I heard that when my kids get to P3 it is mandotary to learn Chinese they are not in a Chinese school it is a private school with English and Thai and there is I think Chinese there also can be learnt

Of course not.

It is up to each school to set what is mandatory and what is not. I personally think it's confusing to have them learn multiple foreign languages at a time, but if you think yours is solid in both Thai and English why not.

In the public (government) schools, Chinese is the #1 most often selected elective foreign language, English is the only mandatory one.

Note that Laos ("passat isaan") and Khmer aren't **ever** taught in school, even when they are the first language of the students, not even an option, ie actively supressed as part of the "central Thaification" policies of the dominant minority. I suspect the same for Yawi in the south and Kam Muang in the north.

I've found that young people in those regions aren't even told that their first languages have their own writing systems, they get transliterated into Thai characters.

So much for multiculturalism. . .

At some schools they learn thai, english and chinese in anuban 1.

3 years old! <deleted>. Maybe it is good to start that young?

At some schools they learn thai, english and chinese in anuban 1.

3 years old! <deleted>. Maybe it is good to start that young?

I find this early schooling obsession to be more than OTT, less indoctrinating todlers with the prerequiste foreign language or two......<deleted>, let them be children first.

Edited May 6, 201214 yr by zzaa09

Judging by all the "misunderstandings" I hear about from other Thais when another Thai asks them something it appears they dont even learn Thai let alone Chinese

At some schools they learn thai, english and chinese in anuban 1.

3 years old! <deleted>. Maybe it is good to start that young?

IMO it would be great for 3-year-olds from all three native language backgrounds to be living and playing together, under the care of the same mix of adults.

I think the kind of disciplined mechanical rote repetition that passes for learning in most schools (not just here) is very very damaging to kids that young, they should be learning by playing, singing, less structured and more creative activities for many more years.

The consistently top-scoring educational system in Finland doesn't have kids starting any formal education at all until 7, and even then they are in school for fewer hours per day than nearly all other countries as well.

Thais think the earlier the better, the more the merrier fill up all those little empty cups with memorized facts and they'll be competitive in the world. pshaw!

Edited May 6, 201214 yr by BigJohnnyBKK

Have 2 kids speck Lao at home, speak Thai at school and English in OZ. Kids are qiuck on langauges, they pick them up fast.. Jim

my kid has just started p4 in a goverment school p 4 has 4 different grades grade 2 which she is in have to learn chinese, the top grade 1 and lower grades 3 and 4 do somthing different

At some schools they learn thai, english and chinese in anuban 1.

3 years old! <deleted>. Maybe it is good to start that young?

Kids brains at that age are like a sponge. May be if the junior schools in the UK taught another language we would be better for it.

Thailand is shifting closer economically and militarily to China, in the newspapers regularly, the Thais appear are hedging their bets on a failing US economy. Yes, we all know the massive US military will be dominant for at least 10 - 20 years regardless of the economic Armageddon their country faces under bansker stooges, but there is a lot a Chinese blood here in high positions, no doubt some nice kick backs on defense and tablets in there to boot.

That aside there are a multitude of Thai-Chinese that speak both languages, my experience with Chinese is that a Chinese will always get preference when dealing with Chinese, so if looking at employment for Thai-farang kids prospects may not be that good. Your home country maybe, but the same bias will exist, plenty of Chinese everywhere.

I hear that Wichai Wittaya school is now teaching Turkish, now there is a language widely used that could prove invaluable in the future, especially for Thai kids. Think of all the Turkish restaurants they could hit and show their prowess with Kebabs, and, and, no doubt lots other other really useful things as well.

Chinese has also become extremely popular with the better off Thais who like Singapore. I'm one of the few people out of my friends that fly there that cant speak Chinese. I'm the dumb one

At the private Thai school where my daughter is in Pathom level they do teach Chinese starting at P1, but FAR less serious than Thai and English. All students need to be absolutely fluent in Thai and English, but they don't learn much Chinese that's actually useful. Maybe in the higher grades, but so far it's very casual. It's not a new thing either, my wife speaks a bit of Chinese from what she got in school.

I hear that Wichai Wittaya school is now teaching Turkish

Color me skeptical. Only way I can see that happening is if the embassy or other bigger group of families did a "groupon" deal with bulk enrollment or even directly subsidize it.

Not a bad idea for the Dutch/Belgian, Norwegian etc nationalities that would like their kids to their home tongue to get some exposure other than from their parents.

Note that Laos ("passat isaan") and Khmer aren't **ever** taught in school, even when they are the first language of the students, not even an option, ie actively supressed as part of the "central Thaification" policies of the dominant minority. I suspect the same for Yawi in the south and Kam Muang in the north.

There are a few public schools that teach regional languages such as Khmer, Lao, Burmese and Vietnamese. And many universities teach these languages

I hear that Wichai Wittaya school is now teaching Turkish

Color me skeptical. Only way I can see that happening is if the embassy or other bigger group of families did a "groupon" deal with bulk enrollment or even directly subsidize it.

That's because Wichai school was originally started as "Fatih High School" by Turkish people. The name change of a couple years ago seems an attempt to hide this, though there are still many Turkish teachers there and a big Turkish influence. That said, they don't seem to be doing so bad, and attract a lot of Thai kids too.