edited June 8, 2010 by tod-daniels

[desi]

For general not too difficult reading I mentioned before that I stumbled across the books by the guy whose known to all thais as "คุณ แอนดรูว์", or Andrew Biggs.

I just got a stack of Andrew's books and CDs also, but I ordered online. If you got to his site, AndrewBiggs.com, it'll take you to ThaiTicketMajor to purchase.