Thread: The best way to learn Isaan thai

^ Another reason: I had a look around on the internet and there is material available but it's all aimed at speakers of central Thai who want to learn Isaan (for example https://www.facebook.com/pages/%E0%B...83066325047541). There's plenty more like this, but you've got to crack central Thai before you can use it.

Originally Posted by Bettyboo

Mate, can't believe you wrote that... Cultural imperialism at best, at worst, well, cultural genecide...

cultural genocide, bit strong eh?
nothing like that, I just want to give them the skills to best shot at life and they won't achieve that speaking yokel language.

It's not a 'yokel' language (nor could it be, because there's no such thing) and it's not either/or; bilingualism is perfectly normal.

When in doubt , You Tube nearly always comes to the rescue :








Of course, you can have too much of a good thing

Why the fok would you want to learn Issan Thai; the mind boggles? A few bits here and there for a laugh when up that way or if you lived in laos it might help.

Originally Posted by Borey the Bald

The language spoken in upper Isaan (Udon, Nong Khai, Sakon Nakhon, NKP) is Lao.

Not exactly. Similar, but different.

It's a primitive dialect, an audible signature of ones low-class if you like.

It's no more primitive, or whatever the opposite is (complex? sophisticated?), than central Thai. In fact, you'd be pretty hard pushed to argue that any language, other perhaps than serious outliers like Piraha, is primitive. What there is, though, is prejudice and class privilege and stupidity and petit bourgeois aspiration, all of which are found in abundance nearly anywhere one looks.

Originally Posted by Dan

It's no more primitive, or whatever the opposite is (complex? sophisticated?), than central Thai

Agreed, central Thai is just as shit.

Originally Posted by Spin

Originally Posted by Dan

It's no more primitive, or whatever the opposite is (complex? sophisticated?), than central Thai

Agreed, central Thai is just as shit.

You have a way with words.

Originally Posted by peterpan

Originally Posted by Bettyboo

Mate, can't believe you wrote that... Cultural imperialism at best, at worst, well, cultural genecide...

cultural genocide, bit strong eh?
nothing like that, I just want to give them the skills to best shot at life and they won't achieve that speaking yokel language.

Indeed. Any responsible parent would try to prevent their kids talking like a spasticated monkey.

Originally Posted by Marmite the Dog

Originally Posted by Borey the Bald

The language spoken in upper Isaan (Udon, Nong Khai, Sakon Nakhon, NKP) is Lao.

Not exactly. Similar, but different.

I think you have missed the point of much of what has been written here.


Languages are not monoliths. The Vietnamese language spoken in Hanoi is totally different from that spoken in Ho Chi Minh City. The Lao language spoken in Vientiane is greatly different from that spoken in Pak Xe. The Isaan language spoken in Sakon Nakhon is significantly different from that spoken in Khorat. The language spoken in my wife's village is identical to the Laotian language spoken 20 miles away in Laos. Most of her ancestors (along with many others) migrated from Laos within the last century. A native Laotian can not tell from her speech that she was born in Thailand. Of course, if she were in Luang Prabang, they would know that she wasn't from around there.


Even with modern communications and education that have attempted to make languages like Thai, Lao and Vietnamese into something of a standard, there are still large variations. But, of course there is no such thing as a standard for the Isaan language, so I presume the variation to be much greater.

Originally Posted by Borey the Bald

I think you have missed the point of much of what has been written here.

I didn't read most of what has been written here. I live in Udon and the language is a mix of Laos & Thai. In the village it's a local dialect that owes more to Laos than Thai but has some tribal grunts in there as well.

Of course, you may know more than me about it seeing as you live in the US.

Originally Posted by alwarner

Just learn Thai and then you'll have a good grounding for the rest of the country. They'll understand you and you can pick up a few bits of Issan as you go along. That said, the fuckers code-switch all the time anyway so even if you learnt Laos you'd probably still be lost.

just learn thai is good enuf if you frequent the central region of thailand.
but im in the rice fields in the NE of thailand.

I speak my version of Central Thai here in Udon and am usually understood. I speak to the family in the village and am also understood. I think that unless you're in some remote corner of Isaan, 'normal' Thai will suffice.

Originally Posted by Marmite the Dog

Originally Posted by Borey the Bald

The language spoken in upper Isaan (Udon, Nong Khai, Sakon Nakhon, NKP) is Lao.

Not exactly. Similar, but different.

As the thais themselves so eloquently phrase it:

Same, same, but different...

My inlaws were old, but they understood central thai perfectly well. Although they had never visited the central regions.
Not surprisingly, they had been brainwashed by the TV.
They would never reply to me in central thai, but they understood it perfectly well.

^ Key tak

I travel by taxi in BKK each evening, maybe 20 minutes after the pub when I'm feeling relaxed. I find Thai taxi drivers are 90 percent great guys and like to talk. I have improved my fluency a good deal from these 50 baht lessons with the added benefit of getting home at the same time. You have to supplement with vocab study though.

In my experience there is little to be gained from redundant conversation with taxi drivers. One tries to be polite but inevitably it resolves to vacuous mundanity or, heaven forbid, affords the driver with an opportunity to mount a hobby horse as he mercilessly exploits a captive audience.

An inability to speak or understand Thai is a blessing here in that one has an unassailable defence to the unwanted intrusion of such a conversation although occasionally I do strike unlucky and get one with reasonable English but that is mercifully rare.

Singapore is quite wonderful in that instructions are fully understood and the drivers do not speak unless spoken to. Paradise found albeit at too expensive a price.

Originally Posted by thegent

In my experience there is little to be gained from redundant conversation with taxi drivers. One tries to be polite but inevitably it resolves to vacuous mundanity ....

Especially little to be gained if you are delivering an english monologue which the Thai driver doesn't understand.

Originally Posted by peterpan

Originally Posted by Ceburat1

To the OP - Do as I am doing - learn standard Thai and forget all of the dialects. Standard/Bangkok Thai will serve you better.

Best advice here, why would you want to learn a guttural bastard language beats me.
At my daughters school (in Udon) they forbid esarn being spoken as I do in the house.

My, aren't you fancy! What else do you forbid?