Since my first visit to Thailand I liked the language, and I spent a considerable amount of time and energy learning to speak and write Thai, starting in Singapore. I'm pleased to say I progressed to the point where I could have a basic conversation about politics, and it was simply a case of expanding my vocabulary.
In a country where most people speak very limited English, I found that being able to speak Thai made the experience significantly better. I knew that as a freakishly pale, noticeably tall and distinctly European-looking fellow, I was never going to be accepted as a Thai, but being able to chat to anyone, from a Policeman on a bus mocking me about my country's World Cup performance, to a group of children asking unanswerable questions about my nose provided a much greater sense of inclusion and comfort. It truly made me pity those who live for years in a country and cannot speak the local tongue, because their experience is so watered-down.
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