Thai Courses In Chiang Mai

[KhunLing]

Seems most people think AUA and Payap are the two best Thai courses in Chiang Mai...

Was wondering if anyone has done either and what their opinions are?

I am sort of in 'no mans land'. I know about 150 Thai words...can meet and greet, ask the time, ask directions, count, bargain etc all in Thai...

Yet I'm absolutely still a beginner...not fluent when speaking and can't write much beyond a simple 'Gai'.

Do the AUA / Payap courses for beginners progress reasonably quickly? I.e. I'd like to move past "pang maag!" pretty quickly

I read that AUA's course runs daily for three months...so I'm presuming it would be reasonably extensive?

[Loaded]

Hi KhunLing

Try Thai as a Foreign Language at the EFL Learning Centre 86/2 Kaewnawarat Rd. (opposite the entrance to Prince Royal's School). They tailor the course to the student's needs. Your current language skills are tested first. Tel.: (053) 266295/6

Loaded

[Ajarn]

Maybe as with hospitals, it depends a lot on the teacher... Lots of bad (lazy) teachers to be found. I can only recommend AUA's course because of the teacher I had named Ajarn Oranute. This was 18 years ago, but I've heard she is still there. She gave me a great foundation and background of Thai that has always been valuable. Tough course, requires commitment. Make sure to include reading and writing, too. It's the key to good pronunciation.

[Ulysses G.]

I studied at AUA for something like two years and I liked every teacher I had, other than the first one.

She tried to scale down the size of her classes by ridiculing the weakest students until they quit, and she was quite successful at it.

Luckily, I wasn't quite on the bottom of the pile, so I stuck it out until I got a kinder teacher, but I always wonder how many students she discouraged into never studying Thai again.

[up-country_sinclair]

specifically what was it that you guys liked about the AUA course?

[Ajarn]

specifically what was it that you guys liked about the AUA course?

Good course, well presented, dual language... The key is the teacher, who took us outside the box in our daily learning, talking about language history/origins and the 'logic' behind some words/word combinations...

It was a long time ago for me, so I can't remember all the details

[Puwa]

Ajarn is right: it's all about the teacher. These days there are a lot of unqualified teachers offering beginner courses. I haven't studied at AUA so can't comment on the course. But I do know that AUA has a reputation for paying its Thai teachers poorly, and that may affect the quality of its offerings. Payap University has been putting a lot of money into its international programs over the last several years, and is gaining a reputation for good Thai classes. One of Payap's part-time teachers, Ajaan Piyaporn, has sort of a cult following among her students and former students, some of whom refuse to study with anyone else. She has taught at Payap on and off for maybe 10 years, taught in the USA for a while, and now I think is back at the university.

[KhunLing]

Thanks for all the replies fellas. I appreciate them.

I emailed Payap and they were very helpful.

They are more difficult to get to than AUA though. I.e. AUA is very centrally located.

As I'll be going every day...I may need to factor in "getting there".

[Allyt]

Hi khunling

I have just completed the beginners course and at present I am on the intermediate course at Payap.

The learning is "Intensive" & the teachers are bright, friendly and extremely capable. The place is clean, aircon'd and I have not heard one complaint about the facilities. And before anyone says I must be on their payroll, nope, I say the above from my heart.

I would suggest you factor in taxi fare as a positive issue.

Come on down, the choice is yours!

Ally