HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej

The current Thai monarch, the much-beloved King Bhumibol Adulyadej (King Rama IX of the Chakri Dynasty) has reigned in Thailand for over 60 years, the longest of any Thai ruler. In fact, he is now the longest reigning monarch in the world. King Bhumibol was born in 1927 in Cambridge Massachusetts, where his father studied medicine at Harvard University. The Thai people have a deep and abiding reverence for their royal family. This immense popularity is a reflection of His Majesty's keen interest in his people's welfare. The King and his Queen, Queen Sirikit, have devoted a great deal of time and effort implementing public work projects, with particular focus on the under priviliged. As a constitutional monarch, the king holds powers similar to those of the Queen of England. Though he maintains neutrality in times of crisis, the king of Thailand has proved time and again to be a reliable stabilising force for the Thai people.

Learn to Speak Thai

Naturally the more language you pick up during your travels the closer you get to Thailand’s culture and people. Foreigners who speak Thai are so rare in Thailand that it doesn’t take much to impress most Thais. Thai is not an easy language but one you are able to learn. You should rely on the friendly cooperation of Thai people which will help make success easier and quicker. Listening to native speakers and repeating what they say is the most natural technique of learning and very important with such an exotic language as Thai. Your first attempts to speak the language will probably meet with mixed success, but keep trying. Don’t let laughter put you off; this amusement is simply an expression of appreciation. If you wish to learn how to speak Thai when you are in Thailand you will find many eager tutors.

Speech levels in the Thai Language

A special feature of the Thai language is the possibility of adapting the level of politeness to the person one is speaking to. This allows a more or less formal touch to the conversation. You can even express the social rank you are giving somebody by choosing higher or lower words while speaking to him or her. These speech levels are historic remains of former conveniences in the society of older times but they are still used in the modern Thai language of daily life. Thai people among friends will not use the same words as they may with business partners. Talking to their boss, they will speak differently than when giving orders to a servant. The age of partners is also significant for the choice of vocabulary.

Use of Tones in the Thai Language

Thai is a language that differs from European languages in many ways, not least in terms of pronunciation. Every syllable has its own tone: mid tone, low tone, falling tone, rising tone or high tone. The tone of every word is not a matter of the speaker’s mood but is strictly regulated. These five tones must be learned accurately with each new word. To pronounce a word with a wrong tone means to change its meaning. Somebody using wrong tones will not be understood. The rules of the tone system are extremely complicated, so it is best to memorize tones and words step by step, and listen carefully to Thai people’s pronunciation.