Touch Typing In Thai

[Oswulf]

I've decided that I'd like to touch type in Thai, can anyone tell me whether the home position for Thai is the same as for English (i.e. with forefingers on F/Dor Dek and J/Mai Eek and two keys between the forefingers)? This seems to me awkward, with the little finger of the right hand having to do too much work.

Could the home position be F/Dor Dek and K/Sara Aa, with three keys between the forefingers? And if so, would the left hand would cover one of the three keys between, and the right hand, two. And on the bottom row, would the right hand come back in, with the forefinger over Thor Thahaan, rather than moving to Mor Maa?

(The above is all assuming a Kedmanee layout.)

[Neeranam]

I asked a similar question but didn't really get an answer. Is there in fact any order of the letters on the keyboard?

Come to think of it I don't know why the English keyboard is the way it is, I suppose it's to make the most common letters easiest to type.

[yoot]

The home position for Thai typing is the same as for English.

The first lesson of learning to touch type in Thai is started by setting your fingers at ฟ ห ก ด อ่ า ส ว. Then type each one until you get used to with it. After that practice typing เ อ้for left and right forefinger and ง by the right little finger. When you can remember all of these, move to the lower keys and practice the same. Then move to the upper keys and do the same.

[Tywais]

I asked a similar question but didn't really get an answer. Is there in fact any order of the letters on the keyboard?

Come to think of it I don't know why the English keyboard is the way it is, I suppose it's to make the most common letters easiest to type.

Historically the layout "qwerty" was done to slow typists down who whould overrun the mechanical typewriter and jam the keys. When electric typewriters came into being the Dvorak keyboard layout was developed to improve speed by putting the common used keys in home position. Seems the Dvorak keyboard never made too much inroads to the general typist population. More of a geek keyboard I guess.

[Richard W]

Historically the layout "qwerty" was done to slow typists down who whould overrun the mechanical typewriter and jam the keys.  When electric typewriters came into being the Dvorak keyboard layout was developed to improve speed by putting the common used keys in home position.  Seems the Dvorak keyboard never made too much inroads to the general typist population.  More of a geek keyboard I guess.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

And the Thai equivalent of Dvorak is Pattachote, which is supported by Windows XP.

Richard.

[sabaijai]

There must be courses in Thai touch typing around. Anyone here ever taken one?

[siamesekitty]

There must be courses in Thai touch typing around. Anyone here ever taken one?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I took my Thai touch-typing course in high school, and practiced with friends on ICQ (the MSN of those days)

I think there are some Thai typing CDs sold in bookstores, similar to the English typing programs. About 150-200+ baht, if I'm not mistaken.

[Tywais]

I think there are some Thai typing CDs sold in bookstores, similar to the English typing programs. About 150-200+ baht, if I'm not mistaken.

Couple of places:

http://www.dco.co.th/product_info.php?products_id=467

http://www.learningthai.com/downloads/?cat=8

[siamesekitty]

Just to add to that:

http://users.bigpond.com/gurce/Thai/Type/