What Is The Point Of Learning Thai Other Than Having Fun ?

[duiter]

Dear all,

What is the point of learning Thai other than having fun ?

Is Thai language useful in other country or other region ?

So, is it worth spending 300-500 baht per hour for learning Thai and hundreds of dollars for living cost in Thai ?

Many thanks

[canuckamuck]

I think you haven't thought this one through. It may have occured to you that some foreigners live here full time and do business here. You may have noticed that speaking Thai is very common in Thailand and other languages, not so much.

Edited March 22, 2012 by canuckamuck

[23962323]

It is a back to front language for sure,one of the most difficult to crack,I get by,but it surely is a stupid language Passa Thai

[HeavyDrinker]

Well, if you want to participate fully in, and get the most out of your life here, then I'd say yes.

That said, I know many who are content knowing little or no Thai, but then they tend to be utterly dependent on their wives or girlfriends to do almost everything for them.

For me, knowing the language has given me great independence, and a greater knowledge and understanding of life here as I have had the tools to find out things for myself as opposed to just having to take the wife's word for it.

You wouldn't beleive how much of the conventional "expat" wisdom you read here is merely hearsay from what member's wives tell them.

[kriswillems]

I know somebody that lived here for 10 years without speaking Thai. At a certain moment he decided to start learning Thai and he was almost fluent after 6 months studying. He said he felt really sorry for all the time, money, loneliness, limitations and frustrations not knowing Thai for 10 years have costed him.

For me personally, I think learning Thai is the best thing I've spent time and money on since I live here. I know enough Thai for every day life, normal conversations. Today, I still feel a bit frustrated that I have to pass when people start talking about really complicated or specialized subjects. Although I've always hated language study during my school-years, I've to say that knowing the language is more important than anything else when you move to a new country. For an expat, language is freedom.

Edited March 22, 2012 by kriswillems

[wrevelate]

no. study chinese.

if you are looking for personal development, cultural enrichment, and cute little asian honeys, by all means, my friend, join us in the quest.

[skippybangkok]

Comes handy at work !........ and no need to pay money if your smart, just learn it yourself

[tgeezer]

Since you say that it is fun and some reasons have been forwarded, I would suggest that you don't spend the money but have fun. As far as I am concerned, I hope that it delays the onset of senility, deteriorating brain and all that.

[SouthernMan3]

It is a back to front language for sure,one of the most difficult to crack,I get by,but it surely is a stupid language Passa Thai

[SouthernMan3]

Well, if you want to participate fully in, and get the most out of your life here, then I'd say yes.

That said, I know many who are content knowing little or no Thai, but then they tend to be utterly dependent on their wives or girlfriends to do almost everything for them.

For me, knowing the language has given me great independence, and a greater knowledge and understanding of life here as I have had the tools to find out things for myself as opposed to just having to take the wife's word for it.

You wouldn't beleive how much of the conventional "expat" wisdom you read here is merely hearsay from what member's wives tell them.

Here here !

[SouthernMan3]

All I can say is that I live in a place with NO falang.

Without Thai I would be a dumb mute.

Plus, Thai people, like anyone else, have a lot to say.

Kinda hard to listen if you don't understand.

What's that called ?

Oh yea, uneducated ?

Clueless ?

[CMTourist]

All I can say is that I live in a place with NO falang.

Without Thai I would be a dumb mute.

Plus, Thai people, like anyone else, have a lot to say.

Kinda hard to listen if you don't understand.

What's that called ?

Oh yea, uneducated ?

Clueless ?

My view is slightly different. Speaking Thai is useful for living independently its true. Many of the people who provide services to me can't speak a word of English and so I'm fairly sure it all ends up slightly cheaper than if I was dependent on English speaking Thais. Plus it means I can live here without it being compulsory to have a Thai GF.

But when it comes to conversation, Thais that can't speak English are generally less educated and have less to say.

Those who are educated and with whom you can have real conversations about subjects other than food, weather and women (even the old women who clean my apartment and do my laundry and work in the local food stalls ask me a lot about my dating life, specifically why I don't see more women!) tend to be able to speak English pretty well.

One funny thing that happened recently is that a farang who's lived here for ten years or so and can't speak Thai wanted to use the laundry lady I use, but because he can't speak Thai he has to take his 5 year old half Thai daughter to translate for him. The laundry lady thinks its cute and hilarious.

If you're a single male then speaking Thai does open up a world of 18-20 year old women who have never met a farang before but are really curious to try one out. So if that's what you're in to then its a very worthwhile investment in time as there are a LOT of them and there's no way to get them otherwise. I find them boring now with their lack of interest in anything other than Lady Gaga, but I know there are a lot of men who don't care about that.

[Roota]

I've got an even simpler answer: in many years of meeting a whole lot of expats here, most of the happiest ones have had in common a good command of Thai. There are other factors too of course, like having close Thai friends and achieving some kind of role within the society around you -- work, or study, or hobbies or whatever -- but it all begins with the language.

[how241]

Sometimes not knowing Thai is better. That way you won't hear those nasty comments that sometimes all people will make. Even jokingly but with limited understanding you might not know the difference and get angry. I smile---they smile --I pay--and everyone is happy.

[SouthernMan3]

All I can say is that I live in a place with NO falang.

Without Thai I would be a dumb mute.

Plus, Thai people, like anyone else, have a lot to say.

Kinda hard to listen if you don't understand.

What's that called ?

Oh yea, uneducated ?

Clueless ?

My view is slightly different. Speaking Thai is useful for living independently its true. Many of the people who provide services to me can't speak a word of English and so I'm fairly sure it all ends up slightly cheaper than if I was dependent on English speaking Thais. Plus it means I can live here without it being compulsory to have a Thai GF.

But when it comes to conversation, Thais that can't speak English are generally less educated and have less to say.

Those who are educated and with whom you can have real conversations about subjects other than food, weather and women (even the old women who clean my apartment and do my laundry and work in the local food stalls ask me a lot about my dating life, specifically why I don't see more women!) tend to be able to speak English pretty well.

One funny thing that happened recently is that a farang who's lived here for ten years or so and can't speak Thai wanted to use the laundry lady I use, but because he can't speak Thai he has to take his 5 year old half Thai daughter to translate for him. The laundry lady thinks its cute and hilarious.

If you're a single male then speaking Thai does open up a world of 18-20 year old women who have never met a farang before but are really curious to try one out. So if that's what you're in to then its a very worthwhile investment in time as there are a LOT of them and there's no way to get them otherwise. I find them boring now with their lack of interest in anything other than Lady Gaga, but I know there are a lot of men who don't care about that.

I see where you are coming from.

Difference I guess is that where I live people do not speak English.

And come to think of it I like speaking Thai.

Comes pretty darn naturally at this point...

[TexasRanger]

Sometimes not knowing Thai is better. That way you won't hear those nasty comments that sometimes all people will make. Even jokingly but with limited understanding you might not know the difference and get angry. I smile---they smile --I pay--and everyone is happy.

What do you do to make them say nasty things about you?

[CMTourist]

All I can say is that I live in a place with NO falang.

Without Thai I would be a dumb mute.

Plus, Thai people, like anyone else, have a lot to say.

Kinda hard to listen if you don't understand.

What's that called ?

Oh yea, uneducated ?

Clueless ?

My view is slightly different. Speaking Thai is useful for living independently its true. Many of the people who provide services to me can't speak a word of English and so I'm fairly sure it all ends up slightly cheaper than if I was dependent on English speaking Thais. Plus it means I can live here without it being compulsory to have a Thai GF.

But when it comes to conversation, Thais that can't speak English are generally less educated and have less to say.

Those who are educated and with whom you can have real conversations about subjects other than food, weather and women (even the old women who clean my apartment and do my laundry and work in the local food stalls ask me a lot about my dating life, specifically why I don't see more women!) tend to be able to speak English pretty well.

One funny thing that happened recently is that a farang who's lived here for ten years or so and can't speak Thai wanted to use the laundry lady I use, but because he can't speak Thai he has to take his 5 year old half Thai daughter to translate for him. The laundry lady thinks its cute and hilarious.

If you're a single male then speaking Thai does open up a world of 18-20 year old women who have never met a farang before but are really curious to try one out. So if that's what you're in to then its a very worthwhile investment in time as there are a LOT of them and there's no way to get them otherwise. I find them boring now with their lack of interest in anything other than Lady Gaga, but I know there are a lot of men who don't care about that.

I see where you are coming from.

Difference I guess is that where I live people do not speak English.

And come to think of it I like speaking Thai.

Comes pretty darn naturally at this point...

I've sometimes gone a couple of weeks without speaking a word of English, but that also means I've never had a proper conversation about global politics, or science, or philosophy or economics in that time. Anyone Thai who has knowledge of these subjects speaks English.

That's my point. Not whether I enjoy speaking Thai or not. But related to the OPs post as to whether its any use, and it is for some things, but, in my opinion, not much beyond that.

Now knowing how to read and write Thai is positively disadvantageous as I can read the hand painted "No parking" signs and my inbuilt sign instruction following genes kick in and I can't park somewhere I could have parked in blissful ignorance if only I couldn't read Thai!

[CMTourist]

Sometimes not knowing Thai is better. That way you won't hear those nasty comments that sometimes all people will make. Even jokingly but with limited understanding you might not know the difference and get angry. I smile---they smile --I pay--and everyone is happy.

What do you do to make them say nasty things about you?

To jump in and give an example, I was once in a lift with another farang and two Thais started discussing him in Thai.

His head is HUGE!

Yeah, that's a really big head!

A really really big head!

Why do some farang have such big heads?

Then they noticed us trying not to laugh and shut up and stared at the door!

[SouthernMan3]

All I can say is that I live in a place with NO falang.

Without Thai I would be a dumb mute.

Plus, Thai people, like anyone else, have a lot to say.

Kinda hard to listen if you don't understand.

What's that called ?

Oh yea, uneducated ?

Clueless ?

My view is slightly different. Speaking Thai is useful for living independently its true. Many of the people who provide services to me can't speak a word of English and so I'm fairly sure it all ends up slightly cheaper than if I was dependent on English speaking Thais. Plus it means I can live here without it being compulsory to have a Thai GF.

But when it comes to conversation, Thais that can't speak English are generally less educated and have less to say.

Those who are educated and with whom you can have real conversations about subjects other than food, weather and women (even the old women who clean my apartment and do my laundry and work in the local food stalls ask me a lot about my dating life, specifically why I don't see more women!) tend to be able to speak English pretty well.

One funny thing that happened recently is that a farang who's lived here for ten years or so and can't speak Thai wanted to use the laundry lady I use, but because he can't speak Thai he has to take his 5 year old half Thai daughter to translate for him. The laundry lady thinks its cute and hilarious.

If you're a single male then speaking Thai does open up a world of 18-20 year old women who have never met a farang before but are really curious to try one out. So if that's what you're in to then its a very worthwhile investment in time as there are a LOT of them and there's no way to get them otherwise. I find them boring now with their lack of interest in anything other than Lady Gaga, but I know there are a lot of men who don't care about that.

I see where you are coming from.

Difference I guess is that where I live people do not speak English.

And come to think of it I like speaking Thai.

Comes pretty darn naturally at this point...

I've sometimes gone a couple of weeks without speaking a word of English, but that also means I've never had a proper conversation about global politics, or science, or philosophy or economics in that time. Anyone Thai who has knowledge of these subjects speaks English.

That's my point. Not whether I enjoy speaking Thai or not. But related to the OPs post as to whether its any use, and it is for some things, but, in my opinion, not much beyond that.

Now knowing how to read and write Thai is positively disadvantageous as I can read the hand painted "No parking" signs and my inbuilt sign instruction following genes kick in and I can't park somewhere I could have parked in blissful ignorance if only I couldn't read Thai!

I get your point.

Got it from the beginning.....

[kokesaat]

If you don't mind dragging a two-legged translator with you whenever you have a problem, or don't mind not having a clue what all the signs on the front of stores mean, or don't mind walking into the woman's room on occasion instead of the men's room, or don't mind standing a long time in the postal line with 3 packages only to find out that the sign above says in Thai "this express line for customers with 2 or less packages", or don't mind it when the taxi driver looks at you cockeyed when you ask to go to 'Rama IV' road instead of Phra Ram See"........I could go on. In all likelihood, you'll survive living here just fine without the language.......but with it, you'll enjoy life here much more.

[edwardandtubs]

I think you've all missed the point of the OP's question (who strangely hasn't relied at all). He seems to be asking if it's worth actually coming to Thailand and living here with sole purpose of learning Thai. The answer is of course no. Thai isn't and never will be an internationally significant language. If you want to live in another country to learn a language that will benefit your career, you'd be better off going to China, a Spanish-speaking country or Russia. In fact the OP would probably benefit from spending some time in an English-speaking country to improve his English skills.

[Jdietz]

Also you get credit for your jail time when learning Thai.

[Ajaan]

I trust that all the commenters saying that there's no reason to learn Thai have never, ever complained back in their country about "lazy immigrants" going to live there and not learning the language of THEIR country...right? Right?

[brit1984]

Dear all,

What is the point of learning Thai other than having fun ?

Is Thai language useful in other country or other region ?

So, is it worth spending 300-500 baht per hour for learning Thai and hundreds of dollars for living cost in Thai ?

Many thanks

Are you being serious? I suspect not but I have answered your questions anyway...

The main point of learning Thai is to be able to communicate better with Thai people. In my opinion, there are more fun activities than learning languages.

In other countries, Thai language is only useful for communicating better with Thai people in that country, but this is the same for nearly all languages (English and Spanish being notable exceptions).

I don't fully understand your last question but it seems you are asking whether its worth spending money to pay for a trip to Thailand for the sole purpose of studying Thai language... I think the answer for you is NO.

[ollyKS]

That is a strange way to phrase the question. Do you want to come to Thailand anyway or would you be coming to learn? It is obviously pointless to come to Thailand just to learn Thai as it is of no use whatsover the second you leave. If you are coming anyway then it is worth it.

[macksview]

why learn to read thai- easy, so i dont buy ducks bum at the street side vendor again, tasted nice though.