Thai Language Schools in Bangkok

[Guest]

I decided to have a day mooching around the better-known Thai language schools in the city, and get a feel for what they offer in the way of courses and prices. More importantly, could they accommodate an awkward Thai learner like me (a person who speaks fairly well, and yet can neither read nor write a single word). I started off at the Boston Academy on Silom soi 7, just down from the Bangkok bank building. The school itself is located behind a particularly ugly sprawl of open-air restaurants and drinks vendors. Everything about the school was in decay – from the weather-beaten signage to the cheap, plastic furniture in the reception. I felt like they hadn’t seen a customer in 20 years. To be honest, the two student advisors were great fun and made me laugh. Then again, so do Laurel and Hardy.

I can’t recall the price of courses, because I’d already made my mind up not to study there. They offered no level testing, and it took them 20 long minutes to locate any kind of teaching materials to show me. What they did eventually produce was a great thick wad of poorly photocopied text - totally plagiarized.

I went through the motions of asking to look at the classrooms, which surprisingly they agreed to – a couple of window-less, air-less rooms, which rather reminded me of my infant school in the early 1970’s. Time to move on and I thanked the girls for their time. They immediately returned to bending paper clips and discussing lunch.

I had looked forward to seeing Union school on Suriwongse Road because no institute in Bangkok enjoys a better reputation. As I emerged from the elevator and walked into their spacious reception area on the 11th floor of the CTT Tower, it’s apparent that they are doing very well indeed. Classes had just finished, and there must have been at least a hundred students leaving and filling the air with excited chatter. Union School was originally formed to teach Thai to visiting missionaries, but has expanded its operation to include the many ex-pat Japanese, Koreans and Westerners who want to take a shot at this difficult language. The crowd of students leaving class were indeed a strange mix of Japanese housewives, casually dressed Americans, and smiling moonies.

The other things I noticed about the school were how unbearably hot it was, and how much it reminded me of a badly run government hospital – cheerless color schemes and old fashioned furniture. The receptionist couldn’t have been more unfriendly if she’d tried, and was obviously insulted by my comments about it possibly being cooler to study in the street.

Union school is very cheap however, and costs about 60-70 baht an hour for study in a group of 7-10 persons. The study materials were awful, and the level testing system was highly dubious. In fact I could’nt have a free test – only if I paid for a course first. The advisor also informed me that Union is fully booked for the next 3 months – there are no places on any courses. “Wouldn’t it make more sense to have classes all day instead of just in the morning?” I asked.

“The boss won’t allow it” she replied.

Good heavens! A Thai who’s not interested in making money. Now there’s a first. The advisor suddenly became very fidgety and cast anxious glances at her watch. Lunchtime beckoned and I was standing in her way. I thanked her for her time and walked out hoping that I never have to return. If I ever want to spend good money on Thai courses, they’ll not see a penny of it. Union school never advertises apparently. All their students arrive by word of mouth. Aren’t some people easily pleased?

Before heading over to Nisa Language School off Sathorn Rd, there was just time to pop my head into Berlitz’s Silom branch. Berlitz, for all their shortcomings, just ooze corporate gloss. In a competition to find the most pleasant and most attractive receptionists, they would win hands down. Pleasant and attractive though they were, it became apparent early in our conversation that Thai lessons were not big business for the Swiss language giants. If I wanted to study Thai, I would be responsible for arranging a group, and I alone would be responsible for making sure that everyone was at the same level of ability. That’s a marvelous concept when you think about it. Berlitz gets me to do all the marketing and then makes me pay through the nose. Thank you Berlitz. And yes I would be interested in your Thai total immersion course ( 11 lessons a day, and lunch with the teacher) if I had 8,000 baht a day to chuck around.

And so on to Nisa Language school and its awful location in deepest Yannawa. According to Stickman’s site, the boss of Nisa is an ex-Union school headmistress. This means that she has probably taken with her the same teaching methods, the same dreadful textbooks, and certainly a rather questionable level testing system (you pay for the course, and the teacher decides your level after the first lesson). Sorry Mrs Nisa, but things don’t work that way.

Actually the whole Nisa experience got off on the wrong foot. You see, I had called them the day before and asked them to fax me a simple map to help me find their institute. After pacing up and down soi Yen-akart several times, it became obvious that the cartographer had omitted a gas station and inserted other irrelevant landmarks. My opening statement to the student advisor at Nisa was merely to inform her that perhaps the map could be a tad improved. To this she replied “well, everyone else seems to find it ok”. Not the best thing you can say to Bangkok Phil when he’s standing there with a shirt sodden with sweat. We resisted the temptation to scratch each other’s eyes out there and then, and got down to the unpleasant business of discussing a Thai course. I leafed through the badly produced textbooks, and glanced over the price list – about 300 baht for a private lesson, or alternatively I have to study in the morning with a group of clucking housewives.

As I asked more and more questions (which stuffy academics tend to do) I realized that the woman was becoming more and more uncomfortable, and looked about to burst into tears. Why is it that when it comes to putting a prospective customer at ease, to explaining your product or service, to instill confidence in the customer – Thais suck at it.

I asked to look at the classrooms. Now let me just say at this point, the Nisa Institute is quite splendid - a gorgeously renovated town-house with polished, wooden floors and Thai objets d’art. I was expecting the classrooms to be dainty little air-conditioned jobs with gleaming whiteboards and polished desks. Imagine my surprise to see that the study area was in fact one huge room, divided into sections with that kind of cheap gray partitioning used by large accounting firms that aren’t doing very well.

Basically, you would study Thai and be constantly interrupted by the noise and chatter of the lesson going on not 2 feet away. “This is not a problem” said the student advisor, but then she would say that wouldn’t she. There were 3 lessons in progress while I was there, and I could hear all 3 conversations from where I was standing. Just to rub salt further into Nisa’s wounds, I happened on a Thai teacher busy poring over her weekly schedule. I smiled at her and asked a few fairly basic questions about her teaching methods. All of them met with a quizzical nod of the head and an embarrassed smile. This was an example of ‘ yes, all our Thai teachers at Nida speak excellent English’ By this time, the student advisor had run off to die in a dark corner.

My next ports of call were all on Sukhumwit Rd, but the chance to walk through Siam Square reminded me that ECC advertise Thai language lessons. As I walked through the door of ECC’s main branch, I was literally pounced upon by Mr George, the head teacher (at least that’s what it said on his ID badge). With all the charm of an over-zealous nightclub bouncer, George didn’t so much say “May I help you sir? as What the f*** do you want?

Does Geoffrey Hands, the Ginger God, know that his staff act in such a manner?

Do you have Thai language lessons George?

“No”

Short and to the point, but I got the answer. May I take a slight diversion at this point and just say one thing. If I am ever (and I mean ever) in the position of needing a teaching job so desperately…..so utterly and so please-I-am-starving desperately. And I am filling in an application form at ECC. Will some kind soul call my Mom and Dad in Spain and ask them to come and take me home.

What is about the British Council (where I went next) that always puts me in a gloomy and critical frame of mind? Is it the I-am-superior attitude of the desk staff. Or perhaps the grinning doorman who always seems to push the door in your face rather than open the damn thing. Or maybe the sight of overweight mothers in lime green trouser suits making sure that little Nid is enrolled in only the finest school that Britain can offer. Whatever the reason, the BC couldn’t tell me the name of one single Thai school in Siam Square. How different it would have been had I been dripping in diamonds……with a lime green trouser suit of course. To the skytrain pronto.

I disembarked at Asoke station to have a look at two relative newcomers to the Thai language scene – Pro Language, on the 10th floor of Times Square Building, and Somchart Thai Language School in soi 19. Walking into Pro Language school (I kid you not), there was a Korean gentleman demanding a refund and getting quite unhappy about it. This didn’t fill me with much hope of being put firmly on the road to Thai fluency, but I sat down and watched the cabaret anyway.

In all fairness, the Thai staff handled the situation with great professionalism and before too long, the Korean stopped jumping up and down and became human again. I was impressed.

Pro Language school is tiny. One third of it serves as a reception cum kitchen cum teacher’s room, and there are two classrooms. The staff were wonderful! They showed me all the materials. They explained the methodology, and they so desperately wanted me as a customer. I think it would be a fun place to study. Courses are very reasonably priced at 3,000 baht for 20 hours if you study in a group of 3 or 4. However, I was still left unsure of Pro’s ability to place me in the right level, and if the director is reading this waffle – don’t give away profiles of your Thai teachers to anyone who walks in the school. I personally wouldn’t like any Tom, Dick and Harry knowing my teaching background.

Somchart Language school is located on the 6th floor of the Benetone building in soi 19, opposite the China Inn. The Benetone building is a rather dilapidated affair which houses several small-time Indian gemstone dealers as well as the Somchart Thai school.

This school has a rather interesting concept. It pushes its customers into having private language lessons at a very affordable price, and then arranges the classroom like a restaurant – several ‘tables for two’ arranged randomly around the room. This makes for a rather interesting atmosphere that just seems to work. Everyone is just talking with their private teacher and having a good old time. The school is basic with plastic sofas and piles of shoes lying everywhere, but the owner is super-friendly and has your interests at heart. Book 60 hours and the lessons come down to an amazing 150 baht an hour. I left this place knowing that this was the best school I’d seen so far.

My final stop was the well-established Tong-Lor school, which is situated on the main Sukhumwit Rd literally in the shadow of Thonglor skytrain station. I’ll be kind and refer to the building as grotty, but the manager/owner was kindness personified and one look at the wall-planner told me that this school was doing very good business indeed. Private lessons were in the 300 – 400 baht an hour range depending on your time of study and they too went for the ‘restaurant’ atmosphere favored by the Somchart institute. The textbooks were the best I had seen that day and the teachers seemed very lively. If I had to make a criticism or two, it would be that the noise from Sukhumwit Rd was a little disturbing and the whole place would have benefited from a lick of paint.

In conclusion, I still have deep misgivings about Thai language schools. I don’t think that they concentrate on making sure that students are placed at the right level and most of them could do with paying some attention to their materials. My biggest concern is that the teachers themselves may not be skilled enough to make the learning experience a pleasurable one. Is student talking time 80%, and teacher talking time 20% or less? Hmmmm……..I wonder.

www.bangkokmouth.com

[thai3]

Phil, thanks for this post, having lessons is something I must force myself to do. I have had the colloquial thai course for six years and have never got to the end of chapter two, just plain lazy.

I know three people who have gone to somchart and were pleased with the progress they made. I don't care what the building/chairs/books are like it's getting a good teacher thats important. I would sign up for a limited number of sessions to see what they are like before forking out a large wedge of baht on 60 hours.-peter

[Guest]

I think that Somchart would be a very wise choice Pete. The boss was fantastic and I think you would enjoy the lessons tremendously.

[Guest]

Hey, why is this discussion forum referring to me as a newbie.

Marcel! get it sorted! LOL

[khunsanuk]

Hi,

Excellent post, Phil.

I agree with your assessment of Somchart. I had 40 hours there (like you I went specifically to learn to read/write), and the lessons are really catered to your personal needs/wants. I also rather liked the atmosphere in the place, very relaxed.

Peter:

You probably know a lot more than 3 people that went there. I'd say the number is closer to 7.

Sanuk!

[Boo Radley]

Hi Phil,

Excellent post, very informative.

Thanks

Boo Radley

[Guest]

Sincere thanks for this post! This saved me a great deal of time and effort. Solds

[jirve77]

Yes agree Somchart is a good experience. all the girls were lovely. The manager Chutima is very committed. I booked. The price is amazing. I booked 60 lessons of which I had a little more than half. I intend to return to finish them later this year. That was a nice touch I thought, if you are unable to complete the course in one period you can continue at a later date so long as you finish within 12 months. I can recommend this school.

jirve

[blackpuddin]

Wouldn't be thinking of starting a Thai course at AIE would we Phillip?

Well what a novel idea!!

Out on a recce - I suppose

Did you stop by Suanphluu on the way round?

[Guest]

oh and blackpuddin' enters the fray.

Actually novel ideas are still a speciality of mine - and at least they are ideas that do sometimes get out off the ground.

Soi Suan Phlu - I avoid it like the plague.

Not too keen on Chaiyupruk mansion either, especially now the good mate who lived there moved to Australia.

Rather a spot of unseasonal weather we are having at the moment wouldn't you say Blackpuddin. Whatever next? Brazilian women in Nonthaburi - good heavens, perish the thought. Or even an unemployment agency for technical manual writers who like a drink.

Very much still..... www.bangkokmouth.com