Rating: 
Summary: Best of the Bunch!
Review: "Sawasdee, krup" = HELLO! For the past 13 years I have been looking at and studying Thai language learning materials. This is by far the best book / cassette tapes for a beginner and the second book / tape set in Khun Benjawan's series is also five star material. The content is something you will actually use when you visit the Land of Smiles = Thailand. It is written with an understandable phonetic transcription and strategies to help you understand the five different tones used in speaking "Pasa-Thai" = Thai Language. Soon you will be reading and writing as well as speaking this musical language. My only suggestion would be that the male speaker on the cassettes should speak more slowly and with more distinct articulation.
Rating:
Summary: Best of the Bunch!
Review: "Sawasdee, krup" = HELLO! For the past 13 years I have been looking at and studying Thai language learning materials. This is by far the best book / cassette tapes for a beginner and the second book / tape set in Khun Benjawan's series is also five star material. The content is something you will actually use when you visit the Land of Smiles = Thailand. It is written with an understandable phonetic transcription and strategies to help you understand the five different tones used in speaking "Pasa-Thai" = Thai Language. Soon you will be reading and writing as well as speaking this musical language. My only suggestion would be that the male speaker on the cassettes should speak more slowly and with more distinct articulation.
Rating:
Summary: Ms. Becker is the goddess of Thai studies in the West!
Review: (By Edward Trimnell, author of "Why You Need a Foreign Language & How to Learn One," ISBN:1591133343)I have one huge complaint with approximately 90% of the Thai self-teaching courses available in the English-speaking world--they assume that we can't (or don't want to) learn the Thai script. Not Ms. Becker. A native Thai speaker with extensive experience in the U.S., she introduces the Thai language in a serious, though learnable manner. If you just want to learn a few phrases, then buy one of the tourist-oriented cassette courses. However, this is the course for you if you really want to learn Thai like an adult. Ms. Becker has produced Thai books to be used by all levels of students. If you want to learn to speak Thai, then you need this author.
Rating:
Summary: The best text
Review: a great book for learning thai school-style. this book is used in the classes I take at the Thai temple. It's not a self-taught book in the usual fashion-- where you learn to order food, look for a hotel/taxi, etc., but a book that teaches true conversation, reading/writing, etc. USE THE TAPES AS WELL. If you dont pronounce >>perfectly<<, you'll either confuse, entertain, or insult depending on what you say. this book is excellent as the first exercises are practicing the tones. The same author also writes books for intermediate and advanced learners as well.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent learning companion
Review: As with any materials for learning a foreign language, the book definitely needs to be used as a companion to actually practicing speaking the language with native speakers, but after going through several different books I have found this one to be the best available. It gives good help teaching how to read and write, and gives a good, logical vocabularly base. Any one that can get through this book and absorb most of it will have a much easier time getting around and communicating in Thailand. Thanks Ms. Becker, for a great book!
Rating: 
Summary: Not a Quick Way to Learn Some Thai
Review: First let me say English is my second language. I also spent one year learning español from books and tapes. When I visited Mexico, I was able to converse with the locals. But Thai is very different. I bought this book and the tape based on the recommendations here. This book has ten lessons, including instructions on how to write Thai scripts. Each lesson has a vocabulary list of 50 to 75 words, followed by a conversation and 20 to 25 sentences. There're some exercises at the end of each lesson. Here's why I only give 2 stars to this book: 1) The book and the tape do not teach how to pronounce the Thai letters. For example, if I know "b" is for "boy" then I would know how to pronounce "b" in all the English words. This book simply gives the English translation, the Thai equivalent, and the English phonetic pronunciation. That offers little help in learning Thai scripts. 2) In the tape, each conversation is spoken in its entirety once then repeated in its entirety once. The speed is way too fast, especially you would have to read it every three lines (English, Thai, English phonetic). The vocabulary and the sentences are read only once and no repeats. 3) The three tapes supposedly contain three hours recordings . In reality, tape three lasts only 40 minutes. If you consider the Thai music interspersed in each tape, then the language materials would be only 2 ½ hours at the most. 4) Last but not least, I dislike the marketing tactics used by the publisher. The tape is not included with the book. There's neither an index nor a dictionary in the back of the book to list the vocabulary taught in the book. If you want that, you have to buy the dictionary separately. I have spent 40 hours on the book and the tape. All I can say is still Sawadee krup. Bottom line: If you have at least six months and have a Thai instructor, then this book may be for you. If you are in a hurry, don't waste you baht.
Rating:
Summary: Best Of All Available Methods
Review: Having used Pimsleur Thai compact edition since studying with this book, I can say this tape and book are an excellent and essential way of learning how to read, write, and speak Thai. Becker gets the job done consistently well and, while Thai may be difficult to write since the alphabet is much different, these books do not have any flaws to note. Unlike other Thai language books the characters are clear and the phonetics much better than the Lonely Planet phrasebook. Also, Becker makes great vocabulary choices for all levels, in each of her books. If one reviewer found learning slow-going, that may be true. If so, then best to study with this tape and book in Thailand so a slow-going period of study would be most 'sanuk' fun.
Rating:
Summary: Best Of All Available Methods
Review: Having used Pimsleur Thai compact edition since studying with this book, I can say this tape and book are an excellent and essential way of learning how to read, write, and speak Thai. Becker gets the job done consistently well and, while Thai may be difficult to write since the alphabet is much different, these books do not have any flaws to note. Unlike other Thai language books the characters are clear and the phonetics much better than the Lonely Planet phrasebook. Also, Becker makes great vocabulary choices for all levels, in each of her books. If one reviewer found learning slow-going, that may be true. If so, then best to study with this tape and book in Thailand so a slow-going period of study would be most 'sanuk' fun.
Rating: 
Summary: Be clear that you must order the book separately
Review: I am very pleased with the content and quality of the tapes. I was shocked that the tapes did not come with a book. After careful re-reading of the authors description of the tapes, I see (although not exactly clearly) that the tapes come with out the book. You need the book to effectively use the tapes. Thus I wound up paying double of what I expected.
Rating: 
Summary: No tape or CD included
Review: I don't know why no one has bothered to mention this, but this book does not come with a tape or CD. You have to order the CD separately and it's not cheap, costs more than the book. I got the book and it's useless without the audio recording. I am going to order the recording, and hopefully will not be disappointed (again).
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