Learning Thai Language

[Honeyava]

I want to learn thai language. Can any body know its basics. I heard thai its an interesting language,

[sunnyjim5]

Anybody can learn the basics.

From a good Thai teacher of the Thai language !

[Tywais]

Moved from Home Country to Thai Language forum.

[hyperHowie]

I'm a rookie, but my understanding is that Thai, like Chinese & Vietnamese, is a tonal language, so if your pronunciation is not spot on, they wouldn't understand you. True?

The US State Department and other sites list Thai as a Level 4 language (5 being the most difficult, 1 being the easiest.)

[futsukayoi]

I'm a rookie, but my understanding is that Thai, like Chinese & Vietnamese, is a tonal language, so if your pronunciation is not spot on, they wouldn't understand you. True?

The US State Department and other sites list Thai as a Level 4 language (5 being the most difficult, 1 being the easiest.)

Pronunciation of tones is important but it is not quite true that you will not be understood if you don't master the tones. That will definitely happen sometimes or occasionally you will say something quite different from what you intended. However Thais (especially ones who have had a fair bit of exposure to foreigners butchering their language) will often understand what you were trying to say through context.

[talberry2]

I'm a rookie, but my understanding is that Thai, like Chinese & Vietnamese, is a tonal language, so if your pronunciation is not spot on, they wouldn't understand you. True?

The US State Department and other sites list Thai as a Level 4 language (5 being the most difficult, 1 being the easiest.)

Pronunciation of tones is important but it is not quite true that you will not be understood if you don't master the tones. That will definitely happen sometimes or occasionally you will say something quite different from what you intended. However Thais (especially ones who have had a fair bit of exposure to foreigners butchering their language) will often understand what you were trying to say through context.

I have no idea what this member is talking about, but your 'average thai' you meet on the street or most places you will visit will not be the one that 'have had a fair bit of exposure to foreigners'. Even having had some experience in a Thai class, speaking can be tricky to most Thai's if your tone is not correct. While they will often do all they can to compensate for their non-intuition of foreigners tones, regularly finding Thais that will get what you say if you have the wrong tone will be rather challenging. Thais simply are taught to have a very acute understanding of their language. And wherever you go, don't expect them to understand what you are saying if you say it slightly wrong--because often times they will not.

With that said, they still are considerate and will try and ask other employees or people near then to help you out. But I wouldn't go in there expecting any Thais to understand you if you have a 'foreign' tone. You will be sadly disappointed, even in the most heavily trafficked foreigner areas.

[Richard W]

I have no idea what this member is talking about, but your 'average thai' you meet on the street or most places you will visit will not be the one that 'have had a fair bit of exposure to foreigners'. Even having had some experience in a Thai class, speaking can be tricky to most Thai's if your tone is not correct. While they will often do all they can to compensate for their non-intuition of foreigners tones, regularly finding Thais that will get what you say if you have the wrong tone will be rather challenging. Thais simply are taught to have a very acute understanding of their language. And wherever you go, don't expect them to understand what you are saying if you say it slightly wrong--because often times they will not.

With that said, they still are considerate and will try and ask other employees or people near then to help you out. But I wouldn't go in there expecting any Thais to understand you if you have a 'foreign' tone. You will be sadly disappointed, even in the most heavily trafficked foreigner areas.

There have been many suggestions that Thais don't understand Farangs speaking Thai because Thais don't expect Farangs to speak Thai.

How do Thais cope with other Thais having unusual tones? Do they expect Thais from other provinces to use Bangkok tones?

[SlyAnimal]

I have no idea what this member is talking about, but your 'average thai' you meet on the street or most places you will visit will not be the one that 'have had a fair bit of exposure to foreigners'. Even having had some experience in a Thai class, speaking can be tricky to most Thai's if your tone is not correct. While they will often do all they can to compensate for their non-intuition of foreigners tones, regularly finding Thais that will get what you say if you have the wrong tone will be rather challenging. Thais simply are taught to have a very acute understanding of their language. And wherever you go, don't expect them to understand what you are saying if you say it slightly wrong--because often times they will not.

With that said, they still are considerate and will try and ask other employees or people near then to help you out. But I wouldn't go in there expecting any Thais to understand you if you have a 'foreign' tone. You will be sadly disappointed, even in the most heavily trafficked foreigner areas.

There have been many suggestions that Thais don't understand Farangs speaking Thai because Thais don't expect Farangs to speak Thai.

How do Thais cope with other Thais having unusual tones? Do they expect Thais from other provinces to use Bangkok tones?

I find the problem is not so much with Thai people not understanding if I use the incorrect tone, but rather with, as you say, Thai people who aren't expecting a Farang to speak with them in Thai, and thus they aren't listening.

Tones are a factor that make things more difficult though, just as not having the correct rhythm of speech, not using the expected vocabulary or simply not pronouncing the words correctly due to an accent or similar.

One of the most important things when learning Thai, is to listen and learn when you speak with real Thai people. So if you say something, and then they repeat it back to you, take note of how they said it, as they're trying to show you how it should be said, since they understood you, but how you said it sounded weird to them. If you can do that, your pronunciation will improve very quickly (And of course, in order to do this, you need to be regularly speaking in Thai outside of the classroom).

[StephanieGodfrey]

I think Thai language is funny, seem Thai people like funny things

[PT4]

​Even having had some experience in a Thai class, speaking can be tricky to most Thai's if your tone is not correct. ... wherever you go, don't expect them to understand what you are saying if you say it slightly wrong--because often times they will not. ... I wouldn't go in there expecting any Thais to understand you if you have a 'foreign' tone. You will be sadly disappointed, even in the most heavily trafficked foreigner areas.

​I second those observations from "talberry2". Beginning learners of Thai expect Thai people will compensate. You will only confuse them. They don't compensate and most can't. The only option (that I know of) is to get the tones spot-on. A more practical approach for 99% of tourists and expats is simply to speak English. Guaranteed, their English, even though limited, will be far better than your Thai.

​

[phuketsub]

I have no idea what this member is talking about, but your 'average thai' you meet on the street or most places you will visit will not be the one that 'have had a fair bit of exposure to foreigners'. Even having had some experience in a Thai class, speaking can be tricky to most Thai's if your tone is not correct. While they will often do all they can to compensate for their non-intuition of foreigners tones, regularly finding Thais that will get what you say if you have the wrong tone will be rather challenging. Thais simply are taught to have a very acute understanding of their language. And wherever you go, don't expect them to understand what you are saying if you say it slightly wrong--because often times they will not.

With that said, they still are considerate and will try and ask other employees or people near then to help you out. But I wouldn't go in there expecting any Thais to understand you if you have a 'foreign' tone. You will be sadly disappointed, even in the most heavily trafficked foreigner areas.

There have been many suggestions that Thais don't understand Farangs speaking Thai because Thais don't expect Farangs to speak Thai.

How do Thais cope with other Thais having unusual tones? Do they expect Thais from other provinces to use Bangkok tones?

I find the problem is not so much with Thai people not understanding if I use the incorrect tone, but rather with, as you say, Thai people who aren't expecting a Farang to speak with them in Thai, and thus they aren't listening.

Tones are a factor that make things more difficult though, just as not having the correct rhythm of speech, not using the expected vocabulary or simply not pronouncing the words correctly due to an accent or similar.

One of the most important things when learning Thai, is to listen and learn when you speak with real Thai people. So if you say something, and then they repeat it back to you, take note of how they said it, as they're trying to show you how it should be said, since they understood you, but how you said it sounded weird to them. If you can do that, your pronunciation will improve very quickly (And of course, in order to do this, you need to be regularly speaking in Thai outside of the classroom).

I absolutely agree with Sly Animal's statement 'I find the problem is not so much with Thai people not understanding if I use the incorrect tone, but rather with, as you say, Thai people who aren't expecting a Farang to speak with them in Thai, and thus they aren't listening.'

I think this is also more prevalent in tourist destinations, where service staff are focusing so hard on trying to understand what they expect to be English that it is as if their brains temporarily block out everything else.

It's like that famous experiment with the guy in a gorilla suit walking unnoticed through a basketball court while test subjects were busy counting the number of passes made by the players...

What I still find somewhat of a mystery is how I can communicate so easily in Thai with some people, but find it almost impossible with others.

But come to think of it, I guess that's also true when dealing with fellow native speakers of English.

[bow]

I absolutely agree with Sly Animal's statement 'I find the problem is not so much with Thai people not understanding if I use the incorrect tone, but rather with, as you say, Thai people who aren't expecting a Farang to speak with them in Thai, and thus they aren't listening.'

Me too.

It is extremely irritating to know that I pronounce something correctly - every little tone and vowel and consonant in the right place - and they refuse to listen.