Anybody who has traveled in Thailand has likely noticed a small "toy house" near most buildings. Those are spirit houses. Thailand is a Buddhist country, but the Thais have kept quite a number of their animistic beliefs that come from pre-Buddhist times. So Thai Buddhism is blended with a spirit based faith.
But the best part of learning Thai is the grammar, believe it or not, since there's extremely little to learn. There are no, ZERO verb conjugations, that will please anyone who has ever attempted to learn one of the Latin-based languages like French, Italian, and Spanish. Future tense is managed with "ja", meaning "will", or by adding an adverb of time, like "tomorrow". Past tense is managed by putting "already" at the end, or by adding an adverb of time, like "yesterday". For example, instead of saying, "I went to the market", you use the present tense ("go") but add "already" at the ending, as in "I go marketplace already". Easy peasy.
You can send your son or daughter to a Thai school, but this is similar to going back in time 100 years. Rote learning is taught through by them simply. As it's considered disrespectful pupils aren't permitted to ask questions. They regurgitate and listen. They don't ask why not find out more or how. They merely accept. Skills are often beat into the kids aswell. Okay, the more progressive local schools don't beat children. When they get the answer wrong, they simply smack them on the hand using a ruler!
Yes, they speak English and Thai. Their father is from Thailand, so it was important for us that they have the ability to relate to Thailand culture that is. You require the language to get this done. However, they're by far more Western than Thai.
Foreign guy and foreign wife (Moo-wan). Typically a foreign couple will contact the foreign salesperson at a large design firm in Bangkok who'll promise a turn key operation in the location of their choice (and at a very exorbitant price).
Any visit to Thailand is incomplete with no trip to the primeval cities of Sukhothai and Ayutthaya. You'll learn a lot about Thai history and culture by just drifting about the dramatic ruins and ancient temples.
In the North there are rain forests and the mountainous regions that have their own unique charm. You can do jungle trekking in Chiang Mai and also go to the small villages there. Another important factor of Thailand is the shopping activities. It's no doubt a shopper's paradise with amazing buys and enormous shopping malls. Top local brands like Central World and Siam Paragon are undoubtedly worth getting a look at. The Chatuchak weekend market is a renowned place which is the world's biggest open market. It's over 15000 booths!
But the best part of learning Thai is the grammar, believe it or not, since there's extremely little to learn. There are no, ZERO verb conjugations, that will please anyone who has ever attempted to learn one of the Latin-based languages like French, Italian, and Spanish. Future tense is managed with "ja", meaning "will", or by adding an adverb of time, like "tomorrow". Past tense is managed by putting "already" at the end, or by adding an adverb of time, like "yesterday". For example, instead of saying, "I went to the market", you use the present tense ("go") but add "already" at the ending, as in "I go marketplace already". Easy peasy.
You can send your son or daughter to a Thai school, but this is similar to going back in time 100 years. Rote learning is taught through by them simply. As it's considered disrespectful pupils aren't permitted to ask questions. They regurgitate and listen. They don't ask why not find out more or how. They merely accept. Skills are often beat into the kids aswell. Okay, the more progressive local schools don't beat children. When they get the answer wrong, they simply smack them on the hand using a ruler!
Yes, they speak English and Thai. Their father is from Thailand, so it was important for us that they have the ability to relate to Thailand culture that is. You require the language to get this done. However, they're by far more Western than Thai.
Foreign guy and foreign wife (Moo-wan). Typically a foreign couple will contact the foreign salesperson at a large design firm in Bangkok who'll promise a turn key operation in the location of their choice (and at a very exorbitant price).
Any visit to Thailand is incomplete with no trip to the primeval cities of Sukhothai and Ayutthaya. You'll learn a lot about Thai history and culture by just drifting about the dramatic ruins and ancient temples.
In the North there are rain forests and the mountainous regions that have their own unique charm. You can do jungle trekking in Chiang Mai and also go to the small villages there. Another important factor of Thailand is the shopping activities. It's no doubt a shopper's paradise with amazing buys and enormous shopping malls. Top local brands like Central World and Siam Paragon are undoubtedly worth getting a look at. The Chatuchak weekend market is a renowned place which is the world's biggest open market. It's over 15000 booths!