Learning Thai Language

[doug 0]

What is the best way to learn thai?

I know I could hang out at the beer bars and eventually pick up a bit but what have others done that has worked well.

[PSP 7]

Hi Doug

 

There are thousands of books, tapes, CD ROMs etc, which all claim to be able to teach you the complex language of Thai in no time at all.

 

In my limited experience, there is no substitute for actually being in the country, listening to girls talking and gradually to start to become familar with some of the more common words that are spoken.

 

That said, there are a number of websites that are quite useful.  The following one is probably a good starting point but I am sure others will have some recommendations:

 

http://www.thailandlife.com/language/

 

Good Luck

 

PSP:)

[duece 0]

Hi Doug

For my sins I have been trying to learn for the last two or three years off and on, have bought all the books and cd roms and still find it difficult. :-[

The main trouble is I have yet to find a really good simple book or cd rom, some good bits in some and other good bits in others but not a general easy to learn way.

If you e-mail me I have started to put some of the best bits together to make it easier to start, am willing to send you a bit of stuff to get you started if you want.  

What I have just found recently if you want to learn the Thai writing is the books the junior kids use in Thailand(a real good way of starting and understanding) :-/

Again it all depends on how much you are planning to learn  only a few words or to speak fluent, also are you planning to read and write Thai.

PSP has shown you the best web site that I have come across on the web and also his tip of actually talking to Thais is good advice, but for most of us thats just not practical (apart for 2 or 3 weeks a year).

All the best

And good luck (chock dee)  ::)

duece

[kahala 0]

I found this at Pattayalovers Dot Com and thought you might enjoy looking at it. I suppose if your TG can read Thai and wants to, she could teach you how to say it :) Of course if you happen to get on her bad side, she may teach you how to say it wrong, and then you'll really be in Big Trouble  ::)

 

ENGLISH  THAI  

are you a man or a woman? -- koon pen poo jai ru poo ying?  

cheers -- chok dee  

do you speak English? -- put pah-sah ankrit dai mai?  

drunk -- mauw  

I am drunk -- maew laew  

fun/pleasure -- sanuk  

goodbye--  la gon  

hello -- sawadee kap  

hotel -- roong ra-em  

how are you? -- sabai dee ru  

how much do you want? -- kun tong kan toa rai  

how old are you? -- kun ah yu tow rai  

I am going to...--  chan cha pie...  

I cannot speak thai -- put thai mai dai  

I don't think so -- mai jai  

I don't understand -- mai kow jai  

masturbate -- chak-waa  

I go toilet -- me go pee pee  

I don't want -- mai ow  

I love you -- pom rak kun  

make love -- pom pom  

may I sleep with you? -- non duai kon dai mai krap  

never mind -- mai ben rai klap  

how much?--  mee nguen mai maak  

I don't have much money -- lot rakka dai mai  

can you discount a little -- paeng pai  

too expensive -- poot len naw  

you must be joking -- ow thuuk  

I want it cheaper -- thao rai or kee baht?  

no -- mai / Plao  

not spicy food, please -- ko mai pet  

please speak slowly -- prot put sha-sha  

pee you later -- laew pup gan mai  

slow down -- sha-sha  

stop -- yut  

thank you -- kop kun kap  

today -- wannee  

tomorrow -- prung nee  

too much -- markeen pie  

very good -- di mak  

what's your name?--  kun chu arai krap  

what time is it?--  ki mong laew  

what? -- arai na  

whatever you like -- arai ko dai  

where are you going?--  kun cha pie nai  

I'm not feeling well -- mai sabai  

get me a doctor -- ow maw mae tenee  

go to a hospital -- pai rong paiapbahn  

sore stomach -- jep thong  

sore neck -- jep khor  

vomit -- oo-aak  

injection -- cheet yah  

pill -- yah  

veterinarian--  maaw saat  

yes -- jai  

1  neung  

2  song  

3  saam  

4  see  

5  ha  

6  hok  

7  jet  

8  paet  

9  gow  

10  sip  

11  sip et  

12  sip song ...  

20  yee sip  

30  saam sip  

100  loy  

1,000  phan  

10,000  muen  

100,000  saen  

1,000,000  laan  

have you eaten yet? -- khao liang?  

are you hungry?--  hue mai?  

what have/are you eaten?--  gin arai?  

I don't like that. -- mai chawp  

I don't drink alcohol -- mai duem lao  

I don't eat meat -- mai gin nua, paak yang deeo  

I can't eat spicy food -- gin ahaan phet mai dai  

not spicy or hot -- mai ow prik  

water -- naam  

beer -- be-ah  

orange juice -- naam som  

lemon juice -- naam manao  

tea - hot iced -- cha - lawn - yen  

coffee -- kafae  

where is the train station ?--  sathanee rot-fai yoo tenee ?  

airport ? -- sanaam-bin ?  

bus station ?--  Sathanee rot-bus ?  

post office ? -- pai-sanee ?  

a good hotel? -- roon raem dee ?  

good Thai restaurant -- long ahann Thai dee  

where are you going? -- pai nai?  

I'm not going anywhere? -- mai pai ?  

 

 

 

Caution: when speaking Thai pronounciation must be 'near perfect' to be understood. These phrases are simply a guide and do not show the various 'tones' that you need to get the meaning right. Using the wrong tones will only get a response of a blank expression, people laughing at you for saying something with an entirely different meaning or possibly causing serious offence!

[PSP 7]

Hi Doug

PSP has shown you the best web site that I have come across on the web and also his tip of actually talking to Thais is good advice, but for most of us thats just not practical (apart for 2 or 3 weeks a year).

All the best

And good luck (chock dee)  ::)

duece

 

What Duece was too modest to mention was that a) he introduced me to the site I posted and he has been a positive and informative source in my poor attempts to come anywhere near close to learning this complex and difficult language.

 

One thing you need to ask yourself, however, is why do you want to learn the language and if you are successful, what use will you put it to?

 

If one's only purpose in learning the language is to be in a position to be more effective in chatting to the girls than I suggest that this can be achieved relatively quickly.  If, however, you wish to master it with a view to living in Thailand permanently then that is a very different story.

 

Those of you that are really interested in this topic should talk to Peter at FLB.  He will tell you how much study and effort he has put into this subject and how difficult it can be if you wish to progress beyond the most basic understanding.

 

PSP:)

[antbear 0]

;D I have given learning Thai a lot of consideration. I have tried it from the talk to the girl angle, used books and CD's angle and have spent many months in the company of only Thai people speaking Thai. Its a daunting task, but not impossible.

Most bar girls you meet speak Lao or worse still Khmer and they usually use these to speak about you.

If you are seriously interested in learning Thai satr as kids do with the alphabet and pronouncing the characters. Will with and practise you can then read Thai (very NB). Once you understand the structure of the language its much easier.

On a general note don't be afraid to try, just keep smiling and laugh while doing so. Remember you may be asking for a tiger at a clothes stall or worse still telling a girl she's unlucky instead of beautiful. Its good fun though.

 

Books: try Boonsan Beckers 3 books. Beginners, intermediate and Advanced. The brown books with tapes.

[doug 0]

Thanks everybody for the help.  Its greatly appreciated.

If you are in Pattaya April 2-12 I'll buy the first round.

My motivation for learning thai is pretty simple.  I guess

I just feel that I should be able to converse in the local

language while I am there just to make it easier to get around, read the signs, etc.  Chatting up a few bar girls is cake under the icing  ;D

[Joop 0]

Hey Doug, I will be in Thailand on the 6th of April.  So I will meet up with ya for a beer or three with a fellow Californian.  What are you flying?  I fly Korean Air out of LA, it is only $569 roundtrip to Bkk.  

 

Thai is way too hard for me to learn, I was in Japan for five years and picked it up eventually...  My mind just doesn't do languages well...  It is good to know a little Thai but you won't really use it too much.

 

Cris

[Odense 488]

There are also several schools which among other things teach thai to farangs - and it is relatively cheap - 200-300 baht per hour for one on one lessons. IMHO a good way to learn a few words - and not a bad way to spend an hour or two - but I have to admit to beeing a lousy student with regards to homework

 

Enjoy the LIFE

[Butch 3,456]

Hi Fellas

The PLB's list of phrases is good but bear in mind that Thai is a tonal language so the pronunciation could be 100% but if the tones are out then it sounds bollocks basically.for example

"mai mai mai mai mai?" sounds the same but with different tone inflections means "new wood doesn't burn does it?"

[source Thai for beginners by Benjawan Poomsan Becker]

 

The book I mentioned above comes with three tapes [excellent for tonal practices],writing excersises [not as good as some] several vocabulary lessons and is 600 THBish from the bookshop on Beach Rd near Royal Plaza or alternatively the bookshop at the end of Pattaya Central Road  where it joins Beach Rd.

There is also Thai for Intermediate learners by the same author and again comes with three tapes,but then it gets into all kind of complicated shit.

 

I have the ISBN numbers of both and I believe they are availible from Amazon at a vastly inflated price.

 

As a writing system I can see the logic behind it [Hey I understand Thai Logic,do I get a prize?] but I'll be fucked if I can be bothered to learn it,cos most of the signs are in English lol.

 

Pom bpai rong reem tam chuck wao kup.  

Butch

[jwpncsd 0]

Try this...the price is right.

 

http://www.seasite.niu.edu/Thai/maanii1/ma....htm://http://www.seasite.niu.edu/Thai/maa...arget="_blank">://http://www.seasite.niu.edu/Thai/maa...arget="_blank">://http://www.seasite.niu.edu/Thai/maa...t="_blank">

 

 

Ahhh, there we go...

 

Hey how can I attach a link without typing it in?  (I'm not a computer guy.)

[Guest]

Hello; A  few coments on learning thai. i did try it myself and found it very challenging, like somebody said, this language has countless tones that must be said perfect or you probably be saying something different, worse, might end up insulting someone . you have to set realistic goals and be honest to yourself in deciding if you can achieve them, I speak Spanish and a little portugues and see how frustrating it can be to learn a foreign language. beginning to realize in my case that just basic thai will be enough for my needs. to be honest the only time i hear thai is only when i'm in thailand and  always stay in cities and 99.99 %, the people i deal with speak enough english to understand each other  .///

[SlideBoy 0]

Can someone tell me what "Tokbet" means in Thai?

A friend at work tried to give me a few tips and I don't know weather he is playing a practical joke. Thanks

[PattayaPete 527]

Literally it means fishing but it is slang for female masturbation as opposed to male masturbation which is chug wow.

[SlideBoy 0]

Thanks Pete, at least now I know if I get slapped that I didn't call her buffalo shit or something like that. The fact is I don't trust any of my workmates as I am due many paybacks from jokes I have played. I will be in on Sunday night for a drink with one I am bringing for the first time.

[SOLOTREKKER 0]

I will have to rely on english speaking Thais to get by, I expect I will pick up a few simple Phrases but thai being such a complex language I dont think I learn much in the few weeks that I will be in LOS, I speak Passable German, and all my family are Gaelic (Scottish) speakers,

But its been such a long time since I was in Scotland that I have forgotten most of it, when I was small all I heard was gaelic, and now most if it is gone from my head, I learnt German in the 60's from watching TV there all the time, it takes 18 months of intensive single language study to get to degree level, and even some students fail, I work in a language school which teaches

Russian, Arabic and all the European Languages.

My advice from my travells is to pick up what you need

when you are 'in country' and take a small phrase book that you can show a local to interpret for you,  I have bought the Rough Guide pocket book of Thai because it has english phrases with the Thai writing to accompany each phrase, because Thai, Like The various Chinese dialects use pitch and tone to describe the same word with different meanings it would be too difficult learn recreationaly.  I expect that even Pete is still learning the language and he lives there!.

 

As always politeness will get you much further than being fluent in Thai.

[doug 0]

1. The Japanese eat very little fat and suffer fewer

heart attacks than the British or Americans.

 

2. On the other hand, the French eat a lot of fat and

also suffer fewer heart attacks than the British or

Americans.

 

3. The Chinese drink very little red wine and suffer

fewer heart attacks than the British or Americans.

 

4. The Italians drink excessive amounts of red wine

and also suffer fewer heart attacks than the British

or Americans.

 

Conclusion: Eat & drink what you like. It's speaking

English that kills you.

[tko 219]

As long as this thread is here... what does NGOW mean.  At first I thought she was saying NAOW (cold) but now I realize it was NGOR NGOO at the front.

 

Many thanks!

[tko 219]

Oops.  Never mind.  I found it when I remembered some times there is that silent "h" in front of the first consonent.

[ryu9090 1]

If anyone from this board is from Hawaii, there are THAI  classses offered here at your local Adult Education School.  Theres beginning THAI and advanced THAI.  Both for about $35 each.  Each session is about 3 hours long and you meet up twice a week for 6 weeks.  I'm enrolled in it right now at the KAIMUKI campus.  It's not exactly THAI 101, but it definitely helps!!!

 

 

RYU9090

[dad 1]

Thought I would put in my two baht worth.  I have come to know some Thai people here in Chicago and they told me that the temple offers Thai classes.  If you have any Thai people in your city they may offer Thai classes.  They do it here so their children can learn the home land language.  As others have suggested you need to speak words exactly corrct or you could be in big trouble.  For example the word for beautiful is the same word that means something like bad luck only with a different intonation.  As the more experienced people on this board have said, if your doing this just to talk to the girls it's easy to learn a couple of words and phrases.  If you want to learn the language to live in Thailand you need to take a class.  Best of luck.

dad

[Guest]

On the subject of Thai Language my TG always calls me "Tee Ruck" (think that's how it is spelt). Anyone translate this for me?

[triplegee 0]

term of endearment mate.... means "darling".... spelt tilac but we all know how TG's pronounce their l's!!  ;D gotta luv 'em....

[Guest]

Thanks for the information pal + the spelling correction. Glad it didn't mean something offensive  ::)