Somchart Thai Language School?

[shotover]

I visit Bkk twice a year, 2 to 3 weeks each visit. Within 2 years, I plan to retire and spend much more time in Thailand, and would like to start learning to speak and understand some basic Thai.

A google search disclosed only one working email address of a Thai language school in Bangkok, Somchart Thai Language School on Suk Soi 19.

I sent the following email to chutima_tumthamarong@hotmail.com :

"I will be visiting Bangkok from the USA from May 20 - May 31, 2002. I am interested in taking some Thai language lessons during this visit, perhaps 2 hours each day. Can you give me information on Thai language classes, either one-on-one, or small classes that would be available during this period, and what the costs might be?"

The reply 3 days later was:

“thai lesson one on one 2 hrs/day total 40 hrs. 7920.-baht please confirm a week before you start the lesson tel number 662 6512735-6”

I realize it would take me more than one 2 week visit to take 40 hours of lessons.

Questions:

1. Does this appear to be a good value for one-on-one lessons?

2. Does anyone have email addresses of other Thai language schools?

Any information and advice is appreciated.

Shotover

[Lamock Chokaprret]

Check out this link for more info on Somchart Language School.

I've talked to Khun Chutima and she seems like she would make a pretty good teacher. Her English is reasonably good. The prices from what I can tell are reasonable for the local market. And if you're staying near Soi Cowboy, the location is good.

[Guest]

I've done some 3 months one-on-one Thai lessons 4 times a week 1,5 years ago.

The price was 16 lessons of 1,5 hour for B6000, so this looks like a good price.

[Guest]

I've taken one-on-one before and was charged 200 Baht an hour. It's on the high end I think but probably worth it if you can find a good teacher. Which would be a small miracle. As a rule, Thai teachers suck.

Let me give you a different perspective, though. I have been learning Thai for about two years now. I go to Thailand once or twice a year, and stay 2-4 weeks each trip, so in a way, I'm in a smilar situation that you describe.

I've taken Thai language lessons in Thailand once, but I don't any more. There are much better and more fun things to do while you're there. But those long boring evenings in the sanuk-free-zone, while everyone else is shopping at Macy's or watching David Letterman, they are really good for learning the language!

First, it really helps if you can attend a class, especially at the beginning. If you're in the US, the Thai embassy here maintains a list of Thai temples. Many of these offer instruction in Thai language for a very reasonable fee. Quality varies, but it is enough to get you going.

My first semester was the most important. It is really easy to lose all hope you'll ever be able to learn this language. Having a good teacher helped me to understand that though it is going to be a lot tougher than learning German or French, but that it is possible. It just takes more time and effort.

But even when you're taking classes, what matters is how much you work it at home. I started with tapes. First I bought a Thai/30 short course at Audio-Forum (also available at Amazon). This is a 2-hour tape with everyday expressions. It's modern Thai and useful for a traveller. The audio quality is excellent and it's a good way to start working on your pronunciation while getting your basic vocabulary.

After that I bought an FSI Course, also at Audio-Forum. (They gave me a credit of the Thai/30 cost against the cost of the FSI Course.) This is _the_ best thing I ever did. It's pricy, but it has drills that force you to think and construct sentences, rather than just repeat them. The only wish they would you Thai script! (They also have an advanced set which I had bought but haven't had time to work through yet.)

Another popular full-length course is Linguaphone. It's probably similar scope as FSI, but I have not had a chance to check it out so I can't comment.

My next step was to buy Thai for Intermediate Learners, and Advanced Learners at Paiboon Publishing. Books and tapes. They also have a Beginners book but I was past that stage when I found these books. I also bought Thai for Lovers at this site, one of my favorite textbooks of all times! You won't build your grammar with these, but you'll improve your vocabulary and learn a lot of phrases.

If you're serious about this, start learning the Thai script very early on. It's not as hard as it seems, and I can't stress enough how much it speeds up your overall progress as well as helps with your pronunciation. Even more so that with the spoken word, you can learn the script on your own, without much help from a teacher.

In terms of books, The Fundamentals of the Thai Language by S. Campbell and C. Shaweevongs is the Bible, though it will take time before you can make much use of it. (It's been long out of print but comes up occasionally at various out-of-print book sites, e.g. Bookfinder.) It is also available online.

Phrasebooks are generally useless as learning tools, but Thai Phrase Handbook by Eric Allyn is more than just a phrase book; there is a lot of useful information about Thailand, a lot of grammar and usage notes and, most importantly, every Thai phrase is also written in Thai script. I read that book several times and I've learned a lot from it. It may still be in print, if not, you should be able to get a used copy at Bookfinder.

A word about dictionaries. I don't like Thai made dictionaries because I don't understand most the English words they use. Weird but true! I have a large two volume So Sethaputra Thai-English Dictionary and I barely ever use it. But Mary Haas' Thai-English Student's Dictionary is superb! Still in print and available at Amazon. These are both desk dictionaries; as far as pocket sized dictionaries, any will do, and the Thai made ones are just fine.

Finally, software. I haven't used any, so can't comment on it, but many swear by it. I've only heard good things about Rosetta Stone.

Sorry this post sort of got out of hand... and good luck!

[ January 08, 2002: Message edited by: Mad Max ]

[jai-dee]

I can wholeheartedly recommend Somchart school. I bought 80 hours for about B10,500 and am currently doing my first week, 4 hours a day. I have several different teachers and they are all very good. They are also a lot of fun to work with, they are very relaxed, laugh and joke and tease all the time and studying feels more like sanuk than hard work.

[bibblies]

I've been there. If you buy 60 hours, the cost per hour comes down to 150Baht. I'd say that was pretty cheap. BangkokPhil did an article on language schools on his site and I think it was the cheapest.

The one-on-one system is good in that it forces you to work. Unless you ask, they'll switch the teachers around, so you'll get exposed to a range of voices. Most of them are pretty good and will accommodate your needs. In my case, I did a Linguaphone course a few years ago and could read and write quite a bit, but I wanted to brush up my pronounciation and increase my vocabulary, so I veered off their textbook course a lot.

I agree with MadMax (again) about learning the script. You'll find that every book has its own transliteration alphabet anyway, so you might as well learn the real thing, which is standard.

[phoenix]

I support Jai_dee's comments entriely. I have been there for two weks just before Xmas, and am going back tomorrow, 3 hrs per day (quite exhausting I find, because of the one on one, doing five days per week. Good value!

[shotover]

Thanks Lamock, think1stbkk, Phoenix, Madmax, Jaidee, and Bibblies for sharing your experiences and providing solid advice. I plan to put it to good use and post my experiences.

I plan to take about 2 hours of lessons a day, or about 20 hours this trip in May, and at least 20 more on my subsequent trip in November. One worry is that on past trips planned activities were often not accomplished due to 2-legged, dark-haired distractions. Unfortunately, my work schedule so hectic I have little time to study the written language prior to my trip.

Shotover

[Max]

Depends on where you are going to stay as there are lots and lots of language schools. If you stay on lower sukhumvit, I can heartily recommend Somchart.

Chuttima is the boss, she usually doesn't teach herself but the teacher staff used to be lovely, competent and FUN. Most of the language schools stick to a similar (self-constructed) "beginner book" - yet a 1on1 class is definitely favourable to group-learning and Somchart gives a pretty good deal on this.