Do You Know The Thai Language?

[DtemJai]

I know a least 50 farang male’s who speak Thai & read similar to Biggs, one even translate old Thai Sanskrit rolls into English, but he have study Thai language almost since birth, an American [short man 160 cm] abt 45 yrs old. The best I’ve ever seen, + a Japanese man, spoke & more clearly to compare to high educated Thai’s, & Kristy’s Thai is so terrible – it’s a shame she got award in Thai language skills. – Mod almost sober …………………………… ok

[Neeranam]

Yes, I know Thais.

Apart from not liking Kirsty, did you know that Japanese are not farang. IMO, Kirsty speaks very good Thai.

I assume you mean Andrew Biggs? over 50, really? I hope you work for a language school and haven't met all these men on some love site or worse.

BTW, how many men do you know that aren't up to Biggs' standard? How many 'farang' women?

And, most the highly educated Thais I know can't speak/read Thai very well as they were educated abroad.

[sbk]

It seems the OP means Thai language. And so as to avoid the endless pointless trolls like the one that has just been deleted, I am editing the title

[sbk]

Discussion of moderation removed, in the future use the PM function

[Rancid]

I'd have a witty retort if I actually knew what this thread was about.

[yourauntbob]

Nit noi

[ultramarine]

Maybe a more interesting take on this topic would be finding out what percentage of farangs speak Thai. What is the average knowledge level? I know about 400 words and can engage in extremely basic conversations but that's about it. I haven't lived here long (just a few months here and there) though so that's my excuse.

[pattayadingo]

Not many words at all, really, but I do have a good excuse

[DrTuner]

Can read&write, vocabulary maybe 600 words, forgetting faster than learning. Can't converse worth s**t, but can get what I want and understand what's going on. Started studying again after about 6months pause. The dialects make me nuts.

[tfc]

I'm in the process of learning vocab, reading and writing, grammar. To tell the truth I'm enjoying the experience of learning more than anything else but it's a bonus that the skill itself is helpful considering the country that I'm in.

[Banzai99]

I've been in Thailand for 22 years in December, I've know hundreds if not thousands of Farangs, I can count on one hand the Farangs that speak Thai really well, people that meet me will think I speak Thai really well, the reason is, they don't speak Thai at all.

The truth, my Thai is <deleted>.

[Chittychangchang]

ไทยของฉันเป็นดีช่วยแปลของฉัน

My Thai is as good as my translating tool or

Thailand is a great help for me was my

Infuriatingly hard language to read and write, still trying.

[macksview]

the wife rates Biggs about 90% skilled in thai, kirsty about 70%, a few farangs she has heard on thai satellite tv, she rates above them.

me, she rates me about 10% when i have been in country for a 2 month stint, but she deducts points everytime i use lao words by mistake.

lao language she rates me at 10%,but deducts points when i use it in a formal setting.

the japanese jehovahs witnesses who canvassed the village a few months back, she rated them very highly in their thai language use.

i can follow the thai football/muay commentary quite well, make comments about the game/fight, but those commentators are not talking complex issues,i can ask for most things eg directions, but rapid fire thai, i am only picking up a few words in most sentances.

[Songhua]

Accredited translator/interpreter but I haven't worked in that field for many years now.

Visiting Thailand for only one to months per year over the past seventeen years my skills have become very rusty. As they say, use it or lose it.

When my wife first came to Australia our focus turned to her learning english and my Thai went by the wayside. When in Thailand, I'm told my Thai is 'chat' and 'phro' but I know it isn't. I usually get ribbed for speaking too 'perfectly' (almost like a newspaper or somebody giving a lecture) lol.

[cooked]

Living in a village where they speak 100% Lao, I have difficulty with conversational Thai. I got the alphabet 90% worked out by reading bilingual street signs, stuff in garages (diesel was my first triumph) and wondering why I couldn't see any street signs in Thai with Bangkok written on them. I have been told and this does seem to be true the more I get into it, that using English transliteration is not the way to learn pronunciation. My wife's pronunciation sounds unintelligible to me sometimes until she writes it down in Thai.

I will be starting seriously with Thai conversation soon now.

[Yooyung]

I lived there for 9 years and learnt to speak quite well, not absolutely 100% fluent but, I never had a problem taking care of myself. There is a level that you reach, as I did where you need to push yourself to go that one step further. I am not putting down Thais by saying this (my wife agrees) that having deep and meaningfuls isnt as common as it is hear in Oz. The emphasis on not being too serious meant that many, if not most of my conversations were pretty superficial. I didnt mind that at all and I am not saying ALL that Thais dont talk deeply about social/philosophical topics but it wasnt my experience. Perhaps by pushing myself further when we go back next year I will all of a sudden be opened up to a whole new world of conversation. I dont really expect however to have too many conversations regarding whether the universe is infinite or not. That doesnt bother me. I like that fact that Thais are friendly and that I can have lots of mini conversations with the motorcylce taxi dude, the pad thai lady and at the local mom and pop shop over a beer leo.

[Yooyung]

One thing I did find is that, being a musician I didnt have much problem with the tones. They made sense to me and I didnt have much of a problem remembering them. I am wondering if there is anything to this? I know a lot of people have problems with the tones but I was often praised (blowing my own trumpet here) for my pronounciation. It sounded somewhat musical to me.

[sms747]

Maybe the OP should learn how to spell a persons name before moaning about their Thai language skills, it's Christy and not Kristy!

[macksview]

One thing I did find is that, being a musician I didnt have much problem with the tones. They made sense to me and I didnt have much of a problem remembering them. I am wondering if there is anything to this? I know a lot of people have problems with the tones but I was often praised (blowing my own trumpet here) for my pronounciation. It sounded somewhat musical to me.

my father came over for my wedding, he heard the "draw ruea" sound, difficult for me, but he was doing it near perfectly after a few attempts, a trumpet player for many years may had something to do with it

[pbeieio]

I can speak in about 12 languages, including Thai, but limited to mainly one phrase!

"Can I have a beer please"

[NeverSure]

One thing I did find is that, being a musician I didnt have much problem with the tones. They made sense to me and I didnt have much of a problem remembering them. I am wondering if there is anything to this? I know a lot of people have problems with the tones but I was often praised (blowing my own trumpet here) for my pronounciation. It sounded somewhat musical to me.

Some say there are seven different types of intelligence. As a layman they remind me of what we call talents as in "talented."

Music is one of them. I wonder if you're on to something?

LINK

[DrTuner]

One thing I did find is that, being a musician I didnt have much problem with the tones. They made sense to me and I didnt have much of a problem remembering them. I am wondering if there is anything to this? I know a lot of people have problems with the tones but I was often praised (blowing my own trumpet here) for my pronounciation. It sounded somewhat musical to me.

I had trouble with the tones and can't play any instrument, have little interest in music. I used a live spectrometer to "see" the tones and after heavy practise I now can produce and distinguish them without effort. Your brain is probably more evolved in that section, I'm primarily visual and needed the tech help to make the connection.

Awful naming of the tones didn't help, either. Rising ? No it isn't, it's a valley. Falling ? No, a hill. Low is falling and high rising. At least the mid is named right.

[Yooyung]

After being back here is Aus studying for nearly 3 years I have found that I am forgetting some of the tones. I still understand pretty much all of what my wife is talking about to her family on the phone. I spoke to her dad the other day and it was a little difficult to be honest. Something to be said for being able to see the person as well when communicating with them, I was a bit lost for words. I am realy looking forward to going back and immersing myself in the language again. Hopefully all those different tones will coming flooding back....

[Krupnik]

Not fluent but can get by in most situations, can read kid's books. I will love it if I can read the paper fully some day. Deciphering how to speak the tones is like solving a maths problem for every word, not sure how I will ever do it instantly....

Sent from my GT-P5100 using Thaivisa Connect App

[McMagus]

I've been here off and on for about 7 years..but not 7 consecutive years. When teaching in international schools we were forbidden to speak Thai so all of the Thai I learned was just from what I could pick up. I can get by, I can tell people where to go in Thai if they are trying to rip me off and I can complement as well. I decided to exercise my old brain by finally going to a language school, but what they teach has little or no bearing to street Thai and some Thai friends in fact have said they would never speak like that. Trying to understand Thai script, but I'm sure it was made difficult on purpose I will keep trying...... it keeps me off the streets.

[inthepink]

I started off well the first 2-3 years that I lived in Thailand and was probably around 50% proficient (learned to read at the same time as learning to speak), but since living with a girl who speaks fluent English I have become very lazy and my Thai language skills have deteriorated as a consequence. Nowadays I find I cannot even be bothered to have a meaningless conversation with a barmaid in Thai on the rare occasions that I venture out. It's not what I had in mind when I first moved here but it's going to take a real effort for me to turn the situation around now.

[Yooyung]

I started off well the first 2-3 years that I lived in Thailand and was probably around 50% proficient (learned to read at the same time as learning to speak), but since living with a girl who speaks fluent English I have become very lazy and my Thai language skills have deteriorated as a consequence. Nowadays I find I cannot even be bothered to have a meaningless conversation with a barmaid in Thai on the rare occasions that I venture out. It's not what I had in mind when I first moved here but it's going to take a real effort for me to turn the situation around now.

I can relate to that, but since coming back to Aus for a few years to study its really hit home that the conversations here are just as banal. Sure, its not that easy to get a deep and meaningful convo with a Thai happening but to be honest here is the same. Rugby bloody league, sport in general, mortgage payments...extensions to the house...I dont really bother anymore. At least the Thais, superficial as it may seem at times make an effort to smile and be polite. Some of the the crustaceans that work in shops over here really have a bad attitude. Everything seems to be a chore. Infact a lot of people in general in this country seem to be walking around with a chip on their shoulder.

Personally I am looking forward to the banal banter to be had with sexy Beerleo girls (hang on where's the wife...)Its not Stephen Hawking material but if your day is filled with polite chit chat that is good natured then it makes a difference. I am tired of the rude attitude of Aussie bogans.Bunch of convicts...slaughtered the english language.

[CaptHaddock]

A large part of the problem is that expats seem to have such low expectations of Thai language achievement. It's true that learning Thai is somewhat harder for English speakers than learning a European language, but if you study in a well-organized program, do homework, and practice all of the related language skills, there is no reason you cannot become fluent in a few years. I think failing to achieve fluency and literacy would be a big mistake. I certainly would not find it acceptable to be relegated to the status of an illiterate in the society in which I am living.

I've been living here for a year. I can read, write, and even type Thai and speak well-enough so that I was able to give a three hour talk to my Thai teachers recently explaining the meaning and history of US currency. I am not fluent yet and especially not at understanding spoken Thai, which is the most demanding skill of all. But I practice it daily in school with highly educated (both teachers have BA and MA degrees), intelligent, and skilled teachers. I expect to achieve full fluency.

If you don't set your goal high enough you won't get anywhere, especially with language study.

[inthepink]

I started off well the first 2-3 years that I lived in Thailand and was probably around 50% proficient (learned to read at the same time as learning to speak), but since living with a girl who speaks fluent English I have become very lazy and my Thai language skills have deteriorated as a consequence. Nowadays I find I cannot even be bothered to have a meaningless conversation with a barmaid in Thai on the rare occasions that I venture out. It's not what I had in mind when I first moved here but it's going to take a real effort for me to turn the situation around now.

I can relate to that, but since coming back to Aus for a few years to study its really hit home that the conversations here are just as banal. Sure, its not that easy to get a deep and meaningful convo with a Thai happening but to be honest here is the same. Rugby bloody league, sport in general, mortgage payments...extensions to the house...I dont really bother anymore. At least the Thais, superficial as it may seem at times make an effort to smile and be polite. Some of the the crustaceans that work in shops over here really have a bad attitude. Everything seems to be a chore. Infact a lot of people in general in this country seem to be walking around with a chip on their shoulder.

Personally I am looking forward to the banal banter to be had with sexy Beerleo girls (hang on where's the wife...)Its not Stephen Hawking material but if your day is filled with polite chit chat that is good natured then it makes a difference. I am tired of the rude attitude of Aussie bogans.Bunch of convicts...slaughtered the english language.

Sorry, I think you misunderstood what I meant by meaningless conversations. I wasn't deriding the conversational ability of Thai bar staff, I just meant that I am now so lazy with regard to speaking Thai that I will run out of steam when having a basic chat with a barmaid and often switch to English because I just can't be bothered to speak Thai...

(I am still capable of speaking Thai if I need to but I lost interest somewhere along the way. It had nothing to do with any of the points CaptHaddock makes above though. Language acquisition is usually related to need and I no longer need most of it. I never found Thai particularly difficult and whilst I can't type / write Thai, I can read it OK. I do agree that practice is key but I have other priorities at the moment and there are only so many hours in a day)

[musiclover]

If this is Mod from Bkk who is very good at teaching Thai on uTube,I'm surprised your/her written English is so poor!!!!!

Grian ........!!!!