Thailand Voice

Tip Number 1: Take your time, enjoy your studies… “Why does it have to be sooooooo hard?” “Why does it have to take sooooooo long?” Maybe we need a little attitude adjustment…? Maybe we need to listen more carefully…? Most of us do have nearly excellent hearing skills for normal… Read full story >>>

Pravit in The Nation lists a few reasons, but it is the double standards reason which BP thinks resonates the most and that is the logic of “The logic of double standards”. This issue is almost totally ignored by most of the mainstream mass media. However, it has been the main reason Read full story >>>

The Election Commission of Thailand ( คณะกรรมการการเลือกตั้ง ECT), or maybe more exact the provincial branches, are responsible for organizing the elections for the local government entities. Whenever I try to to add some more data to my XML, I use the province of Surat Thani as the testing case, so that one is… Read full story >>>

Talking Thai on the telephone… It probably took me ten years before I could understand anything anyone said on the telephone here in Thailand. It’s not the language. My wife had the same problem in English when she got to America. It is just really hard dealing with a disembodied… Read full story >>>

Directed by Pakphum Wonjinda Story by Prachya Pinkaew, screenplay by Eakasit Thairatana Starring Sinjai Plengpanich, Kanya Rattapetch Released in Thai cinemas on February 25, 2010, rated 18+ Wise Kwai’s rating: 4/5 Tightly composed frames that come right out of a comic book leap off the screen in … Read full story >>>

A trusted native speaker is essential…. You may have noticed by now that learning Thai takes real effort and discipline. No two ways about it. Expect to put in long hours tweaking your pronunciation, expanding your vocabulary, solidifying your grasp on the… Read full story >>>

WARNING: Do not read while trying to drink your coffee at your computer. Not The Nation at its best. Key excerpt: The Thai Journalists Association warned today of an impending apocalypse in the local news media if the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions rules to seize… Read full story >>>

Tips and suggestions needed… Last week I received an email asking for help: Question: I’m currently an exchange student living in Thailand. I’ve had an issue where I can’t seem to learn any more Thai, and when I try my minds strays and I get tired … Read full story >>>

What’s holding up the opposition Pheau Thai Party’s plan to oust PM Abhisit Vejjajiva in a no-confidence debate? First, under the constitution, once the opposition submits a censure motion against the government, the PM can’t dissolve Parliament to call a new election. But hasn’t Thaksin Shinawatra, the real opposition leader, been … Read full story >>>

Interviewing Successful Thai Language Learners… Name: Celia Chessin-Yudin Nationality: American Age range : 20-30 Sex: Female Location: Mahachai, Samut Sakhon, Thailand Profession: Working at an NGO What is your Thai level? I would say I am at an advanced Thai level. Though… Read full story >>>

Week three of my 30 day Thai language trial… I am settled into a study schedule, so that’s it. It took three weeks for me to gain a new language learning habit. Nothing odd happened this week so I won’t post the results. I basically … Read full story >>>

Interviewing Successful Thai Language Learners… Name:  Jonathan Thames 
 Nationality: Third Culture Kid; USA citizen 
Age range: 20-30 
Sex: Male 
Location: Monterey, CA / Chiang Mai / other places 
Profession: MPA Student 


What is your Thai level? Let’s say “Advanced” because I am generally proficient and got into “Advanced … Read full story >>>

Week one of my 30 day Thai language trial… Ok, here I am (waving at you all). It’s official. I made it through week one of my New Year’s resolution. Yeah! I’m chuffed. emk: The first 30 days were hard: I wanted to skip a day, here and there. But I … Read full story >>>

The Bangkok Post: Jaerohaning Yusor and her children, aged 6 and 7, of Narathiwat have been living in despair ever since her husband disappeared mysteriously three weeks ago…. Read full story >>>

“The object of a New Year is not that we should have a new year. It is that we should have a new soul and a new nose, new feet, a new backbone, new ears, and new eyes.” – G.K. Chesterton Read full story >>>

Have I got a Thai typing tutor game for you… While I was adding thai-language.com’s logo to the top of WLT (glance up and over to your right) Glenn was happily showing me his new toy developed with … Read full story >>>

Jonas Anderson is one of best known singers in Thailand of the Thaimusic genre known as Luktung and most surprisingly is not a Thai. Jonas Anderson was born in Sweden and came with his parents to Thailand when he was just 9 years old. They settled in Nakorn Ratchasima in Isaan, N.E. Thailand … Read full story >>>

The new year is almost here… It’s that time again: New Year’s resolution time. And this year I am serious about using the opportunity to ramp up my Thai language learning. Because even with the best intentions, it seems that I can find the time to do everything except for … Read full story >>>

Ho, ho, ho and a subliminal oh! … Last year I wrote a Christmas post on subliminal products for learning Thai: Subliminal Thai… ehh? And as it was such a huge hit, I thought I’d do the same this year. Amazon has two on offer: Learn To Speak The… Read full story >>>

Heart words, jai words, my words… I am a terrible Thai student. Fairly often, my Thai teacher arrives with a lesson plan in her satchel, and hope in her heart. When she goes to leave, it is with much laughter. Why laughter? Because … Read full story >>>

Last week, the Bangkok Post translated Thai Rath’s analysis on Thaksin’s trip to Cambodia: Thailand stands to lose more than Cambodia will in the ongoing war of words and diplomatic row over deposed Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.Riding on the crest of nationalism, the ruling Democrat Party has exploited the situation for its … Read full story >>>

Is it Kun, Pêe, Aa-jaann, or Pôo yài Moo?… There used to be a time in the west when calling a person by their first name was something you didn’t do until you had known them for a considerable length of time, and then only when you… Read full story >>>

Directed by Manop Udomdej Starring Sophita Sribanchean, Kessarin Ektawatkul, Jacqueline Apithananont, Saranyu Wongkrachang, Pete Thongchua Released in Thai cinemas on November 5, 2009; rated 18+ Wise Kwai’s rating: 2/5 When he set out to make Vanquisher , director Manop Udomdej might have had a globe-trotting, labyrinthine, intrigue-filled political thriller like … Read full story >>>

Ah, to have the insecurities of a kid again… When I was fourteen, I moved from the glorious New Zealand to the enormous U.S. The U.S. was too strange, too big, too shiny new. Worse, I did not assimilate. My experiences were not the… Read full story >>>

Sesame Street comes of age… This week, on November 10th, Sesame Street turned the big FOUR OH. My, oh, my, does time fly… So if you didn’t know Sesame Street as a child, then your brothers or sisters, nephews or nieces, or even … Read full story >>>

Won’t attempt to delve into all the internal politics of Cambodia, but the BBC asked three Cambodians (a journalist, a manager, and a student) their views on the appointment of former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra by Cambodian leader Hun Sen. The manager: If Cambodia is prospering, that would be good for Thailand as … Read full story >>>

Here is a very interesting clip – from a weekly community English class in Yangon that draws 500 students. The video was taken by Anne Murat, who is co-filmmaker on the the documentary Rangoon Cocoon . Thanks to a regular reader for the tip. Read full story >>>

Xinhua: The Thai man named Siwarak Chothipong in Khmer, 31, worked as aengineer in CATS, was arrested on Wednesday according to the arrest warrant of prosecutor of Phnom Penh Municipality Court, the Khmer language newspaper Rasmei Kampuchea reported.He spied through copying the letters of flights of former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra … Read full story >>>

This posting is a follow-up on civil society movements attempting to create a more just Malaysia – especially in reversing racist government policies. The online media had been at the forefront in providing news and views from diverse groups – especially those marginalised by the mainstream media. By providing an… Read full story >>>

Bumper stickers are us… Bumper stickers in Thai land make for an interesting language lesson and a good way to pass time when you’re caught in traffic. Apart from the typical เมา ไม่ ขับ (mao mai khap) “Don’t Drink and Drive” and เรา รัก ในห ลวง (rao rak nai luang) “We Love… Read full story >>>