My spoken / written Thai is pretty good, I did a 3-year course in Bangkok but I want to take it to the "next level".

Do any Thai language schools here in Chiang Mai offer "advanced Thai", or possibly, since I have just bought a condo here and plan to live here for a while, even a course in Lanna Thai/Kham Mueng/Northern Thai/คำเมือง (Whatever you want to call it), so I can have a clue what the locals are saying to each other?

An ED visa would be advantageous but not essential as I am here on a family visa, which I can extend for the next few years, the main hassle with that being the 400K baht you have to show in the bank account every year.

Anyone with recommendations please post or pm me.

Cheers,

AUA offers kam mueang, and it's quite expensive. One-on one, about 350 baht per hour.

You must be able read Thai as well as speak Thai.

Never taken this course, nor do I know how often AUA offers trhis course.

AUA offers kam mueang, and it's quite expensive. One-on one, about 350 baht per hour.

You must be able read Thai as well as speak Thai.

Never taken this course, nor do I know how often AUA offers trhis course.

In years past, a consortium of Western missionary groups in Northern Thailand offered a course in Basic Kam Mueang to the public.

Any missionaries on the TV Forum?

AUA offers kam mueang, and it's quite expensive. One-on one, about 350 baht per hour.

You must be able read Thai as well as speak Thai.

Never taken this course, nor do I know how often AUA offers trhis course.

In years past, a consortium of Western missionary groups in Northern Thailand offered a course in Basic Kam Mueang to the public.

Any missionaries on the TV Forum?

I would imagine there are quite a few on the forum. And yes, some of the missionaries speak excellent local dialects. There was a very large farang woman - missionary at the post office the other day that spoke so well that all the clerks were complimenting her on how well she spoke the local dialect.

Mekong I was curious why your avatar says kidney

Were you looking for Thai the country or Thai the people?

In both cases it would be ไทย

Mekong I was curious why your avatar says kidney

Were you looking for Thai the country or Thai the people?

In both cases it would be ไทย

Good observation, Mania.

My spelling was intended to refer to the greater "Tai" language group which includes Tai-speakers of Yunnan and Mainland Southeast Asia (Dai, Red Tai, White Tai, Black Tai, Lao, Lue, Yong, Thai, Khon Mueang, Shan, etc.), and the ethnic Tai groups as well. Did I get it right?

Bob

Edited August 1, 201213 yr by Mekong Bob

ไท

Did I get it right?

I have no idea

ไท

ไท = Freedom

Here's text copied from the Thai Wikipedia disambiguation page, providing several meanings, with my translation (rusty though it is):

ไท อาจหมายถึง (could mean)

• ไท หรือ ไต มีความหมายว่า มนุษย์ ในภาษาที่กลุ่มชนลาวพูดกัน ซึ่งไม่ได้มีความหมายแสดงความหมายถึงกลุ่มชาติพันธุ์แต่อย่างใด (Tai or Dtai, meaning peoples in the Tai or Dtai language groups, not indicating their ethnic identity.)
  
• ไท หรือ ไต มีความหมายว่า กลุ่มชาติพันธุ์ไท-กะได (Tai or Dtai meaning the Tai-Katai ethinc group)
  
• กลุ่มภาษาไต หรือกลุ่มภาษาไท (the languages)
  
• ธนาวุฒิ แก้วเพิก รู้จักกันในชื่อ "ไท ธนาวุฒิ" ศิลปินนักร้อง (nickname of the singer Thanwut Kaewpeud)
  
• พรรคไท พรรคการเมืองในประเทศไทย (the Tai political party in Thailand)
  
• อื่น ๆ (or)
  
  • คำโบราณของคำว่า ไทย (an old word for Thai)
    
  • ผู้เป็นใหญ่ (a noteworthy person [not sure I have this right--pls correct])
    
  • ไท เอ็นเตอร์เทนเมนต์ บริษัทผลิตภาพยนตร์ไทยในอดีต (Tai Entertainment, the name of an old film production company.)
    

Edited August 1, 201213 yr by Puwa

Here's text copied from the Thai Wikipedia disambiguation page, providing several meanings, with my translation (rusty though it is):

(Tai or Dtai, meaning peoples in the Tai or Dtai language groups, not indicating their ethnic identity.)

I agree

It does not indicate Thai People

Thai People use that spelling ไท only for the translated equivalent of Freedom

Could be why it was quoted as used in the political Party

Also interesting are these folks in Myanmar/ Burma

That Thai's call ไทใหญ่

http://www.bloggang....roup=15&gblog=4

Edited August 1, 201213 yr by mania

Here's text copied from the Thai Wikipedia disambiguation page, providing several meanings, with my translation (rusty though it is):

(Tai or Dtai, meaning peoples in the Tai or Dtai language groups, not indicating their ethnic identity.)

I agree

It does not indicate Thai People

Thai People use that spelling ไท only for the translated equivalent of Freedom

Could be why it was quoted as used in the political Party

Also interesting are these folks in Myanmar/ Burma

That Thai's call ไทใหญ่

http://www.bloggang....roup=15&gblog=4

The Shan (Thai-yai) call themselves ไต (Tai) and their Shan State is เมีองไต (Mueang Tai), or more precisely, "มืงไต", since the Shan language does not have the "uea" sound like Thai.

In Yunnan, the "Dai" people (and their language) are spelled "Dai" in Pinyin, but "ไต" in Thai.

Let me fix my first translation:

ไท หรือ ไต มีความหมายว่า มนุษย์ ในภาษาที่กลุ่มชนลาวพูดกัน ซึ่งไม่ได้มีความหมายแสดงความหมายถึงกลุ่มชาติพันธุ์แต่อย่างใด (Tai or Dtai, meaning "human beings" in the Tai or Dtai language groups, which doesn't specify ethnic identity.)

I think this is better over in the Thai language forum. Topic Moved.

Let me fix my first translation:

ไท หรือ ไต มีความหมายว่า มนุษย์ ในภาษาที่กลุ่มชนลาวพูดกัน ซึ่งไม่ได้มีความหมายแสดงความหมายถึงกลุ่มชาติพันธุ์แต่อย่างใด (Tai or Dtai, meaning "human beings" in the Tai or Dtai language groups, which doesn't specify ethnic identity.)

Thai or Tai, according to the Lao . . . .

Where are we going with this string? What about that initial reference to "kidney"? Resolved?

What about that initial reference to "kidney"? Resolved?

? What is there to resolve?

Hello.

I am on my 4th year of learning Thai here in Chiang Mai. I am quite good at reading and speaking now for everyday situations and conversations. My first year I studies Thai on my a different visa, but the last few years I have had an ED visa.

I am going to recommend you the same school that I go to - Pro Language. There are other schools here, but I don't know anyone who is doing advanced Thai at these schools - I am not sure they offer that. This year my school has many advanced students and has make a real effort to construct new classes for

these people. My school also offers private classes so you can learn a subject, such as business etc.

They have a website you can look at for more details. They also offer the ED visa. They will give you a free trial lesson and its no problem to speak to the staff about what you want. You could go in and see if you think it will be good for you.