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- Rob V: I would almost think that almost all Western authors who write a novel with Thailand as a setting all have the same plot
- Rudolf: Quote: What are the current estimated costs of building a house per m². That just depends on what kind of requirements you meet
- Johnny B.G: In the 50s-80s/90s, Dutch regularly grown food also contained poison and yet there are 20% elderly people in the Netherlands and in TH that is also the case.
- Johnny B.G: The interpreter bases himself on a number of sources, but there is of course much more to it. In Isaan since 50-60 years ago r
- rob: On average I stay in Thailand 6 to 8 months a year and enjoy the food there every day. I will never, ever be told
- Eric Kuypers: Robert, do you know how big the Isaan is? Say NL three times, so it makes sense if you give a little bit of direction like the pro
- RonnyLatYa: Yes, I say that Kanchanaburi is just an example and that you can change that. You can also do this on the web page itself and then see
- william-korat: In the dry period the line is bottom of Bangkok and lower and east of that to just above Khao Yai National Park usually we
- Eric Kuypers: If you change the command line, such as https://www.iqair.com/thailand/nong-khai, you will get a different city or region. But you
- Cornelis: Well, GeertP, I am absolutely not a 'Brussels sprouts supporter' or THE Red Brand addict, but that does not mean that I don't like the Thai cuisine.
- Rudolf: It depends on what you are looking for in Thailand, but to be honest you don't have much choice in my opinion. The big cities are falling apart
- RonnyLatYa: Also take a look at this. https://www.iqair.com/thailand/kanchanaburi Also scroll down a bit and they will also give you some explanation
- Peter (editor): I also enjoy the Thai food and yes, the price is very attractive. But it's just a fact that Thai farmers are unbelievable
- Jacks: It is best to go in the period November to February. Someone with asthma should absolutely not come here from March to May
- GeertP: Dear Ronald, I completely agree with your story, I also enjoy Thai cuisine every day and even after 45 years of Thai
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Home » Reader question » Reader question: How can I better understand the Thai language?
Dear readers,
I am trying to learn Thai. Have taken courses and studied the necessary books. Can read Thai reasonably well and even the modern fonts without the circles become a bit clearer to me. And when I pronounce some Thai sentences, everyone thinks that's keng. But now it comes.
Every year on holiday in Korat area I find out that understanding conversations just doesn't work. Everything goes too fast and sounds just a bit different than on the courses and on the many youtube videos. Who knows how that understanding can be better learned?
Regards,
Do
There is only one method to learn to understand Thai and that is a lot of talking and listening. I don't know how long you've been learning Thai. It took me 2 years of living in Thailand and speaking only Thai before I could properly follow most conversations. Videos only help partially. Practice is the magic word.
It's training and patience.
The courses on youtube are probably adapted to people who have not grown up with the Thai language.
The Thai probably do that automatically too, because a conversation between Thais is more difficult for me to follow than when they say something to me.
I myself assume that for learning a language, a new part of the brain is used, because at a certain point you also think in that language, and you no longer translate from Dutch.
It is possible that new norms and values will even be built up there.
That will become more difficult as the years go by.
Maybe take a class in Korat. Thai lessons are given near Madam Yamo.
That's a good tip Martin. Thanks. I'll go by tomorrow. So I'll be here for another two weeks.
Thai lessons are given close to the Farthai Hotel, on the street opposite Madam Yamo. You can probably also get cenversation lessons there.
Hello Wil, have you learned Thai as it is spoken in and around Bangkok? In Korat they speak Isaan, which is a dialect with influences from Laos and Cambodia. I am from Brabant, when I speak to a friend from Groningen we understand each other fine. When two people from Groningen speak to each other it is inimitable to me.
An acquaintance from Korat is unintelligible when he speaks the usual “Tai Berng”, local Thai dialect. (Is different from Isan, Lao or Kampuchea)
I started taking lessons in primary school in the first grade. This as a volunteer and help from the eh (handsome) teacher of 52 years.
By talking to small children you have to. children have the patience and enjoy interacting with a crazy white nose. Oh cost me a lot of ice cream and candy. After 4 years I can hardly save myself. Although I speak 6 European languages.
Oh because we're talking about groningers.
Well now that I was born as a race ex Groninger on the highland but grew up in the woldstreek great difficulty with the westerkwartiers (grootegast and further) or someone from Ter Apel.
Oh and 80% of those who think they still speak gronings are unintelligible because 80% already think they should speak Dutch (Haarlem dialect).
Yes, that's what you say… Korat (Nakhon Ratchasima). Can't understand the locals. How they talk there is also a mystery to me.
I have been trying to speak Thai for over 20 years. Can write and read it.
In the big city and where people are better developed I can get by quite well.
Might look like Volendam where they also speak their own language. Indeed, it is not Isan that they speak in Korat, as many think, but a dialect of Thai. I personally have no problems with my Thai because where I go or stand speaks to me in Thai. I notice that this dialect of Thai is spoken in Korat and regions of Chayaphum province.
As a resident of Korat, Khon Kaen and Roi Et I know the differences. In my opinion, the Isaan starts behind Khon Kaen, so to the north of it and to the east of Khon Kaen.
Surrounding Korat, a dialect is spoken which is Thai but very difficult to follow for Bangkok.
Yes, Jos, I'm sure, but I'm looking for a solution.
There's only one way to improve your listening skills and that's a lot of practice. Take lessons, ask the teacher to have conversations with you and make sure you often find yourself in situations where you need to communicate in Thai. It can be very frustrating, but you will have to persevere.
If a dialect is spoken locally, that is an additional difficulty. Can't you get a lesson in that, so that you get to know the difference with regular Thai?
Korat speaks a kind of dialect that you cannot learn in books.
That is the case all over the globe, in Belgium, for example, people speak next to "civilized"
Dutch dozens of Flemish dialects. So don't worry.