Thais Spend 94 Minutes A Day On Average In Reading: Research

[otherstuff1957]

I was once teaching English to a group (about 12 or 15) of Thai school teachers and asked them what was name of a book that they had read recently. There was a dead silence for a moment, then one of them said that she had recently read the first Harry Potter book. Now these were schoolteachers, supposedly among the best educated and most literate of all Thai people.

[housepainter]

I don't accept the more favourable statistics at all.

The survey is far to small to be of any accuracy or consequence. Equally, question your own experience of Thais' reading. I have never seen a Thai person carry a book let alone read one. I am not including students with coursebooks. Rather, persons with novels. Never seen it.

I've never seen a Thai read in a waiting room. Remember that such places including public offices have TVs showing whatever happens to be the day time programming. Unbelievable. How can any one concentrate in order to perform their job?

Then there is the quality of reading. That is not mentioned. Does it include staring at a bus ticket? It must include those comic books seen and carried everywhere.

Even the newsagents, book shops stock trash below the level of the European air port novel.

The '8 lines' remains acceptable in my eyes. The Thais remain an ill educated or uneducated superstitious people, backward in understanding and incapable of critical thinking. Whereas with many nations it is possible to find a common ground by way of arts, dance, music, painting or literature, with Thais it is not. Culturally bereft and intellectually challenged they are and will remain. This is partly due to being without conscience, morals or responsibilty. They have an education system that allows cheating and fails no one. That makes grading pointless.

The outcome? An illiterate people, incapable of speaking a second language, the second language and unable to write or read their own accurately.

Lottery numbers found on the hides of monitor lizards and a national newspaper that endorses such rubbish.

What do you expect?

[Cuban]

> Thais spend 94 minutes a day on average in reading.

As 'Reading' is a town name it should have a leading capital letter. But assuming the average Thai does not travel 5,000 miles to visit the The Oracle or Broad Street Shopping Centres in the UK, their command of English is telling.

Some Thais must be reading 26 hours a day to make up this average, or do 'they' include reading SMS text messages?

[edwardandtubs]

^^ She probably says that because she can't be bothered to tell you.

I know it could be hard to accept, but some people do have "normal" relations where both people talk, so no she does not remember.

Yet your relationship isn't normal enough to tell her that "I not remember" is incorrect English?

[Moonrakers]

94 minutes a day reading?

I agree with that. It takes them that long to read the screen at the F'ing ATM machine!

[rametindallas]

If this is true, Thai people are the most well-read nation on Earth. The article said most respondents were young and govt. workers so, students must read and govt. workers must read. If you remove from the equation all who must read for work or school, you will have a more accurate idea ot typical Thai reading habits. From my experience, that number would be closer to 15 or 20 minutes a day including street signs, advertising, prices on purchased items, etc.

[JerM_6]

I don't accept the more favourable statistics at all.

The survey is far to small to be of any accuracy or consequence. Equally, question your own experience of Thais' reading. I have never seen a Thai person carry a book let alone read one. I am not including students with coursebooks. Rather, persons with novels. Never seen it.

I've never seen a Thai read in a waiting room. Remember that such places including public offices have TVs showing whatever happens to be the day time programming. Unbelievable. How can any one concentrate in order to perform their job?

Then there is the quality of reading. That is not mentioned. Does it include staring at a bus ticket? It must include those comic books seen and carried everywhere.

Even the newsagents, book shops stock trash below the level of the European air port novel.

The '8 lines' remains acceptable in my eyes. The Thais remain an ill educated or uneducated superstitious people, backward in understanding and incapable of critical thinking. Whereas with many nations it is possible to find a common ground by way of arts, dance, music, painting or literature, with Thais it is not. Culturally bereft and intellectually challenged they are and will remain. This is partly due to being without conscience, morals or responsibilty. They have an education system that allows cheating and fails no one. That makes grading pointless.

The outcome? An illiterate people, incapable of speaking a second language, the second language and unable to write or read their own accurately.

Lottery numbers found on the hides of monitor lizards and a national newspaper that endorses such rubbish.

What do you expect?

[Xangsamhua]

A lot of Thai people read newspapers. Middle class people read magazines. I don't take buses or trains, so don't know if people read on them. Certainly reading as a self-chosen and valued regular daily practice is not widespread from my observation, but most foreigners I know don't seem to read much either - the occasional novel when they are on holidays perhaps.

It would be interesting to see the original report. The Nation article probably obscures rather than reveals anything from it. I recently did a small survey of students in Years 5 - 8 on their discretionary time practices, out of school. Have just started looking at the data, but it appears that about 70% of children in the 10-14 age bracket spend no time reading books of any kind outside school, but a small minority read a lot. However, most kids spend time on the internet, on Facebook, emailing, etc, and this all requires reading (and writing). Most of that internet time is spent on the weekend; during the week kids finish their homework and most parents don't allow them to sit on the computer for long from Monday to Thursday.

Literacy is about much more than reading books and magazines, and some comic or cartoon-style books have substance and are worthwhile for school-age children.

[kuffki]

^^ She probably says that because she can't be bothered to tell you.

I know it could be hard to accept, but some people do have "normal" relations where both people talk, so no she does not remember.

Yet your relationship isn't normal enough to tell her that "I not remember" is incorrect English?

Yeah, outrages that a Thai does not speak 100% fluent English, i am sure your Thai is 100% fluent

[swifty5x5]

94 minutes a day reading?

I agree with that. It takes them that long to read the screen at the F'ing ATM machine!

[DP25]

My GF is in her last year of Uni. Every day when i ask her how was her day and what she learned, the answer is always the same-I not remember. So you right, what exactly do they read?-lol

Like she's gonna tell you she spent the whole day flirting with cute uni guys

[kuffki]

My GF is in her last year of Uni. Every day when i ask her how was her day and what she learned, the answer is always the same-I not remember. So you right, what exactly do they read?-lol

Like she's gonna tell you she spent the whole day flirting with cute uni guys

what does flirting with cute uni guys have to do with what she learned?

Question i ask is what did you learn not what did you do

[geovalin]

Yes the situation (Thais reading) is pathetic.

Yes, when you are in a bus or a train, you farang are reading a book and the "locals" do not read any book.

BUT

BUT

BUT

It's improving.

20 years ago, I traveled from BKK to Vietnam.I was stunned because Vietnamese was READING books and newspaper vs Thais who, at this time, was reading ONLY 10 THB cartoons.

At this time, the book stores was very rare in the country.

Nowadays, Thais read far more -not philosophy, right, but do you read philosophy? Is 2 hours on Thai Visa philosophy?-. Thais read newspaper, Facebook -reading is reading! if you read Facebook when you are young you can read books in your 40's- AND there are lot of book stores AND the bookstores are full of books in Thai AND the customers are Thais.

[geovalin]

Let's make this inquiry:

Each of us, please tell honestly how many books we read during the last 30 days.

My answer: 4.

[bushwacker]

"Thai people read an average of 94 minutes daily, but mainly among the young and government workers, according to academic research by Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Education and state-operated Thailand Knowledge Park (TK Park)."

Is this enough time for them to completely read one entire page? And I wonder what their retention is like. Maybe the retention is the reason why so many government employees do not understand the rules and laws and are forced to make up their own versions. Hihihihihihi

[lomatopo]

Wow, lots of Thai-bashing on this thread!

Most reading surveys attempt to distinguish between school/education, leisure and work reading activities. Some education and work segments report 2+ hours reading per day (5 days per week), while leisure reading (perhaps the most important category TV members use to adjust their racial bias) tends to increase with age.

Without understanding the details of this survey it is challenging to interpret the results, as challenging as extrapolating my daily observances of Thais into some ignorant, racist and generalized stereotypical comments.

[fred007]

Gee...... I suspect at least,that amount time would be spent reading in the Can.......

How else can you spend valuable Government work time..........I think the stats should be Work In Government Office 94 Minutes a day.....Readingi in the Can 7 hours a day

[Xangsamhua]

Yes the situation (Thais reading) is pathetic.

Yes, when you are in a bus or a train, you farang are reading a book and the "locals" do not read any book.

BUT

BUT

BUT

It's improving.

20 years ago, I traveled from BKK to Vietnam.I was stunned because Vietnamese was READING books and newspaper vs Thais who, at this time, was reading ONLY 10 THB cartoons.

At this time, the book stores was very rare in the country.

Nowadays, Thais read far more -not philosophy, right, but do you read philosophy? Is 2 hours on Thai Visa philosophy?-. Thais read newspaper, Facebook -reading is reading! if you read Facebook when you are young you can read books in your 40's- AND there are lot of book stores AND the bookstores are full of books in Thai AND the customers are Thais.

True, the situation has improved a lot. Forty years ago there weren't really any proper general Thai bookshops that I can remember, but there was one quite good English language bookshop, DK in Siam Square, started in about 1970-71. Bookshops were just corner stores that sold newspapers, magazines, stationery and a few books (novels, Buddhist teaching, astrology, etc.). A friend told me at the time that if I was seen reading on the bus people would think I was lonely and start talking to me. This was an exaggeration, but generally I think people felt reading was a distancing sort of thing to do. And why read anyway, unless it was for school or university? Reading for self-development wasn't going to get you anywhere.

There are some very good predominantly Thai bookstores now - Se-Ed and B2S come to mind - and lots of titles on all kinds of topics. And even if people just browse rather than buy, and if their interests are in football and celebrity magazines and how to get rich guidebooks, there's a lot of reading getting done and interests being awakened. Health and Lifestyle, auto/biographies and books about Dhamma and its application to life are all popular. Things are certainly getting better.

[edwardandtubs]

^^ She probably says that because she can't be bothered to tell you.

I know it could be hard to accept, but some people do have "normal" relations where both people talk, so no she does not remember.

Yet your relationship isn't normal enough to tell her that "I not remember" is incorrect English?

Yeah, outrages that a Thai does not speak 100% fluent English, i am sure your Thai is 100% fluent

It isn't a question of being fluent, it's a question of whether you're helping your girlfriend overcome an extremely basic English error. Or do you want your girlfriend sounding like an uneducated bar girl?

[otherstuff1957]

Let's make this inquiry:

Each of us, please tell honestly how many books we read during the last 30 days.

My answer: 4.

That's a good question:

For me (just recreational reading, not work related) about 5 or 6

My wife (who is Thai) 4 or 5

[kuffki]

It isn't a question of being fluent, it's a question of whether you're helping your girlfriend overcome an extremely basic English error. Or do you want your girlfriend sounding like an uneducated bar girl?

I am sorry i was not aware that this thread was about me teaching or correcting GF's in English, i will keep it in mind for the next time

PS. I was also not aware that ONLY bar girls spoke bad English while all others spoke correct English

[edwardandtubs]

It isn't a question of being fluent, it's a question of whether you're helping your girlfriend overcome an extremely basic English error. Or do you want your girlfriend sounding like an uneducated bar girl?

I am sorry i was not aware that this thread was about me teaching or correcting GF's in English, i will keep it in mind for the next time

PS. I was also not aware that ONLY bar girls spoke bad English while all others spoke correct English

Do all your replies have to contain a logical fallacy? Where did I say that only bar girls speak bad English while all others speak correct English?

However, given that your girlfriend speaks pidgin English like a bar girl and can only reply "I not remember" every time you ask her about her day at university, I would be a little bit suspicious about whether she is what she claims to be.

Edited November 14, 2010 by edwardandtubs

[kuffki]

It isn't a question of being fluent, it's a question of whether you're helping your girlfriend overcome an extremely basic English error. Or do you want your girlfriend sounding like an uneducated bar girl?

I am sorry i was not aware that this thread was about me teaching or correcting GF's in English, i will keep it in mind for the next time

PS. I was also not aware that ONLY bar girls spoke bad English while all others spoke correct English

Do all your replies have to contain a logical fallacy? Where did I say that only bar girls speak bad English while all others speak correct English?

However, given that your girlfriend speaks pidgin English like a bar girl and can only reply "I not remember" every time you ask her about her day at university, I would be a little bit suspicious about whether she is what she claims to be.

This does not even deserve a response.I only hope that your Thai is 10% as good as her English.

[whybother]

Do all your replies have to contain a logical fallacy? Where did I say that only bar girls speak bad English while all others speak correct English?

However, given that your girlfriend speaks pidgin English like a bar girl and can only reply "I not remember" every time you ask her about her day at university, I would be a little bit suspicious about whether she is what she claims to be.

Given that you said:

It isn't a question of being fluent, it's a question of whether you're helping your girlfriend overcome an extremely basic English error. Or do you want your girlfriend sounding like an uneducated bar girl?

I would assume that you meant that any Thai girl that doesn't speak very good English must be an uneducated bar girl.

[gemini81]

I was once teaching English to a group (about 12 or 15) of Thai school teachers and asked them what was name of a book that they had read recently. There was a dead silence for a moment, then one of them said that she had recently read the first Harry Potter book. Now these were schoolteachers, supposedly among the best educated and most literate of all Thai people.

they should do research on how many hours Thai teenagers read THE BACK OF THEIR EYELIDS a day. That might account for the remaining 22 or so hours away from BB text messages. haha. in part true.

[edwardandtubs]

Do all your replies have to contain a logical fallacy? Where did I say that only bar girls speak bad English while all others speak correct English?

However, given that your girlfriend speaks pidgin English like a bar girl and can only reply "I not remember" every time you ask her about her day at university, I would be a little bit suspicious about whether she is what she claims to be.

Given that you said:

It isn't a question of being fluent, it's a question of whether you're helping your girlfriend overcome an extremely basic English error. Or do you want your girlfriend sounding like an uneducated bar girl?

I would assume that you meant that any Thai girl that doesn't speak very good English must be an uneducated bar girl.

No intelligent person would make that assumption.

[Hawkup2000]

I didn't know that the Thai TV soaps have subtitles.

[whybother]

Do all your replies have to contain a logical fallacy? Where did I say that only bar girls speak bad English while all others speak correct English?

However, given that your girlfriend speaks pidgin English like a bar girl and can only reply "I not remember" every time you ask her about her day at university, I would be a little bit suspicious about whether she is what she claims to be.

Given that you said:

It isn't a question of being fluent, it's a question of whether you're helping your girlfriend overcome an extremely basic English error. Or do you want your girlfriend sounding like an uneducated bar girl?

I would assume that you meant that any Thai girl that doesn't speak very good English must be an uneducated bar girl.

No intelligent person would make that assumption.

Well, a couple have already.

[edwardandtubs]

No intelligent person would make that assumption.

Well, a couple have already.

Intelligent people I said. For a start, to say one thing is like another thing is not the same as saying it is that thing so to say she sounds like an uneducated bar girl is not the same as saying she is one. Also, I specifically said she sounds like that because of her inability to form an extremely basic English sentence ('I can't remember') and made no mention of people who don't speak very good English. I'm simply advising the guy to help his girlfriend speak better English. No intelligence person would read into that a wild generalisation about Thai girls who don't speak very good English. To get back to the subject of reading, 'a couple' of posters here are in no position to criticise Thais when they themselves lack basic reading comprehension skills.

Edited November 14, 2010 by edwardandtubs

[kurnell]

I didn't know that the Thai TV soaps have subtitles.

Bingo. There are always lots of Thais in the cinema. Maybe most Thais see one movie a day.

Personally I am not sure how many books I read per month. I do know that I have 3 books in my main toilet, 1 in the downstairs toliet and 2 books in the car.

If Thai don't read, why are there so many book shops around Bangkok??