This is why you learn Thai!

I came across a post on Instagram by @itsthetinatinglish that played on the word “KAO,” and I found it amusing. If you’re looking for Thai-related funny content, definitely check out her Instagram and YouTube.

Different Thai language learning books use various methods of transliterating words, making it challenging for Thai natives to understand which words learners are trying to pronounce. My adult students typically spend around two months on basic reading and memorizing the alphabet and vowels. I know this path is difficult, but investing time in this process early will pay dividends in the long run.

Here is the breakdown of the words starting from the 1 PM position. Essentially, without learning Thai, the following words are typically spelled in English as “Kao.”

เข่า Knee

ข้าว Rice

ข่าว News

ขาว White

เขา He/she

เก้า Nine

เข้า To enter

My kind Thai language professor friend also pointed out that the original post forgot เก่า (old) and กาว (glue).

Happy learning!

New teacher review August 2023

I realized that I last posted a new teacher review a while ago. I had the pleasure of tutoring a new Thai student this past summer, and I am delighted to have positively impacted her learning. Please take a look at Zazie Beetz’s review below.

“I was planning a trip to Thailand that would last a few months, and I really wanted to get a feel for the language before arriving. I reached out to Titcha and she responded so quickly and was incredibly flexible with her scheduling. I wanted to study four days a week, and she accommodated me with no issue. Titcha molded the classes exactly to my needs, provided all of the materials for free, and made all of the study tools super accessible throughout the course. She keeps you organized, provides additional material as you learn, and continues to update study tools as new interests or helpful references come up. She is patient, kind, funny, and explains structure well. Since she is also from Thailand, we were able to discuss culture, colloquialisms, and travel tips very organically. I got so many ideas from her for my trip! It was incredibly fun to learn so many interesting details about Thai people and life. I am so glad that I found Titcha! I couldn’t have asked for a more personalized and positive learning experience. Dichan rak paa saa tai maak maak!”