I need to learn Thai, help!

**lovinlife** · 3rd August 2005 15:55

To all experienced ex-pats or fellow Thai people in the know, please can you help or at least give me some direction.
Quite simply I need to learn to speak Thai! Not just from the bloke down the road or from the local language school, but from a legitimate institution.
In short I will begin to study a Bachelor degree in International studies in a couple of months time via long distance learning from Australia. As part of my studies I must major or minor in a language other than English. As I live and work here in Thailand, I see it only fitting that I study the Thai language, especially as I already have a reasonable command of the language and enjoy it.
After many dead end phone calls to several major universities, questions to fellow teaching staff here at my school etc etc, I am struggling to find a suitable institution that fill the requirements I need.
My university in Australia have allowed me to choose to study Thai in Thailand, but they require me to send them detailed documentation of the course so they can have it approved and ensure it follows the curriculum they require.
What I require is:
1 - A course that will cover all elements of the language, Speaking, reading, writing and listening.
2 – The course must start from the basics and move up gradually over a period of 2-3 years. 2 years for a minor study, 3 years for a major study.
3 – Approximately 165 hours per semester with examinations and assessments on completion of each semester.
4 - A bonus if the course is offered via long distance learning (CD's course books etc)

The local dime a dozen language school isn’t nearly good enough, and according to the universities, if I want to study Thai at a Thai Uni, I must first sit a Thai examination that requires me to already have a fairly high level of speaking, reading and writing. In other words, they don't teach the Thai A,B,C at uni (fair comment).
So my question to all that may be able to help is:
Where can I find an institution that I can learn serious Thai over a period of 2-3 years? My situation is also complicated by the fact that I live in Trang, down in the far south of Thailand, so I will need to do the course via distance learning. But that’s ok, my girlfriend is Thai and a great teacher!

Whadjareckon??

**isanity** · 3rd August 2005 16:15

You want to learn Thai in Thailand from CDs rather than from a human being? My flabber is gasted. If you can bring yourself to sit in the same room as a Thai, Khon Kaen Uni teaches a lot of falangs.

**talaat noi** · 23rd October 2006 22:57

I studied at a place called P & A on Silom in Bangkok - just two teachers who do one to one lessons. Don't think they do distance, but if yr in the big smoke, they're good.
I've taught English for some time, and studied Spanish in the UK at university. Given that language teaching wasn't that hot in a UK university, I doubt it's going to be great in Thai ones. A small school with teachers interested in teaching might be better. Problem is, I guess your uni want some set syllabus on paper, rather than something that's made around your needs.

**aging one** · 24th October 2006 12:47

Find out which schools offer Pratom and Matayom certificates upon completion of modules. Its not gonna be easy. But often where there is a will there is a way. It may end up like Billy Madison the Adam Sandler movie.

**TarasBalba** · 4th February 2007 22:36

Good luck!

I don't think most Thai schools have curriculums, per se. I read the English curriculum from my school. Chock-filled with vague stuff like "teach morals and communication skills". I kept on bugging them until they finally admitted to me they don't have a curriculum that lists grammar or vocabulary that is to be learned for each level. Instead, the all-knowing MOE determines the book to be used - teachers simply teach it. Then she prattled on in Thai to the other teachers commenting "We really don't need to have a curriculum like that, do we now?"

I'm being unfair - they work in an opaque system and are required to follow the MOE, so why should they have to know the curriculum?

The University of Michigan Center for South East Asian Studies offers two years of Thai instruction:

"The University of Michigan was the first American university to offer regular instruction in Thai. The University has a large population of Thai students and the University library has a large collection of books either written in Thai or about Thailand."

http://www.lsa.umich.edu/asian/asian...F42074,00.html

**jonny danger** · 4th February 2007 22:40

Get a monolingual Thai girl friend and avoid foreigners and English meanwhile.

**Arnold!** · 4th February 2007 22:44

Originally Posted by lovinlife

To all experienced ex-pats or fellow Thai people in the know, please can you help or at least give me some direction.
Quite simply I need to learn to speak Thai! Not just from the bloke down the road or from the local language school, but from a legitimate institution.
In short I will begin to study a Bachelor degree in International studies in a couple of months time via long distance learning from Australia. As part of my studies I must major or minor in a language other than English. As I live and work here in Thailand, I see it only fitting that I study the Thai language, especially as I already have a reasonable command of the language and enjoy it.
After many dead end phone calls to several major universities, questions to fellow teaching staff here at my school etc etc, I am struggling to find a suitable institution that fill the requirements I need.
My university in Australia have allowed me to choose to study Thai in Thailand, but they require me to send them detailed documentation of the course so they can have it approved and ensure it follows the curriculum they require.
What I require is:
1 - A course that will cover all elements of the language, Speaking, reading, writing and listening.
2 – The course must start from the basics and move up gradually over a period of 2-3 years. 2 years for a minor study, 3 years for a major study.
3 – Approximately 165 hours per semester with examinations and assessments on completion of each semester.
4 - A bonus if the course is offered via long distance learning (CD's course books etc)

The local dime a dozen language school isn’t nearly good enough, and according to the universities, if I want to study Thai at a Thai Uni, I must first sit a Thai examination that requires me to already have a fairly high level of speaking, reading and writing. In other words, they don't teach the Thai A,B,C at uni (fair comment).
So my question to all that may be able to help is:
Where can I find an institution that I can learn serious Thai over a period of 2-3 years? My situation is also complicated by the fact that I live in Trang, down in the far south of Thailand, so I will need to do the course via distance learning. But that’s ok, my girlfriend is Thai and a great teacher!

Whadjareckon??

Don't you think you would have dealt with this long before now?

You knew what the program required.

You're studying at a program but you are coming here for advice?

Do you know you learning stylel(s) and strengths and weaknesses or are you just looking for a course to "pass."

No offense, but this sounds like a.....t.....r.....o.....l.....l.......

**TarasBalba** · 4th February 2007 22:52

If it were a troll... why would it waste so much time with all the gory details?

**haltest** · 5th February 2007 08:06

Union Language school do the Brathom Exam, they are ok, too many missionaries for my liking but they get most people through the exam. There are other spin off schools that do the same, TLA (Thai Learning Academy) and Unity Language School.

Chula does an advanced course but your Thai has got to be pretty good first and I think ABAC does some Thai instruction.

I did my Thai first at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London and then at Union Language Schools as did quite a few other people I know.

**peelieorion** · 5th February 2007 15:17

I would worry about a genuine course that actually encourages speaking, writing and reading of Thai when everyone speaks single word answers, writing is fill in the blanks textbooks and every library in schools are shut until a visitir arrives. thais don't really listen that well either. It would be ironinc if their was a course that developed these skills when for 90% of schools they don't appear to matter. good luck

**Forrest** · 14th February 2007 08:19

AUA Chiang Mai is very good... Good luck finding a course that ticks covers all your requirements...

**matthew_scot** · 19th February 2007 01:53

people are still replying to his post two years later huh? mai kao jai

**Mr Brown** · 19th February 2007 23:50

Originally Posted by haltest

Union Language school do the Brathom Exam, they are ok, too many missionaries for my liking but they get most people through the exam. There are other spin off schools that do the same, TLA (Thai Learning Academy) and Unity Language School.

Does Unity have the same missionary bent as Union? I know it was started by teachers from Union. I like Unity's set up and location; they're one of the few schools around that actually have a functioning, user friendly web site.

What about Nisa? Has anyone attended this school before?