Maybe Thai's should read more novels...

[roamer]

Here's an interesting piece of research, now I no longer need to feel guilty about picking up another book,

Brain function 'boosted for days after reading a novel'

We know how Thai's tend not to read books, might account for a few things

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/brain-function-boosted-for-days-after-reading-a-novel-9028302.html

[willyumiii]

Thais do not enjoy reading.

One theory is that the language is so difficult to read with no spaces between words etc. that it is hard to concentrate on the content!

Only a myopic culture would insist on inventing their own script rather than using the Arabic alphabet like most of the human race.

Japan and China are an exception, their written language is ancient, passa Thai is a pretty new one!

Now if they could just learn to read and speak the English language...

Oops! Sorry!

We have tried that, haven't we?

[TheFishman1]

Maybe you should not worry about it

[wayned]

Just living here is a real life novel and although it sometimes seems like fiction, it isn't!

[marwari]

Only a myopic culture would insist on inventing their own script rather than using the Arabic alphabet like most of the human race.

Japan and China are an exception, their written language is ancient, passa Thai is a pretty new one!

The Thai culture bashing makes me want to correct you:

I think you mean Roman alphabet. The Arabic alphabet looks like Arabic. We do use Arabic numbers, though

Most of the world certainly does not use the Roman (or Arabic) alphabet.

Japanese is a new language. Thai is based on Sanskrit which is old.

[dannyman]

Siam Sanskrit

[dannyman]

Rageyama

[Thaddeus]

One day, during a power outage, I was sat outside reading a book on my Kindle, a Thai friend asked me what I was doing, so I showed him.

He asked me where are the pictures, I told him that there were no pictures, you made them yourself inside your head.

He said that was too difficult.

[Costas2008]

But,,,,,they read comics....Isn't that the same like reading books?

[i claudius]

So that'S WHY MY WIFE IS SO SMART ,SHE USED TO READ BOOKS IN ENGLISH ,BUT SPENT LOTS OF HER TIME USING THE DICTIONARY ,NOW MANY BOOKS ,LIKE ONES BY GRISHAM , AND AGATHA CHRISTY ,HER FAVOURITES ,OH AND THOSE SELF HELP BOOKS WRITTEN BY THAI BUISNESSMEN ,TELLING YOU HOW TO BECOME RICH ,I KEEP TELLING HER ,WRITE A SELF HELP BOOK ,TELLING PEOPLE HOW TO GET RICH , IT WORKED FOR THEM

[tingtongteesood]

I tend to find the Thai people I have met who are avid readers are usually a lot more intelligent than the ones who aren't. Same for people anywhere I feel really...

[laobali]

But,,,,,they read comics....Isn't that the same like reading books?

No, because they only look at the pictures!

[h90]

Thais do not enjoy reading.

One theory is that the language is so difficult to read with no spaces between words etc. that it is hard to concentrate on the content!

Only a myopic culture would insist on inventing their own script rather than using the Arabic alphabet like most of the human race.

Japan and China are an exception, their written language is ancient, passa Thai is a pretty new one!

Now if they could just learn to read and speak the English language...

Oops! Sorry!

We have tried that, haven't we?

Arabic Alphabet is also difficult http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabic_alphabet

own alphabet: Russian, Greece, Indian, Myanmar, Cambodia....etc etc

[ozyjon]

I don't agree with your comment "Thais don't read" you are wrong sir, let me explain, i once stayed in a Thai friends house, they had to go out for a few days so moved me to a neighbors house, i didn't know them personally but welcomed me to stay in the spare room,. i accepted and we began our relationship, me with the ladies as there were no men around except me,, the following day the house went to the Wat and left me in the house with the remote control and the kettle (to make coffee) i was in heaven, i don't need much so i settled down for a bit of Thai tv, after an hour i got bored and looked around for something to read, i found a pile of newspapers so i decided to grab a pile and look through it, look at the pictures as i can't read Thai, here is where your argument fails, Thai's do read lots and lots and lots of what looked like betting forms, i could read the English script Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, you get the drift, they don't read much in the way of novels but put a the soccer results or a betting Muai Thai form in front of them and see their eyes light up. It's a shame because where someone is loosing a lot of money on the other hand someone is making a lot of money, i'm in the wrong business i think.

[Floater 7]

It would help if they had a government sponsored library system. Books are expensive, even paperbacks.I bought some for wife and her kids. They read them and like them.

[Costas2008]

laobali, on 30 Dec 2013 - 17:30, said:

Costas2008, on 30 Dec 2013 - 16:41, said:

But,,,,,they read comics....Isn't that the same like reading books?

No, because they only look at the pictures!

Ahhhh......Thank you, now I'm more wise!

[recycler]

The literate Thais mainly read Facebook if they don't get distracted by advertisements...

[BlackArtemis]

Yet many of my friends are reading a Song of Fire and Ice and I know many Thais from children to adults who have read Harry Potter. A bigger problem is that there are few but the most popular series ever translated into Thai.

[dotpoom]

Just thinking, what if a thread was started by a Thai person with the header "What irritates you the most about Farangs in Thailand"....i wonder what the posts in reply would contain?

[Andrew Hicks]

Thais do not enjoy reading.

One theory is that the language is so difficult to read with no spaces between words etc. that it is hard to concentrate on the content!

Only a myopic culture would insist on inventing their own script rather than using the Arabic alphabet like most of the human race.

Japan and China are an exception, their written language is ancient, passa Thai is a pretty new one!

Now if they could just learn to read and speak the English language...

Oops! Sorry!

We have tried that, haven't we?

Surely the great achievement of written Thai is that it accurately records the sounds of the language, including the length of vowels and the tones. In contrast our writing system with its ridiculous spellings is totally chaotic.

And yes, reading novels stimulates the brain, especially mine. (My novel I mean.)

[MrBrad]

[duanebigsby]

Thais do not enjoy reading.

One theory is that the language is so difficult to read with no spaces between words etc. that it is hard to concentrate on the content!

Only a myopic culture would insist on inventing their own script rather than using the Arabic alphabet like most of the human race.

Japan and China are an exception, their written language is ancient, passa Thai is a pretty new one!

Now if they could just learn to read and speak the English language...

Oops! Sorry!

We have tried that, haven't we?

Wrong on so many levels. Thai is based on Sanskrit (as another poster pointed out) and the rest of the world doesn't use only Arabic script. The library at the school I teach at is packed with kids on their breaks reading books and magazines. I am often lending them my own magazines from home in English language as well.

[bpaiduay]

In all due respects I do believe the OP was fundamentally trying to ensue the fact that a lot of thai people do not read novels , and that he reads novels.

Also that the afore said reading of books / novels is good for the brain .

Go out on a different tangent , . well good for you !

Stick with the facts readers , this is not your thread , just deal with the facts .

[Thaddeus]

Just thinking, what if a thread was started by a Thai person with the header "What irritates you the most about Farangs in Thailand"....i wonder what the posts in reply would contain?

I think I would get an honourable mention.

[Ulic]

Truth is everyone should read more.

[Kangawallafox]

My thai brother in law wrote the book antivirus.

Pretty sure he likes reading.

True though I don't see many reading,only on the floor in the isles of the book shops.

[DoctorG]

This is one of the joys of being back in OZ. Being able to read 2 new novels a week from the wonderful free libraries. I really miss that when travelling.

[hellodolly]

Only a myopic culture would insist on inventing their own script rather than using the Arabic alphabet like most of the human race.

Japan and China are an exception, their written language is ancient, passa Thai is a pretty new one!

The Thai culture bashing makes me want to correct you:

I think you mean Roman alphabet. The Arabic alphabet looks like Arabic. We do use Arabic numbers, though

Most of the world certainly does not use the Roman (or Arabic) alphabet.

Japanese is a new language. Thai is based on Sanskrit which is old.

Well said

I love it when a Thai basher gets put in his/her place.

I neither read or write Thai. But I have heard some people say how it will help you to understand and learn to speak Thai if you learn how to read it.

I have never heard them say it was hard because there is no breaks in it. Maybe it is at first I don't know but the people I know who can read it don't say it is hard to read.

[hellodolly]

This is one of the joys of being back in OZ. Being able to read 2 new novels a week from the wonderful free libraries. I really miss that when travelling.

Get a kindle. they have lots or free books on them and also books at ridiculously low prices. Also you can take them any where in the world. Mine is a cheap one but it will hold upwards of 1,000 books on it. That will last you until you get to a spot where you can download more. Lot's of the book's cost less than the gas to the free library.

[marwari]

Only a myopic culture would insist on inventing their own script rather than using the Arabic alphabet like most of the human race.

Japan and China are an exception, their written language is ancient, passa Thai is a pretty new one!

The Thai culture bashing makes me want to correct you:

I think you mean Roman alphabet. The Arabic alphabet looks like Arabic. We do use Arabic numbers, though

Most of the world certainly does not use the Roman (or Arabic) alphabet.

Japanese is a new language. Thai is based on Sanskrit which is old.

Well said

I love it when a Thai basher gets put in his/her place.

I neither read or write Thai. But I have heard some people say how it will help you to understand and learn to speak Thai if you learn how to read it.

I have never heard them say it was hard because there is no breaks in it. Maybe it is at first I don't know but the people I know who can read it don't say it is hard to read.

Thanks. I have been studying Thai on and off for a few years. I can still hardly say more than a few simple sentences but I got nowhere until I learned to read. I would strongly encourage anyone learning Thai to learn to read and write. I finally felt on my last trip that if I lived in Thailand I would eventually be able to learn learn to speak. When I started studying I though there is no way I will be able to do this.

The question of is a language too complicated for its people's good is an interesting one. There are theories that a more simple form of some languages would be better. A Western example (with numbers, not letters) would be before we switched to Arabic numerals with a zero it was impossible to do complex mathematics because Roman numerals were too hard to use.