Communicating in Thailand?

Question

It sounds like a silly question, but I don't know the answer. I am from Canada, so I hope this doesn't sound ignorant. I can speak Lao...barely, but I can completely understand Lao. While I was in Thailand, I found that they could understand my Lao, but often when they spoke fast I couldn't understand them. Are there two languages in Thailand, or maybe dialects? Or were they simply just speaking really fast?

Answer 1

My wife is from Issan (NE Thailand) and when she is with her family, the Lao-Thai dialect is used. 'Passa-issan' is the way to describe it, I guess. I've found that Thais and Lao folks can pretty well understand one another but for a farang like me, I can't understand them when they speak either. The speed, slang, linguistic shortcuts all add up to smiling and nodding and feeling silly. But as they say, 'Bo pen yang'....

Answer 2

Lao is different from the Thai language, but there are many similarities. If you travel in Lao, you can get by using Thai because Laotians prefer Thai television to the boring communist stuff their own government broadcasts.

Lao is also different from the dialect spoken in the north-east of Thailand - you will for example notice that numbers are different - but the Isan language (or dialect) is closer to Lao than Thai is.

The obvious explanation is that the Thai kingdom a couple of centuries ago basically took advantage of the weakness of the Laotian king to grab huge parts of Laos. Those parts (then called the Laotian provinces) are today's Isan.

To further answer your question, there are several dialects spoken in Thailand. The main one being northern, isan, and southern dialects, but people along the eastern seaboard (e.g., in Rayong Province) have their own dialects.

In my view, when Isan and northern dialects are spoken, it is fairly easy to comprehend what people say, but southerners an (in)famous for speaking very fast. Bangkokians are therefore often at a loss if southerners insist on talking to them in their language.

Note that while Lao has an alphabet that is different from the Thai alphabet, all of the Thai dialects use the Thai alphabet - this is one reason why they are considered dialects and not languages.

Answer 3

There are other dialects and probably they were speaking too fast for you to comprehend. Though the official language is Thai, there are many dialects. And since the borders have no fences I am sure beside Thai or Tai dialects there are those who can speak, Lao, Burmese and Khmer or Cambodian. In the far north, I am sure there are many who can also speak Mandarin or Cantonese. See the below link for further info.

Answer 4

I was from Bangkok, born and raised there. I couldn't and still can't understand Isaan dialect (from Northeastern Thailand). My nanny is from Burirum which is a province in Northeastern Thailand. She spoke 'pasa Isaan' which sometimes we call it 'pasa Lao'. When her family came to visit or when she's around her Isaan friends, they conversed rapidly in Lao (pasa Isaan). I guess it's just like learning to understand British English which I'm not used to. I went to school using American English which to me is very easy to understand. Especially if the dialect is spoken rapidly, it's hard to understand just like Thais try to understand English dialogue from a foreign film.

Answer 5

probably mostly a speed thing and like others have said dialects are very different in the regions
In the south they use words that completely draw a blank in bangkok,probably in Isaan as well.
Sometimes I wish I hadn't learnt any thai,when they are all jabbering away I understand just enough to catch my interest,but not enough to join in often.It's very frustrating .........Hopefully in 20 or 30 years I may be reasonably fluent (not)

Answer 6

They were probably speaking fast or using slangs that you wern't fimiliar with.

cheers,

Answer 7

MOST THAIS SPEAKS ENGLISH ESPECIALLY THE LADIES AND THEY ARE GORGEOUS!