Study Intermediate Thai (level3) at CMU

Margherita · May 24, 2017

Hello all!!

just wanted to make an announcement of up-coming 1-year Thai language Intermediate course at Chiang Mai University language Institute, starting from late August 2017 is now open for enrollment!

- Intermediate level of Writing, reading, and speaking is required to enroll this course.

- 1 year ED visa will be supported by CMU

- classes will be held twice a week on mondays and wednesdays from 4:00 to 7:00pm

- tuition fee : B35,000 for 1 year (total 216 hours of instruction)

- this course would be perfect for those who already have intermediate Thai skills but would like to push it up to the next level

for more info, please visit

http://www.learnthaicmu.com/

or contact

[email protected]

+66-53-943-755

thank you very much!

sfokevin · May 24, 2017

The web link give no info about an intermediate program?...

Also so I note on the beginner one year program it states that they will not accept applicants over 55 years of age... This seems to be visa connected?...

Can a 55yo+ Who don't need a visa enroll without visa support?

Edited May 24, 2017 by sfokevin

Trujillo · May 24, 2017

Is this going to be the same program that the university canceled some years ago without warning, not refunding any money unless you had paid via a credit card?

Jdietz · May 24, 2017

The internet remembers...

Margherita · May 25, 2017

@sfokevin

There is no info of level3 course on their web site because it is a brandnew course due to current level 2 students wanting to continue on. You can choose not to get a student visa if you already have one and I believe this age limit thing is for the ED visa purpose (sorry I'm only a student there, need to contact the office to be sure) but I sure see there are students +55 of age around.

sfokevin · May 25, 2017

^^^ The website seems to only have one option "Introduction to 1-Year Thai"...

You mention "Level 2"... and now a new level 3?...

Is it possible to get a description of these three levels somewhere?...

i am interested in joining but not sure where I would fit in?... level 2 or 3?

Is the price still 35k if you don't want the visa?

Edited May 25, 2017 by sfokevin

connda · May 25, 2017

11 hours ago, Jdietz said:

The internet remembers...

Run Forrest, Run!

EricTh · May 25, 2017

3 hours ago, sfokevin said:

^^^ The website seems to only have one option "Introduction to 1-Year Thai"...

You mention "Level 2"... and now a new level 3?...

Is it possible to get a description of these three levels somewhere?...

i am interested in joining but not sure where I would fit in?... level 2 or 3?

Is the price still 35k if you don't want the visa?

i think she means level 2.

a few months ago, i did ask about intermediate course but it wasn't offered yet.

i sat for level 1 just for 10 mins to evaluate the course.

level 2 has never been offered before so how can there be level 3?

the course manager even showed me the red book that will be used in level 2. by david smyth

https://www.amazon.com/Thai-Essential-Grammar-Routledge-Grammars/dp/0415510341/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1495699853&sr=1-3

Edited May 25, 2017 by EricTh

sfokevin · May 25, 2017

19 minutes ago, EricTh said:

i think she means level 2.

a few months ago, i did ask about intermediate course but it wasn't offered yet.

i sat for level 1 just for 10 mins to evaluate the course.

level 2 has never been offered before so how can there be level 3?

the course manager even showed me the red book that will be used in level 2. by david smyth

https://www.amazon.com/Thai-Essential-Grammar-Routledge-Grammars/dp/0415510341/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1495699853&sr=1-3

You said you sat for an evaluation... What did you think?

Edited May 25, 2017 by sfokevin

EricTh · May 25, 2017

1 hour ago, sfokevin said:

You said you sat for an evaluation... What did you think?

I evaluated the lesson and the teacher that day.

The teacher was a bit lazy and didn't really teach. His English fluency is very basic.

When one of the students asked what is equivalent of 'absolutely' in Thai, he couldn't understand at first.

He just handed out several pages of test paper and ask students the right order of the sentence in Thai.

I was expecting him to teach instead of testing the students at the beginning of the lesson.

The regular students had difficulty understanding what was written.

This course teaches both writing and speaking right near the beginning which was tough for the students.

However, in YMCA, they only teach speaking but nobody wanted to continue to level 4. Few went to level 3.

Edited May 25, 2017 by EricTh

heybruce · May 25, 2017

23 hours ago, Trujillo said:

Is this going to be the same program that the university canceled some years ago without warning, not refunding any money unless you had paid via a credit card?

A very good question. Not only did people lose their money, but the CMU administration told Immigration that the Ed visas the students were on were no longer valid. A number of people were told to leave the country and get a new visa.

I wouldn't go near another CMU course. For those who are considering it, approach with caution.

EricTh · May 26, 2017

13 hours ago, heybruce said:

A very good question. Not only did people lose their money, but the CMU administration told Immigration that the Ed visas the students were on were no longer valid. A number of people were told to leave the country and get a new visa.

I wouldn't go near another CMU course. For those who are considering it, approach with caution.

Wasn't that the TEFL course to learn how to teach English? They charge an exorbitant 50,000 baht for one month course which turn out to be useless for most students as they couldn't get a job in Thailand after graduation.

There were just too many foreigners trying to teach English in Thailand.

These are two different programs and course fees. We are talking about 'learning Thai' and not 'teaching English'.

Correct me if I am wrong.

NancyL · May 26, 2017

Shouldn't the OP pay for an advertisement?

On second thought, maybe not. Then there wouldn't be an opportunity to advise newbies of the history of the CMU language institute closing down, not refunding money and students suddenly without visas. Heck, in some cases their passports were locked in the school's office for a number of days and the student's couldn't get them.

heybruce · May 26, 2017

15 hours ago, heybruce said:

A very good question. Not only did people lose their money, but the CMU administration told Immigration that the Ed visas the students were on were no longer valid. A number of people were told to leave the country and get a new visa.

I wouldn't go near another CMU course. For those who are considering it, approach with caution.

45 minutes ago, EricTh said:

Wasn't that the TEFL course to learn how to teach English? They charge an exorbitant 50,000 baht for one month course which turn out to be useless for most students as they couldn't get a job in Thailand after graduation.

There were just too many foreigners trying to teach English in Thailand.

These are two different programs and course fees. We are talking about 'learning Thai' and not 'teaching English'.

Correct me if I am wrong.

No, I'm referring to the one year Thai language course offered out of the CMU Language Institute, the one that began in 2009 and ended very abruptly in 2010. It ended with the two main parties, CMU and whatever the contract business was (set up by an Australian named Matt) pointing fingers at each other, and lots of students screwed out of their money and visas.

I don't think the legal issues were ever resolved. Matt left the country. Rumors that I believe were that CMU officials threatened legal action against the Chiang Mai Mail if it printed a story on the matter.

One part of it clearly was the fault of the CMU administration, they sent a letter to Chiang Mai Immigration telling them the Ed visas issued for the program were no longer valid. People who went to Chiang Mai Immigration for their check-in were told they had to leave the country and not return until they had a different visa. These were students who paid 30,000 baht for the one year course, plus the visa costs, who had made every effort to be in Thailand legally and study the language, and who thought they were going "above and beyond" in following the rules by taking the course at a respected Thailand universitly

This is why I have a low opinion of the CMU administration and Chiang Mai Immigration. I avoid dealings with both as much as possible.

Edited May 26, 2017 by heybruce
changed "to sue" to "legal action"

NancyL · May 26, 2017

The only reason Hubby got his money back was because he'd paid with a U.S.-issued credit card that responded favorably to a request to pro-rate a refund for services that hadn't been delivered. Those who paid with cash or Thai-issued debit or credit cards were outta luck.

EricTh · May 26, 2017

Just now, heybruce said:

No, I'm referring to the one year Thai language course offered out of the CMU Language Institute,

I did read about this scam a few years back but I always thought it was the TEFL English course which are dominated by English speaking teachers from UK and America.

Why would an Australian be involved in a teaching Thai course? Morever, all the teachers are native Thai people.

When I went to the office to ask about the Thai course, I didn't see any white people there.

Edited May 26, 2017 by EricTh

EricTh · May 26, 2017

Just now, NancyL said:

The only reason Hubby got his money back was because he'd paid with a U.S.-issued credit card that responded favorably to a request to pro-rate a refund for services that hadn't been delivered. Those who paid with cash or Thai-issued debit or credit cards were outta luck.

Was that a TEFL course or learn Thai course?

heybruce · May 26, 2017

25 minutes ago, EricTh said:

I did read about this scam a few years back but I always thought it was the TEFL English course which are dominated by English speaking teachers from UK and America.

Why would an Australian be involved in a teaching Thai course? Morever, all the teachers are native Thai people.

When I went to the office to ask about the Thai course, I didn't see any white people there.

CMU contracted with Matt to run the course. Maybe they thought he'd be better at marketing it, or maybe he convinced them that if they gave him the classrooms he'd do all the work and CMU would make easy money. All of the teachers were Thai.

Edited May 26, 2017 by heybruce

EricTh · May 26, 2017

Just now, heybruce said:

CMU contracted with Matt to run the course. Maybe they thought he'd be better at marketing it, or maybe he convinced them that if they gave him the classrooms he'd do all the work and CMU would make easy money. All of the teachers were Thai.

That was a bad decision after all CMU is a reputable university in Chiang Mai.

They don't need to market it if their teachers are good and the prices are reasonable. Word of mouth is the best advertisement.

It is just like Payap University Thai language program, their reputation is good but the location isn't good as I got lost trying to find my way there on my bike. Moreover, their prices are quite expensive compared to CMU or YMCA.

Edited May 26, 2017 by EricTh

Jai Dee · May 26, 2017

2 hours ago, NancyL said:

Shouldn't the OP pay for an advertisement?

Probably... otherwise we usually treat such posts as spam.

2 hours ago, NancyL said:

On second thought, maybe not. Then there wouldn't be an opportunity to advise newbies of the history of the CMU language institute closing down, not refunding money and students suddenly without visas. Heck, in some cases their passports were locked in the school's office for a number of days and the student's couldn't get them.

Not a bad idea but we do not want to run the risk of potential defamation.

I think that the best course of action is simply to close this topic.