Learn to speak Thai

[Teddy]

I would like to learn to speak some basic Thai. Can anyone recommend a school?
I did see an information in the forum yesterday but can not find it anymore

[ting_tong]

AUA an udon map sponsor
also try the search function of the board

[lee]

www.udonmap.com/letstalk

[Jello]

I don't think AUA is offering Thai classes at the moment. The other schools will be private lessons most likely. There doesn't seem to be enough interest in Udon to keep a ongoing group class open.

If you prefer to learn with a group of people, you could go stay in Bangkok for a few weeks and attend one of the many schools there. Do a google search and you will find many language schools there.

[KB_Texas]

They do not seem to be answering their emails either. I sent one last Friday and have yet to receive a reply. It was sent to the email address listed on their website. I would like to take classes in a small group setting, just as they teach English. That gives you a way to practice with others in hearing and speaking while having a teacher present to correct.

KB

[Tafia]

I and a mate see a private tutor couple of times a week, easy,laid back, relaxed and flexible, she will work at your pace.
PM me if you want her number.

[danchatka]

There doesn't seem to be enough interest in Udon to keep a ongoing group class open.

There's plenty of interest among foreigners to learn Thai. There just isn't a school providing consistently good Thai language instruction.

Sitting in a classroom, with a relatively unskilled Thai teacher (no matter how nice they are), going through a poorly copied Thai language textbook doesn't improve a student's ability to speak Thai. But this is usually the only thing offered in Udon.

[harmonyudon]

Your apartment is near Mono Place. The (female) owner gives private lessons.

[Jello]

There's plenty of interest among foreigners to learn Thai. There just isn't a school providing consistently good Thai language instruction.

You right. The few group classes I've taken have had a high drop-out rate. I don't blame the teacher for this, some students just decide it's too difficult. (only my personnel experience. Maybe more serious students in Udon now.)

Your apartment is near Mono Place. The (female) owner gives private lessons.

Have you taken lessons with her Harmony? Any good reports from students?

[harmonyudon]

Have you taken lessons with her Harmony? Any good reports from students?

@Jello i did not get Thai lessons.

[parrot]

Anyone who's been here any amount of time knows that a little Thai goes a long way to making life in the country more bearable. You can easily get by without......but trying to navigate the signs, banks, government buildings, restaurants, directions, etc without some language is going to make your life much less enjoyable (not to mention, dependent on hauling a long-haired translator wherever you go).
I was recently reminded of the utility of knowing a bit of Thai on a recent visit to Nadee Lotus. On the exit escalator, there's a sign hanging way high overhead that warns customers in two languages "โปรดระวังศีรษะ Please Beware Overhead Hazard"

You can look up 20 feet, but with the exception of that tiny little sign hanging well out of harm's way, there are no overhead hazards.
Thais will read that sign and understand it to mean 'Be careful of your head' .......and they won't be looking up to see if there's a hazard. They'll be telling their children to be careful to keep their hair out of the handrail.
English speaking people will see that sign and look up to see what the hazard is. With luck......if they have long hair, it won't extend that last inch or two to the handrail while they're looking up toward the heavens.
http://www.pattayadailynews.com/en/2012 ... escalator/
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/nationa ... 94085.html
A little Thai goes a long way......or as Andrew Biggs likes to say on his TV Thai language lessons, "64 million Thais speak Thai, so can you."

[ting_tong]

I have been studying thai language for 10 years, this book is helpful for a beginner:


Being near fluent in Thai in Thailand opens many doors, I dont know how people can live here for a long time and not speak the local language

[karonsteve]

Teddy I have no idea of your level of oral Thai but if you have "a long-haired translator wherever you go" maybe she can help if you show enough interest.

I have no input on schools but Danchatka posted about downloading DIY Thai and Lao language lessons. They come as written and video files. I haven't look yet but I will take Dan's word on the content.
It is a large download.
http://www.udonmap.com/udonthaniforum/t ... 24025.html

[Jello]

I have been studying thai language for 10 years, this book is helpful for a beginner:


Being near fluent in Thai in Thailand opens many doors, I dont know how people can live here for a long time and not speak the local language

Are you self-taught TingTong or have you taken some classes? Have you learned to read Thai script also?

[Jello]

What do you guys think about learning Issan language? Any of you speak/understand Issan? Are there any resources for learning Issan? I know everyone here will understand Thai, but I like to understand whats being said around me, which is usually Isaan.

First time I went to the market practicing my Thai I was asked to pay "SOW BAHT". So I'm counting in my mind nung, song, sam....humm, no number sow! Later figured out she was asking for 20 baht in issan.

[ting_tong]

I have been studying thai language for 10 years, this book is helpful for a beginner:


Being near fluent in Thai in Thailand opens many doors, I dont know how people can live here for a long time and not speak the local language

Are you self-taught TingTong or have you taken some classes? Have you learned to read Thai script also?

I learned the hard way through reading books, mostly dictionaries and some phrase books and the HARD way by embarassment (when you speak something wrong and you get a funny look or get corrected). When you learn by embarassment, you never forget.
Issan-Lao will come naturally, you just have to ask what is being said or have access to some Lao-english phrases

I have not yet learned to read Thai text as it is a big thing to learn.

I am one of those that wanted to learn Thai very much and did on my own.
my first lessons with help (sexy girl help) was to point at a word in a book and have the girl pronounce it and I wrote it down so I could remember it (write things down right away or you will forget it).

my first encounter with sow baht was in chiangmai or all places, I ordered fried rice and asked in Thai, how much, the lady said sow baht...........I was confused........the lady spoke in fluent english, your fried rice is twenty baht........a lesson by embarassment

[noosard]

Hi Jello I have been to that tesco a few times with my long haired translator and even she wondered what the hazard is apart from the sign it self. Have seen that sign a few other times elsewhere as well. Will inform her of the reason

[Arosolius]

If you go to You Tube and search for "Thai Podcast you will find some excellent lessons. This is a fairly expensive course if you buy it but somebody already has and then put about 30 of the lessons on You Tube.
First you see the sentence or word in English and Thai and then The word is pronounced in English followed by Thai and then all the words are broken down to show you which word is which.
You can learn at your own pace and if you download a free media player such as "VLC Media Player" you can put a difficult sentence in a loop to play continually until you've had enough.

[parrot]

Here's a photo of that warning sign at Nadee Lotus:

Anyone notice the spelling error?

[faranginUTH]

grammatical error? missing "of the"
I dont see a spelling error in the english text?