Thai Language

Learning to speak Thai is well worthwhile, and better sooner than later.

As you learn Thai, you will not only become more functional and less frustrated, but you will also extend your range in the Thailand experience, and also come to appreciate the culture. The extent of your understanding of the Thai culture will be limited by how well you understand the language, as it is the core of the Thai mentality.

Nonetheless, I know many expat managing directors and others who have spent years in Thailand and not learned the language. I, myself, had spent 4 months in Thailand before I started to learn the language, as all the Thais I dealt with could speak good English. Professional Thais can usually understand and can often speak English well.

Whether to learn Thai, and how much, all depends on what kind of existence in Thailand you wish for in your experiences, and how much you are really willing to work to learn the language.

The good news is that the language isn't really very difficult, the most difficult part is the first few months when the hearing part of your brain needs a little experience with this language's various sounds, and after you learn a little bit of the language, you start to learn it faster and it becomes fun.

Other websites cover the Thai language very well, and I'd rather not reinvent the wheel. Instead, I would like to just point out the main features of the Thai language, give some tips about learning the basics, and relate my experiences in learning Thai. After that general guidance, I list some websites and non-web resources to help you.

Thailand is a class conscious society much moreso than the West, and polite charm rather than assertiveness helps get one ahead. Thai is a politely spoken language in good business, and as there are different ways of saying the same thing in general social conversation, sensitive word choice can make a difference in the course of things. It may be good for you to appreciate the differences. While it's not a majorly significant factor if a foreigner of established position or skills speaks some bar Thai while trying to speak the local dialect, and Thais will generally forgive non-native speakers and take it all in good humor, nonetheless it's at least enjoyable to be sensitive to all elements.

Thai, which is sometimes referred to as Siamese, is part of the Tai language family. The languages in this family belong to the much larger Austric language group. The spoken language is believed to have originated in the area which is now the border between Vietnam and China, an idea which provides clues to the origin of the Thai people, an area of continued academic debate.

The written Thai Language was introduced by the third Sukothai period king, Ramkamhaeng, in 1283. This writing system has undergone little change since its introduction, so inscriptions from the Sukothai era can be read by modern Thai readers. The writing was based on Pali, Sanskrit, and Indian concepts, and many Mon and Khmer words entered the language.

The grammar of the Thai language is considerably simpler than the ones in Western languages. Most significantly, words are not modified or conjugated for tenses, plurals, genders, or subject-verb agreement. Articles such as "a", "an", or "the" are also not used. Tenses, levels of politeness, verb-to-noun conversion, and other language concepts are accomplished with the simple addition of various modifying words (called "particles") to the basic subject-verb-object format.

Approximately 50 million people speak Thai worldwide. It is used by about 85% of the population in Thailand, as well as by small groups of people in the United States, the United Arab Emirates, and Singapore. Thai stipulates different ways to address people to show varying degrees of respect or to acknowledge a person's social rank. For example, there are particles that can be added at the end of a sentence to indicate deference to the person being spoken to, or to communicate the speaker's opinion about what is being described.

Even though the official “second language” of the Thai people is English, this does not mean that the average Thai citizen can speak English. In truth the majority of Thai citizens cannot speak any English at all. For the most part only the educated elite and those directly connected to the tourist industry are the only members of Thai society that have any proficiency in English.

In Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket and other major cities, the level of English is quite good but tourists will find that the Thai’s ability to speak English diminishes as one move further away.

Basic Thai

This is a tonal language. The same word (when spelt in English) can be said in five different ways-each with a different tone attached tone attached to it and hence a different meaning together.

Like English it is read from left to right, but that’s where the similarities end. Some English sounds like “th” and “z” don’t appear at all, while soma Thai sounds are not commonly used in English either.

There are no plurals in Thai nor are there tenses such. A word or two is usually added to determine the past, present or future. If you run into difficulties remember to speak slowly and clearly, stick to the simple present tense and don’t use slang or idioms.

In Thai there is a “politening” word attached to the end of anything you say. For men it is “Khrap” for women “Kha”. The word has little if any direct translation but a Thai will think very highly of you if you use it.

Learning to count to 10 and saying “thank you” and “excuse me” will bring you great admiration from the locals. Learning the numbers also does wonders for you bargaining prowess.