Serious About Learning Thai

[free]

I start this thread as a place to hold serious discussions regarding Learning the Thai Language. By learning, I dun mean just speak, for we may want to read and write as well. Bros may have different purposes, whether it is to do business, find a job, got to know a Thai lady (friend, tirak or WL/FL) and want to enhance your communication with her, etc. Whether u engaged in commerical sex, making love with your love one, or abstain totally, it doesn't matter. Fact is your time in LOS will be enhanced all the more, cos you can communicate properly, without having to stick out like a sore thumb when u speak up. If the Italian friend (runs a travel agency) I met in CR can speak Thai like a local, so can we!

I have found that being able to pronounce the Thai words correctly and also use correct sentence structure has greatly enhanced my life in Thailand. Being able to speak with all "classes" of people, including University lecturers, students, businessmen, taxi drivers, foodstall holders, and just about anyone I meet without them knowing I am not a Thai Chinese, until we get into more "advanced" topics that require more advance volcaburary (and there's where I need to take out my PDA Thai dictionary) is really exciting and fun. When I could speak to a 5 year old who would not understand me unless I speak correctly (diction and structure), it was very satisfying. Being able to understand much of the Thai TV dramas (u hear formal and informal Thai being spoken) has led me into a whole new world of TV watching in Thailand. I could discuss the drama with my tirak (in thai of course). Being able to converse with my tirak's parents who dun know any English has been a joy, not to mention help me to win their confidence. Being able to get on a Thai Airways flight, and speak Thai with all around me (not word of English) until the guy next to me tried to advice me that I need not fill in the immigration form since I am Thai, not a thanchart (foreign) has been a big boost of confidence & spurred me on to read/write more urgently.

Yes, my time spent in LOS has become richer eversince I started my journey to learn the Thai language in August exactly 1 year ago, all because I had to meet my tirak's parents 4 months later in January 2004.

What is your motivation? Mine is to be able to speak just like a Thai (doing not too bad for now), read/write like one (still a long way off), maybe live there and blend into their environment/culture (long term).

For starters, there is a good learning Thai book that comes with 2 CDs at 799 baht available from most of the major bookstores in LOS. Can buy from Internet but cost more.

Thai for Beginners By Benjawan Becker. Buy the book, listen to the 2 CDs esp the early parts to get a good grasp of the pronounciation of the different consonants, vowels and tones, etc.

Also if you have a Palm PDA, consider splurging US$40 for a English-Phonetic-Thai Dictionary . I used it everyday, even now. An invaluable tool.

Buy the above stuff, spend an half an hour to an hour a day initially, learning. Then start to ask yourself questions in Thai and answer yourself too, if you have no opportunities to converse in Thai back where u live. Think in Thai (not English/mandarin), and you will realise the syntax is like broken English - not too bad. Better yet if u know Malay, cos sentence structure similar. Confirm what you think with a Thai friend, if possible.

Wanna be crazy- get a cellphone with Thai language and try sms as well. If you need the layout of the thai consonants for the handphone keypad, go here. For Nokia, the vowels and other tone modifiers menu can be activated by holding down the "*" key

Soon you will be on the way. Take care

[free]

Originally Posted by sex_maniac

THought there is already a thread for thai language.

I know, and I had thought a lot about whether to start a new one that is relevant or whether it would be a duplicate.

I am trying to differentiate between just learning Thai to get along in LOS, and learning seriously to a point where one can read documents, even do translation of written thai. Most bros in SB will not need nor want to do this, but some are serious enough to do so, especially those looking into starting businesses where one need to be able to read/write documents written in Thai (like those I am considering), cos I can't have a translator going around with me all the time.

[free]

Originally Posted by sex_maniac

Dont think anyone wants to do it seriously in this forum. People who ask about thai language here just want some quick fix (translation) to chat with their tii-rak.

Not too sure about that. Depends on the groups of people we meet with. I have met some bros who are keen and have come some way to learn Thai seriously, after purchasing the book I am using.

[thaiboy]

I want to learn........

[kwanteen]

me osso want to learn, when n where the class going to start

[tirak99]

Just meet up with him in GL la kopi session. Lesson will start at 1am. kekeke... counting down...

[tirak69]

Originally Posted by thaiboy

I want to learn........

u my si-fu... whr got need to learn... we all must learn from you leh... share some tips?

[free]

Originally Posted by tirak99

Just meet up with him in GL la kopi session. Lesson will start at 1am. kekeke... counting down...

Haha, funny . Anyway it was nice to meet up again. remind me to pass you ur SIM card when we meet again. Man, feels wierd but really happy to realise I have come 1 full circle in the course of my LDTR. This time round, its even better!

Pom[R] Rak[H] Kao[R] Jing Jing (ผม รัก เขา จริงๆ )
.I........Love...Her.....Truly

Check out the link in my signature to get an idea of the 5 tones in Thai Phonetics. Hope it is useful. Remember also that there are are short and long vowels.(as in "mai" versus "maai"). The sound for the long vowels are more dragged out.

[free]

Originally Posted by thaiboy

I want to learn........

Bro thaiboy,

Everybody knows that you have been a pioneer in Thailand for many years, and I respect you for that. I just hope u understand that there are many of us who dun have the opportunity to live in LOS, but are serious about learning the language properly nevertheless, me included. And many of us will not have the time to attend a proper language class.

I am humbled when I realised that my written thai is at about the level of the 5 year old boy I have come to love so much. Reading is better, but only cos I have the help of my PDA dictionary.

Yes, I know I got a long long way to go, but unless I take the first steps and start now, I will never end up where I want to be. I believe there are others like me too. Many good reasons for learning thai - be it for commercial or personal reasons. I am just trying to share what I have discovered in my course of learning Thai.

Sometimes what the books teach may be the complete opposite of what the local Thais may use. (See this post on Tirak vs Faen) For example, for the word "Faen" versus "Tirak", what the dictionary gives me was that Faen refers to loved one, boyfriend/girlfriend, husband/wife while Tirak refers to darling, sweetheart. I thought that Faen is a stronger term to describe one's partner but according to TG that I just discuss this with today, her pespective was that Tirak is a stronger term. Now I want to find out more about the real difference between these 2 terms. Anyone can contribute?

Bro thaiboy, I hope that you can help contribute to this thread- and perhaps be our master & sifu. I see myself only as a pilgrim, together with other fellow travellers in our quest to learn this most interesting language.

[free]

Originally Posted by free

Sometimes what the books teach may be the complete opposite of what the local Thais may use. (See this post on Tirak vs Faen) For example, for the word "Faen" versus "Tirak", what the dictionary gives me was that Faen refers to loved one, boyfriend/girlfriend, husband/wife while Tirak refers to darling, sweetheart. I thought that Faen is a stronger term to describe one's partner but according to TG that I just discuss this with today, her pespective was that Tirak is a stronger term. Now I want to find out more about the real difference between these 2 terms. Anyone can contribute?

Sorry, the correct post is here: (See this post on Tirak vs Faen)

Not too sure why this gal thinks this way. Maybe cos it is because of the industry she is in? She has now become a good friend, and I dun think she has reasons to bluff me. It is really how she perceives it.

I dun know the full answer yet, but will find out from more people.

[free]

Good News,

Now Thai for Beginners is available on the PC! Check it Out.

Any one who buy this & use it can do an FR? I got the book/CDs already or I will invest in it for sure.

[khunchin]

Originally Posted by free

Bro thaiboy,

Sometimes what the books teach may be the complete opposite of what the local Thais may use. (See this post on Tirak vs Faen) For example, for the word "Faen" versus "Tirak", what the dictionary gives me was that Faen refers to loved one, boyfriend/girlfriend, husband/wife while Tirak refers to darling, sweetheart. I thought that Faen is a stronger term to describe one's partner but according to TG that I just discuss this with today, her pespective was that Tirak is a stronger term. Now I want to find out more about the real difference between these 2 terms. Anyone can contribute?

Oh now I know the meanig of 'Faen' i thought was friend. When my tirak was talking to her friend on phone, she refer me as her 'Faen' instead of tirak n i feel suspicious especially when she talking to male

This thread on Learning Thai will be very good but wat tools or equipment is need before all bro interested can start?

Anyway, Bro free, I will suppport u and also hope all the pro bro will contribute to assist......

thousand thanks

[The Crow]

Not everyone got that grasp for language, so it will be difficult for them.
Back in 1993 when i was learning in JooChiat CC, teacher was a translator at MOM then, think now retire liao. There were many who dropped out after the 1st stage, and only a few handful who were serious as either due to business or simply interest were left to continue to the next level.

I have always believed that a good foundation is the only way to learn any language and with practice of course, and with the right person to practice lah hahah. There were some in my class then who could speak a little and from my observation, cheongsters for sure.

[free]

Originally Posted by khunchin

Oh now I know the meanig of 'Faen' i thought was friend. When my tirak was talking to her friend on phone, she refer me as her 'Faen' instead of tirak n i feel suspicious especially when she talking to male

This thread on Learning Thai will be very good but wat tools or equipment is need before all bro interested can start?

Anyway, Bro free, I will suppport u and also hope all the pro bro will contribute to assist......

thousand thanks

Most basic tool is a good reference/guide/teaching book. I bought Colloqial Thai at a very high cost (almost S$70) but found that it wasn't that good due to the confusing transliteraton method used (like many other books & websites). I found Thai for Beginners (799 baht with CD version, 299 baht book only) to be the best system for me so far. There's no website today that is capable of showing the special fonts used in Thai for Beginners, so wif I am successful, the SB forum and my home forum will be the 1st.

Maybe the software version of Thai for Beginners may contain the fonts. Anyway I am in the process of creating this special font in Windows (not perfect yet but still can be used), and will share it with bros here once I complete it. With this method of writing, I can get my diction (pronunciation & phonetics) correct. Happy to share. However, please remember that the best way is still to read/write the actual Thai scripts/words.

Go here for a sample of how it may look like (not perfected yet)

po\m ra[k ka\o ma^ak
ผม รัภ เค้า มาก
I Love Her Very Much

[free]

Originally Posted by The Crow

Not everyone got that grasp for language, so it will be difficult for them.
Back in 1993 when i was learning in JooChiat CC, teacher was a translator at MOM then, think now retire liao. There were many who dropped out after the 1st stage, and only a few handful who were serious as either due to business or simply interest were left to continue to the next level.

I have always believed that a good foundation is the only way to learn any language and with practice of course, and with the right person to practice lah hahah. There were some in my class then who could speak a little and from my observation, cheongsters for sure.

Bro,
Are u "The Crow" in ICQ? If u are, welcome. Haven't talk to u for a while. Hope all is fine