Thai language full of nuance
Mr Richard Bowler might not have delved into Thai literature or even high-school textbooks, else he would not have committed to print the sentence
I should leave a proper response to those well-versed in the Thai language to disabuse Mr Bowler of his misunderstanding.
Even at the level of everyday conversation, Thai is considered one of the most difficult languages for a Westerner to learn. When I trained for service in the US Peace Corps during its early years, our mastery of elementary Thai was tested by the standards of the US Defence Department School of Languages (“Monterey Institute”) before we could be accepted for an assignment. Thai was considered one of the hardest languages for a Peace Corps assignment in which to achieve a passing score.
Studying Thai can be a very rewarding experience, for the depth, wit and aesthetics of its construction, so to speak. Would that more of us non-native speakers could master a sufficient knowledge of the language to participate in contemporary life in this fascinating society on a par with the natives. If we could do so, we might help generate better understanding of the West and the inroads that the global economy is making into Thai life.
Kim Atkinson
Bangkok
