Is it really better to learn Thai rather than staying "clueless"?

[rgs2001uk]

For me, one of the joys of living in Thailand is meeting Thai women who speak no English and have maybe never before even met a farang.

So to those who prefer not to learn the language, that's just fine by me.

Agree. I prefer Thai women who cannot speak English. These "normal" Thai women--who represent the majority by the way--are much less likely to be "in the business" and don't have "fleece the farang" as their number one goal in life. Yes, there are some English-speaking Thai women who are not on the take. But I'd rather take my chances with the non-English speaking ones. There's also many more attractive ones to choose from.

No mention made of the Thai women brought up in farangistan who speak no Thai whatsoever.

I went to Thai language school with one of them, fluent in two languages other than Thai, her family has more money than they can shake a stick at.

Girl at a certain financial institute in Bkk was talking to me in an accented English accent, I asked her in German, can you speak German, no deer in the headlight look, no arai wa, no second thoughs, straight into fluent German.

Girl is employed by a large MNC and is here as part of her career path (on an expat salary), no doubt soon she will be in Singapore or Hong Kong.

She doesnt need to fleece farang, she earns more than many on here can dream of.

[Mooner]

Always best to be able. Maybe not fluent in my case.

I get by with numbers, directions and ordering food.

Not sure i would be alive if i could express myself fluently. What with pulling out into the middle of the road without looking or driving the wrong way while proceeding to look into a field or out to sea.

[JLCrab]

For me, one of the joys of living in Thailand is meeting Thai women who speak no English and have maybe never before even met a farang.

So to those who prefer not to learn the language, that's just fine by me.

Agree. I prefer Thai women who cannot speak English. These "normal" Thai women--who represent the majority by the way--are much less likely to be "in the business" and don't have "fleece the farang" as their number one goal in life. Yes, there are some English-speaking Thai women who are not on the take. But I'd rather take my chances with the non-English speaking ones. There's also many more attractive ones to choose from.

No mention made of the Thai women brought up in farangistan who speak no Thai whatsoever.

I went to Thai language school with one of them, fluent in two languages other than Thai, her family has more money than they can shake a stick at.

Girl at a certain financial institute in Bkk was talking to me in an accented English accent, I asked her in German, can you speak German, no deer in the headlight look, no arai wa, no second thoughs, straight into fluent German.

Girl is employed by a large MNC and is here as part of her career path (on an expat salary), no doubt soon she will be in Singapore or Hong Kong.

She doesnt need to fleece farang, she earns more than many on here can dream of.

So are you now fleecing her?

[spidermike007]

Or the OP could kill himself if he's that fed up.

Why not? Nothing to live for, friends getting on his nerves, no future.

Best to be dead for everyone's sake.

I suggest that or finding new friends who don't winge so much

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Wow. You are a real sweet guy. Such compassion for his fellow man.

[sanuk711]

I really wanted to learn German about 10 years ago.

Not because I want to visit Germany,

but just so that I can understand what's going on in 70% of the videos on pornhub.................

[GOLDBUGGY]

I would rather not learn the language.

Firstly if I don't know Thai I can't fight with my In-Laws, and especially my Mother or Father-in-law. I can only argue with my Thai Wife, which is Normal, Natural, and sometimes Healthy.

[GOLDBUGGY]

Is willful ignorance a good thing?

No.

It can be!

Sometimes Dumb is Smart!

[rondii]

OP:

I can't help but wonder if there isn't an element of racism in the very posing of your question.

If you asked if it was worth learning French on a French expat website, you'd be laughed off the stage for even asking.

Of course learning the language will richly increase your understanding of the culture and people and enrich your experience here.

100% agree, and to all those commenting who seem to think that all Thais do is insult them, well I never heard it but then it may actually be true because it probably reflects the poor character of those posters.

[morpho]

I speak some Thai but apparently enough to make many Thais think I know a lot. Many conversations at the next table or elsewhere that I've been able to hear have been cut short (or turned to whispering) when the parties involved overheard me speak some Thai to others. I don't necessarily assume they were talking about me but they apparently were talking about something that they were not comfortable with being overheard. Many bargirls definitely are not comfortable with farangs who understand Thai.

Edited June 30, 2015 by morpho

[kerrysum]

you'll be able to understand the insults said behind your back ( or to your face while smiling)

Couldn't have said it better, life is fine and growing , sometimes I do enjoy replying in their own dialect, that is when the conversation really gets going.....

[Estrada]

I learnt to read Thai within 5 days 33 years ago. That doesn't mean I was fluent, but I could catch a bus to the right destination. It has saved myself and companies I have worked for, from being scammed or conned by Thais deliberately giving the wrong translation of bid documents and contracts.

A friend had his bank come after him for B6.5Million as he had signed as guarantor of a loan for his Thai partner which he was told was a form from his son's school for tuition. Had he been able to read Thai he not have signed.

You can also catch the No.2 free bus along Sukhumvit rd in Bangkok (and other routes), if you can read Thai writing.

However, being able to read a newspaper in Thai doesn't help as they are all crap. Better TV, the Nation or the Bangkok Post in English.

[1FinickyOne]

I live out in the countryside - my Thai is ok if not what I would consider fluent… I am conversational and very much enjoy speaking with people - Thai are curious, engaging and funny - I love that I can joke with them and converse and get to know what I find to be mostly delightful people… I do not find that they are talking behind my back or saying negative things… I don't know where you live that that happens, maybe in some of the touristy areas where many farang have bad reputations for being drunk and acting poorly - thankfully not here...

I have no real interest in watching any tv - so, that is not a problem. I also find the language fascinating and it provides a depth into the culture that I would not have - I like being in another culture and have no interest in having it mimic the culture that I came from.

Knowledge is usually a good thing.

[cooked]

This is another one of those questions that tends to be answered by guys that think that everyone lives in Pattaya/Phuket/Bangkok.

My Thai isn't brilliant but it is necessary for me as I live in a small village out in Isaan. I can read up to an elementary level and am beginning to understand conversations, up to a point.

I can assure you that unless you have Thai as a first language you do not find yourself deluged by ad jingles and the like, you can just switch off. As for ad. bill boards, I quite enjoy deciphering them, even if it does take a day or two.

Place names, filling up with E20 and not diesel, menus, medicine dosages... helps a lot and keeps your brain working.

[LukKrueng]

I don't understand why so many TV members live here if they think every Thai person always talk badly about them behind their backs or even to their face. And if you don't understand Thai, ho can you tell that the street adds or TV shows / soaps are any worse than the ones in your own country???

What Thai language are you talking about?

Thai news often has video with Central Thai subtitles, cos there are so many (mutually incomprehensible) variants.

I speak central Thai quite well, so all the Thais around me instantly switch to Lanna, Issan, Southern or one of the village variants, once they can see me following their conversations.

As far as different dialects go - to my experience it is usually the opposite. When people realize that parties to their conversation don't speak the local dialect they'll usually change to central Thai.

[BudRight]

You should moderate your expectations about the results. There is no glorious Asian wisdom to be learned. Just insipid conversations with boring people like anywhere else. You do meet the rare gem, and they become friends.

Functionally however not being able to understand, speak and read Thai is like being deaf, dumb and illiterate; you are crippled without those skills.

[khunano]

Speaking Thai hasn't enriched my experience of Thailand... it has however made my experience and life in Thailand much more normal.

When you can get around in a taxi, order food in any restaurant and simply exist without relying on someone else to translate for you or without having to remain solely in area's with a high tourist footfall life can become more relaxing.

Is it really better to learn Thai? if you plan on staying here for a year or two then perhaps not, if however, you plan on remaining in Thailand not learning Thai would seem daft.

If people are honest with themselves, regardless of the multitude of excuses they can come up with the only real reason for not learning Thai when living in Thailand is laziness.

Laziness is my excuse for not being more proficient in Speaking Thai (I can't read) although I could list more excuses such as my Wife and Thai friends who all speak English fluently, little exposure to non-English speaking Thais and the little exposure I do have involves relatively simple conversations I can readily handle.

I couldn't agree more with you Richard. I would not want to rely on my wife or English speaking Thai friends to guide me through daily chores just because I could not muster even the basics of the Thai language. When moving here over 2 decades ago my wife taught me reading & writing though I hardly practice the latter, I can go anywhere in this country by myself as I will always find my way even in remote areas where many signs are in Thai only.

One may argue, well there are navigation systems nowadays but once you step out of your car for a meal in a local restaurant you still need Thai communication skills to enjoy the food you want and sometimes strike up a conversation with the locals about their lives...

[Berkshire]

For me, one of the joys of living in Thailand is meeting Thai women who speak no English and have maybe never before even met a farang.

So to those who prefer not to learn the language, that's just fine by me.

Agree. I prefer Thai women who cannot speak English. These "normal" Thai women--who represent the majority by the way--are much less likely to be "in the business" and don't have "fleece the farang" as their number one goal in life. Yes, there are some English-speaking Thai women who are not on the take. But I'd rather take my chances with the non-English speaking ones. There's also many more attractive ones to choose from.

This comment is just a bit silly... Unless you are intent on mediocrity.....not to suggest that all non-English speaking respectable ladies are mediocre, but why limit yourself?

There are a multitude of respectable, educated and economically independent ladies who speak English... flight attendants, lawyers, designers, Managing Directors... all open minded enough to become friends when introduced and perhaps after a handful of meetings a relationship develops. This is my experience and that of many of my friends

Meeting ladies of a similar age when we were in our late 20's and early 30's may have also been a factor in meeting ladies who are not so 'fiscally fierce' and greedy.

Of course, avoid the 'occupational farang hunters'.... but this group of English speaking ladies are fairly easy to recognise and avoid.

If you speak Thai you will have the benefit of meeting people who both do and don't speak English, you'll also get a greater understanding of who you are dealing with and how to gauge them and their attitudes.

You largely missed my point. I said I "prefer" non-English speaking Thai women. I'm not limiting myself to anything. And to suggest that Thai women who cannot speak English are "mediocre"....wow, that is incredibly misguided (I'm being kind). Are farangs who cannot speak Thai "mediocre?" Where do you guys come up with this stuff?

There are a large number of well-educated Thai women (I'm talking Master's/PhDs/MDs) who do not speak English. There are also a good number of uneducated Thai women (M6 or less) who speaks English pretty well. Surely you understand that education has nothing to do with English proficiency.

I've dated all manner of Thai women. JLCrab makes a good point. The worse kinds of Thai women--in my experience--are those who've made it a hobby of dating farangs. These women tend to view farangs as helpless buffoons, easily manipulated. It's largely because most of these guys can't speak the language and are pretty clueless of all going on around them. They'll believe anything.

So to the point of this thread, of course it's an advantage to be able to speak Thai in Thailand. Especially if you're interested in a relationship with a Thai woman. And even the Thai women I've met who can speak English pretty well, they almost always prefer to speak Thai if given a choice. But if you can't speak a lick Thai, there are still certain Thai women out there who will have you...now that would be the true definition of mediocrity.

[khunano]

Speaking Thai hasn't enriched my experience of Thailand... it has however made my experience and life in Thailand much more normal.

When you can get around in a taxi, order food in any restaurant and simply exist without relying on someone else to translate for you or without having to remain solely in area's with a high tourist footfall life can become more relaxing.

Is it really better to learn Thai? if you plan on staying here for a year or two then perhaps not, if however, you plan on remaining in Thailand not learning Thai would seem daft.

If people are honest with themselves, regardless of the multitude of excuses they can come up with the only real reason for not learning Thai when living in Thailand is laziness.

Laziness is my excuse for not being more proficient in Speaking Thai (I can't read) although I could list more excuses such as my Wife and Thai friends who all speak English fluently, little exposure to non-English speaking Thais and the little exposure I do have involves relatively simple conversations I can readily handle.

I couldn't agree more with you Richard. I would not want to rely on my wife or English speaking Thai friends to guide me through daily chores just because I could not muster even the basics of the Thai language. When moving here over 2 decades ago my wife taught me reading & writing though I hardly practice the latter, I can go anywhere in this country by myself as I will always find my way even in remote areas where many signs are in Thai only.

One may argue, well there are navigation systems nowadays but once you step out of your car for a meal in a local restaurant you still need Thai communication skills to enjoy the food you want and sometimes strike up a conversation with the locals about their lives...

[thedude82]

trust me they are as dumb as they look, you dont need to understand them. its a wonder how anything actually is constructed or works properly.

[Gecko123]

One of many previous topics on this subject...

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/796796-the-joy-of-thai/

[swissbie]

learn Thai, let them think farang no understand and then............................ the expression on their face is priceless !

I rarely speak in another language than thai, not because i couldn't, but it's the environment I'm livning in with family and friends. But what you say, is exactly what I never would do; it can be insulting (up to loosing face).

[dotpoom]

Is willful ignorance a good thing?

No.

Not so sure.................have heard the old saying ....."Ignorance is Bliss"...... and I understand why, all the more so since moving to Thailand.

A friend of mine once asked me..."How is it that some people can remain calm, while others lose their heads when everything around them is falling to pieces"? "Dunno"...I said...."Why" (expecting a profound answer)....."Because they don't fully understand the situation"......he replied.

The world is in a terrible state at the present time with the almost daily tragedies spread across the different countries going on...and could get one down if one was to dwell on it too much But the Thai ordinary people I come into contact with daily are blissfully unaware of these events. They are just interested if they will have a good day selling in the market.

To answer your question I do not think "willful" ignorance is a good thing for me....but could indeed be a good thing for those who choose not to follow what is happening in the world....Each man to his own.

[fleur3]

i do have experience in that field. Have worked in poland . Learned polish and YES, the world becomes much more interesting.Much around you gives info. Not very important but interesting. Board, memo's etc.And you can live much easier if you can communicate.

The same happend, the same experience, some years later when i worked in Ukraine and Russia. Live is much more interesing if you an read what is around you!

So yes: try to learn a little thai although, much more difficult than polish or russian.

[Jimlove]

Ignorance has always found many champions at TV.

I guess it takes one to know one ....

[Shaunduhpostman]

Of course you should learn Thai if you plan on staying here, you might even find that it is fun and interesting. It can make some thinsg easier.

One thing though, most people, unless they are pretty gifted, cannot really expect some vast new vistas of comprehension and understanding to open up. What you will find in text books and language courses is really pretty different than the actual Thai you will encounter. People abreviate words, speak quickly use lots of dialect and slang.

There are other factors as well that limit how far you'll get. The main one is that most Thai people really don't feel that you should speak Thai. There is a literal psychological block that arises if you are not Asian. Your appearance will make many people unable to hear what you are saying as Thai.

I find however that I have learned to be very chatty and conversational with people who want to communicate with me. They will listen and make efforts to understand me. What may seem small mistakes that we might make in our spoken Thai puts many Thais off wanting to engage, its too much trouble and there's nothing in it for them. With some people it seems there is very little barrier to talk and understand anything but others it doesn't matter, they cannot get over some kind of conditioning that communication with non-Thais is impossible unless it is done in English.

Just my experience, your mileage may vary.

[blazes]

For me, one of the joys of living in Thailand is meeting Thai women who speak no English and have maybe never before even met a farang.

So to those who prefer not to learn the language, that's just fine by me.

Agree. I prefer Thai women who cannot speak English. These "normal" Thai women--who represent the majority by the way--are much less likely to be "in the business" and don't have "fleece the farang" as their number one goal in life. Yes, there are some English-speaking Thai women who are not on the take. But I'd rather take my chances with the non-English speaking ones. There's also many more attractive ones to choose from.

Sorry, but this is a loony argument....

[DLang]

Many people are happier not knowing what Thais really think and say about them.

Ignorance is bliss.

[Linzz]

I live out in the countryside - my Thai is ok if not what I would consider fluent… I am conversational and very much enjoy speaking with people - Thai are curious, engaging and funny - I love that I can joke with them and converse and get to know what I find to be mostly delightful people… I do not find that they are talking behind my back or saying negative things… I don't know where you live that that happens, maybe in some of the touristy areas where many farang have bad reputations for being drunk and acting poorly - thankfully not here...

I have no real interest in watching any tv - so, that is not a problem. I also find the language fascinating and it provides a depth into the culture that I would not have - I like being in another culture and have no interest in having it mimic the culture that I came from.

Knowledge is usually a good thing.

Agreed. If you act in a reasonable manner, generous and complimentary, people of any culture will like and respect you and even defend you because you have been nice to them, generally speaking. If you have done that your conscience is clear and if they still talk about you then more fool them. Also if you act well towards people then there is no need for paranoia. You are secure in yourself.

[Berkshire]

For me, one of the joys of living in Thailand is meeting Thai women who speak no English and have maybe never before even met a farang.

So to those who prefer not to learn the language, that's just fine by me.

Agree. I prefer Thai women who cannot speak English. These "normal" Thai women--who represent the majority by the way--are much less likely to be "in the business" and don't have "fleece the farang" as their number one goal in life. Yes, there are some English-speaking Thai women who are not on the take. But I'd rather take my chances with the non-English speaking ones. There's also many more attractive ones to choose from.

Sorry, but this is a loony argument....

Care to provide an opinion of your own?

[vicio]

I think that this should be evaluated also trough the perspective of the time and considering if English is your mother language or your second language.

I strongly agree with the theory of the mosquito net. It's a big filter that save my brain from unsolicited input.

By the way, I choose to live here, and often I think that my choice to not learn thai language is a lazy choice.

I considered that learning thai as a part time activity can take about 1 year for simple communication, 3 years for fluent conversation and more than 5 years to acquire basic knowledge about culture, life style, humour and so on. (source: I have expats friends that can speak almost perfect thai)

At the same time, most of educate thai people are moving in the direction to learn English probably with the same learning curve, even it's more easy to learn common English with movies, internet and social.

I'm not english, and I'm still improving my everyday English as my second language.

I mean the global-international english that I also use for my job. I read in English, I re-study basic grammar, I watch ton of movies in original english language (still with subtitles).

So in my case, I just choose to focus on English and connect with thai people that are doing the same.

I can communicate, talk, discuss, and share in English with my wife (in our English perhaps, but it's working).

I have thai friends that can speak English very well, and want to join with expat using English.

We are improving from both sides sharing different culture and life style. It's very easy.

I live in Bangkok downtown and I don't have many issues for the ordinary life (I order food online or go to super market, not really a fun of the local market even in my country, I go with my own motorbike around, i often travel with airplane, I relay on my lobby guys for my condo issues).

Anyway, sometimes, I feel like a dude, but this makes me feel more humble, more stupid, more human; not to so bad at all, ... sometimes.

I can still learn sometime for osmosis, it's costless, and it's ok.

Arai krup?