Talking english in Thailand

[bernipes]

Hi everybody,

i'm just thinking about it but, is that ok if we are talking only in english in Thailand?

What are the fresh news there about corona? i can imagine it's just impossible to think about going there before next winter

[Rockheart]

Nearly all the road signs and Advertising in Thailand are in Thai and English. Most people in the tourist areas can speak English.
Most of the taxi drivers at the airport can do English but if you get outside the tourist areas less and less people speak English.
Children also learn English all through school and most kids there these days know the English Alphabet song.

Ladyboys that come from the country can tend to be less education but usually know some English. However they are not very good since not many speak it where they come from.
Bangkok ladyboys are usually more educated and fluent in English. I've been lazy in learning Thai because i always get a LB GF to translate or speak for me.
Since i have started to understand more Thai over the years, it is still interesting to hear what they say when they think I don't understand them at all.

Thailand was basically colonized by the English so it is very acceptable.

Hopefully we can all get back to Thailand sooner than later.

[rxpharm]

Crag is correct, if you stay mostly in the tourist areas, English is fine. You can also use Google translate if you don't have an lb girlfriend to translate for you. I think Thailand will be open for tourism later this year, possibly as early as July, but there will be some kind of restrictions in place (countries with low numbers of cases, possible testing on arrival - and quarantine if you are positive, etc).

[P&G]

I wouldn't be so optimistic about corona virus. That has nothing to do with Thailand but with this crazy disease. To be honest, I'd rather say it'll take as much time as necessary to solve it.

As said above, you'll have no problem with English as long as you stay in touristic areas. I got panicked on my first trip 10 seconds only when I saw signs in Thai at the airport but soon realized that every sign sign or almost is doubled in English.

Google translate is very useful in non touristic areas to communicate with Thai people. I reckon that these areas are more fun once you get used to Thailand.

My Thai speaking is restricted to basic words "hello", please", "bye", "thank you". A ladyboy taught me how to say please a more sophisticated way ie in a restaurant. Otherwise, I never tried. The real challenge IMHO is to avoid paying a luxury service when an ordinary one is enough (ie go by bus instead of paying an expensive taxi fare) and on the other hand to decide spending more money to get a better service if need be.

[Rockheart]

Google translate and maps are very helpful with taxi drivers and others that speak no English.
Most of my experiences with travelling outside of tourist areas was when i had no device like this, pre 2012.
Also great for other tourists that you don't understand.

I've gotten Taxi drivers that could not speak English or read Thai.
One time i had a business card for the MTF clinic in Bangkok where Cake was having her surgery that was written in Thai and English.
Two taxi drivers could not read the card and it was very hard to get to my destination because i barely knew where it was.

I was staying at Cake's condo she rented deep in Ratchada area while she was at the MTF clinic, like 20 blocks off the main street. There was no one anywhere nearby that spoke English and no Falangs in the area but me. I knew the Soi on Ratchada to turn on but beyond that I had no way to explain to drivers where it was. I even had the address on a piece of paper, but the address was so new and obscure, they had no clue. Fortunately i noticed there was Signs advertising the condo with arrows pointing the way to go that were written in Thai and English. Otherwise I would have been screwed.

The first time i went to Thailand we got in a taxi and the driver pretended not to speak English and drove us straight to one of those jewelry factories.
They wouldn't call us a taxi to go back until we toured the goods.

I always thought Bangkok was safe for Falangs everywhere but one time Cake took me to the worst neighborhood I have ever seen there.
Her sister was lesbian and lived with her GF in an apartment that was more like a jail cell, just horrible place to live.
We ate a a restaurant near by and it was the cheapest food I have ever seen in all of Thailand but was just as good as anywhere.
No one spoke any English and the menu was only in Thai with no pictures. I tried to tip the girl but she had no concept of getting tipped.
Cake convinced her to take it but after that some guy was trying to pick a fight with me over tipping her.
I think they were a little offended by me and my English in general, so there is some places English it is not welcome.
No phone would help me in this situation.

[bernipes]

Nearly all the road signs and Advertising in Thailand are in Thai and English. Most people in the tourist areas can speak English.
Most of the taxi drivers at the airport can do English but if you get outside the tourist areas less and less people speak English.
Children also learn English all through school and most kids there these days know the English Alphabet song.

Ladyboys that come from the country can tend to be less education but usually know some English. However they are not very good since not many speak it where they come from.
Bangkok ladyboys are usually more educated and fluent in English. I've been lazy in learning Thai because i always get a LB GF to translate or speak for me.
Since i have started to understand more Thai over the years, it is still interesting to hear what they say when they think I don't understand them at all.

Thailand was basically colonized by the English so it is very acceptable.

Hopefully we can all get back to Thailand sooner than later.

Nice

Thanks it definitely answer me!!!

[bernipes]

About the coronavirus, it' will have an end anyway... we just have to be patient.

We are so lucky to have google translate and maps

it's basically the same evolution than have a GPS compare to a map

[George Pill]

Read this funny article. Lookit the size of Thai children's school.

https://www.theblondtravels.com/teac...-and-the-ugly/

Watch the video. I saw it earlier with closed captions which was better. Thailand definitely needs foreign English teachers. Especially for the ladyboys.

https://thethaiger.com/education/criticism-over-bad-english-lesson-in-thai-online-class

[Rockheart]

Read this funny article. Lookit the size of Thai children's school.

https://www.theblondtravels.com/teac...-and-the-ugly/

I like this comment by the one teacher:

A couple of months ago I caught one of the ladyboys looking at vaginas on her mobile phone. She later explained, without a trace of embarrassment, that she was choosing which one she wanted.

[George Pill]

Yes. Go out and make lots of ladyboy friends. Invite them over to your room with beer and refreshments. Just talk story and try not to laugh. They're like those late night comical talk shows where they tell you jokes after jokes. I love Katoeys. Love Thailand. Wanna go back ASAP! Maybe teach English. But gotta learn Thailand. This is why I hated the Philippines. They speak English, but there's no communication. They're mouthing the words in terrible accents and pretend to understand what they're talking about. When I attended med school in Manila I was often asked what I was studying in the Philippines. I told them I wasn't studying anything. They were studying me.

You know what? Looking at those schoolgirls in their nice white uniforms so eager to learn but receiving incredibly stupid teachings by incredibly stupid Thai teachers makes me understand how serious the education system is failing these kids starving for the right way to learn English. But the government keeps telling prospective American teachers they will process the teaching visas over and over again. But still no actions. So they give up and leave never to return. Makes me so mad at Thailand and all Asian country's for failing to educate them into the 21st Century. But what can you do? What can we do? Maybe go there and adopt them cute kids into American families so they can be educated smart enough to become CEO's, bankers, lawyers, doctors, politicians who mean what they say, and such. It makes me super angry that they can't receive a decent education. There are a few schools like Iolani (which I attended) and Punahou (where Obama was educated excellently enough to become our President) that give scholarships to foreign kids. They get "adopted" into American families who love to take them around the islands, take them surfing, scuba diving, hiking in our green mansions called forests, and do everything American. They do fall in love with these kids and sometimes eventually adopt them. Like the young Chinese girl who was standing at a donut shop waiting in a small mall near my home. She was wearing a brand new latest model aluminum prosthetic leg starting at mid-thigh. I had to approach the middle-aged Caucasian adopting parents and say how thankful I was that they adopted this child. I understand how important it is for people around the world to help 3rd world countries like the famous Marshall Plan, BUT there are too many children in Brazil, Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Muslim countries, and more who are in need. What can I, you, and we do to help?

[P&G]

About the coronavirus, it' will have an end anyway... we just have to be patient.

We are so lucky to have google translate and maps

it's basically the same evolution than have a GPS compare to a map

It will reach an end sooner or later, but I ain't optimistic about this year. I expect an improvement in Summer and a come back with a second wave in Autumn. The year is fucked up to get incomes, but hopefully, 2021 will be a return to normal business.

[bernipes]

Read this funny article. Lookit the size of Thai children's school.

https://www.theblondtravels.com/teac...-and-the-ugly/

Watch the video. I saw it earlier with closed captions which was better. Thailand definitely needs foreign English teachers. Especially for the ladyboys.

https://thethaiger.com/education/cri...i-online-class

We are happy in Engli class

We are happy happy

That's funny because i was reading the article before watching the video. The students was not so loud

[bernipes]

Yes. Go out and make lots of ladyboy friends. Invite them over to your room with beer and refreshments. Just talk story and try not to laugh. They're like those late night comical talk shows where they tell you jokes after jokes. I love Katoeys. Love Thailand. Wanna go back ASAP! Maybe teach English. But gotta learn Thailand. This is why I hated the Philippines. They speak English, but there's no communication. They're mouthing the words in terrible accents and pretend to understand what they're talking about. When I attended med school in Manila I was often asked what I was studying in the Philippines. I told them I wasn't studying anything. They were studying me.

You know what? Looking at those schoolgirls in their nice white uniforms so eager to learn but receiving incredibly stupid teachings by incredibly stupid Thai teachers makes me understand how serious the education system is failing these kids starving for the right way to learn English. But the government keeps telling prospective American teachers they will process the teaching visas over and over again. But still no actions. So they give up and leave never to return. Makes me so mad at Thailand and all Asian country's for failing to educate them into the 21st Century. But what can you do? What can we do? Maybe go there and adopt them cute kids into American families so they can be educated smart enough to become CEO's, bankers, lawyers, doctors, politicians who mean what they say, and such. It makes me super angry that they can't receive a decent education. There are a few schools like Iolani (which I attended) and Punahou (where Obama was educated excellently enough to become our President) that give scholarships to foreign kids. They get "adopted" into American families who love to take them around the islands, take them surfing, scuba diving, hiking in our green mansions called forests, and do everything American. They do fall in love with these kids and sometimes eventually adopt them. Like the young Chinese girl who was standing at a donut shop waiting in a small mall near my home. She was wearing a brand new latest model aluminum prosthetic leg starting at mid-thigh. I had to approach the middle-aged Caucasian adopting parents and say how thankful I was that they adopted this child. I understand how important it is for people around the world to help 3rd world countries like the famous Marshall Plan, BUT there are too many children in Brazil, Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Muslim countries, and more who are in need. What can I, you, and we do to help?

I totally see what you mean. It's one of theses question which are too hard to answer.

What can we do for education of people around the world ? what can we do about starvation around the world ?

It will take time but i'm an optimist and i think at the end everybody will have a minimum of everything on our planet. At least, some Chinese people start to have some days off !! so nothing is over.

[bernipes]

It will reach an end sooner or later, but I ain't optimistic about this year. I expect an improvement in Summer and a come back with a second wave in Autumn. The year is fucked up to get incomes, but hopefully, 2021 will be a return to normal business.

yeah, the thing is, this shit is too new. we just need time to understand how to live with it anyway. we'll keep this shit for a while and can't stop to live.

[P&G]

We are happy in Engli class

We are happy happy

That's funny because i was reading the article before watching the video. The students was not so loud

What foreign languages do you speak, that gives you the right to laugh at Thai children ?