Suvarnabhumi Immigration pulled me from desk; questioned me about Thai language

[jabis]

Time to learn some Thai. It's a relatively easy language.

Relatively to what? Icelandic?

Compared to Chinese? Or Russian? Thai has almost no grammar. No articles, no endings, no 'casus'. They have characters, similar to our alphabet. In my group of friends, most are quite fluent in Thai. We have all lived here +-10 years.

What alphabet are you talking about? certainly not the English (Latin based one). I spent 6 months (about half hour a day) just trying to understand the Thai alphabet using a computer based Thai language course. At the end of 6 months I could write a few words and understand a few letters. In the end I looked at a map to see where Thai was spoken. I decided to improve my Spanish instead 5555.

Must have been a terrible computer course I used about two hours of online study, to grasp how the language functions in written form - the consonants being the centric object that you pin the vocals onto - and after that I went thru some middle class consonants and vowels from some videos, and after this I could actually read and understand lots of words, eventhough I haven't gotten thru all of the alphabets yet. Doesn't strike my perception of a difficult language - try to pick up Japanese or Finnish(my native tongue) and you'll begin to see hardships of languages Edit: Here's a simple example of what I'm talking about Welcome to finnish language (the picture was too large to embed)

Edited November 16, 2014 by jabis

[MAJIC]

Time to learn some Thai. It's a relatively easy language.

It's actually one of the most difficult to learn for a Westerner.

Not really. I'm completely fluent in it and sound like a Thai - and I know I'm not the only one. You just need some street smarts and stop instinctively speaking Thai using your native accent or letting your native accent interfere with learning Thai. In any given country one should be able to pick up the local language and eventually become fluent over time if residing in said country for an extended period.

It also helps a lot if you are already bilingual or fluent in other languages before attempting Thai. I grew up speaking multiple languages since birth, so have a bit of a gift when it comes to language acquisition. Having said that, I don't want to brag but all I can say is Thai really isn't that difficult. I see so many westerners speaking Chinese quite well whenever I'm in China (I personally only speak intermediate conversational Chinese, including some reading and writing) so I can't understand the difficulty about learning Thai amongst westerners when Chinese is so much more difficult, mainly due to the many characters you need to learn, and also the ability to decipher the difference between it's many, many homophones (words that sound the same but have different meanings).

Thai actually doesn't have that many homophones, it's more about being able to tell the difference between words that have different meanings based on changes in pitch or tones (to a trained ear they do sound different hence why strictly speaking I wouldn't consider them to be homophones unless they have the same tone and same pronunciation). Apart from that, you have to assume that English homophones (pick any 2 words that sound the same but have different meanings) are not going to be the same in Thai. For example, to wear (an item of clothing) and wear (as in this bicycle tire/tyre shows signs of wear or deterioration).

This is one of the biggest problems I've always faced when learning new languages - making those incorrect assumptions about the transferability of homophones. In Thai to wear a piece of clothing is "sai" for example "sai seua", while wear or deterioration is "seuk" or "seuk hro". So completely different words are used - you can't say "sai" when referring to a worn bicycle tyre. It just doesn't make one bit of sense.

As my father used to say: "Self praise is no recommendation"

[laislica]

Why don't they listen to what I mean rather than what I say? LOL

If I have to converse with someone in English and English is not their first language, then I need to do a lot of work to try to understand what they are trying to say.

Context is helpful at times like this.

Kii - ride (a mc or horse etc) can mean excrement if you get the tones wrong but context should save you.

However, should you say kii ma and nothing more there is no context to help.

Did you mean ride a horse?, horse sh1t, dog sh1t etc.

Sometimes knowing a few more words is helpful (or you can point to it LOL) so you can add context.

Some very amusing posts on this thread about the ease or otherwise of learning Thai.

However, most of the comments go out of the window if you were 70 when you decided to learn Thai and don't live there full time and have a Thai wife, not saying laziness keeps in but....... LOL

The only things to learn in every language go something like this:-

Two large beers, my friend pays!

(Beer song kuat yai, puen jai nearn!)

Enjoy!

[bbi1]

There seems to be plenty of Language schools out there " desperate for business " perhaps its time to see who can come up with the best price! ( 17,000 baht visa & lessons was the going rate but for sure you can get lower than that now!

Farang Jaidee

Where are these schools you are "sure" for less than 17,000 baht??? I've never come across a school that is less than about 27,000 baht with most in the 30,000+ range. Maybe the schools I've been checking out were legitimate schools, not some back of the road visa mill school....

Edited November 16, 2014 by bbi1

[canarysun]

There seems to be plenty of Language schools out there " desperate for business " perhaps its time to see who can come up with the best price! ( 17,000 baht visa & lessons was the going rate but for sure you can get lower than that now!

Farang Jaidee

Where are these schools you are "sure" for less than 17,000 baht??? I've never come across a school that is less than about 27,000 baht with most in the 30,000+ range. Maybe the schools I've been checking out were legitimate schools, not some back of the road visa mill school....

There are a few schools doing the lessons with visa for 17,000 baht (Pattaya is flooded with them!) You have to " get out there " on foot and start making inquiries ! But be polite and be " ruthless " just because some schools are hidden down the back streets doesn't make them inferior! I would stay well away from the high street chains as there overheads are higher and will charge ridiculous ( I love that word viewers..) amounts of money for the same thing! So buy a bottle of water and spend a day walking about and try and " nail down a deal " ............F.J x

[NanLaew]

A marriage extension means loads of bizarre paperwork, your wife attending the renewal process to co-sign everything and a two-stage approval where you get 30-days temporary approval whilst your tome of paperwork gets approved (or not) in Bangkok.

What is bizarre about the marriage certificate, marriage registry, wife house book and ID card.

Unless you live within the central region of the country the paperwork is not sent to Bangkok. It is sent to the immigration division office responsible for the region where you live.

I have done 7 of them so I can say it is not that a big a deal to do them.

Have you ever done one?

Easy there Tonto. There's nothing at all bizarre about providing hand-written maps showing your house and the Immigration office location. And signing tomes of forms, usually printed on the backside of sheets of obviously recycled paper that have already had some other poor buggers extension support rubbish printed on it. Just as there's absolutely nothing strange about having to provide pictures of your house (with you and the wife), the house number (with you and the wife) and the bedroom (with you and your wife). Whether it 'goes to Bangkok' as the nice Immigration lady said or just down the road to Khon Kaen is neither here nor there since it STILL takes 30-odd days and you have to go back and waste another half-a-page in the passport.

You are my hero if you have done 7 of those arcane rituals. Well done that man. I only managed a couple and then I switched to retirement extensions for which I (and my wife) are forever grateful.

Have you ever done one?

You wrote paperwork, Some offices want a map for retirement extensions. The map only has to be from nearest main road or street. I have used the same map for the last 3 years just make a copy of it.

I don't consider the 4 photos bizarre or even paperwork.

I don't consider going back after the at the end of the under consideration period all that big problem.

I don't consider it worth the extra financial proof to get one for.retirement. Also I consider it the correct extension for me since I am here to live with my family not for retirement.

All 7 of my extensions have been approved at division 4 headquarters in Korat. I was told where the approval would be done when I did my first extension here in Ubon.

OK, whatever keeps you from getting bored. I must assume that you don't qualify for the much faster track Retirement extension. I have tried both and I do know which one is much more convenient for us. We never managed to get a marriage extension filed in less than 3 hours since the Udon Immigration officers preferred getting the faster, one-on-one customers out of the way before getting the big ledgers out for the married guys. There's simply NO comparison between the amount of paperwork (and supporting stuff like photos and maps which are made of paper) needed for marriage versus retirement. The retirement filing was done by myself in about 40 minutes which included popping out for breakfast while waiting for my number to come up. I know, I know, after all your marriage extension filings, the Ubon Immigration staff maybe treat you like a grandee, shunt you to the front of the queue, give you iced coffee while you wait. Maybe you enjoy the longer attention and it's a grand day out with the missus, etc.. Myself, I prefer having more time to do the things I want to do.

Either way, I was responding to a post by Farang99 who is married, has already filed 16 retirement extensions but was asking if there are any benefits changing to marriage extensions. You can respond directly to HIS post if you think he's not doing it right.

[eeeya]

3rd ED visa and couldnt answer some simple questions, Therefore the immigration officer determined that you were abusing the ED Visa System...

maybe there is some motivation now to actually have a crack at learning.

[tartempion]

Time to learn some Thai. It's a relatively easy language.

It is not.

I am fluent in 4 languages, also speak some Portuguese, Italian and Spanish and my 4 year young girl speaks better English than I speak Thai. When I don't get what she says in Thai she says it in English, good girl

[Digitalnomade]

I don't speak Thai at all, but immigration think I try to learn it.

last time I came with no visa and said to immigration officer" sawadeecap, mi mi visa", she replied "mi mi visa ?" and I replied "cap ' mi mi visa" and she stamp my passport....

I m sure if I was on ed visa, they would tell me I m lying because my Thai is perfect and I need a tourist visa instead.

[ubonjoe]

I must assume that you don't qualify for the much faster track Retirement extension.

I snipped out the rest of your reply because it is not worth replying to.

Yes I do quality for the retirement extension but I prefer to do what I want with the extra funds needed for it. I use the income method and do have enough money I could do the combination method. But why bother is my attitude about it.

And like I said am here to live with my family not for retirement so I am getting the extension I consider to be the correct one for me.

I respond to posts like yours that exaggerate the requirements and difficulty to get an extension based upon marriage because I am concerned people will put themselves in a financial difficulty just to get the retirement extension.

[laislica]

IMO, a major difference between the marriage and retirement extensions is that the marriage extension allows a possibility of a work permit.

I am lucky that I can afford to have the larger sum tied up for three months.

Only spending about six months per year adds more effort to get the marriage extension.

I have no intention of ever working again so the retirement ext if fine for me.

[phuketjock]

I must assume that you don't qualify for the much faster track Retirement extension.

I snipped out the rest of your reply because it is not worth replying to.

Yes I do quality for the retirement extension but I prefer to do what I want with the extra funds needed for it. I use the income method and do have enough money I could do the combination method. But why bother is my attitude about it.

And like I said am here to live with my family not for retirement so I am getting the extension I consider to be the correct one for me.

I respond to posts like yours that exaggerate the requirements and difficulty to get an extension based upon marriage because I am concerned people will put themselves in a financial difficulty just to get the retirement extension.

I,m sorry joe if you have never made a retirement extension then you have nothing

to compare your marriage extension to and really don't know what you are talking

about, in this instance only, i would add.

[ubonjoe]

I,m sorry joe if you have never made a retirement extension then you have nothing

to compare your marriage extension to and really don't know what you are talking

about, in this instance only, i would add.

I think I have read enough posts about getting retirement extension to do the comparison. I will say that the retirement is easier in most cases. But have seen posts of people having problems getting them done.

The problem I am trying to point out is that many people that write about extensions based upon marriage are only going by information they have heard from others that in most cases is exaggerated and perhaps could be 3rd hand info or just rumors.

The thing to is that you only do extensions once a year. Having to spend a little extra time to put the paperwork together or at immigration and then go back to get your stamp after 30 days is not that big a thing.

I could go on a retirement extension by showing a small amount of money to go along with my income. Which means having to get a bank letter and copies of my bank book. Then wondering if immigration was going to want the money in the bank for 3 months or just the day I apply and exchange rate changes. It is just not worth it to me to do the change.

[Digitalnomade]

you need to have money on your thai bank account 2 to 3 months before you apply for your retirement visa. and I have heard you must not touch it.

[Maestro]

you need to have money on your thai bank account 2 to 3 months before you apply for your retirement visa. and I have heard you must not touch it.

There is no retirement visa. Possibly, you mean the extension of stay for the reason of retirement, on this forum called "retirement extension" for short.

[laislica]

you need to have money on your thai bank account 2 to 3 months before you apply for your retirement visa. and I have heard you must not touch it.

Some banks will "aggregate" entries if you don't regularly update the book.

This means if there are a lot of transactions over a period of time, the bank may lump some together and miss out the day by day detail.

You need to show that the minimum in the bank, over the required time (2 months first time and 3 months thereafter) has been maintained.

If there is aggregation - who knows if the value dipped too low at any point?

I think that, if you have more than the required figure (800,00 for retirement or 400,000 for marriage) you may draw on the account but make the book up!

Just be sure that there is never a question that the value was too low even for a day!

This scenario may be a problem for folk whore are not full time in Thailand and a problem for those who fail to make the book up regularly.

For these reasons, have several accounts.

One not linked to the ATM as a proof of funds account.

Another linked to the ATM with running levels of cash available, scam protection.

A third with no link to the ATM that holds savings to be used and transferred to the ATM account as needed.

BTW, once the proof period is done and you have the extension, spend spend spend.

Just top up inside the required time for next years extension.

Even move it into a higher fixed interest account for 8 months before moving it back into the proof of funds account.

Up to you as they say LOL

Edited November 26, 2014 by laislica

[phuketjock]

you need to have money on your thai bank account 2 to 3 months before you apply for your retirement visa. and I have heard you must not touch it.

Some banks will "aggregate" entries if you don't regularly update the book.

This means if there are a lot of transactions over a period of time, the bank may lump some together and miss out the day by day detail.

You need to show that the minimum in the bank, over the required time (2 months first time and 3 months thereafter) has been maintained.

If there is aggregation - who knows if the value dipped too low at any point?

I think that, if you have more than the required figure (800,00 for retirement or 400,000 for marriage) you may draw on the account but make the book up!

Just be sure that there is never a question that the value was too low even for a day!

This scenario may be a problem for folk whore are not full time in Thailand and a problem for those who fail to make the book up regularly.

For these reasons, have several accounts.

One not linked to the ATM as a proof of funds account.

Another linked to the ATM with running levels of cash available, scam protection.

A third with no link to the ATM that holds savings to be used and transferred to the ATM account as needed.

BTW, once the proof period is done and you have the extension, spend spend spend.

Just top up inside the required time for next years extension.

Even move it into a higher fixed interest account for 8 months before moving it back into the proof of funds account.

Up to you as they say LOL

I am not 100% sure but I think you can keep your funds in a high fixed interest account

as long as you have immediate access to your money???

Can any TVF experts on this confirm this?

[ubonjoe]

You can have it in a fixed term account as long as you can do a withdrawal at any time with no delay and no penalty other than loss of interest.

[laislica]

You can have it in a fixed term account as long as you can do a withdrawal at any time with no delay and no penalty other than loss of interest.

I had the idea that rapid access reduced the level of interest.

I could be wrong, usually am LOL.

Therefore I just go for the fixed jobbie for a fixed period, Kasikorn have been very helpful on this arrangement.

Maybe it was just that I was in the right place at the right time.....

We are lucky, though not rolling in it, we have enough to be comfortable and that is wonderful.