Why can't foreigners in Thailand read and speak Thai?

[Braddockrd]

I hope the OP can actually say something or type it. We are waiting.

I know that there are a growing number of people living in Thailand who can speak and read Thai. As another poster suggested, my topic was not correctly stated. I should have said "some foreigners". But in my experience the majority, including professionals, do not bother to learn the language because it is just easy to get by. I was just curious as to what reasons people would allege as to not be willing to learn the language. I think that the answer overall to the question is "it depends". Clearly for some people the effort is too big. Many evidently find Thai people uninteresting to talk to. Many find them unwilling to accept foreigners. Many are in Thailand because it is cheap and cannot afford living elsewhere and therefore do not care about the place or the langugage as long as they can point out at a noodle cart and get a meal for 25 baht. Many do not feel their stay is permanent and, let's face it, you are unlikely to use Thai outside of Thailand. I wonder how many of these people would be able to survive in say, Germany, without learning to speak German. When I lived in Thailand I knew my stay would not be permanent. I learned rather quickly that common Thais are not too interesting and that they are not accepting of "foreigners". Yet, I felt that living in a place for a number of years where I could not read any signage or be able to express myself would put me at a disadvantage and I made a considerable effort to learn the language only if out of respect for myself. Whether you want it or not, Thais, possibly in their close-mindedness, see foreigners who cannot speak Thai as mentally deficient. Thanks to all for their responses, including the off-topic ones.

[Naam]

Not all, but a significantly large number for people to notice it

If it was the minority, issue hardly be raised

Just like Indian visitors, very often get robbed of large sums of money while getting very cheap sexual services massage:lol:

how often is "very often"?

[lemoncake]

Not all, but a significantly large number for people to notice it

If it was the minority, issue hardly be raised

Just like Indian visitors, very often get robbed of large sums of money while getting very cheap sexual services massage:lol:

how often is "very often"?

Publically reported, would appear to be weekly, but no doubt have much more than that

Or can also say, often enough to be noticed and spoken about

Edited December 10, 2013 by lemoncake

[simon43]

I learnt to read and write Thai (and speak it of course), because I could see the obvious advantages of being able to read roadsigns, legal documents (to some extent - legalese in any language is a chore), and being able to write instructions in Thai for my staff or local workers.

To put it another way, I could see no disadvantages in learning some of the language - it has helped me integrate better and to understand some of the 'strange' habits of my community

Simon

[Neeranam]

Last night I went to a restaurant where you had to write down your order. If I hadn't spent that WHOLE month learning to write, I'd have gone hungry or eaten something I didn't want.

[DrTuner]

Last night I went to a restaurant where you had to write down your order. If I hadn't spent that WHOLE month learning to write, I'd have gone hungry or eaten something I didn't want.

I've never been in one of these. I ask out of curiosity, could you tell what restaurant it was ?

[Naam]

Last night I went to a restaurant where you had to write down your order. If I hadn't spent that WHOLE month learning to write, I'd have gone hungry or eaten something I didn't want.

i too once "dined" in the wilderness where the next "restaurant" was an additional three to four hours travelling with a 4WD, boat and then riding on a water buffalo... too far away when you are hungry.

[DavidMavec]

Last night I went to a restaurant where you had to write down your order. If I hadn't spent that WHOLE month learning to write, I'd have gone hungry or eaten something I didn't want.

I've never been in one of these. I ask out of curiosity, could you tell what restaurant it was ?

Basically 50% of the mom 'n pop high volume low price restaurants in Bangkok and other places are like this... you've really never been to one? I have the idea that you don't get out of Farangtown often then...

In these types of restaurants you can usually speak your order to the waiter which is usually what I do... I can write Thai but am quite lazy lol :-).

[DrTuner]

Last night I went to a restaurant where you had to write down your order. If I hadn't spent that WHOLE month learning to write, I'd have gone hungry or eaten something I didn't want.

I've never been in one of these. I ask out of curiosity, could you tell what restaurant it was ?

Basically 50% of the mom 'n pop high volume low price restaurants in Bangkok and other places are like this... you've really never been to one? I have the idea that you don't get out of Farangtown often then...

In these types of restaurants you can usually speak your order to the waiter which is usually what I do... I can write Thai but am quite lazy lol :-).

Never been to a mom'n pop in BKK, yes. I avoid the city like a plague, awful, awful place. Looks like there's one more reason to stay clear.

However I've been around Chonburi, Khon Kaen, Nong Bua Lamphu, Chiang Mai provinces and a few places in south, to my estimate in well over 500 restaurants and never had to write anything down, not even in the remotest karaoke dumps in Isaan.

It's not unusual for the kitchen to be out of ingredients and then you need to ask what's available and so on in the more banook places, but never had I had to write down the dishes. I could if I needed to, though, but I think I'd change the venue instead. I like to have at least some resemblance of service.

[DavidMavec]

Last night I went to a restaurant where you had to write down your order. If I hadn't spent that WHOLE month learning to write, I'd have gone hungry or eaten something I didn't want.

I've never been in one of these. I ask out of curiosity, could you tell what restaurant it was ?

Basically 50% of the mom 'n pop high volume low price restaurants in Bangkok and other places are like this... you've really never been to one? I have the idea that you don't get out of Farangtown often then...

In these types of restaurants you can usually speak your order to the waiter which is usually what I do... I can write Thai but am quite lazy lol :-).

Never been to a mom'n pop in BKK, yes. I avoid the city like a plague, awful, awful place. Looks like there's one more reason to stay clear.

However I've been around Chonburi, Khon Kaen, Nong Bua Lamphu, Chiang Mai provinces and a few places in south, to my estimate in well over 500 restaurants and never had to write anything down, not even in the remotest karaoke dumps in Isaan.

It's not unusual for the kitchen to be out of ingredients and then you need to ask what's available and so on in the more banook places, but never had I had to write down the dishes. I could if I needed to, though, but I think I'd change the venue instead. I like to have at least some resemblance of service.

Lol, there are loads of restaurants in the places you've mentioned that do the same thing... take a look and you will see some places have pens and little slips of paper at the table or at a table adjoining the kitchen area or other customers and you will notice that some of them hand the servers slips of paper... if you look for it in the next 20 basic restaurants you are in I am sure you will at least a few that do it like this... but if you tell them what you want verbally they won't care either (probably they'll assume you will do this anyway since many thai people think farangs cannot learn to write thai, it is just beyond our cerebral capacity or some such thing).

[DrTuner]

What I do when I enter a restaurant is to park my backside on a place of my choosing and wait for the service to ask what I'd like to have. Could be there were stacks of paper I haven't noticed, I suppose. Never seen any Thais write down anything other than requests for karaoke songs, either.

The slips I've seen have been receipts stuck into the bin, filled by the service, and yes I've seen Thais check them, count the money and hand that whole wad back to the waitress. I do that too. But actually ordering by writing it down .. I'll keep my eye out for it now, perhaps it's something that has escaped my eyes. Wouldn't be the first time, I totally managed to miss the ToT phone booths for years and thought there are none here.

Popped into my mind Thai is much more useful to those who have been condemned to work in Thailand. Poor souls.

[simon43]

take a look and you will see some places have pens and little slips of paper at the table

No wonder I was getting weird looks! I thought it was to write down my phone number for the waitress...

Simon

[DrTuner]

Wifey came home with a bounty from a restaurant (where you order take out by shouting to the nongs hovering around), had to ask her if she knew any. She's Thai and didn't remember ever writing down an order herself, but had a vague recollection there might be one place in Pattaya Nua, a somtam stall. I recall being there and not writing anything, so maybe it's a false lead. I'll now make it my life's mission to find one place were I can gloat on my writing skills.

[wilcopops]

Because they are mostly old arrogant and stupid?

[David48]

Wifey came home with a bounty from a restaurant (where you order take out by shouting to the nongs hovering around), had to ask her if she knew any. She's Thai and didn't remember ever writing down an order herself, but had a vague recollection there might be one place in Pattaya Nua, a somtam stall. I recall being there and not writing anything, so maybe it's a false lead. I'll now make it my life's mission to find one place were I can gloat on my writing skills.

The Thai gf does occasionally, but it's the exception, rather then the rule.

We live in and around Bangkok.

[TexasRanger]

I can read, but my spelling is horrendous, the only time I write Thai is when sending emails with electronic spelling assistance. That restaurant would be out for me I'm afraid.

[transam]

Because they are mostly old arrogant and stupid?

Who is ?

[Jackson86]

I learn thai coz of someone I once loved.

[David48]

I learn thai coz of someone I once loved.

I learnt a few words of Thai to ask her out ... for the same reason.

Took me forever from the Video

That wasn't it, but you get the idea.

Plus she was easy to watch ...

[Jackson86]

I learn thai coz of someone I once loved.

I learnt a few words of Thai to ask her out ... for the same reason.

Took me forever from the Video

That wasn't it, but you get the idea.

Plus she was easy to watch ...

I actually wrote her a letter in thai, all my true feelings inside, but never had the chance to pass it to her. I tried my best, flew and drove and ran, perhaps heaven's fate.

[celso]

I cant think of any situations when I would really need to know how to read Thai as well as speak it.

In shops/restaurants it is easier and faster just to speak Thai and ask someone.

Bus stations.. again can just ask the driver or other people.

Official forms are all translated into English anyway.

So I don't see how it would benefit me.

[Neeranam]

What I do when I enter a restaurant is to park my backside on a place of my choosing and wait for the service to ask what I'd like to have. Could be there were stacks of paper I haven't noticed, I suppose. Never seen any Thais write down anything other than requests for karaoke songs, either.

The slips I've seen have been receipts stuck into the bin, filled by the service, and yes I've seen Thais check them, count the money and hand that whole wad back to the waitress. I do that too. But actually ordering by writing it down .. I'll keep my eye out for it now, perhaps it's something that has escaped my eyes. Wouldn't be the first time, I totally managed to miss the ToT phone booths for years and thought there are none here.

Popped into my mind Thai is much more useful to those who have been condemned to work in Thailand. Poor souls.

I wasn't talking about karaoke bars. The restaurants where you write down the order are many.

What is wrong with working in Thailand? A pretty good place to work,IMHO.

Not made work here but chose to.

[Neeranam]

I can read, but my spelling is horrendous, the only time I write Thai is when sending emails with electronic spelling assistance. That restaurant would be out for me I'm afraid.

You can type Thai but can't write a simple food order?

I can write much better than I can type, but that wouldn't be hard.

[DavidMavec]

I can read, but my spelling is horrendous, the only time I write Thai is when sending emails with electronic spelling assistance. That restaurant would be out for me I'm afraid.

Just read the menu and copy your order from it, no remembering spelling needed.

[Neeranam]

Just found a good video about learning a tonal language.

[koeko]

Just found a good video about learning a tonal language.

Awesome video!

(I just quoted your post in my topic I hope you don't mind http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/688630-lets-learn-thai-together-quality-free-online-video-courses-post-yours/ )

[tomta20012]

I speak pretty kick arse japanese, but I unfortuately wont ever go to japan due to the 3 nuclear melt downs coupled with the burning of radioactive fukushima rubbish in all prefectures. Putting that aside I was kind of forced to move here due to problems with money and family. It wasn't my first choice.

The best thing ive done in my life was move to thailand, i love this place to death. Three weeks ago i didn't speak a word of thai, and knew nothing of their culture.

I love thai people and thai people seem to love me. I have already leant the entire alphabet in a few days of hard work. I cant wait to speak really good thai.

As for the OP

I hope i never have the displeasure of meeting an arrogant person like your self! I find it disgusting that your would judge other ex-pats on their willingness to learn thai! Maybe you would fit in nicely in the communist party in china, then you could force people to learn Thai.

[Jackson86]

I've been to many places but feel most welcomed in thailand. Don't know why. I'm able to blend into their culture easily. More difficult for westerners I think.

[TexasRanger]

I can read, but my spelling is horrendous, the only time I write Thai is when sending emails with electronic spelling assistance. That restaurant would be out for me I'm afraid.

You can type Thai but can't write a simple food order?

I didn't say I can type in thai, I send e-mails in thai by typing phonetically and copy pasting into the email. Much quicker for me than trying to type and as I can read it's easy to check.

[GinBoy2]

Unfortunately for me living in Isaan, its kinda tough. I speak Lao, but they then write Lao in Thai characters which is baffling to me. Probably I made a mistake many years ago when I first moved here by not learning Thai, but I don't go to Bangkok that often and can get away with English....90% of the taxi drivers are Lao too LOL