John W. Says:
Do I need to learn the language to live in Thailand? How would I go about this?
IL Executive Editor Jennifer Stevens Says:
Hi John,
That really depends on where in Thailand you would like to live, and how integrated with the locals you plan to get.
If you’re living in one of the major cities, a popular tourist area, or a known expat community, you can get by with speaking English. However, when you move out of these areas English is not widely spoken, and some Thai language is needed.
Learning the language can improve your understanding of the culture, make it easier to communicate within businesses and officials, make new Thai friends, get better prices at markets, keep your brain active and help you find out what is happening in your town by being able to read or communicate with Thais.
It’s also respectful, and Thai people appreciate foreigners who try—even if you’re not especially fluent.
And that’s understandable, because the Thai language can be quite difficult for English speakers to learn. It’s a tonal language, which means individual syllables have a corresponding tone and may result in different meanings.
Most expats learn minimum greetings, polite requests, and thank you. That’s generally enough to get by in expat areas and to show willingness with the locals, given the complexity of the language to Western ears.
If you choose to go further than this, identify precisely why you want to learn Thai and to what level. Do you want to be at a beginner level and understand greetings and make polite requests? Are you aiming for advanced, detailed conversation in Thai? Do you want to be able to read and write?
Having a clear picture in mind can help you refocus if you lose your mojo. A clear goal will help you choose the right learning methods for you and your budget.
Fortunately, there are many resources online and a fantastic range of ways to learn Thai.
Initially, I would recommend an online program like ThaiPod 101. This site sometimes offers packages giving full access to their online programs from about $7 per month, and you can upgrade to receive online tuition.
The company also has a YouTube channel with lots of free lessons, which you can find here.
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