Language Lessons 1 - In the Classroom

hi all, I've been asked to put some basic Thai lessons on the forum as a way of helping new (and not so new) members of the Nakhon community. I was asked to start simple (which is easy for me as simple is an adjective often associated with me - in the medical sense).
I decided to put simple classroom commands for my very first post as most people here are teachers. Please keep a few things in mind when trying to read this type of "Romanised" Thai script:

1- Thai languange has letters we do not such as ng, pb, td so you will need to ask a Thai for correct pronunciation

2- Thai langage has 33 vowels, we have five and a half (if you count Y as a vowel) so vowel length and actual pronunciation wil be best taught by a Thai.

3-Remeber that an American will transcribe differently from a Brit, Auzzie or any other nation (am am British) so again, talk to a Thai (basically, talking to Thais is the best way to learn anyway, so it's the best advice i can give.)

I have not written this is Thai script because he guys who can read Thai script already can bloody well open a dictionary or reference book and figure it out on their own. If people do want more specific help with grammar, reading, writing, spelling and usage just email me at ajanjay@yahoo.com and i'll reply immediately. I have not put simple words as there are great dictionaries out there, so i will stick to phrases for now and see how it goes. If i see real interest in this sectino i will post more and more regulary, so please feed back to the site.

FINALLY: I WILL SAY THIS ONLY ONCE!!!!!!!! I offer free Thai lessons to anyone interested and motivated enough to care. I will have you speaking, reading or writing in no time if you only care enough to try - the ball is in your court

English	Thai
Stop	Yoot
Listen carefully	Fang dee dee
Be quiet	Nee-eb
Stand up	Yurn Kurn
Sit down	Nang long
Sit in a circle	Nang pben wong glom
Raise your hand	Yok murgh
Hands down	Long murgh
Repeat after me	Poot tdaam pom/chan
Open your book	Pbert samut / nang surgh
Close your book	Pbit nang surgh / samut
sit in your teams	Nang pben teem
Please say that again	Poot eek krang nung noi
I can’t hear you	Mai dai yin
Don’t be shy	Mai tdong eye
you can do it!	Khun tam dai
Do you understand	Cow jai mai
I do not understand	Mai cow jai
Make a line	Cow te-ow
How do I do this	Tam nii dai yang rai

Great idea Jay and a very good resource forn those recent (and not so recent) arrivals. I'll will try and promote this page as much as I can.

Thanks a lot .... classroom language, perfect.

btw, you have nee-eb for quiet. Yesterday I heard one of the Thai teachers saying bow bow or something like that and the kids went quiet. Is there more than one way to say it?

"nee-eb" means "silence" and as such can be a little harsh if not said with a soft smile. "Bow bow" means "quiet" / "softly" / "Quietly" / "lightly" (bow on it's own means "light") and is not asking for silence. For eg: "Poot bow bow" means "speak quietly" and "siang bow bow" means "quiet sound".
Nice call there on the difference freebird.

Thanks, I asked someone yesterday and they said exactly the same but in a different way. 'Lower the volume'! Gotta love the way that some people explain things, haven't you.

Jay, what about girlfriend/boyfriend polite talk?

That will be lesson 2 if people want it. I have a cool book with polite (and not so polite) talk for new lovers, not so new lovers and those in the process of ruining each others lives through divorce and want to stick it in and break it off one last time in an argument. Let me know what i should put and i'll do it.
I have loads of Thai books if anyone wants copies etc.
If any one lists words, phrases or specific things they are having trouble with i'll answer immediately.

Very useful, what about a little kitchen vocab here?

Haitdeeeeerrrrrr! Love it.

ps, never confuse "sak ob reed" with "aab ob nuad" you will get a very different type of service wash all together

Is there any chance of putting the Thai writing as well for those who can read it?

The Doyen of Nakhon wrote:Is there any chance of putting the Thai writing as well for those who can read it?

Would they need to read this thread??? Why dont they pick up something useful, like a fork and spoon and start sending massive e-mails out to everyone and tell how good they are???

Guess this thread is for people who can not speak at all... Don't confuse them.

I mentioned at the top of the thread i'll not be writing this in thai as it takes me too long to type on the keyboard. Also, if you can read thai then this thread is too easy for you, just open a dictionary or go to www.thai-language.com where you'll find an awesome online resource for thai readers and learners.
This thread is meant to be a soft intro for new learners and old slackers who never learnt.It's not meant to be too overwhelming.
If you do want an advanced thai thread then that is no problem, we can do that. Just send me more advanced questions on a new thread or in a Pm (which might be easier) and i'll put in full thai script and full grammatical explanations, but the ball is really in your court to send queries that warrant a new thread.
Will be waiting for mail heheheh