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Your English is awesome...and your talent n energy is great too. I am so glad to find ur channel. I like local Thai people to be successful on UA-cam..you may do travel and local culture videos ...all the success to my new Thia friend....✈️👍👍👍💯

Really good ideas here. I’m only just starting to approach Thai but have worked on Vietnamese and many of these issues ring true. I live in a largely Vietnamese neighborhood with lots of Mexicans as well, and I always noticed that even if I spoke crap Spanish, Mexican people were always happy to speak it back to me. Vietnamese… Not so much. They just were not so used to hearing their language spoken by non-Vietnamese. As I improved my pronunciation they did become less weirded out by it. I actually pick up accents and pronunciation fairly quickly so it soon became the opposite problem, I would say something and they would assume that I knew a lot more than I did, and come back in very quick colloquial Vietnamese. And then when I didn’t get it, they’d say, “oh, I thought you actually knew Vietnamese!” (Ego crushed 😂) But at least that is real speech. As for “register” - - that’s really challenging. The linguistic term for that is “formant,” the vocal placement of a language. And you’re spot-on - kids up to a certain age hone in on sounds long before meaning. After that it’s one thing to try and pronounce consonants and vowels right, but people tend to forget how to listen beyond that. Someone recently asked me how to say something in Vietnamese (“hear”) and I said the word, “nghe”. But that “e” is quite strident and a bit nasal. He said “why are you saying it weird?” It sounded odd, but if you sit and listen to (especially) Southern Vietnamese people talking, you’ll hear that strident “e” a lot. People can feel quite self-conscious when they’re asked not only to use new words, and tones, but also change the most basic way they use their voice. Especially in the US, some people are afraid they might be seen as “mocking” people if they change their voice to match them. When they hear an Asian person learning English, they just assume it’s “the way their voice is,” but Asian-Americans who grow up speaking English don’t have that strident or high-pitch vocal placement. (I’ve even heard of people claiming that Vietnamese people have “different vocal equipment” and that it’s impossible for foreigners to reproduce those sounds. Which is nonsense of course, people just don’t really try. :-) Translating from the mother language is a big one, and also letting go of rigid ideas about propriety. Like in Vietnamese you’d order by saying “Give one ______.” Or “give (pronoun) one ______.” That sounds rude in English, but it’s perfectly okay in Viet. It takes a while to get used to, and to remember to use the “politeness words” in the right situations…

I agree with a lot of this, and even after I've been learning Thai for more than 16 years I still struggle with sentence structure. But then I started learning the language when I was already 44 y/o, but I do think it helps that I learned to read and write Thai as well. Doubtful I'll ever achieve fluency, but I will keep learning.

Great, I am encouraged to hear this!👍 Khob-Khun-Mahk-Krup

What an original take. I too am an oldie , at the point at which I can remember what I learned in my 30s , but since retiring here and trying to improve , I am finding it difficult to assimilate new words . However , I do enjoy listening to learn and find that really does help. What you say about register and local pronunciation are great points. Thank you I have subscribed.

I feel like Grover could help illustrate the near, far difference 😀

I gave up trying years ago, and my wife teaches Thai

Absolutely right with the Thai people loving foreigners trying to speak/learn the language. I’m an Australian born Asian Vietnamese learning Thai and the Thai locals here love it.

Great video. I'm an accent/voice coach teaching RP English (also studying Thai) and all your points are very important and well explained, particularly the one about listening. It's amazing how many of my students overlook this, despite living in the UK.

I needed this video because, when I saw the Thai tones, I was so worried that people wouldn't understand me😂❤

Especially liked the part about different registers for languages! Such a great point!

This exists almost everywhere in the world except that the determination of hierarchy is not always age. In the West, it is simply wealth. An expensive lawyer can help a rich person get away with murder, rape and drug use while we have prisons full of innocent poor people.

This helps me a bit with the turtle letter; ต

Great film thankyou Khun Jaem . I always start off with, ‘Hello, how are you,’ and general things like, ‘What lovely weather.’ So the person gets an idea of my accent. Only then do I speak with more complex comments. Works so much better. Best wishes from me here.

Such great encouragement! I find the Sanskrit words challenging, but I must agree how forgiving the grammar is ❤ Btw Romain said he’d cheer you on if you learned French 😂

Brilliant video, thank you! I love it, you are on point on every topic. And I like the way you express yourself, it's easy to understand and it makes total sense 🙏

Excellent critical thinking skills on this nuanced matter of language and understanding.

I’m moving to Bangkok in a month and your channel has become one of my favorites, thank you! Would love to buy you a beer or meal for all your hard work, your videos are so well thought out and communicated!

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Awesome tips again buddy.

Great tips thanks Buddy. Very good work.

I think that the mental block is a big one, especially in Bangkok. In my early days of speaking Thai I found that I could be understood 100% when speaking Thai in Laos or Isaan or the north but in Bangkok people would stare blankly. I think it is partly attitude and partly that people in other parts of Thailand are used to greater diversity and are not thrown off if tones are incorrect.

Great content and explanation , Thankyou do you Thai language class ? 🙏🏻

Thank you for making it so fun to learn Thai.

WaDee Khrup, can you do a summary at the end of the video, perhaps dot points, if there is too much talking/speaking i switch off mentally i like short straight answers other wise its confusing, yes i am a slow learner "short and sweet" works for Moi, Khop Khun Khrup Mak.

You are very brave to criticize your judicial system. 😢

❤ yes mental block. OMG sometimes I just look at them and don’t understand what and why?… 😂😂😂 but it happens to me in Spanish😂😂😂

These videos are getting better and better with every episode. I love that you researched so much to explain things (+ the mention of Oman ❤). Your English is more perfect than mine, you speak like a Toastmaster! BTW, no have money (97k).

Many foreigners use their mother tongues' OS to try and speak Thai. As Stu Jay Raj says, you have to lay down a new Thai OS and stop using English phonetics to pronounce Thai words.

Hi! I'm a nurse and when you started talking about how doctors treat nurses in Thai.. I have to say, it happens everywhere, not only in your country. The hierarchy system applies to Romania and other European countries too.. Sad, but true.. P. S great video! Thank you for having the courage to speak about the less pleasant aspect of Thailand. Nevertheless, I wish I can visit and/or live there one day.. ❤

✌️ My mother tongue is Polish. In my Polish school we also learned English. My studies brought me to Amsterdam, Berlin and Oxford. I couldn't use my English from Poland. There were too many noises, false noises. To quickly speak and understand another language, you need to get a robust dictionary. The pronunciation is then a lot of practice. In Thailand it is probably even more difficult with the pronunciation. There is probably more singing here. Well, one and one more try is always worth it. But yes, thank you very much for your video. Maybe you'll explain the land of smiles to us in a new video. So more the secrets of the smile. Or ; when does a Thai quadruple his face.. Thanks bro . ⭐️👍🏻 12:42

Hi, Do you teach basic Thai language. If not can you recommend any school to enroll ? Thanks

Good advice. Thank you.

Nicknames in Thailand explained and honestly could the explanation be any more than simply ridiculous. Take my extended families nicknames; Bett, Bitt, ITT, Phun, Boom, Sim(card), Kob but pronounced “Gob”, Wandee but pronounced Tee - not even “Dee”, and fortunately for my son “Tanapat” nickname Tana. You’re right, no-one gets it. It’s absolutely ridiculous and makes a mockery of one’s names. Just call your kids by their given “official” name, and if you can’t, then use something that’s actually a name, not an object like “sim”.. Superstition is past its use by date. Left in the 15th century. Time to join 2024..

Actually learning or understanding Thai language is NOT easy and defies comprehension most of the time. It’s not a progressive language and doesn’t create new words but adopts western / English words instead. Pretty backward if you ask me. Speaking about oneself in the 3rd person instead of the 1st person as, “I”, “me”, etc, is just plain ridiculous. Perhaps Bangkoker’s city folk and educated pronounce Thai words correctly but I can assure you in semi rural areas with extremely low education they mumble words that are all rolled up into 1 word. Polite, nope ! I can simply say “hello” in Thai and be met with a blank stare and not reciprocated. Rural Thai’s only say “hello / hi” to someone they haven’t seen in months. If you see them daily, you’ll get nothing when they see you and no “goodbye / bye” when they leave. This includes the extended family. I wanted to learn Thai when I first arrived 6 years ago but now I’m glad I can’t as I just don’t want to waste my time talking to Thai’s other than my wife. Thai’s are not understanding especially to foreigners and certainly are not tolerant. I wouldn’t waste a single breath.

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so to be understood by the locals, dress like the locals ! 😁

I had one boyfriend who told me not to greet younger people with so much respect, because I always put my hands together whenever someone smiles at me, but I always feel drawn to do it. It might be funny and absurd for some people, but they genuinely seem to find it sweet.

He said “I need pad grabow.” He should have at least said “yaak”. But you are correct (of course) that “khaaw” is best as that is what Thais use. Right?

Let's not forget about "Boy" and "Toy".

Even with Thai officials, they became so warm and friendly, when I spoke a little bit of Thai.

It's very sweet, he's giving the secrets, and very good tips.

Happens all the time

Happens quite often - I have often said, "I am speaking Thai to you right now".... Usually there is a second Thai person nearby asking the person, "Why don't you understand him? HE IS speaking Thai!" 555

Find the video teaching you how to pronounce the two different T sounds and P sounds here ua-cam.com/video/Z_aooAbplMI/v-deo.html

My perspective about what is difficult about learning Thai changes the more fluent I get. First it was reading and then it became my strongest skill, then listening, then speaking. Then the fact that so many words do different things in different contexts. There are many things that make it difficult but the only solution is practice, you will eventually find something else to complain about being difficult once you pass the first hurdle 😂

I'm learning thai and I find remembering the words a bit tricky since they're so diffeent from the western languages I've learned. I have my nong tee and he's very helpful and friendly buuutttt also found a few thais who are very distant and formal. One example: I said goodnight to a new guy I met in a very friendly way: goodnight na khrub "choop choop" (this means kisses as far as I know) and the guy literally lost it and said I chouldn't choop choop him because he wasn't my boyfrind and we weren't friends either and he decided to stop talking to me. it's just one example but it did happen. But all in all I'm doing my best to learn thai and this video recharged my batteries. Thank you. Cheers from Argentina.

The hierarchy in Dutch society is almost nonexistent compared to the hierarchy you describe in Thailand. The doctor introducing himself is a normal, polite thing over here. In the company where I work, I would be considered at the bottom of the hierarchy in Thailand, but when I have a meeting with my boss or the CEO, they still ask me if they can get me a coffee or something else to drink. I can actually speak openly with them about pretty much anything.

I'm one of those Dutch people who automatically switch to English even if you can speak Dutch quite well. I don't even know why I do this, it just happens.

I’ve taught in Thailand for a year now and heard every nickname he mentions 😂