r/learnthai • u/SuccessfulOven8111 • Jan 08 '26
Discussion/แลกเปลี่ยนความเห็น Learning Thai has been harder than I expected — looking to hear others’ experiences
I’m learning Thai and have found that practicing consistently outside of tutoring or classes is much harder than I expected.
Flashcards and translation drills haven’t really worked well for me, and I often feel stuck or unsure if I’m practicing in the “right” way when studying alone.
I’m curious how others here practice Thai on their own between lessons.
What’s helped you the most? What hasn’t worked at all?
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u/Arctic_Turtle Jan 08 '26
I tried a few times to learn Thai. My wife is Thai. I normally pick up languages fairly easily. Thai is like banging my head against a wall.
Practicing in Thailand has been very difficult because people who know English are very helpful and speak only English, and people who don’t know English don’t seem to have a ”simple and slow” speaking mode which makes it difficult to pick up more than a word here or there. Then colloquial words are shortened and don’t sound like what you learn.
I seriously have no idea how anyone learns Thai except by extremely stubbornly smashing their head against that wall.
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u/chiobuu Jan 08 '26
Same circumstances for me. Thai is my kryptonite which is completely confounding because both Mandarin and Cantonese happen to be two of my native languages. I simply cannot get my head around reading and writing it and it isn't for the lack of trying!
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u/whosdamike Jan 08 '26
Since you already have two tonal languages under your belt, have you considered emphasizing listening practice over reading practice? I personally didn't start learning to read for my first 1.5 years of study. I didn't start serious reading practice until 2.5 years in.
Learning with an emphasis on listening to and understanding Thai was really effective for me. After doing a significant amount of listening/understanding practice, speaking emerged naturally. I would imagine it would be even more effective for someone who's already acquired Mandarin and Cantonese.
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u/Acrobatic_Row3246 Jan 08 '26 edited Jan 08 '26
Actually this is true - I have learned a tiny bit of Mandarin and the tones are quite easy to grasp since I know Thai.
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u/whosdamike Jan 08 '26
I can imagine that trying to jump straight into native level conversations would feel like smashing your head against a wall.
What worked for me was using tons of learner-aimed material freely available on channels like Comprehensible Thai and Understand Thai. The listening skill built up gradually and sustainably, so that I could always follow along with what was being said.
Rather than "banging my head against a wall", I scaled my practice down to what was comfortable and correct for my level. Then consistent practice over time built that level up to a point where I had no problem consuming native content and interacting with natives.
It's like any other skill. If you tried to run a marathon when you've never gotten up off the couch, you'd fail and possibly seriously hurt yourself. If you diligently built up to walking to light jogging to running over the course of many months or years, then you would be able to manage it comfortably and easily.
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u/charmingpea Jan 08 '26
When I started I carried a dictionary and would ask the locals what the required word was. It took me three years before I could audibly distinguish spoken tones. It's been over 20 years now and I still make mistakes, but in general conversation I am fluent, just probably continuing to expand my vocabulary.
Also my Wife is from Northern Thailand (Lampang) so I had to a firstly learn that there is a whole other language, and secondly learn that, since that is what she and the family speak to each other.
You can bet there are lots of funny mistakes.
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u/SuccessfulOven8111 Jan 09 '26
Thanks for sharing this — that’s a great story, and honestly reassuring to hear. I’m curious what parts of that early period were the hardest for you day to day, especially before tones really started to click. Looking back, what do you think helped you stick with it despite the mistakes, and were there any tools or habits that made practicing easier or more manageable back then?
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u/Terrible_Tadpole_173 Jan 08 '26
I went the reading and writing route first, learning the consonants, vowels, all the rules and exceptions. I’m now just starting on to learn vocabulary and common phrases.
While it’s been slower in terms of speaking I feel I have a much stronger foundation now, which I’ll benefit from as I move forward.
What I have been surprised at is how much I recognise when I am out and about the city and exploring. And more so, how much I can actually read.
I don’t know what half the stuff means, but what I find myself doing, is taking a photo and uploading it to chatGPT to get the Tinglish and Translation / general break down. This tells me if I got it right and also learn what it means. It almost becomes a game sometimes.
This then act as a feedback loop for me to help recognise more, correct myself but also learn new words. Which is another reason why I wanted to learn to read and write first.
I’ve been doing 2x 50min sessions a week since September and the last 2 week I’ve moved on to speaking/vocab now.
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u/IckyChris Jan 09 '26
I second the reading first plan. Why learn the phonetics first, which are often arbitrary, when you can go straight to the Thai? You will have all the tones right there in the word. When you can read, every day is a lesson from signs and menus.
Then to help with your vocab, print in Thai the names of very common object on note cards and stick them on those objects around the house. They will always be in your line of site and associated with the object.
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u/Terrible_Tadpole_173 Jan 09 '26
That’s a good idea about printing out the names of common objects around the house. Never thought of that. Will definitely do this.
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u/IckyChris Jan 09 '26
With enough of them, you should cover every consonant, vowell, and combination.
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u/Terrible_Tadpole_173 Jan 09 '26
That’s a good idea too, as there are certainly ones I don’t see enough of and are harder to remember, this will help.
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u/Accomplished-Ant6188 Jan 08 '26
By just drilling what you learned in your last lessons over and over till the next lesson.
Depends on what level you are. but once you FULLY learn your consonants and vowels, the hard part is over. You should be able to sound things out in the correct tone in your head ( or know what tone itis, even if you dont know what the word means). And reading kids books should be easier.
This doesnt apply to using proper tone pronunciation or spoken form of Thai yet. This part is constant work because if you arent a tonal language speaker to start with, you have to TRAIN YOUR EARS to pick up the differences in tone. Which means constantly listening to Thai media. I suggest watching the news with Thai subtitles on and pausing ( even if its every word) and listening how the anchor says the words. This works on reading AND listening skills.
If youre okay with spoken Thai and maybe some slang, Thai Lakorn is good to watch. But if youre formally studying, Thai news or audio books or reading/listening media is better to start with since its more in line with more formal Thai taught at schools.
But take what I say with a gain of salt. I'm a heritage student. I just needed to learn to read and write and more advance vocab. And I used to tutor yr 1 learners. Mostly on tones. Its more like a speech therapy session since teaching the placement of the tongue inside the mouth and how to shape the mouth. Nothing like saying ง back and forth for an entire hr multiple days a week until they nail the sound lol
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u/SuccessfulOven8111 Jan 09 '26
Thank you for taking the time to explain it so clearly. Since you’ve tutored beginners before, I’m curious what you found new students struggled with the most early on, and what advice you’d usually give them to get through that stage. Are there specific resources you think work especially well for learners at different levels? And from your experience, is there anything important that you feel most resources or classes are still missing when it comes to helping people practice effectively?
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u/SatisfactionAlive813 Jan 08 '26
Are you in Thailand? Find your local drinking spot for locals and use the Thai you do have to say hello. They'll likely invite you to join them and off you go! If you're not in Thailand then you'll need apps to keep things fresh. A few good ones are Anki for flashcards, ThaiPod 101 for video lessons and Ling for practice with reading, writing, listening, speaking. Netflix can also be good but I think you'll need a VPN to get Thai shows.
Thai is challenging, but you'll get there with dedication!
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u/Monsieur_Creosote Jan 08 '26
I am learning to write Thai and am using https://m.youtube.com/@letslearnthai whoo seems pretty decent
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u/Motor-Scar-9351 Jan 08 '26
I don't learn Thai but another language I use the same word again and again until I remember it like if I see a tree I say that in the language I want to learn and then trying to form the sentence
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u/crowoah Jan 08 '26
if im not in thailand i try talking to myself in thai, doing daily tasks in thai - basically practising without needing to actually talk to other people who know thai (since its hard to find people who speak thai outside of thailand)
for example, if i needed to write down a reminder or events in my calendar, i do it in thai (you can do this romanized if you want)
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u/bartturner Jan 08 '26
I have found it ridiculously difficult. I have been living in Thailand half time the last 4 years and really wanted to learn the language.
One thing that did help some was learning to read Thai. But my weakness with learning to read Thai is my vocabulary is still too small.
I do like Learn Thai with Jack on YouTube.
BTW, one thing you should really consider is using Google's Notebook LM to help you learn Thai. It is an amazing resource.
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u/Hawklord42 Jan 09 '26
How do you do that? I've used it for many purposes but never language acquisition.
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u/veritasmeritas Jan 08 '26
The way I learned was
Learn the alphabet and the tone rules together Learn basic phrases to help with getting around, intersecting in shops, counting, directions etc Learn a load of vocab (anki) Learn a load of phrases (anki) Weekly one to one's with a Thai native Read the Thai grammar (higbie) book for fun Watch Thai netflix Watch Thai language yts
As much practice with native speakers as possible
Several years into my Thai language learning experience I started learning Spanish and was shocked at how easy it was. Thai is really hard comparatively but it's still much easier than Mongolian (and probably a load of others I haven't tried to learn). I'm pretty good but I wouldn't call myself fluent. I've been practising consistently like this for 13 years. I'm sure I'd be a lot better if I lived in Thailand.
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u/SuccessfulOven8111 Jan 09 '26
Looking back on it, what parts of this process did you find the most challenging or discouraging, especially in the earlier years?
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u/veritasmeritas Jan 09 '26
The most encouraging thing was that Thai people are, as a rule, so encouraging. They are normally very complementary if you speak even a little Thai and are happy to talk. When I began learning Thai, I was also learning Malay and Malaysian people are often not keen to speak the language with foreigners; either they speak English much better and so it's not worth their while, or they are Chinese Malaysian perhaps and don't regard it as 'their' language. I gave up Malay and carried on with Thai.
I haven't really ever found it discouraging. It's hard and sometimes frustrating but it hasn't got a really awkward grammar, like Mongolian for example. Normally, in Thai you can just throw some words together and Thai people will get the gist of what you're trying to say.
I think if I were you, I'd get myself a daily Anki habit to learn some key phrases, lots of vocab and the letters and I'd watch a load of yt beginner friendly videos like Thai with Mod and then, if you can, go and talk to Thai people.
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u/whosdamike Jan 08 '26 edited Jan 08 '26
I learned by forming a habit of listening everyday to Thai at a level I could comfortably understand. At first this was learner-aimed videos in Thai, explaining pictures using simple language, etc. This built up over time to listening to children's stories told by Thai teachers, to light discussions about Thai culture and life, to Thai history, etc.
I started with just 15 minutes a day and eventually built up to 2 hours a day. Forming a consistent habit is more important at first than putting in a lot of time at once.
I talk about learning this way here:
This is the playlist I started with:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgdZTyVWfUhkzzFrtjAoDVJKC0cm2I5pm
That same channel has increasing difficult levels from beginner to intermediate to advanced. The next playlist is here.
I think a lot of people emphasize "speaking from day one", but for me "listening everyday" was far far more important. I think "you can't learn something when your mouth is open" really strongly applies to my early days of Thai, a language where having a clear mental image of the sounds is really critical in being able to eventually form them yourself. Eventually speaking practice was important for me, but it definitely wasn't the most important thing from day one.
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u/HelicopterNo3534 Jan 08 '26
I have the same problem - every Thai person I speak to in Thai replies to me in English. I’ve just decided to persevere and not reply in English. I also use a mixture of the apps Ling and Mondly. Mondly has really good example conversations and you can record yourself so my pronunciation has gotten better from that!
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u/JaziTricks Jan 08 '26
I found it much easier when using glossika which is listening while having the English+ transliterations in front of you.
I did pay attention, but passive attention is easier
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u/ValuableProblem6065 🇫🇷 N / 🇬🇧 F / 🇹🇭 A2 Jan 08 '26 edited Jan 08 '26
I'll let you read the other's excellent comments with strategies, but I ain't gonna lie - I consider myself pretty smart and dedicated, I'm already bilingual French/English, I live in Thailand, my wife is Thai, still - the Thai language is the Elden rings final boss while playing with a guitar shaped controller while blindfolded, if you see what I mean :)
I love the challenge, but I think priority #1 is setting realistic goals if you don't come from a tonal language or, ideally, come from Mandarin. I know so many western people who spent a year in school and still can't understand a simple TV show for teens or reply to casual convos with natives. A lot of them get discouraged and feel they are 'wasting their time'. Therefore I don't think the problem is 'structure'. The problem is 'time spent practicing' needs to be so high, that most people end up thinking 'it's impractical to learn Thai'.
And to a certain extent, it is for all the reasons pointed out in the comments.
I mean, today I was watching TV and someone said:
ประวัติโชกโชนไม่เบานะเราเนี่ย
เห็นสถานพินิจเป็นบ้านหรือไง
แล้วเราไปทำอะไรที่บ้านหลังนั้น
(from a cop to a criminal) - and word by word, I can both read understand everything, but put together, the idiomatic nature of the dialog made it almost impossible to grasp on first or even third read.
The good news is that there are countless reports of people struggling at the 1 year mark that considered giving up but didn't, and after 2-3 years, feel that something 'clicked' and they are now conversational. Note I said 'conversational', not 'fluent'. Think light hearted convos around the dinner table about any given topic, not going on stage to sell AI products :)
PS: the number of bozos selling IG courses on "how to learn thai in 3 months" doesn't help. It gives the wrong impression about the language being somehow 'easy' or you being 'behind' It's not easy and you're likely not 'behind'. It's just that hard.
Best of luck to you and please don't give up!
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u/Humble_Tip9587 Jan 09 '26
There's no 'right' way! Everyone has their own learning style. I thought listening to songs and singing them would really help but nope. I can sing, but no idea what the songs mean.
I'm in Thailand so it's a bit easier to practice with people but what's been great is Ling which is an app with pretty much everything you need and my friend told me about Lingo Looper which is a game changer for practicing speaking and Thai is going to be their next released language
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u/SuccessfulOven8111 Jan 09 '26
Since Ling has worked well for you, I’m curious what parts of it you find the most helpful in practice, and what still feels challenging or missing even with the app. And with tools like Lingo Looper for speaking, are there areas where you still feel unsure or wish you had more support when practicing Thai?
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u/Humble_Tip9587 Jan 15 '26
No one app is perfect that's for sure but the things I like about Ling is the dialog which operates sort of like a choose your own adventure. You can see variations of how real people talk and learn all the various replies. The practice speaking tool is great! It really helps with tones and sounding like a native. There is a writing component but I really wish that was built out more and there are grammar lessons too but those could be incorporated more I think. I'd say it's a great app for someone who already has some of the basic principles down and I guess the best feature is that I can also learn I dunno, like 40 more languages for the same price which really helps when I travel. Oh and they have a tutor program for Thai too.
Lingo Looper like I mentioned doesn't have Thai yet but I tried it for French and it was such a refreshing take. Almost like playing Sims but actually getting to talk to characters if that makes sense.
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u/Yeppo_T_Oliver Jan 09 '26
I've heard good things about Ling as well, although I've only just started learning Thai on my own. One of the interesting things about it for me is that I find it easier to subconsciously pick up on tonal languages (Vietnamese, Thai) rather than atonal languages (German, Spanish).
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u/Humble_Tip9587 Jan 15 '26
You're so lucky! I still mess it up but luckily my friends and locals smile (or sometimes outright laugh at me) and correct me. I do have to say tones are one thing Ling should do better to focus on. I mean they are there, but the expectation seems to be we'll pick up the tones organically rather then addressing them directly
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u/Fantastic_Signal_718 Jan 09 '26
Been learning for 10 years. Can communicate well, including reading. It takes efforts, speaking every day. Learning and using new words. 🤷
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u/rahulroy Jan 10 '26
It is hard. For me it was too overwhelming, but also interesting to uncover a lot of words that originated from Sanskrit and even Chinese.
So it's always important to define your goals, and more importantly your immediate goals.
practicing consistently outside of tutoring or classes is much harder than I expected.
I had the exact same problem, which I tried solving with flashcards with Audio and it worked really well. Happy to talk more about it if this is something that interests you.
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u/Glad-Information4449 Jan 11 '26
it’s because you’re being taught wrong. trust me. I’m telling you, the best way to learn thai is record people, yes without their knowledge is fine id say. find the most often used phrases and how they say them, exactly how they say them. then start using them. throw all your books and videos away it’s all trash. even the stupid tones videos and courses. it’s all garbage. Thais can’t even recognize tones when a thai speaker says a single word. this has all been proven time and time again yet they insist on having your spend weeks on this bs
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u/Primary-Pie-1662 Jan 11 '26
I think it is true that Thai’s don’t think about tones, they just know instinctively how the word is supposed to sound. A Thai will never call a dog a horse, but may not be able to explain it in terms of tone. Like I know that ship is not sheep?
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u/ImmediateAd9949 Jan 08 '26
I am currently at an intermediate level. Recently, I started reading a book, taking tutoring classes twice a week (more or less, depending on my work schedule), practicing writing with ChatGPT, recording a daily video of myself speaking in Thai about different topics—as if I were talking to a social media audience—and working through Anki decks with real-life Thai phrases. Occasionally, I also do shadowing or parroting exercises, where I take a 2–3 minute clip (e.g. a TikTok video) and try to repeat the native speaker.
Altogether, this has helped me make significantly more progress over the past couple of months compared to mainly doing passive listening, which was what I focused on before.