Learn to speak Thai

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FrazeeDK
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Post by FrazeeDK » January 26, 2013, 9:58 pm

anyone tried getting a Thai software typing program to assist in learning the Thai characters and learning perhaps through copying better habits in Thai writing??


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parrot
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Post by parrot » January 27, 2013, 10:36 am

If you're looking to improve your Thai typing skills, try
http://thai-language.com/id/805664 another at http://typeinthai.com/

Once you learn most of the alphabet, and if you are a fairly capable typer in English, learning how to type in Thai is not very difficult. 15 minutes a day x 3 weeks and I had it nailed.


There's a host of other lessons to help you along with consonants and vowels at
http://thai-language.com/lessons and http://thai-language.com/ref

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parrot
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Post by parrot » January 27, 2013, 5:43 pm

If you've learned a few of the more common consonants/vowels, try this single word......found on the side of a truck at today's mobile market (ตลาดนัด = ตลาด/market นัด = appointment)
The word is made up of two consonants that serve as a true cluster (in other words, the two consonants go together like the s and p in speak)......and a single vowel.
Hints:

It's a common ingredient found in most all kitchens.
It's found in the ground and in the sea.
This particular product comes from the fields in Ban Dong.
If you have high blood pressure, you probably need to avoid this product.

Answer
It's salt.
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Jello
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Post by Jello » January 28, 2013, 10:42 am

Another GL consonant cluster.

กล้วย

Hint: It's a fruit
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Tafia
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Post by Tafia » January 28, 2013, 10:55 am

Banana

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parrot
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Post by parrot » January 31, 2013, 6:26 pm

Saturday Night Live suggests you use Rosetta Stone before coming to Thailand on vacation:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaT8H3j0GtE

Caution: This is SNL humor.

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Post by Jello » February 1, 2013, 10:48 am

parrot wrote:Saturday Night Live suggests you use Rosetta Stone before coming to Thailand on vacation:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaT8H3j0GtE Caution: This is SNL humor.
"I'm learning German so I can pretend I'm German while in Thailand." :lol: :lol: :lol:
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parrot
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Post by parrot » February 1, 2013, 1:56 pm

On the subject of กล as a consonant cluster, here's another:

ไกล and it's opposite ใกล้ or, if you prefer, ใกล้ and its opposite ไกล

ไกล = glai (as the first part of gli-der) and you would say it without raising or lowering the pitch of the word----no tone. The opposite of ไกล is ใกล้.....again, it sounds like the first part of gli-der, but it has a falling tone. It uses a different vowel, but the sound of the vowel is the same in both words.

One means 'near' and one means 'far'......all depending on how you say it! Anyone know which is which?

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Shado
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Post by Shado » February 1, 2013, 2:21 pm

Yes, this can be confusing. I think:

ใกล้ (glai) near = falling tone

ไกล (glai) far = neutral/mid tone

and ใกล้ ๆ (glai glai) = very close

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parrot
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Post by parrot » February 1, 2013, 3:07 pm

:D

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danchatka
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Post by danchatka » February 1, 2013, 8:38 pm

Recent versions of most Thai/Lao learning books, tapes, programs etc.
Lets you try before you buy.

Bittorrent Link
http://thepiratebay.se/torrent/7395162/ ... _(Updated)

Bittorrent Clients for Windows:
http://download.cnet.com/windows/p2p-fi ... -software/

Note: The download is very big mainly from a full-sized DVD it incudes. After you start downloading, you can tell your Bittorrent client to skip it.

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Post by Techland » February 1, 2013, 11:06 pm

Wow! Udonmap.com the pirate copy advisor. Bob Helm's comments and infos on this topic are already far over the edge, but this one...

But yes, let's you try before buy. LOL!

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Post by Jello » February 2, 2013, 11:57 am

parrot wrote:On the subject of กล as a consonant cluster, here's another:
ไกล and it's opposite ใกล้ or, if you prefer, ใกล้ and its opposite ไกล
Both the and vowels make the same sound as the word eye, but I think if you look them up in a Thai dictionary it does make a difference, only in the proper spelling of the word.

The main difference in the sound is of course the tone. To determine the tone of the word you need to take into account the beginning consonant class, the vowel length and the tone mark.

In the case of ไกล the first consonant is which is a mid class consonant. The vowel is usually pronounced as a short vowel but is counted as a long vowel for tone rules.
Mid class consonant + long vowel = mid tone

The word ใกล้ contains the tone mark mai thoo (-้) which produces the falling tone.
Mid class consonant + long vowel + mai thoo = falling tone

Please correct me if I'm wrong! 8)
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parrot
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Post by parrot » February 2, 2013, 1:51 pm

"Both the ไ and ใ vowels make the same sound as the word eye, but I think if you look them up in a Thai dictionary it does make a difference, only in the proper spelling of the word."

Spelled different (ไ versus ใ) but sounds the same......like two and too and to too!


"Please correct me if I'm wrong!" Looks ถูกต้อง to me!

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FrazeeDK
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Post by FrazeeDK » February 2, 2013, 5:44 pm

Thai has its rather archaic spellings, silent letters (other than Farang derivitaves) and duplicative sounds.. The Commies cleaned up Lao spelling when they took over "retiring" many unneeded letters.. I wouldn't expect the Thai intelligensia would ever do that.. Of course, U cud also cleen up English too!!
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Post by Jello » February 3, 2013, 3:32 pm

If your beginning to learn Thai, the food court, night market, or any food stalls is a great place to try speaking some basic Thai. 1. because the conversation will be somewhat predictable. 2. The vendors will always try to understand you even when your murdering the tones. 3. If all else fails you can just point! :D

Don't bring the wife/gf along to bail you out. Putting yourself in these situations will help you learn and remember.
8)
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parrot
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Post by parrot » February 3, 2013, 4:54 pm

"Don't bring the wife/gf along to bail you out. Putting yourself in these situations will help you learn and remember."

I used to carry a Gordon Allison Eng-Thai dictionary with me (before I learned to read Thai)......I'd use it to prep myself with a few key vocab words before doing whatever it was I had to do. I'd chop whatever I needed to say into bite size pieces....no grammar, no tones, but I'd most always come away with what it was I wanted.

To this day, I often have to tell my wife to let me do my thing...with the police, with the electric company, with the market vendors........if I don't succeed, then I'll call in the heavy artillery and let her help.

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Irish Alan
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Post by Irish Alan » February 4, 2013, 1:42 am

Jello wrote:If your beginning to learn Thai, the food court, night market, or any food stalls is a great place to try speaking some basic Thai. 1. because the conversation will be somewhat predictable. 2. The vendors will always try to understand you even when your murdering the tones. 3. If all else fails you can just point! :D

Don't bring the wife/gf along to bail you out. Putting yourself in these situations will help you learn and remember.
8)
When I was beginning to learn Thai and in my days of singledom that is what I did. I had a few places around town that I would go where no English was spoken and I’d try and muddle through a basic conversation with owners/waiting staff about work, family etc, etc.

As for tones well one tip I read before was don’t get hung up on them too much but work on fluency/fluidity and try to speak like a native as best you can so you will be understood in the context of the conversation. I try (not sure if I do) leaving my native accent at home.

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Post by ting_tong » February 4, 2013, 2:22 pm

off topic comment:
welcome back IA :D

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parrot
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Post by parrot » February 7, 2013, 5:40 pm

Andrew Biggs closes out his thai language lessons on TV by saying something like "If 64 million people in Thailand can speak Thai, so can you." Fair enough.

This little boy doesn't quite say it the same way as Andrew.....but you'll get the same idea watching him.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... OlAhUc-N0Y

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