Are Farang Tone Deaf? The Fast Track to Thai Fluency in 5 Steps

Be honest: how many times have you looked at a Thai phrasebook, attempted something vaguely resembling "sawasdee krap," watched the taxi driver's face crumple in polite confusion, and quietly decided you simply weren't built for tonal languages?

You're in good company. And you're almost certainly wrong.

It turns out that the real barrier to learning Thai isn't your ears — it's your English. The habits, assumptions, and pronunciation shortcuts baked into you by your mother tongue are working against you in ways you've probably never been told about. Those romanised signs all over Bangkok? They may actually be setting you back. Oops.

At the next Bangkok Scientifique, we're joined by Ivan M. Paton — linguist, author of PIPPASS™ Let's Speak English & Stop Speaking Tinglish, and a long time Bangkok resident, who didn't just study Thai; he mastered it. And he's mapped out exactly how.

Ivan will walk us through five key steps to Thai fluency — covering why foreigners consistently mishear tones (and how to fix it), the surprising simplicity of Thai grammar, and a technique for breaking the translation habit that almost every language school ignores.

Whether you've never tried, gave up years ago, or are currently on a Duolingo streak you'd rather not admit to, there's something in this for you.

Come with questions — and maybe finally give "learning Thai someday" the push it deserves.

Spots are limited — grab yours now.

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🗓 Thursday, 30 April 2026
🕖 19.00
📍 Public House, Bangkok

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BKKSci welcomes everyone with an interest in science, language, and ideas — no prior knowledge required. This event is free of charge. We do however ask that you consider supporting Public House by purchasing your choice of food and drink during the event, as they have kindly agreed to host us. This is our way of saying thank you for their generosity