Advantages to being able to speak Thai proficiently...Name them!

[fang37]

First you learn how to speak Thai. Second you spend some time with the family. It becomes painfully obvious. I'm speaking from personal experience. I would not suggest marriage until spending a minimum of three years with a person. Less in my opinion is crazy and not just in Thailand.

Knew my wife for 1 week before I 'barfined' her from her mother.

'Hello' was the only word we had in common.

Been married 6 years so far.

This is the one that "finished high school earlier this year, starts university next week."? So you married her at 13 years old?

Off topic,

She's already started Uni this week, looks great in her uniform.

Where is the girl in uniform?

[thaibeachlovers]

Exactly how would I know they were greedy and expecting money from me before we got married? Do you think Thai girls tell their husband to be that they are expected to give the family all their money?

I told her I would not give them money, and she accepted that. It was only AFTER the marriage that I found out the reality. She didn't know either, so not her fault.

First you learn how to speak Thai. Second you spend some time with the family. It becomes painfully obvious. I'm speaking from personal experience. I would not suggest marriage until spending a minimum of three years with a person. Less in my opinion is crazy and not just in Thailand.

LOL. How many people in the world live together 3 years before getting married?

I never intended to have anything to do with the family, but "life" as usual stuffed up my plan, and we have occasional times together now. Recently had a lot of contact because her mother died. However, given that she is now an orphan, should be back to near normal in the future. Hoping to move far away from them next year- even better.

LOL eh? Some marital experts would argue that two years is a good amount of time to wait. If you are looking for a general rule of thumb, then two years is probably a good length of time for most people, but I don’t personally favor any hard-and-fast rule about how long a courtship should be. I think it depends completely on the character of the people involved, how often they see each other, in what situation(s) they spend their time dating, and how intentional they are about discovering their degree of fit. In some cases, it may be wise to wait three or more years before making a decision, and in other cases, a couple may be able to make a wise decision in less than two years.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-joint-adventures-well-educated-couples/201210/how-long-wait-getting-married

Marital experts .

No one knows how marriages work, or don't except after they fail and who's asking the ones that don't fail? No one is knocking on my door asking me how my marriage is doing.

The only truth I know about marriage is that about 50% fail in the west, most people get married for the wrong reasons, and, when lust wears off, many don't paricularly like the person they are with.

As for psychologists, the ones I've had dealings with are rubbish at what they do. Some are actually dangerous and make situations worse.

To make this on topic, is there any such beast as a marriage counsellor in LOS? I've never heard of one, and would they speak English?

Edited August 12, 2015 by thaibeachlovers

[thaibeachlovers]

Knew my wife for 1 week before I 'barfined' her from her mother.

'Hello' was the only word we had in common.

Been married 6 years so far.

This is the one that "finished high school earlier this year, starts university next week."? So you married her at 13 years old?

Off topic,

She's already started Uni this week, looks great in her uniform.

Where is the girl in uniform?

Those Japanese school girls sure look cute in their sailor suits

[ryanhull]

Advantages to being able to speak Thai proficiently...Name them!

When your out drinking with your Thai mate, and the more whisky you drink the more you don't have a clue what your saying to each other but you don't care!

[MaeJoMTB]

Some marital experts would argue that two years is a good amount of time to wait. If you are looking for a general rule of thumb, then two years is probably a good length of time for most people, but I dont personally favor any hard-and-fast rule about how long a courtship should be. I think it depends completely on the character of the people involved, how often they see each other, in what situation(s) they spend their time dating, and how intentional they are about discovering their degree of fit. In some cases, it may be wise to wait three or more years before making a decision, and in other cases, a couple may be able to make a wise decision in less than two years.

But you're on your 4th .......... bit of a failure really.

Didn't take your own advice, or did and your advice was worthless?

Which one?

Edited August 12, 2015 by MaeJoMTB

[lostoday]

Some marital experts would argue that two years is a good amount of time to wait. If you are looking for a general rule of thumb, then two years is probably a good length of time for most people, but I dont personally favor any hard-and-fast rule about how long a courtship should be. I think it depends completely on the character of the people involved, how often they see each other, in what situation(s) they spend their time dating, and how intentional they are about discovering their degree of fit. In some cases, it may be wise to wait three or more years before making a decision, and in other cases, a couple may be able to make a wise decision in less than two years.

But you're on your 4th .......... bit of a failure really.

Didn't take your own advice, or did and your advice was worthless?

Which one?

I knew her and lived with her in Thailand for 3 years before we got married. States were shotgun weddings. So no choice. If I had a choice I would have waited,

[Ace of Pop]

None ,to many dialects.

[takkatan in the land]

advantages are obvious, what about name the disvantages?

disvantages can be obvious too I'd like to hear some examples though

[lostoday]

advantages are obvious, what about name the disvantages?

disvantages can be obvious too I'd like to hear some examples though

Reality matches expectations. Thais think all Farang are stupid and not speaking Thai confirms that.

[1BADDAT]

To the OP

What proof do you have that being able to speak Thai helped you at all? Are you assuming that the Thai immigration officers don't speak english? If anything, I would think that they would be less likely to help you if you were speaking Thai to them. You would come off as a self entitled person who thinks since you live here you dont have to abide by the rules.

You are quite right, I have no proof at all. I am quite sure that the Thai immigration officers could speak English, however I disagree with your contention that they would be less likely to help me if I spoke Thai to them.

In my (limited) experience in Thailand a westerner speaking polite Thai is always greeted with pleasure and a willingness to help.

For the most part this thread has remained very positive, I respect those that have done well here without the ability to speak, read and write Thai.

All I can say is that from my perspective, being able to converse in Thai has had nothing but positive outcomes for me. Each to his own!

so I just now flew back from Korea to suavarnabhumi. the line was quite long like when you were there too.

There is a fast track for thai airway gold and platinum. I am star gold, but on United. I asked the security officer and she said I need a pass because my ticket was economy. She said to ask for one next time.

Then she grabbed one of the passes and let me around the barrier to the fast track. All of this was in English. Exact same situation as you although I didn't make up the bathroom excuse. I was polite and she let me through. Just like I suspected would happen in your scenario if you spoke in English to them.