In Thailand’s northernmost Chiang Rai province, language learning is seen as crucial for greater regional economic and social success. For people in Chiang Rai, learning Mandarin Chinese is the flavour of the decade. It is a priority for the local university and school system, and nowadays street signs in downtown Chiang Rai are commonly in Thai, English and Chinese. The Chinese march down the Mekong is definitely being felt. While many are, no doubt, excited by the new opportunities, it should be noted that not everybody is happy.
While the Thai are busily learning Chinese, many of the non-Thai residents and visitors to Chiang Rai are keen to learn something of the local lingo. I have seen a few different language schools advertising Thai lessons – there’s obviously a market for it. The boldest even claims that “You can speak Thai in 6 hours”.
It’s quite a marketing pitch. Any takers for “You can speak Chinese in 6 hours”? “Easy, relax, fun”?
I’m sold.
2 responses so far ↓
1 Ross Pengilley // Oct 6, 2006 at 3:16 am
I may be wrong but I think Chinese was added to the major street signs sometime in early 2004,as I don’t remember seeing any street signs in Chinese in early or late 2003.
Wasn’t early 2004 the time when there were banners across some of the streets proclaiming something to do with Thai-Chinese commerce?
2 New Mandala » Sign of the last days of the Thaksin government // Nov 17, 2006 at 1:49 am
[...] At New Mandala, we have occasionally featured signs (of various sorts). While such signs do have obvious limitations for clarifying wider social processes, I think that at the very least they often show how governments and their various initiatives are self-promoted and referenced. For these reasons alone, they are, I reckon, worth further reflection and some more probing analysis. [...]
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