Relocating to Thailand from London

Hi everyone,
My name is Jeanna and I am moving to Thailand in October. I currently live in London, though Irish, and will be in Bangkok for 6 months initially to learn the language and familiarise myself with Thailand. I intend to spend time in Chiang Mai and Koh Samui as I need to make the decision as to which location I prefer to settle after my time in Bangkok.
I am retiring this summer from a career in medicine and clinical genetics but now looking forward to spending more time on my other passions such as cooking, animals, photography, sea activities, cultural events, travelling and just chilling with a book, listening to music or enjoying interesting company.

I am looking forward to this stage of my life and hope very much to hear from people who wish to say hello.
-@jeanna63

Hello,

This part is interesting:

"and will be in Bangkok for 6 months initially to learn the language"

Learning Thai in 6 months? If you haven't studied it before coming here, you won't learn anything in 6 months. Try 6 years if you're really smart, and 16 years if you're not a fast learner. It's also much more difficult to learn when you're old. Thai is not an easy language,far from it. It's a tonal language totally different from any western language or even most Asian languages. Another tonal language is Mandarin Chinese which isn't an easy language to learn.

Good luck and have a good time.

II know this is different but aren't there phone apps already that translate one spoken language to another?   I remember seeing something but could not remember where.  Anyways I think we are getting close to that because Google Translate can translate written languages and then has the option for said to be spoken/heard.

Btw, Jeanna63, Welcome to the forum and wish you well on your new chapter in The Land of Smiles.

II know this is different but aren't there phone apps already that translate one spoken language to another?  I remember seeing something but could not remember where. Anyways I think we are getting close to that because Google Translate can translate written languages and then has the option for said to be spoken/heard.
-@Bigrad Wolf

Using Google Translate isn't same as speaking the language. Sitting in a Thai restaurant or bar with a phone using an app like a moron won't work in the long run. Asking for the bus-station is totally ok,though.

Thai language is not that difficult IF one put in the hours every day, Every week, Every month.

Everyone i talk to, That say it is to hard, Has never put in the 3-4 hours a day 7 day a week, For 6-8 month.

So in my mind, They never really try to learn the Thai language.

Start right now.

Learn the numbers, How to ask for direction, what is it ?

Learn the names of the different meat, Pork, Beef, chicken and duck. (For when you go out and eat)

Learn what every you think you going to need.

This going to speed up things, Big times.

And when you get here, Go out and practice every day, Dont be afraid of making mistakes and make a foul out of you self.

Dont get upset if the Thai smile, Laugh with you, Not at you.

Thai are very good at trying to help and understand what you want.

And Thai are so happy that you trying to speak Thai.

If you want to learn to read and write, You have the time now.

It toke me 3 month to learn to read & write Thai, But i did practice 3-4 hours a day, Beside the 2 days i go to school, Where we all so practice it, As my first year at school it was 90% to learn to read and write.

So dont listen to people saying it is to hard, It take 6 years and bull like that.

Hope you have a great time here.

Kindly.

Thai language is not that difficult IF one put in the hours every day, Every week, Every month.
Everyone i talk to, That say it is to hard, Has never put in the 3-4 hours a day 7 day a week, For 6-8 month.

So in my mind, They never really try to learn the Thai language.

Start right now.
Learn the numbers, How to ask for direction, what is it ?
Learn the names of the different meat, Pork, Beef, chicken and duck. (For when you go out and eat)
Learn what every you think you going to need.
This going to speed up things, Big times.

And when you get here, Go out and practice every day, Dont be afraid of making mistakes and make a foul out of you self.
Dont get upset if the Thai smile, Laugh with you, Not at you.
Thai are very good at trying to help and understand what you want.
And Thai are so happy that you trying to speak Thai.

If you want to learn to read and write, You have the time now.
It toke me 3 month to learn to read & write Thai, But i did practice 3-4 hours a day, Beside the 2 days i go to school, Where we all so practice it, As my first year at school it was 90% to learn to read and write.

So dont listen to people saying it is to hard, It take 6 years and bull like that.

Hope you have a great time here.

Kindly.
-@Never done that

It's one of the hardest languages to learn because it's a tonal language and a not very logical grammar. That's a fact and nothing I have come up with. I manage quite good in Thai after many years here,but I'm still learning. I know loads of people that's been living in Thailand for years, and they have given up a long time ago. If you can't hear the differences in tones between low,high,medium,falling and rising, then you can never ever learn to speak Thai. Period. And 6 years is not a long time. How many years do you think it takes to learn proper correct English with a good pronunciation if you can't speak one word when you start? You can speak bad English with bad grammar and bad pronunciation but people will probably understand what you're saying, like when Russians speak English. That will NEVER EVER work with Thai language. I even know a few guys trying to learn to speak Thai in school in Pattaya, and when thai people tells them to "speak English instead",then you know it doesn't work. So, come down from your high horses.

Someone on here is for sure on a high horse, And if Leeds want to know who !!!

He simple need to go and look into the mirror :-)

I have 2 vendors saying they didn't understod me, But Thai around us jump in.

And told the vendors i speak perfect Thai and everyone understod me.

So after they made the vendor lose face.

They explain to me, That sadly some "Bad" Thai are like this, And ask me not to be upset.

I have 1 driver of a songthaew ask me where i was going.

And he told me, He dont understand me, And a girl told the drive i all ready told him where i was going.

She told me, Sorry for "Bad" driver.

So the drive get back into the songthaew and drive, He stop where i told him i was going.

So he clearly understod me, But want to be "Bad" Thai.

So for me, I can say, I dont give a S... about "Bad" Thai trying to be jerks and say they dont understand me.

3 years in school here in Thailand have show me, That people that put in the time/hours every day/week/month, Learn enough Thai to have a conversation in Thai inside a year, And a few like me, Need 2 years.

The only people that did not learn Thai, Was people thinking going to school 2 time per week, for 2 hours at the first school, And 3 hours on the second school i use.

And did not want to put in more hours then that.

One dont need to be 100% on the tones when speaking.

From what the talk is about, Even if the tone is wrong, People know what the person wanted to say.

And if the Thai know you a little, They explain to you, And teach you the correct tone.

Like i say, Thai are very good to understand us, Even if we speak with the wrong tone now and then,

So That my facts from real life.

Kindly.

Hi everyone,
My name is Jeanna and I am moving to Thailand in October. I currently live in London, though Irish, and will be in Bangkok for 6 months initially to learn the language and familiarise myself with Thailand. I intend to spend time in Chiang Mai and Koh Samui as I need to make the decision as to which location I prefer to settle after my time in Bangkok.
I am retiring this summer from a career in medicine and clinical genetics but now looking forward to spending more time on my other passions such as cooking, animals, photography, sea activities, cultural events, travelling and just chilling with a book, listening to music or enjoying interesting company.

I am looking forward to this stage of my life and hope very much to hear from people who wish to say hello.
-@jeanna63

Have you look into if there is Learn Thai on a language course near you ??

Denmark have that back in 2010 when i return from my trip to Thailand.

There was no open spot before i move to Thailand a few month later.

I look it up again, And can see there is even more course like that in Denmark now.

So maybe you can find that in London all so.

Only a idea.

Kindly.

Using Google Translate isn't same as speaking the language. Sitting in a Thai restaurant or bar with a phone using an app like a moron won't work in the long run. Asking for the bus-station is totally ok,though.
-@Leeds forever!

Haha, c'mon better look like a moron and get lucky than not.

Anyways, who knows, it might become a future norm having a phone flat on your table,  using it to converse. 

Someone on here is for sure on a high horse, And if Leeds want to know who !!!
He simple need to go and look into the mirror :-)
I have 2 vendors saying they didn't understod me, But Thai around us jump in.
And told the vendors i speak perfect Thai and everyone understod me.
So after they made the vendor lose face.
They explain to me, That sadly some "Bad" Thai are like this, And ask me not to be upset.

I have 1 driver of a songthaew ask me where i was going.
And he told me, He dont understand me, And a girl told the drive i all ready told him where i was going.
She told me, Sorry for "Bad" driver.
So the drive get back into the songthaew and drive, He stop where i told him i was going.
So he clearly understod me, But want to be "Bad" Thai.

So for me, I can say, I dont give a S... about "Bad" Thai trying to be jerks and say they dont understand me.

3 years in school here in Thailand have show me, That people that put in the time/hours every day/week/month, Learn enough Thai to have a conversation in Thai inside a year, And a few like me, Need 2 years.

The only people that did not learn Thai, Was people thinking going to school 2 time per week, for 2 hours at the first school, And 3 hours on the second school i use.
And did not want to put in more hours then that.

One dont need to be 100% on the tones when speaking.
From what the talk is about, Even if the tone is wrong, People know what the person wanted to say.
And if the Thai know you a little, They explain to you, And teach you the correct tone.
Like i say, Thai are very good to understand us, Even if we speak with the wrong tone now and then,

So That my facts from real life.

Kindly.
-@Never done that

I think Leeds is speaking more about "learning" as in mastering the language which as he said, is really hard, while you, like me, are thinking of just basic conversations that are used 80% of the time in daily lives.

And Leeds, the world is changing bro! With more expats butchering () a foreign language becoming more common, the Thai tonal language as you know it now, may change. Welcome to the new Thai Expat Tone Language.

Hi everyone,
My name is Jeanna and I am moving to Thailand in October. I currently live in London, though Irish, and will be in Bangkok for 6 months initially to learn the language and familiarise myself with Thailand. I intend to spend time in Chiang Mai and Koh Samui as I need to make the decision as to which location I prefer to settle after my time in Bangkok.
I am retiring this summer from a career in medicine and clinical genetics but now looking forward to spending more time on my other passions such as cooking, animals, photography, sea activities, cultural events, travelling and just chilling with a book, listening to music or enjoying interesting company.

I am looking forward to this stage of my life and hope very much to hear from people who wish to say hello.
-@jeanna63

Hi Jeanna -

Welcome to the forum.

For learning to speak and read Thai, try to find a copy of the book "The Fundamentals of the Thai Language".

As for location, you live in London so maybe Bangkok might be OK if you like really big cities. Chiang Mai is a smaller city but suffers from severe air pollution throughout a significant part of the year.

Koh Samui is mainly a tourist destination, so costs are generally higher and you may find yourself surrounded by tourists and locals engaged in the tourism business, and the "real" Thailand may be hard to find.

You should continue your research and ask any specific questions you have here or start a new thread.

@jeanna63 Hi, be good to know how you get on as I’m looking to move to next year and can’t decide where to go. Let me know how you get on. Thanks, Kerry