If you want to live in another country with an official language that you don’t speak, you should be concerned about whether you can cope with the language barrier or not. So, this brings us to deliberate on whether you can live successfully and enjoyably in Thailand without speaking the Thai language. Well, there are many things you need to know about this.
We conclude that you can live in Thailand without speaking Thai. In fact, several foreigners are living in Thailand without speaking Thai. Therefore, it is not strange if you want to live in this Southeast Asian country without speaking the local language.
However, you must understand that you will experience some inconveniences if you are living in Thailand without speaking Thai. This is because numerous individuals in the country don’t speak English or any other foreign language. Therefore, communication may be somewhat affected.
Can you live comfortably in Thailand if you don’t speak Thai?
It is one thing to live in Thailand, but it is another thing to live comfortably in the country. So, is it possible to live comfortably in Thailand if you don’t speak the Thai language? According to Lovefortraveling.com, your comfort will depend on where you live in Thailand. If you are residing in Bangkok, Phuket, and other big cities in the country, you can live comfortably without speaking Thai. However, you must know how to speak the English language. This is because many English speakers live in the big cities around Thailand.
However, if you are in a rural environment, you will struggle to find people that understand English. As a consequence, you will not be able to live comfortably without speaking Thai in those areas.
Situations where you may struggle if you don’t speak Thai
If you are visiting a 4- or 5-star hotel, luxury rooftop bar, or fancy restaurant in Thailand, it is almost guaranteed that you will come across people that speak English. Also, when visiting a popular tourist center in the big cities in Thailand, you can be certain that you will find English speakers. Given this, you don’t have to speak the Thai language to enjoy staying in those places.
However, whether you are in Bangkok or a remote town, you will struggle in some situations if you don’t speak Thai. These situations include:
- When shopping in any of the less-known markets with local sellers that don’t understand the English language.
- When asking a random pedestrian for directions on the street in Thailand.
- When using public transport in most areas of the country. Notably, most of the officials usually speak only the Thai language. Therefore, it will be difficult to communicate with them.
- When you want to talk to Thai police. Luckily, you can call Thailand’s tourist police phone number: 1155. The tourist police officers will speak English with you.
Do lots of Thais speak English?
In many countries around the world, several citizens often learn other popular languages to ensure that they can communicate with others. So, you may be wondering whether Thais learn English or another popular language. Without mincing words, many Thais learn the English language. In fact, an average Thai student will learn the English language for several years at different stages.
Despite this, many Thais still don’t speak the English language. According to Wikipedia.com, about 27% of all Thais in Thailand speak English. But there are many things you need to know about the distribution of English speakers in Thailand.
- Most of the English speakers in the country don’t speak the language fluently. Their use of English is basic; hence, communication may still be limited.
- The prevalence of English speakers in the country differs from one region to another. Bangkok, Phuket, Chiang Mai, and Pattaya tend to have the majority of English speakers in Thailand. Hence, it will be easier for you to live in these areas without speaking Thai than in other places in this Southeast Asian nation.
Why don’t Thais prefer speaking the Thai language, not English?
Since Thais learn English in schools, you may be wondering why they don’t usually speak the language with foreigners that understand English. As highlighted by Thailandtravelessentials.com, these are the reasons Thais prefer communicating in Thai instead of English:
- They are shy and want to avoid wrong pronunciation, dialect, and accent.
- They don’t have confidence in their ability to speak the English language.
- The English teachers often focus on teaching only technical grammar (which may not be useful for many day-to-day conversations).
- Even the local English teachers are poor English speakers; hence, lots of mistakes in their teaching.
Can learning basic Thai words and phrases help you?
So, as you are planning to live in Thailand, you must realize that you may struggle a bit if you don’t speak the Thai language. If you want to reduce your struggle, you are advised to learn some basic Thai words and phrases. Even if you cannot communicate fluently in Thai, you will be able to get help or communicate with the locals sparingly.
A few of the Thai phrases and words you can learn include:
- Hello – Sa-wat-dii
- Goodbye – Bai
- Yes – Chai
- No – Mai
- Thank you – Khop Kun
- How much – Thao-rai?
- Sorry – Khot hor
- Can you speak English – Kun pood paasaa angrit dai mai?
- Speak slowly – Puut chaa chaa noi
- How are you? – Sabaidii mai?
- I am fine – Sabaidii
- I am not fine – Mai sabaii
With these Thai phrases and words, you should be able to get by in Thailand without much issue.
Conclusion
As shown above, you can live in Thailand without speaking the Thai language. However, this does not mean that your experience will be smooth as there are many situations where you will not be able to communicate effectively without speaking Thai. Nevertheless, you can make your experience of living in Thailand more enjoyable and comfortable by learning some important Thai phrases and words.
