Quizzed for visa extension for non-ED

[johninbkk71]

I presume you posted this for people with ED visa. Not the trolls on this site who feel the urge to answer every single post with a negative opinion. Good luck with your studies. One day you will get beyond what the bar room jockeys can say in Thai.

[jspill]

Which is an utterly inadequate amount of class time.

 

All you need for a retirement visa extension is to be 50 and pay a dodgy company to put 800k in your account briefly.

 

 

So you ED Visa dodgers beware, you are going to get found out and will not be admitted into the Kingdom after your next exit.

 

Not if the test is writing 2 sentences of our own choice in Roman letters.

[tezzainthailand]

 

Are you serious?  You have been studying Thai for 2 years and still cannot understand when someone speaks to you in Thai?  And you cannot write anything using the Thai alphabet?

 

Either your teacher sucks, or your learning skills suck, or both

 

I'm sure you are fluent buddy.

 

I'm the wrong side of 35 and learning a language at this age is not easy. I can hold a basic conversation in Thai, but only if the person I am speaking to speaks slowly and clearly. I can speak to someone else in Thai and they can understand me fine, but it's much harder for me to understand them. Most people don't realise how much of a difference it makes.

 

The woman at immigration was quite busy and didn't have time to quiz me like that, which is why she got me to write it down.

 

And yes, learning a new alphabet is actually a pretty advanced topic and something you wouldn't necessarily attempt before learning basic conversation, since conversation is a more important skill.

 

But hey feel free to continue your crusade against people on Ed Visas.

 

Ignore Einstein mate,

                   I am about to start my first EdVisa course in Hua Hin.  Some encouragement and tips from other farangs studying the language is preferable to putdowns, but I guess our dear learned chum is au fait with all the nuances and dialects of the Thai language that leave us riff raff in his linguistic shadow.

[stevenl]

 

 

Are you serious?  You have been studying Thai for 2 years and still cannot understand when someone speaks to you in Thai?  And you cannot write anything using the Thai alphabet?

 

Either your teacher sucks, or your learning skills suck, or both

 

I'm sure you are fluent buddy.

 

I'm the wrong side of 35 and learning a language at this age is not easy. I can hold a basic conversation in Thai, but only if the person I am speaking to speaks slowly and clearly. I can speak to someone else in Thai and they can understand me fine, but it's much harder for me to understand them. Most people don't realise how much of a difference it makes.

 

The woman at immigration was quite busy and didn't have time to quiz me like that, which is why she got me to write it down.

 

And yes, learning a new alphabet is actually a pretty advanced topic and something you wouldn't necessarily attempt before learning basic conversation, since conversation is a more important skill.

 

But hey feel free to continue your crusade against people on Ed Visas.

 

Ignore Einstein mate,

                   I am about to start my first EdVisa course in Hua Hin.  Some encouragement and tips from other farangs studying the language is preferable to putdowns, but I guess our dear learned chum is au fait with all the nuances and dialects of the Thai language that leave us riff raff in his linguistic shadow.

 

Let's look 2 years into the future. You have been studying Thai for 2 years, and do now manage to write a basic sentence in Roman alphabet and can not understand an immigration official. Would you be happy with yourself, the course quality, your teacher, etc.?
 

[Emster23]

If you want to learn a new language properly the alphabet is the first thing you ought to learn.

 

I remember my mother teaching me English alphabet before speaking with me.... a joke! Perhaps could be seen as "mean" comment remarking that after 2 years know very little. He is on ed visa, right? Many seem quick to knock Thai ed system because nothing seems to be taught at public schools, but rise to defense if farang hasn't learned anything. What is that about? I speak decent, not great, Thai. Never took a class. How I do it? By trying to speak Thai with Thais! What a concept! If you hang out with farangs, don't expect to get any better at Thai. I am past 60, so think age is just excuse making. If you need to learn something, you will.

 Story about Supreme Court justice Holmes taking up French at age 87: "Why you want to learn this, you are an old man?" Said something like "If not now, when?"
 

[krey]

 

If you want to learn a new language properly the alphabet is the first thing you ought to learn.

 

I remember my mother teaching me English alphabet before speaking with me.... a joke! Perhaps could be seen as "mean" comment remarking that after 2 years know very little. He is on ed visa, right? Many seem quick to knock Thai ed system because nothing seems to be taught at public schools, but rise to defense if farang hasn't learned anything. What is that about? I speak decent, not great, Thai. Never took a class. How I do it? By trying to speak Thai with Thais! What a concept! If you hang out with farangs, don't expect to get any better at Thai. I am past 60, so think age is just excuse making. If you need to learn something, you will.

 Story about Supreme Court justice Holmes taking up French at age 87: "Why you want to learn this, you are an old man?" Said something like "If not now, when?"
 

 

 

I agree with that , school is good to help you get the basics and such but the real learning is in the real world which is the main reason my Thai is not as strong as it could be

you can talk all you want in class and then go out and talk to a Thai person with your great knowledge and he looks at you like you are from Mars.  I believe speaking it with Thais constantly is the key to really learning the language

 

Many Teachers get used to hearing bad pronounced Falang Thai and just go with it and do not correct them.  If you are looking for a solid teacher make sure that he/she really drills your pronounciation it will help you , as I stated before not all of us are good at speaking a new language to a Thai person, we get shy, embarrassed or drop back to English, especially if the Thai also has some English..... All I know is in my dating career the Thai girls that could not speak English at all my Thai went up in skill level a lot, the ones that could speak English I always dropped back to it.

 

Into the Fire is the best way, takes guts for some, I am still on the outside of the flame trying to step in

 

[anon467367354]

If you want to learn a new language properly the alphabet is the first thing you ought to learn.

 

actually when people learn a language they learn to speak it first and then reading and writing follows.

The Thai on the other hand when learning English start with the Alphabet, reading and writing and really have

no communicative skills. I am at the point where I speak Thai almost fluently and rather than use the traditional

English to Thai books I'm using with my teacher Thai to English books and the results are way better in my opinion, but

then again, I have learned to read Thai.

In any language, those that read are far more expressive with the spoken language and when reading now I recognize

words in print that I've only heard when spoken so it's all coming together very quickly for me now. I now know what many

of the letters sound like and how things are expressed because I'm experiencing it.

Just my 2 baht.
 

I hear and I forget.

I see and I remember.

I do and I understand.

[Getyourfactsright]

Wow poor guy, he was only posting some info for you all and he's got a beating. He is correct in saying that as a beginner most don't learn the alphabet. I've been studying 6 months and no alphabet . I understood what he wrote however been taught in a different way re spellings. For a beginner basic questions are a fair test I feel. However the op has been studying 2 years so I guess immigration would expect some advancement. I struggle terribly with remembering things which can be really annoying because I know I know it but when stressed or under pressure I go a bit of a fuzzy head. I also totally understand what he said about the lady speaking too fast. Someone berated him for not understanding the Thai but actually it can be hard to understand someone who speaks fast or even with a different accent. My other half speaks northern and faster than my teacher so I have to ask him to repeat sometimes and also he uses different words to what o have learnt. This is no different to other countries. No different than any other country.

[misterphil]

 

 

Are you serious?  You have been studying Thai for 2 years and still cannot understand when someone speaks to you in Thai?  And you cannot write anything using the Thai alphabet?
 
Either your teacher sucks, or your learning skills suck, or both

Thats a very mean comment 

No its not mean its the truth. Ive been teaching myself Thai with a computer program and a book, and I can speak the alphabet, constanents all 44 of them and all of the 32 vowels without going to school for 2 years.

So you ED Visa dodgers beware, you are going to get found out and will not be admitted into the Kingdom after your next exit. Its as simple as ABC. If you say you are here to learn the language then learn the language.
 

You sound like a puppet, mind your own business 

You post on a forum for the world to see, so you made it my business.

[Rumblecat]

Wow poor guy, he was only posting some info for you all and he's got a beating. He is correct in saying that as a beginner most don't learn the alphabet. I've been studying 6 months and no alphabet .

You should really learn the alphabet. I don't mean that in a "you're doing it wrong!" way but it's massively helpful to learning how to speak and listen properly as well- otherwise you're relying on inaccurate romanisations of Thai words. Most good schools will teach you the alphabet from day one, alongside speaking and writing- and it really does make a difference. It also unlocks a whole world of everyday Thai learning from just walking down the street and reading signs and so on. But especially as Thai is a tonal language with letters and sound type not used in Roman languages, I'd say learning to read it is near essential. :) 

[Bernard Flint]

Nothing new to this.Immigration are, and will be cracking down harder on ED Visa conmen

[Farfetched]

Are you serious?  You have been studying Thai for 2 years and still cannot understand when someone speaks to you in Thai?  And you cannot write anything using the Thai alphabet?

 

Either your teacher sucks, or your learning skills suck, or both

Some people learn Thai without learning to read or write Thai. Maybe the dialects she was speaking with was from Issan or Chiang Mai. Maybe she trully was speaking too fast. Or, maybe you are the one with the problem. 

[Bernard Flint]

 

 

Thanks for your unsolicited opinion. So much hate for Ed Visa holders, jealous?

Just pointing out the same fact that any good language teacher would tell you especially in a tonal language like Thai where it's not possible to properly represent the tones in the English alphabet.

 

Go ahead and make it personal. That wasn't my intention. Why would  I 'hate' a stranger? 

 

 

Very few Thai language schools start their beginner students with learning the alphabet. Most of us aren't learning Thai to write novels, we are learning it to go about daily business in Thailand. Learning to read is certainly a long-term goal, but short term I would consider basic conversation more important.

 

I'm not sure why you would hate a stranger, but plenty of people seem to hate Ed Visa holders here for some reason. 

 

What is your daily business in Thailand???? online poker ????

[OumarhindaOunsingha]

As I see it, the question should be whether the visa applicant is a burden for the Thai society or not, easpecially financially. If the immigration cannot prove that you are a burden, why should they not let the applicant stay here? If the OP is paying his own education, I do not see the problem. If he is working here, then it is always fine to have another visa option (visa runs or ED visas), if for example the school, for some reason, is not willing or unable to provide the worker with a WP.

 

Honestly, I lately have had great trouble understanding the logic in the new tightening of visas here.

 

I am rarely impressed by politicians' craftswork. In the West as well as in Thailand.

[Minnehaha]

 

Thanks for your unsolicited opinion. So much hate for Ed Visa holders, jealous?

Just pointing out the same fact that any good language teacher would tell you especially in a tonal language like Thai where it's not possible to properly represent the tones in the English alphabet.

 

Go ahead and make it personal. That wasn't my intention. Why would  I 'hate' a stranger? 

 

 

Yes, tones are important, I agree. But I think vowel length is much more important.

 

Unsolicited and perhaps off topic....

Tips on learning Thai:

I started with the numbers. This is very important, of course.  Then I studied on my own using the AUA text. It got me pretty far but I stopped at the learning to read/write stage as I did not have that book. Then I designed my own program. By using post it notes and bits of paper with tape, I put the Thai name for a thing on it around my flat. Chair had the Thai word - kowee, for example. My place was filled with these papers. I also memorized the alphabet, which in Thai is very handy cause with each character you learn a new word. After a few months, my vocab grew. At the same time I found some Thai songs I could tolerate and memorized the lyrics to sing along. This is an extremely effective technique because you learn vowels and tones as well. Plus a lot of crazy vocab that you can bust out to sound fluent. Lastly, I got a ring and attached index cards with Thai words on front and English on back. I could flip through it while waiting for a friend, sitting in a car, etc. 

[Rumblecat]

 

 

If you want to learn a new language properly the alphabet is the first thing you ought to learn.

From my year of experience on the ED visa, the Thai alphabet and writing was the main focus for the first 6 months. I wasn't fun. But you're right, they stated in order to learn the language we had to do the alphabet first. That was Walen BTW 

 

 

Yeah, as far as I know Walen is the only school that forces you to learn the alphabet first.

 

Walen must have changed a lot from when I studied there a few years ago- they never taught the alphabet at all (you had to copy what the teacher said when the book came to a list of letters, but things like class and what noise the letters actually made etc wasn't ever discussed)- it was a relief to switch to a school like Language Express where reading and writing is taught properly from day one. That's really good if Walen finality changed their terrible teaching system (even the teachers would complain about it). 

But having gone round most language schools for sample classes, I'd say the majority of them teach you the alphabet and reading from the start as well. 

[pokerspiv]

 

 

 

Thanks for your unsolicited opinion. So much hate for Ed Visa holders, jealous?

Just pointing out the same fact that any good language teacher would tell you especially in a tonal language like Thai where it's not possible to properly represent the tones in the English alphabet.

 

Go ahead and make it personal. That wasn't my intention. Why would  I 'hate' a stranger? 

 

 

Very few Thai language schools start their beginner students with learning the alphabet. Most of us aren't learning Thai to write novels, we are learning it to go about daily business in Thailand. Learning to read is certainly a long-term goal, but short term I would consider basic conversation more important.

 

I'm not sure why you would hate a stranger, but plenty of people seem to hate Ed Visa holders here for some reason. 

 

What is your daily business in Thailand???? online poker ????

 

 

I own property in Australia that I rent out. I am semi-retired, but not old enough to get a retirement visa. Although I could easily satisfy all the requirements of that visa except for being over 50.

Edited August 5, 2014 by pokerspiv

[macpayne]

Bloody hell you people really do go off subject dont you,the Guy was just making the point about how he was now being quizzed about his ED visa extension under the new rules/clampdown and being tested to see if he was a genuine student or just using the ED visa for an excuse to live in Thailand long term. Who really gives a shit has to his ability to speak or write in Thi he can be learning freaking Swahili for all we know or care, its nothing to do with you or me.

 

Good luck to you mate if staying in Thailand as long as you can and enjoying yourself by whatever means it takes then good for you :)

[Getyourfactsright]

Wow poor guy, he was only posting some info for you all and he's got a beating. He is correct in saying that as a beginner most don't learn the alphabet. I've been studying 6 months and no alphabet .

You should really learn the alphabet. I don't mean that in a "you're doing it wrong!" way but it's massively helpful to learning how to speak and listen properly as well- otherwise you're relying on inaccurate romanisations of Thai words. Most good schools will teach you the alphabet from day one, alongside speaking and writing- and it really does make a difference. It also unlocks a whole world of everyday Thai learning from just walking down the street and reading signs and so on. But especially as Thai is a tonal language with letters and sound type not used in Roman languages, I'd say learning to read it is near essential. :) 

Thank you very good points. I am happy with my schools curriculum however and the rate of my learning. Ive just finished my first exam and moving on to reading and writing next. I feel comfortable enough in my conversational skills and I know my rate of learning and the best ways for myself to learn. I am a visual learner therefore seeing it in the roman text I find easier thus making me more confident in speaking. My purpose of learning Thai is not to be the best but simply be able to hold my own when I visit places where western language is less commonly used and also a sign of respect to the country I have chosen to live. But I agree with your point about learning to read is definatly a good thing and a must if you chose to stay long term. I think if they had presented me with the alphabet to start with it would of freaked me out and made me less confident in learning but thats just me and we are all different.

[Rumblecat]

I can thoroughly recommend taking a quick look at these videos from High Speed Thai- altogether it's ten minutes but it does a brilliant job of demystifying reading Thai- by the end of ten minutes you actually able to read some basic thai. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Wl5SYBn5UE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQFPtRi3BGM

[Getyourfactsright]

Thanks will do

[smotherb]

Thanks for your unsolicited opinion. So much hate for Ed Visa holders, jealous?

 

It appears the hate is directed toward not being able to speak better Thai--and really, don't you think having to pass a test speaking in a language, is the best way to determine if you are indeed studying that language? I think the simple test would be to have to apply for the ED extension in Thai only--and, that is after one year of study.

[konying]

Are you serious?  You have been studying Thai for 2 years and still cannot understand when someone speaks to you in Thai?  And you cannot write anything using the Thai alphabet?
 
Either your teacher sucks, or your learning skills suck, or both

I studied for longer than 2 years and I can not write Thai because school does not teach writing.

I also do not understand when someone speaks fast and not clear and my Thai is good enough to do most things in Thai only

[pokerspiv]

 

Thanks for your unsolicited opinion. So much hate for Ed Visa holders, jealous?

 

It appears the hate is directed toward not being able to speak better Thai--and really, don't you think having to pass a test speaking in a language, is the best way to determine if you are indeed studying that language? I think the simple test would be to have to apply for the ED extension in Thai only--and, that is after one year of study.

 

 

The simple test would be to ask me to provide documents that prove I am enrolled and studying. That's what every other country in the world does.

 

Hardly anybody would be good enough at reading and writing Thai after 1 year of study to fill out an application form written only in Thai. You are being completely ridiculous.

Edited August 5, 2014 by pokerspiv

[smotherb]

 

 

Thanks for your unsolicited opinion. So much hate for Ed Visa holders, jealous?

 

It appears the hate is directed toward not being able to speak better Thai--and really, don't you think having to pass a test speaking in a language, is the best way to determine if you are indeed studying that language? I think the simple test would be to have to apply for the ED extension in Thai only--and, that is after one year of study.

 

 

The simple test would be to ask me to provide documents that prove I am enrolled and studying. That's what every other country in the world does.

 

Hardly anybody would be good enough at reading and writing Thai after 1 year of study to fill out an application form written only in Thai. You are being completely ridiculous.

 

 

Please, that would be like requiring a degree for teaching without any proof of ever attending the university--you can just purchase the paper. Perhaps, your own ineptitude is driving your thought process. Filling out that application form could easily be taught in the Thai language schools.

 

[smotherb]

 

Are you serious?  You have been studying Thai for 2 years and still cannot understand when someone speaks to you in Thai?  And you cannot write anything using the Thai alphabet?
 
Either your teacher sucks, or your learning skills suck, or both

I studied for longer than 2 years and I can not write Thai because school does not teach writing.

I also do not understand when someone speaks fast and not clear and my Thai is good enough to do most things in Thai only

 

It appears the school also sucks--a Thai language school which does not teach the written Thai; more inappropriate than non-alcoholic beer

 

[jspill]

What is your daily business in Thailand???? online poker ????

 

That's a lot of question marks, are you going to have a heart attack if I tell you there are hundreds of online poker players in Thailand.

[Rumblecat]

Thai's a much harder language to write than read though- I think it'd be a bit much to expect people to fill out a complicated application form (which is painful enough to follow in English) in Thai after one year- it wouldn't be a great way of ascertaining levels of commitment or learning, unless you really did want the student just to parrot back and copy down squiggles without any real understanding of their form or meaning.

Walking before you can run and all that.

They used to sit people down for a verbal interview at the education office if they wanted a new Ed Visa after a year of study- the officer would speak to them in Thai, maybe ask them to write their name in Thai language- maybe point to some signs round the office and see if the student could have a go at reading them. I think there should be some form of test or interview, but I don't see the advantage in deliberately giving them a task which will most likely outstrip most students' ability at that stage in the process.



 

Edited August 5, 2014 by Rumblecat

[jspill]

It appears the hate is directed toward not being able to speak better Thai--and really, don't you think having to pass a test speaking in a language, is the best way to determine if you are indeed studying that language? I think the simple test would be to have to apply for the ED extension in Thai only--and, that is after one year of study.

 

So you'd deny those with learning difficulties an extension? How is failing a test proof that you never studied and grounds for being stranded at a border. The best way to determine if you're studying is (shocker) attendance records from the school. Yes this could be fabricated but so can marriages, retirement funds, tourist itineraries. Conduct spot checks at accredited schools.

[JohnThailandJohn]

Are you serious?  You have been studying Thai for 2 years and still cannot understand when someone speaks to you in Thai?  And you cannot write anything using the Thai alphabet?

 

Either your teacher sucks, or your learning skills suck, or both

 

 

Well obviously the immigration official thought his skills were okay.  I am however wondering if either your parents just sucked at teaching you manners or if you are just a nasty person on your own, or both.