luckyfarang Posted April 1, 2003 Report Share Posted April 1, 2003 Says markle: Says luckyfarang: I agree that Markle sounds well informed generally, but seems to be more a product of book learning than exposure to the speaking habits of the Thai populus. So how exposed are you to the speaking habits of the Thai populus while you are not in the country. Once again you miss my point. I learned to speak from conversations with Thai people, using books only as a reference. You apparently learned to speak "textbook" Thai. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 1, 2003 Report Share Posted April 1, 2003 Hi, I'm not at all doubting your abilities, but just out of curiosity, how long have you been learning/speaking the Thai language? And if you've never lived in Thailand how often do you get a chance to practice it in daily situations? I'm then guessing you have a Thai partner, am I correct? Secondly, good luck to you for considering learning to read. You will find that it will help you substantially. Cheers, FF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 1, 2003 Report Share Posted April 1, 2003 To answer another post first "Nat Moh Wai" is correct. "Nat Wai Khap Moh" is possible perhaps but not much used. "Nat Wai Moh" doesn't sound correct IMO. To get to the issue on how I learned Thai. Back in the late seventies I was send out by a company to work in southern Thailand. I found myself for a year in Chumphon and later another year in Surat Thani. In Chumphon I came across exactly 1 other farang. A English lady teacher. I had to speak Thai from the start. Used a book to get some basics before I came, so I did have a small headstart. After about 4 years of working mostly with Thais and speaking Thai 50% of the time, I did find that my ability to improve was hampered by not being able to read. I then took a course in reading, which I found not very difficult. Of course being able to read does not mean that one also comprehends all that's being written. That comes from a lot of practice. I read Thai where ever I am. The menu (so ddificult to order Thai food from an english menu), road signs, Thai newspapers, subtitles on TV and movies. I go to a Thai movie once or twice a month. The only think that I have not yet done in Thai is reading a book. Just no patience for that, as reading in English still goes faster. In normal life I speak 3 languages on a daily basis. My mother tongue (about 25% of the time), english about 30% of the time and the rest Thai. In my social life I am around Thais most of the time and speak then only Thai (even if they can speak english well). I hardly ever visit any typical expat or tourist places. My Thai is definitely not bar-language. I can easily communicate on a higher level and have to often through my work. I do know of expats that have been here longer than me and speak Thai very little. They mostly move around the expat community and don't bother with the language more than necessary to instruct the maid or driver. Another group has clearly picked up the language in the expat and tourist nitelife scene. Mostly not the type of language you want to use around your colleagues or business associates. But then again, if your social life concentrates around PP, SC and NP, what more do you want. Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luckyfarang Posted April 1, 2003 Report Share Posted April 1, 2003 Ignore my earlier post about "textbook" Thai. I got to that one first in my email. <<I've picked up bits and pieces from various books but I'm at a loss to recommend one as the definitive book to learn Thai language.>> I have investigated every phrase book, text and dictionary that I could find over a period of years, and THERE IS NO definitive book that I could find, and very few half way decent ones. One very famous and popular one, "Fundamentals of the Thai Language", is so full of errors as to be laughable. <<I find it curious that some find my Thai 'book learnt', but then again I find that their Thai is the same way. >> I learned primarily from books, myself, but I never had a formal class or learned to read. Books are indispensible aids. I spent quite a bit of time in the North, but can't speak much Northern dialect because there are no books on it. <<Again I find it strange that someone would learn Thai but still remain ignorant of reading or writing the language.>> When I first began visiting Thailand as a tourist for 2 to 4 weeks at a time, I made the decision that I wanted to learn to communicate with the Thais as quickly as possible. Eventually I was communicating well in Thai, and had no need to learn to read and write. I could always find someone to read the odd sign or menu to me, just like any other illiterate. <<Unfortunately I'm leaving at the very beginning of May so I will miss the opportunity to take this pissing contest into the real world. >> "Pissing contest?" Are you a Brit? I had kind of surmised that you were American. Either way, I would like to have met you in person. There is no way that we could estimate each other's qualifications without holding a conversation. Maybe next time. <<I suspect our lucky falang will soon discover how much his Thai has deteriorated (as I did) and how much further he has to go.>> Other than an occasional phone call or Thai restaurant meal, I have no opportunity to keep up my language skills. I will be a bit dismayed at how they have deteriorated on arrival, but I will also be amazed at how far they come along during a one month stay. And the day that I first arrive, I will already be light years ahead of all my expat friends. I never intended to stay away from LOS for such an extended time, and only business prevented my earlier return. And I assume that you will be suitably impressed if you and I can communicate on the same level, given your much lengthier and more current experience. Posting here in the Language section gives me an opportunity to keep my Thai ability more current. You may notice that I will be posting two general types of post: One putting my experiences down for the benefit of newbies, and the other requesting Thai translations of certain western words and concepts. It's not that I couldn't figure out several different ways to express and communicate these concepts on my own, but I ask for the help of the more accomplished linguists than myself when I suspect that Thais would express them differently. I do intend to learn to read and write Thai when I retire there in a few years, and maybe before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luckyfarang Posted April 1, 2003 Report Share Posted April 1, 2003 Says friendlyfiend: Hi, I'm not at all doubting your abilities, but just out of curiosity, how long have you been learning/speaking the Thai language? And if you've never lived in Thailand how often do you get a chance to practice it in daily situations? I'm then guessing you have a Thai partner, am I correct? Secondly, good luck to you for considering learning to read. You will find that it will help you substantially. Cheers, FF I have spent a total of about three years in Thailand since my first visit in 1984, including five trips of six months duration where I rented a house. By the time of my second trip in 1987, many people thought that I was already fluent (because my accent was good) and began to speak to me a mile a minute, which did not help me learn anything. I have no Thai partner in the States, never have, but do phone a Thai girl about once a month. We talk about nothing that manages to stimulate my lingual abilities, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luckyfarang Posted April 1, 2003 Report Share Posted April 1, 2003 <<"Nat Moh Wai" is correct. "Nat Wai Khap Moh" is possible perhaps but not much used. "Nat Wai Moh" doesn't sound correct IMO.>> You are probably correct. I thought about both possiblities before writing it, and neither sounded exactly right to me. Learning to read Thai is not much of a priority to me now, but I will surely learn it when I retire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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