Thai

About the Author

Aaron Handel is a native of California and currently lives in northern Thailand. He has studied the Thai language for more than twenty years and speaks Thai fluently. He has a BA in Economics from California State University and Master’s Degree in Labor Economics and Human Resource Management from Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok.

The contents of this book and the compact discs are protected by United States copyright laws and by international agreements. Copying is prohibited without the written consent of the author.

Published by Tiger Press

www.geocities.com/ThaiLanguageCourse

Email: ThaiLanguageCourse@yahoo.com

ISBN 9-749472-36-5

Thai Language Course

Speaking and Listening 4^th Edition

Preface

This book provides the tools for learning to speak Thai. It is designed to help you to improve pronunciation and tones. The book begins at a basic level and gradually progresses to an advanced level. The transliteration (writing Thai using English letters) is designed to be readable. A tone mark is placed above the first vowel of each syllable.

Throughout the text, a literal, word-for-word translation has been provided. Word-for-word translation is a powerful learning tool, particularly for the Thai language. The translation shows the exact word order of Thai sentences. This helps you to develop an intuitive sense of how the language is constructed. Because Thai words of more than one syllable often consist of other words put together to form a single word, knowing the meaning of each word builds vocabulary and improves comprehension.

Although Thai is normally written without spaces between the words, in this book, Thai words have been separated with a space between them. This makes it easier to learn to read and write Thai.

The best way to learn to speak Thai is to replicate the pronunciation of native Thai speakers. The speaker on the CD in Chapters 1 through 11 is a native of Bangkok. She is a university graduate with a BA in Education. In chapters 12 through 15, there are two speakers. One of the speakers is a native of Bangkok. The other speaker is a native of Pattaya. Chapter 12 provides an introduction to Thai grammar. You may wish to study this chapter before some of the others. Chapter 16 provides a basic introduction to Thai Yài language, known as Dtái among the Shan. The speaker on the CD is a Buddhist monk and a native of northern Burma.

Read, Listen, and Repeat. Focus on tone, vowel length, and the rhythm of the language. The tone drills in Chapter 1 will give you a good start.

Contents

Chapter 1 Tones and Transliteration	Page 1 Disc 1 Track 1
Chapter 2 Numbers Examples	Page 17 Disc 1 Track 2 Page 21 Disc 1 Track 3
Chapter 3 Colors Examples	Page 25 Disc 1 Track 4 Page 26 Disc 1 Track 5
Chapter 4 Time Examples	Page 31 Disc 1 Track 6 Page 37 Disc 1 Track 7
Chapter 5 Shopping Examples	Page 43 Disc 1 Track 8 Page 47 Disc 1 Track 9
Chapter 6 Greetings and Questions Examples	Page 53 Disc 1 Track 10 Page 59 Disc 1 Track 11
Chapter 7 Food Examples Favorite Thai Foods	Page 67 Disc 1 Track 12 Page 70 Disc 1 Track 13 Page 79 Disc 1 Track 14
Chapter 8 Lodging Examples	Page 82 Disc 1 Track 15 Page 85 Disc 1 Track 16
Chapter 9 Travel and Driving Examples Favorite Travel Destinations	Page 91 Disc 1 Track 17 Page 97 Disc 1 Track 18 Page 104 Disc 1 Track 19
Chapter 10 Idioms and Common Expressions	Page 105 Disc 2 Track 1
Chapter 11 Conversation “Pizza Hat”	Page 126 Disc 2 Track 2
Chapter 12 Thai Grammar	Page 159 Disc 2 Track 3
Chapter 13 Money	Page 194 Disc 2 Track 4
Chapter 14 Health	Page 223 Disc 2 Track 5
Chapter 15 Romantic Relationships	Page 247 Disc 2 Track 6
Chapter 16 Thai Yài Language	Page 279 Disc 2 Track 7, 8
Appendix The Thai Alphabet and Tone Rules	Page 305 Disc 2 Track 9

Preface

Chapter 5 Shopping

Examples

Page 43 Disc 1 Track 8