Is English Spoken in Thailand?
Exposure to the English language in Thai schools is variable at best, unless parents can afford to send their children to more expensive education establishments. For poorer Thais (the majority), while there may be some English taught, it is often not an integral part of the curriculum, the standard poor and while children may be able to repeat a set of standard words and phrases, they probably don't really understand them.
The further away from large cities, like Bangkok or Chiang Mai, the less English you will find in the schools. The net result is very poor English skills in general but the middle classes will have some English language skills. The problem is exacerbated by teachers giving their students pass grades, no matter what their score.
Hotel staff in major tourist areas will nearly always have passable basic English. Conversely, if you find yourself in rural Thailand, far away from any centre, your chances of being able to communicate in English are almost nil. Even when it is spoken, you will have to concentrate to understand the strange grammar, pronunciation and sentence structure, as Thai people struggle to pronounce English properly. When a street vendor or shop keeper needs to tell you the price of something, they will often simply type the amount into a calculator and show you the display without saying a word.
In the business arena, you may often find Thai people communicating with each other in English, especially educated Thais, as they like to show off their high status in society.
Thai society has seen a rise in English language media and the trend continues. There are a number of English periodicals and newspapers in circulation, including large mainstream publications such as The Bangkok Post and The Nation newspaper. Even Thai language publications will often have headlines and snippets printed in English, almost as if it makes it seem more 'chic'.
To summarise, you will get by if you don't speak Thai in Bangkok and other tourist areas... but if you stray away from the areas generally visited by foreigners, you will surely struggle without a phrase book.
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While the official Thai language is widely spoken throughout Thailand, many Thais also speak and understand English, though more so in Bangkok and the major tourist areas. As visitors to Thailand also include many Europeans and other Asians, Thai people's language skills often also include these other languages to varying degrees. The Thai language itself is challenging to master, but Thai people are happy to help foreigners learn a few words to help them get around. However, English is typically the common currency for cross-cultural conversation as Thailand hosts visitors from around the world.
With so many visitors, the Thailand communications system has many features that make it very accessible to foreigners. In regards to telephone use, it is possible to get a Thai SIM card at most international airports and both rental mobile phones and SIM cards are readily available in destinations including Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and Phuket. Workers in post offices generally speak some English, and there are internet cafes throughout Thailand that feature Skype headsets specifically to cater to visitors wishing to communicate with friends and family back home. The Thailand communications system is both modern and convenient for visitors to use.