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Going Home Posted by palmisano on Sep 14, 2010
Not too long ago I finished my most recent 6-month vacation here and Thailand, returning home (กลับบ้าน) to my beloved US of A. It’s not the first time I’ve spent such a long time here in the Land of Smiles, but I think this time I’ll miss it (คิดถึง) more than ever. So this post…
Useful Thai for the Pharmacy Posted by palmisano on Sep 11, 2010
Most pharmacists in Thailand speak enough English that you’ll never need to learn any Thai to get what you want. If they don’t understand, try saying what you want using ทัพศัพท์, intentionally mispronouncing the medicine name with a strong Thai accent. Or just print this out for them to read it. Anyway, if you wanted…
Regional Dialects of Thai, part 2 of 2 Posted by palmisano on Sep 6, 2010
The last major region is the north east, otherwise known as Isaan (อีสาน). This region is mostly arid farm land with the largest population in Thailand. It’s also the poorest and least respected among Thais of other regions. The Isaan region borders the country of Laos, so language and culture has been heavily influenced by…
Regional Dialects of Thai, part 1 of 2 Posted by palmisano on Sep 1, 2010
Reading this blog has probably mis-led you to believe there is only one ‘Thai Language’. There really isn’t. It’s a collection of four major regional dialects (ถาษาถิ่น), all summed up as the ‘Thai Language’ (ภาษาไทย). I know, you’re probably shocked and feeling a strong sense of disbelief, but trust me. As you should already know…
Tap Sap (English Words with Thai Pronunciation/Spelling) Posted by palmisano on Aug 27, 2010
If you can’t read or speak Thai, you’d have no idea how much English has been adapted into the Thai language. English has been adapted throughout the Thai language, but it’s all written using the Thai alphabet and so badly pronounced that the uninitiated wouldn’t notice. For example, let’s say you are walking down the…
Thai Months for the Lazy Man Posted by palmisano on Aug 23, 2010
I will assume by now you’ve learned, or at least tried to learn, the twelve months in Thai. If you’ve been studying for many years and still have trouble remembering, or still can’t spell them, then this method is for you. With all those syllables and a spelling hard to remember, I can’t blame you…
Learning to Read Thai Posted by palmisano on Aug 21, 2010
I realize quite a lot of beginners cannot yet read Thai, dramatically reducing the utility of the vocabulary lists on this blog. If you cannot yet read, I recommend making it a priority to learn the Thai alphabet. Many beginners think that they can bypass the reading and just learn speaking as a shortcut. They…