OPINION: Why international kids who grew up in Thailand don’t speak Thai

[Scott]

According to a former Thai professor of mine, the reason for such negligence of the culture and language traces back to a lack of relevant Thai history and language lessons in international schools, causing “a lot of students to not realize the importance of knowing the language and culture”

Much of what would be interesting to most international students is completely off-topic for discussion of any kind. Much of the history that is written in the Thai language is more akin to mythology than fact.

Learning the language is important, but much of what is written in the language is arguably not exactly correct.

[maidee]

and the international schools only charge about 600.000 - 1.500.000 baht per year for their services

[jamstock]

To be born Thai or half Thai and not speak Thai fluently is truly tragic.

[Trembly]

It doesn't matter where their parents come from, people who have spent nearly their entire childhood and in some cases almost their entire lives in Thailand have absolutely no excuse. They obviously made a decision, conscious or otherwise, to not speak Thai.

I went to nothing but international schools and I can speak 2 regional dialects fluently in addition to Thai. It's not hard, you just have to step out of the bubble. You can become functional in any language within months if you're in the country and it's even easier when you're young.

Yes, Chinese, Hindi, Arabic, Russian, Spanish, German, French etc are all very useful languages to know but they're next to useless in Thailand unless you can also speak Thai (in which case you could absolutely clean the place up). I know people who have been using this crutch since before puberty, sometimes adding that "we might still move to _________". Years later they're still here (Thailand does that to people, it seems), they still can't speak Thai very well and they can hardly string a sentence together in French or Spanish.

You should always jump straight into learning the language of whatever country you find yourself in. It can open many doors and closes none, and you just never know how long you're going to be there.

I really regret choosing History instead of Chinese for my IGCSEs now (there was an unresolvable timetable clash and History was my comfort zone).

Edited September 11, 2015 by Trembly

[Hugh Jarse]

What would be the point of studying thai language or culture.....???? In another 30 years it will be part of china anyway once China invades and takes over after Democracy has been totally bastardized to operate exactly like communism.

In any case.... you might as well learn Latin....it's a dead language too.

Cynical bstard. and what bllocks you talk. No such thing as "democracy" anywhere in s.e Asia or indeed the USA!

[jayboy]

disagree with kiwikeith. Thai is worse than a dead language. At least Latin is still used in legal documents; as in 'pro bono', 'ex post facto', 'caveat emptor', 'pari passu', 'non compos mentis', 'habeas corpus' and hundreds of other examples of international usage. So to those who insist that pasathai has intrinsic value anywhere but Thailand I ask, 'cui bono'? Recently, when I was deposed at the phra kanong police station I had to bring my housekeeper (meh baan) with me to interpret. Imagine a nation with the highest record of global tourism where the police at the largest station in the largest city in the country have ZERO individuals on duty to interpret even the simplest of verbal interactions....that country is Thailand. Pathetic monkeys.

Actually graduates in Latin are extremely marketable because firstly that language is a superb way of training for logic and secondly because of the rigorous analysis that's required.Graduates often go on to finance, computing and accounting jobs after university.Many reach the highest levels of business.

Not only that but they also have the background to a profound and influential civilisation.Same goes for Chinese,Japanese and Arabic.