LANGUAGE TIPS

Thai Language

Introduction

I have been to Thailand a couple of times and have grown to like the place, her people and their friendly nature. Since my very first visit to the capital, Bangkok, I decided to pick up their language (phaasãa thai), partly for the fun of it and partly bec it's one of the easier language to pick up. However and strangely, I have never gone beyond taking it up seriously as in learning to write. I suppose my usage of the language is merely for complimenting my travel, communication wise and to avoid a cultural shock. Besides, learning to write the Thai script is totally different ball game.

I started off with a Lonely Planet Thai Phrasebook 2nd ed. after my very first visit. Since then I have picked up the 3rd edition, which has provided me with a broader vocabulary. Unlike other phrasebook, the phonetic system used throughout this phrasebook is based on the Royal Thai General System of Transciption (RTGS), the most widely used system in Thailand. In my opinion, this is one of the better and comprehensive phrasebook I have seen, albeit its pocket size, and I have benefited from it. For those who like to learn the language fast but could not afford the time, then Lonely Planet Thai Phrasebook 4th ed. would be the idea choice.

Naturally the content of this chapter is based mostly on the Lonely Planet Phrasebook plus some words and phrases I have acquired during my travel. However I have tuned them based on the situation I believe one would most likely to encounter from my personal experience. As with any languages, practice is the only way to learn and improve, so don't be shy or worry about the pronunciation, just speak up.

Pronunciation

The difficult part of the language lies in its pronunciation, and the five different tones do not make it any easier.

The pitch at which a syllable is pronounced, often determined its meaning. For example, klai pronounce flat means FAR, but klâi pronounce with a falling tone means NEAR. Besides, it's not uncommon to add emotion, verbal stress to our speech, which would interfere with the correct Thai tone. Hence, the first rule in speaking Thai would be to divorce all emotions from our conversation, at least until one has learned the Thai way in expressing such feelings without changing essential tone value.

Thai written in Roman script was not designed for people trying to learn Thai! It does not represent distinctions which are important for accurated pronunciation. The RTGS used here, contains some minor changes to assist in pronouncing Thai as accurately as possible. Some common pitfalls that one may encounter while pronouncing Romanise Thai script is listed below,

• The sounds ' l ' and ' r ' can often be interchanged in speech. In fact the consonant ' r ' does not have the "row" that is associated with it. Rather, it's pronounced as ' l ' or even omitted entirely. For example in, sawàt dii khráp, the ' r ' in khráp is dropped to form a simplified kháp.



• The ' v ' sound in Thai does not exist, so ' Sukhumvit ' is pronounced as 'Sukhumwit'.



• The common English spelling ' ko/koh ' for Island should be pronounced as ' kàw '. For example kàw samui and kàw tao.

Grammar

Thai grammar is very straight forward, unlike french, words do not change to signify tense, gender, plurality and no requirement for articles. Being a Singaporean who speak "Broken English", it's even easier. Just make the phrase as short as possible, for example, 'pai nãi ?' literally translated means 'go where ?, instead of the proper 'Where are you going'. So to answer the above question in "Broken English" of 'Go Where' would be 'Return Home', and the Thai equivalent would be 'klap bâan'.

As simple as that, perhaps the reason I like the language so much is due to the fact that my command of broken english is suited toward the Thai language! No offence to their Language, rather it's a compliment for the simplicity of the structure. I firmly believe that in order to get a good grasp of Thai, learning the grammar first would go a long way in one's ability to construct proper and long sentences rather than just picking up the vocabulary alone. A very brief account of the general construction of Thai grammar is discussed below,

Greetings And Small Talk

Thai are known to be polite and courteous and one can often hear a khráp (for male) or a kha (for female) at the end of their sentence. This convention should be followed especially for sawàt-dii khráp/kha (Hello) and khàwp khun khráp/kha (Thank You). However this can also be dropped after a few sentences if the conversation is a long one. Sawàt-dii khráp/kha can be used as a greeting as well as a farewell when both speaker leave at the same time. Certain situation requires different farewell phrases to be spoken, this is described below,

It's common to strike up a conversation with Thai especially if one could speak a few Thai phrases. So it's wise to at least pick up the basic formalities/greeting. Don't be surprise if one's age is asked, it's not considered rude. At times, one may even be when ask thaan khâo láew rëu yàang ? (have you eaten yet?), which implies, an invitation for a meal together. If one is game enough, the answer would be yàang (not yet) otherwise thaan láew, khàwp khun khráp/kha (ate already, thank you), if one is too shy. Below is a summary of some useful small talk,

Having introduced basic Thai formalities/greetings, at this stage it's also necessary to learn phrases in expressing one's proficiency level of the language, especially when one is bombarded with questions in a fast and furious pace. However, it's through conversation that one begin to acquire the pronunciation and vocabulary. A very useful phrase in 'What is this called in Thai?' - níi phaasãa thai rîak wâa arai ? Literally translated 'this language thai call what ? This is most useful during shopping and browsing through all those hawker fare.

I believe at this stage, one would agree that Thai is indeed simple after going through the grammar section. Forming a sentence with words one already knew isn't that daunting after all. One very good example is the noun water, náam. Verbs and nouns associated with water can be formed by simply adding another word to náam. This is illustrated below,

Finding One's Way

In Thailand, getting around is a fairly simple affair even if one doesn't utter a word of Thai, or maybe at least the place one would like to go. There are usually several mode of transport, from tuk-tuk to taxi, metered or otherwise are enough to satisfy individual needs and budget. However if one is travelling between cities and town or taking in the scenery on foot, it would be better if one is equipped with a few Thai phrases on directions, time of departure, orientation and etc.. In an urban area, road signs are normally displayed, one may often see the Thai word thanõn, which means any large thoroughfare or road, while soi (pronounced as sawy) would mean a small street or lane.

Accommodation

Thailand has a large variety of choices of accommodation (thîi phák), be it a 5-star hotel or an A-frame hut. Budget accommodation tends to congregate in an area, and they may be negotiable for long stay depending on the season and one's negotiation skill, and at times breakfast is also thrown in. Whatever the case, some phrases to enquire about the condition of the room would do one good.

Food

Food Glorious Food, the Kingdom offers a gastronomical delight that would please any nationality, but it would be a shame leaving without trying any of those spicy food or hawker fare. Thai dishes are known to be hot and spicy, with lots of chillies and curry and is almost always serve with plain rice. There is also a reason for serving plain steam rice, which is the best antidote to an overpowering bite of chillies and curry, as it absorbs some of the caustic oil. With such a variety on the menu, sometimes, one may have difficulty deciding what to order. However it is never ordered to filled the stomach, instead one should try abit of everything especially travelling in a group. For the un-initiated whose palate isn't so advanturous, râat nâa would be a good start. It's the equivalent of the ' Hor fun ' known in Singapore. If that won't do, then fried rice, khâo phàt is the one dish that can never go wrong. For the more daring, I would recommend the exotic Cobra's blood, lêuat nguu hào, which claimed to have the properties to clear the body of toxin. Firstly a list of cutlery, condiments and common words spoken in a restaurant,

Vegetarian meals are available in major cities like Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket, and more likely to be served by chinese restaurant. Inorder to make known that one is a vegetarian, use the phrase I eat only vegetarian food, phõm kin jeh thâo-nàn. Below are some other phrases to state one's case, so that any visit to the Kingdom would not be compromise by having consume animal products.

Beverages

Beverages, alcoholic or otherwise and even water offered to guests in an office or home is safe to drink, thus there shouldn't be any worry at all. Plain water náam plào, is either boiled or purified when served in a restaurant or any eating place. However with a large varieties of fruits, a concoction of juices and shakes should add some flavour to accompany one's meal. Unless one is dying of thirst and can't do without the good old plain water. The Thai word for fruit is phõn-lámái, and fruit juice would be náam phõn-lámái. Hence it's clear that by adding the Thai word for water or juice, to the name of the fruits would form the appropriate word for the extract of that particular fruit. For instance, Thai word for lime is manao, so lime juice would be náam manao, which is served with crushed ice and sugar, commonly sold at night markets.

Fruit juices may also be called náam khán if a blender or extractor is used. Whereas náam pon refers to a 'smoothie' or 'shake' or literally mixed juice, as a result to blending with ice. Whichever the case, forming the Thai word is just as simple, as illustrated here

On the Alcoholic front, beer is the more popular choice in Thailand. The most popular being the local Singha (pronounce sïng), which took up quite a large portion of the domestic market follow by Amarit NB, Kloster, Chang and the variety of imported beer, in no particular order. bia cháang (Beer Elephant) brew by Carlsberg to compete and match the hoppy taste of Singha, it has an alcoholic content of up to 7%, compare to the 6% in Singha. Chang taste good and smooth too, but irony is that I drank it in Penang, rather than where it was produced. Rice whisky is also a big favourite among Thai, but not so for the majority of the Tourist. The alcoholic content of the famous label mâi-khõng contains 35% and it's quite common to find diners bringing along their whisky for a meal, though not necessary the local brew.

Shopping & Bargaining

Most tourist indulge in shopping while in Thailand, to a lesser extent for male. Bargaining is a common practice when making purchases, especially at night market, but not in departmental store where prices are fixed. There is an element of fun in bargaining, as it's one of the best ways to interact with the locals. However if one's mindset is that of being rip-off, then it becomes haggling rather than bargaining and such interaction can turn sour or embarrassing. Not all vendors are out to 'rip one off', I have seen honest Thai, though not in a tourist-infested area, that doesn't mean there isn't any! However the worst trick to fall for is that of the young female vendors, who are known to use their sweet voices during a bargain and urge buyers to make purchase. I have seen male tourist melt under such circumstances, yet doesn't realise it. I believe this evolves form the fact that male Thai penchant for chatting up young girls. Without doubt, one's success at shopping would be greatly enhanced when one speaks their tongue. As it shows that one is an old hand at it and would be given the respect. Besides isn't it time to put one's Thai into practice?

Date, Time & Number

The official date in Thailand begin from the Buddhist Era, that is 543 BC. For the year 2001, the Thai calendar system would be 2544. So don't be surprise to find oneself living in the future when in Thailand! Other than that, the days of the week and month, and the number of weeks and months are similar to that of the western calendar.