How Long Did It Take You To Learn Thai

**LX18** · 12-02-2006, 12:55 PM

Enough To Communicate Well.

**poolcleaner** · 12-02-2006, 01:05 PM

It never happened and I died a man unsatisfied with his ability to rise to the challenge and find out how to ask for 'fried rice, with pork, chilies and an egg on top' instead of pointing to a dish full of bitter vegies and fish with bones and saying "Ao Ni, Kap!"

The dream of one day boarding a busy skytrain and finding myself pushed all to close to a very sexy officer worker and murmuring into her ear, in my very best Thai, "Honey, I'd like to put my hand inside your blouse and caress your nipples while I gently bite the back of your neck and then slowly run my fingers down to your panties but I have to get off at Chit Lom! Can I call you tomorrow?" is slowly but surely eroding itself from my Things to do before I die list!

**LX18** · 12-02-2006, 01:20 PM

How Old Are You Dude?

**Marmite the Dog** · 12-02-2006, 02:04 PM

3 months. Thai is a piece of piss to learn.

**dirtydog** · 12-02-2006, 02:18 PM

Took me a couple of years to be able to hold an intelligent conversation in Thai, I then found that there was no one to hold that conversation with

**colourful-era** · 12-02-2006, 03:14 PM

I can speak the basics - have been here around 6 months now.

I took a 20 hour 1 to 1 course plus have done some self study on and off.

Can't have a conversation though but CAN get by in Thai.

**Fstop** · 12-02-2006, 03:48 PM

Can any of you write Thai? I might be able to speak it one day, but the written form looks bloody impossible.

**Dougal** · 12-02-2006, 03:54 PM

Originally Posted by colourful-era

I took a 20 hour 1 to 1 course plus have done some self study on and off.

How much did your lessons cost, CE?

**colourful-era** · 12-02-2006, 04:04 PM

5000B for 20 hours. (ie:250 / hr)

it was very useful - I may do another 20hrs again at some point

**Dougal** · 12-02-2006, 04:17 PM

^ Thanks CE

**MeMock** · 12-02-2006, 04:23 PM

I did four months and can still only have a very basic converation. Can read slowly and can write badly.

**NickA** · 12-02-2006, 05:57 PM

Learning the basics is easy, but as everyone else as said, there comes a point when you wonder if there is any need to learn the more complex stuff and you hit a block.

I can read and listen to Thai, but don't find much time or need to practice speaking and writing.

If you stay on your own in Thailand for a year or so, I would imagine you'd get pretty good. If, however, you link up with a long haired dictionary (as a Thai friend calls them) it might slow you down.

**poolcleaner** · 12-02-2006, 06:01 PM

Originally Posted by NickA

Learning the basics is easy, but as everyone else as said, there comes a point when you wonder if there is any need to learn the more complex stuff and you hit a block.

I can read and listen to Thai, but don't find much time or need to practice speaking and writing.

If you stay on your own in Thailand for a year or so, I would imagine you'd get pretty good. If, however, you link up with a long haired dictionary (as a Thai friend calls them) it might slow you down.

long haired dictionary being the gay cutie boy type, most of us will have a 'sleeping dictionary'.

**NickA** · 12-02-2006, 06:27 PM

You calling me a poove!!!!

Ermmm, what about an eating dictionary or a TV watching dictionary.

Anyway thery're not really very good dictionaries, cos if you ask 'em what sommit means they just wave their hands around and same "same, same......." alot.

But they're quite good at ordering food and shit like that and sometimes can point the taxi in the right direction, as long as you live next to the 7-11.

**friscofrankie** · 12-02-2006, 08:22 PM

Can read slowly, was taking dictation in private classes, and doing quite well at it; getting the tone/consonant combinations right 90% of the time. haven;t used that part much can understand and have pretty good vocabulary. Speak better when drunk actually. less self-concious.
But I really don't consider having learned the language yet.
As DD said you work at being able to hold an intelligent conversation then look around one day and wonder; Why?

**Goddess of Whatever** · 12-02-2006, 08:48 PM

Originally Posted by durianfan

Can any of you write Thai? I might be able to speak it one day, but the written form looks bloody impossible.

I'm not sure about writing but Marmite can read Thai.

**NickA** · 12-02-2006, 08:53 PM

Weeeel, if yeast extract can do it, we all can, I suppose.

Didn't know you were a veggie, Marmite

**HAMILTON** · 18-02-2006, 07:21 AM

I also took a 20 hour course at ULC in pattaya. It was good in that it helped to clear up some misunderstandins that I had. it also confimed that some of the "Bar-Thai" that I had learnt was in fact correct. I even learnt how to say "Can I shave your Pubic hair?" Well worth while and came in useful.

**Bobcock** · 26-02-2006, 05:38 PM

Started learning 16 years ago....very lazy I put no real effort into it for the last 10.....half of what i ask i forget.

I can write probably 200 words, read a lot that I don't understand, gain the plaudits and admiring coo's, but really I'm a fraud.....

report Card....all the ability...could do better.

story of my Life

**Eliminator** · 27-02-2006, 07:43 AM

I find it hard as I can't hear the tone differences, it's all moo to me. I spend virtually no time in the study area and rely on just picking up stuff here and there. I guess I would say my Thai is: pak chee roi nah

**Smeg** · 03-03-2006, 09:25 AM

Originally Posted by durianfan

Can any of you write Thai? I might be able to speak it one day, but the written form looks bloody impossible.

The reading is easy, its just a case of learning the script and rules.

I can read an entire page of a newspaper out, but I haven't got a bloody clue what I'm saying.

**ChiangMai noon** · 03-03-2006, 09:33 AM

I can read well enough, writing is a different story.
I guess it comes with practice but my spelling is shocking.

**NickA** · 03-03-2006, 01:18 PM

Originally Posted by ChiangMai noon

I can read well enough, writing is a different story. I guess it comes with practice but my spelling is shocking.

Yes, CMN, but they are talking about Thai, not English

**DrAndy** · 03-03-2006, 03:17 PM

I am ashamed to say my Thai is crap

everytime I return to Thailand I seem to have forgotten everything I learnt before, so have to start again

depending on which country I have been staying in, those foreign words seem to pop out of my brain rather than the correct Thai ones

I wish I could be like an air hostess and just change easily from language to language

**danbo** · 04-03-2006, 06:00 PM

I've been learning off and on for a couple of years and can hold my own in the standard 'where you from - ooh, nice shoes' conversation. Getting past this stage is a real problem though. I try expanding my vocab, but find it very hard to retain the info unless I use the words. This isn't always that easy and can become very forced: 'I like holding binoculars. Especially when I am embroidering my goat's handkerchiefs.'.....Depends on the taxi driver of course.

Reading is getting better. Quikte fast now and I am able to guess words from context quite a lot (I think so at least). As for writing, it is all memory based. There seems no pattern or rules to the letters to use, e.g. for word endings - I write in a phonetic way.

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