Thai Culture Course - Draft

[SlyAnimal]

I've just finished my Thai culture course and so am going to write about my experience then sticky it for anyone who's looking for further information about it. I'll do this next week once I get home, as typing long posts from my phone is bothersome lol)

But to make it well rounded I'd like to get some comments from other members as well regarding your experience (no need for anything too detailed, just a brief overview is fine). I'll then summarize them.

And if you are able to state how you found out about the course you did, along with the website, that'd be awesome (Although please no commercial websites or other forums, I'm more looking for krusapa/university websites etc)

Also please say roughly when you did your course (as no doubt things have changed significantly over the past few years)

[Scott]

That sounds like a great idea. We had a teacher who took the Culture Course, but was required to take it again because the Teacher's Council had decided that the organization that he took it from was not qualified and it had to be one of their approved (Rajaphat, I think) schools.

To his advantage, he got a 2 year waiver for the first course, and another 2 year waiver for the second course!

[Finlaco]

so how much should we pay for an bribe to a government official for a Driving License? or was the course not so comprehensive?

Edited October 1, 2013 by Finlaco

[Eddy B]

We were sent by our school for this 2 day course in BKK. They paid for the course we had to pay for travel, accomodation and food ourselves. The course was pretty much what you would learn about Thainess if you have lived here for about a year. We were taught the national athemn and the Loy kor tong song. Thankfully not Thai dance! The lecturer was a nice late 40's female, she was friendly and also invited us to visit her home on a vast farming property. I got the certificate but to be honest it was a waste of money for me and the school to have to go on this course. I am sure a one day lecture held by a senior teacher at the school you work at would have been as helpful. The problem is about who makes the money from these schemes, why only certain schools/universities can hold them? It's all about the money and who controls the system. I am sure now if I used the same certificate I got from 4 yrs ago it will be looked at and deemed not relevent/up to date and I would have to do it all over again to fill someone elses pockets.

[sirchai]

When I'd worked for an agency, they'd organized a three day Thai Culture Course at a nice hotel near Bangkok.

But unfortunately, it's not worth the paper it's written on. But we did learn the difference between Somtham Laos and the Thai version. Very useful, indeed.-

[angsta]

Are we all talking about the same thing? Some brief 'Thai history' and some dancing. I took mine in 2009 and it sucked balls.