Don't be Illiterate! Learn to Read Thai in Six Days (Bangkok Bootcamp)

[RapidMethod]

Intensive Six Day Learn to Read Thai Bootcamp

BANGKOK

 

With the Rapid Method it doesn't take long and it doesn't require much effort. So there is no excuse for continuing to be illiterate and unable to speak & understand Thai!

 

December 12-17, Mon-Sat, 8am-5pm (cost ฿38,000)

January-March, three weekends a month apart, Sat-Sun, 8am-5pm (cost ฿41,000)

Please click here for more details about the course and to book online

 

Richard Krause talks about the course ("If you're serious about Thai then just do the course")

 

1. You don't need to be able to speak or understand Thai, let alone read or write, in Thailand because you can get by well enough in English. You can enjoy a wonderful life just mixing with other 'farang' and if you have a bilingual wife/girlfriend (husband/boyfriend) or secretary then he/she can deal with the day-to-day chores or any problems with bureaucracy. And it's relatively easy to pick up enough 'Taxi Thai' to buy stuff at the market or get around by taxi.

 

2. It's really difficult, arduous and time-consuming to attend Thai language classes. You'll get nowhere and will probably have given up by now anyway. The conventional way of teaching Thai is usually confusing and complicated and requires mammoth memorization skills.

 

3. Thai isn't an international or commercial language. So if you don't plan on living here long-term, learning Thai is not going to be much advantage to you back home or anywhere in the 'Western' world.

 

So why bother!?

 

If you can speak Thai but not read yet - or if you want to learn to speak & understand Thai - and are very busy or lazy about studying then this course is for you.

 

The Rapid Method for learning Thai is NOT for you if you:

• don't care about Thai and spend most of your time with other expats or bilingual Thais
• have plenty of time, love studying languages and prefer a more 'proper', academic approach
• are sensitive about sexual obscenities and are politically correct

 

1. If you plan on making Thailand your home (whether permanently or just for the winter months) then you are more vulnerable to expensive scams and mistakes, are restricted in your dealings with Thai people, officials and businesses, and are almost wholly dependent on trustworthy bilingual partners or agents. 

 

2. If you work or have a business of your own then you need to have blind trust in your Thai partners and staff. If you are dealing with large orders or projects or large amounts of money then your business and investments are at risk.

 

3. If you have children then you will not be able to understand what they are saying to their mother (usually) and friends, family and neighbors.

 

4. If you are married or in a long-term relationship then you will never really fully understand how your partner thinks and will be open to a minefield of misunderstandings and potential recriminations.

 

5. If you are single (or a philanderer!) then the amount of available women/men/ladyboys is exponentially larger if you can speak Thai - most (incredibly attractive) Thais don't or won't speak English; they will only feel comfortable dating you if you can communicate with them in Thai.

 

6. Thais are much more likely to respect you and take you seriously if you can speak (and especially read) Thai. We look down on immigrants in our own country who can't or won't speak our language, especially if they've been living there for a while, and are working full-time and have a family. In fact, we despise them and would be quite happy to kick them out. Would you expect the Thai people to think any differently about us!?

 

7. It's a LOT more fun to live in Thailand if you can speak and read Thai!

• You can swan around anywhere, especially the non-Tourist areas and villages upcountry, and chat to local people.
• You can get to know what Thai people really think about us in particular and life in Thailand in general.
• You can deal with officials and the police and doctors and nurses directly, not to mention suppliers, staff, builders, students, etc. etc.
• You can have a deeper connection with your romantic partner (and children).
• And you are much more likely to have better access to your market in Thailand and suppliers and customers.

 

What is the Rapid Method?

 

The Rapid Method is a journey that you travel along just a little bit every day for a year or two or three (first year for basic conversation, second year to be fluent, third year for business & commerce).

 

It's a Yellow Brick Road, starting with learning to read and accurately pronounce Thai words and tones.

 

It's a process using bizarre pictures and mnemonics, stories and songs like:

ดูเธอทำ (a hit reggae song)

คันหู (a sexy song that's not about an itchy ear!)

เห็นหมีหนูไหม (an obscene song that's not about a bear!)

 

The main emphasis is on memory. There's no point in learning anything if you can't immediately remember it. The Rapid Method focuses on ways to remember vocabulary and develop a kind of 'muscle memory' so that you eventually speak automatically, without having to think about it. And in order to understand what people are saying (quickly and indistinctly) you need to train your ear to 'hear' what you are reading and understanding.

 

It's all about conversation. No writing. No literary or flowery or poetic vocabulary. Learning to read is (merely) a vehicle for being able to pick up vocabulary from your surroundings, know how to speak accurately and clearly with the correct tones, and a mental/visual foundation for everything else.

 

It's less-is-more. Spend just a few minutes a day (15-20 minutes if you can) every day on just what you need to know. Ignore everything else.

 

It's high-tech. Your smartphone is your friend. The material is available at any time convenient to you, whenever you have the inclination to devote a few minutes, especially during dead time when you're waiting for something or when indulging in some kind of treat like a coffee or glass of wine...

 

It's entertaining. The Rapid Method has been designed to be fun do to in its own right. Learning Thai happens as a kind of side effect of something that you would already enjoy doing just for the hell of it!

 

What others have said about the workshop

 

 

 

Please visit Learn Thai Online for more details and to learn the top 30 letters (and read hundreds of very simple Thai words) in a few hours.

Edited October 25, 2016 by RapidMethod