| I made a decision to live in Thailand. I came here with a plan to live here a very long time. Within weeks of arriving I started taking Thai language lessons -- 3x a week for 2 hours a shot. I studied for eight months until I moved into the jungle.
Nobody here speaks English save my precious wife. Funnily (or not so) they don't speak much Thai either, they speak Issan wich is nothing more than a Thai/Lao mix. Eight months won't get you far, but I have the fundamentals down. I can read and write at a basic level. I'd be screwed without being able to communicate.
If you live in Bangkok or Phuket maybe the need to speak Thai isn't as pressing. For me it is, and I think it a bit haughty that some don't concede they might be better for it, regarless of where they live. |