I know Thai-born students who speak Chinese, Burmese, Indian and even Korean. So the mixture of languages and cultures makes the Thai people open to the idea that not everyone speaks Thai. Thailand is also a great destination for tourists because people know that the Thai people are super welcoming and gentle with those who do not speak English. There are lots of people who don’t speak Thai here. In my own international student group, students are studying at Rangsit University from France, the Netherlands, Germany, Finland, Sweden and Korea. The languages spoken are French, Dutch, German, Finnish, Swedish and Korean. Of course, to communicate with each other, we speak in English. However, I had a conversation with one of the French girls in Spanish because she’s learning Spanish and wanted to practice a conversation. The French girls also help me with my own French which I haven’t used since December when I last had a French class. Therefore, the community here is very open and friendly.
Just because I’m not fluent in Thai though doesn’t mean I can’t try. Thai language class is a beginner class designed to teach foreign students how to learn basic Thai phrases. However, I'd say that the best learning always comes from experience. Going out to a restaurant and asking in Thai not to make a dish spicy (it sounds like ‘my pet’) and saying thank you (for a female: ko bun ka; for a male: ko bun krab) is better practiced in real life. The Thai language uses female and male subjects. This means that you identify as one or the other and take that specific word. That’s why there’s a difference in saying ‘thank you’ in Thai depending on whether you identify as a female or male. It doesn’t matter what you look like.
