Learn to speak Thai

Post by **parrot** » June 17, 2013, 8:58 am

Learning a little bit of Thai can help you navigate the roads more effectively and safely. For example:
The yellow road sign......it doesn't always have the international sign above the words.....a good sign to understand this time of year.

If you can read the other sign, you'll be able to navigate the streets of Thailand more effectively. There's such a sign near the Charoen Hotel, similar to the photo below) that says ทางลัด....ถนนทหาร. It's a good sign to know when the traffic is all gummed up.

A little Thai goes a long way.

Post by **hermajesty** » June 17, 2013, 9:58 am

Any advice on how to learn to type Thai, like we learn to type English (by touch/memory)?

Thanks
HM

Post by **parrot** » June 17, 2013, 10:39 am

I learned with Thai typing tutor 1.04....for some reason, it's no longer available for download. But I noticed this program is free.......and adjustable.
http://www.thai-language.com/id/805664

If you're a proficient tutor with an English keyboard, you'll pick up the Thai keyboard quickly.....and be so happy that you did! Now where is that ฒ?

Post by **steadyjohn** » June 19, 2013, 3:55 pm

I have recently moved back to Udon and I am looking at learning Thai again.
What courses are available around town now, any reading writing courses?

Before I have studied at AUA and the opposite Mojos/Steve's bar next to book shop. Are these still going?

Johnny

Post by **Sakhonnick** » June 19, 2013, 4:26 pm

I can speak thai pretty good, im not fluent and never will be ( dont think anybody thats not lived here from at least early teenage years could claim to be fluent ) But i feel im pretty good that i even think in thai a bit more when talking thai rather than converting in my head. I can read and write but very slow and still learning that. But chatting with the family and locals is neat im glad that i made a point of learning it when i came here 13years ago.

Post by **Tafia** » June 19, 2013, 4:38 pm

steadyjohn wrote:I have recently moved back to Udon and I am looking at learning Thai again.
What courses are available around town now, any reading writing courses?

Before I have studied at AUA and the opposite Mojos/Steve's bar next to book shop. Are these still going?

Johnny

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.

Post by **Sakhonnick** » June 19, 2013, 4:40 pm

http://www.thai-language.com/id/805664

Thanks great website

Post by **Frankie 1** » June 19, 2013, 9:11 pm

hermajesty wrote:Any advice on how to learn to type Thai, like we learn to type English (by touch/memory)?

Thanks
HM

This is an online typing game. You have to type a short sentence within a certain amount of time. If you type the sentence within the time limit, you will go to the next level.

http://typeinthai.com/challenge

This is a very good way to practice. It also helps you to understand the meaning of the words in context. And typing Thai text helps you to remember the words and their spelling.

Post by **movcondude** » June 22, 2013, 2:25 pm

Found this dude on the tube who realy seems to have taken the best of two worlds...
Pickin up and learning some basic Isaan (Lao) is posible though and there is a # 2 as well.

Post by **movcondude** » June 22, 2013, 2:55 pm

Here comes the link finaly:

Post by **parrot** » July 3, 2013, 7:35 pm

One of the first words you're likely to learn to read in Thai is ไก่ for 'chicken'. One of the first words you should learn to read in Thai is ห้าม for 'don't', as in "don't take photos of traffic signs while driving"
The red sign in the photo (I apologize for the photo, not one of my better drive-by shots) says "ห้ามจอดซ้อนคัน". Next to the words are cartoon photos of a policeman and a policewoman. The signs were posted along the entire road next to the Nongbua market. A government website shows the fine for violations at 200 Baht (http://www.highway7.thaipolice.org/FineRate/punish.htm) but I've seen more than one vehicle in this area with a boot on it.

Any guesses on what the sign says?

Post by **jackspratt** » July 3, 2013, 7:42 pm

parrot wrote: Any guesses on what the sign says?

"The local police are cartoon characters"?

Post by **FrazeeDK** » July 3, 2013, 8:21 pm

double parking forbidden! (son kan "stacked units??? using Google Translate)

Post by **parrot** » July 21, 2013, 9:01 am

My daily crossword puzzle isn't in the NYT, it's in Thai Rath Newspaper. The cartoonist who likened a prominent woman leader in SEA to a woman who sells her body has a daily cartoon featured in the newspaper. Usually only 3 blocks long, the cartoons normally deal with the politics of the day. And like crossword puzzles, sometimes I win, and sometimes I lose, usually losing because of idioms or reading between the lines that go beyond my limited Thai comprehension.
Yesterday's cartoon was a winner.....the 2 village elders with a young boy, prostrated before a jungle shrine, asking luang pu (หลวงปู) if rice is the only safe food to eat these days. And, of course, luang pu gives the 3 villagers an answer.

Post by **Frankie 1** » July 21, 2013, 12:06 pm

"ห้ามจอดซ้อนคัน"

Ik think it means "forbidden to park over (on top of) the grill".

First I thought that คัน relates to vehicles because it's the classifier for vehicles, but it also means rod or bar according to my dictionary. So I think the sign refers to the iron grill in the street.

By the way, I thought that:

อย่า = don't
ห้าม = forbidden

Post by **parrot** » July 21, 2013, 1:59 pm

Frankie 1 wrote:"ห้ามจอดซ้อนคัน"

Ik think it means "forbidden to park over (on top of) the grill".

First I thought that คัน relates to vehicles because it's the classifier for vehicles, but it also means rod or bar according to my dictionary. So I think the sign refers to the iron grill in the street.

I think ซ้อน in the sign means "double" or "overlapping" with คัน as the classifier for vehicles.
Try googling ภาพรถซ้อนคัน......seems Thais use the same way of referring to those pesky people who park in front of your vehicle (T) when you're in a parking garage.

Post by **parrot** » February 14, 2017, 6:29 pm

I thought I was exaggerating when I'd recite reason # XXX for learning to read Thai.....but as time goes on, I'm of the opinion it should be reason # XXXX. With that, today's reason # 1089, for those concerned about what they eat.

This label affixed to my favorite salad dressing......Japanese sesame style, sold in Makro. Vegetarian readers will know that the Thai in red, surrounded by yellow, says: Vegetarian. Anyone want to take a stab at the rest?

Post by **Stevo** » February 14, 2017, 7:01 pm

Hate that trendy font, but I reckon it says 'mai sai pong chulot' = MSG free

Post by **parrot** » February 14, 2017, 7:27 pm

Stevo wrote:Hate that trendy font, but I reckon it says 'mai sai pong chulot' = MSG free

Yeah, trendy fonts.....I guess all countries use them.

I was wondering why a เจ (vegetarian) sign on salad dressing.....or, is there a connection between เจ and ไม่ใส่ผงชูรส or are they two separate benefits of the salad dressing?? I looked up เจ....

vegetarianism which permits no meat, no milk, no egg, nor vegetables with strong smell. That would seem to apply to all salad dressings (that I know of).........

Anyway, msg free or not, I like the salad dressing!!

Post by **skinner** » February 14, 2017, 8:02 pm

I actually don't mind that font,i think it is quite clear, but some fonts are really difficult, I particularly don't like Thai written with a Chinese style font, which seem to be everywhere around Chinese new year, I struggle with that.