I studied Thai with teacher Lah and I can tell that she has a very effective teaching method. In just a few months I am able to read Thai and have a basic conversation with literally no study at home. Strongly recommended!
Enrico Pantono
ITALY
I’ve worked at a human rights NGO in Chiang Mai and have been studying with Ajarn Lah for the past two years. I feel incredibly lucky to have her as my teacher. She is always so full of energy (try going to a morning session) and there is never a dull moment in class. I will miss my time with Ajarn, and most of all, her stories, which sometimes have me crying from laughter and are always profound.
NGO – Human Rights Hongkong Student
I am an exchange student through rotary and I am studying Thai with teacher Lah for a week while traveling in Chiang Mai. I studied with teacher Lah only one week and I have gotten to see myself improve in speaking reading and writing. Teacher Lah has perfect skill in teaching Thai! We speak together and she corrects me when I am wrong. I feel like I have improved quickly. I feel lucky to be teacher Lah’s student
Youth Exchange – Rotary International
“You have such a special, hilarious, luminescent energy! Learning Thai with you has been one of the most memorable and quote-worthy part of my time in Chiang Mai.”
“Thank you so much for everything you have given me over the last two and a half years. Your guidance and mentorship (and endless stories) were so important to getting me to where I am today.” “I have so enjoyed being your student and friend over the past 6 months”
“Wow, you’ve made my time in Chiang Mai so much more special and I’m looking forward to spending the next year learning and laughing with you.”
PIA – Princetown in Asia
I came to Chiang Mai about a year ago with five other Princeton-in-Asia Fellows, graduates of Princeton University, Northwestern University, and Williams College. I think I speak for all of us when I say that our Chiang Mai experience would not have been the same without Ajaan Lah and her Thai lessons. After studying with her for almost one year, I have not only learnt enough Thai to communicate with locals and coworkers, but I have also learnt how to play poker and lose with dignity (kind of). All jokes aside, Ajaan Lah will get you speaking Thai, whether you like it or not (you will). Kawpkoon maak ka, Ajaan Lah!
PIA – Princetown in Asia
As soon as I moved to Thailand to teach English at Chiang Mai University as a fellow with Princeton in Asia, Ajarn Lah was highly recommended as the person to go to if you wanted to learn to both read and properly speak Thai. Ajarn Lah is an extremely talented, passionate, and diligent teacher who ensures that you succeed in learning the Thai language. After only studying with Ajarn Lah for a few months, I was able to read the Thai menu at restaurants! Her self-created workbooks are extremely helpful and her emphasis on correct pronunciation ensured that I no longer had the blank stare of incomprehension I was often faced with when I tried to speak Thai during my first few months in the country. She is also incredibly funny and passionate, making every class both enjoyable and instructive. I highly recommend Ajarn Lah to anyone who wants to learn Thai! – Lydia
Lydia – PIA students
Ajaan Lah is without doubt a very gifted teacher. It’s not easy to teach a language so different for us westerners, it takes discipline and intelligence, but also imagination, patience and a sense of fun, to avoid the lessons becoming repetitive and boring. Thank you Lah for accepting me with friendship as a student and for insisting all the time on correct pronounciation. Unfortunately many foreigners that study Thai without discipline end up butchering the language, but I assure you Lah will not let this happen to you, she will guide you with patience and commitment in your studies. After studying with Lah for four months I often receive favourable comments on my pronounciation from the people I talk with. At the same time I have had a good time and have learned a lot about thai culture also, which is an essential element of the language and its most used idiomatic expressions. Good luck and happy learning.
Marco Tosi – Italy
I have studied Thai from two teachers before,but I have never found a method that worked for me until we started studying together. You are very committed to your students and it showns through your teaching style. I have no doubt that with your level of dedication, you will accomplish all of your goals.
Collin Ferguson – USA
After I visited Thailand for several times and managed everything without speaking the Thai language I was no longer content with this. So I started looking for an opportunity to learn the language. Because I did not like a groupwise teaching, I had to look for a tutor to give one-on-one teaching. I found “a-jaan Lah” on the internet and contacted her. She is very clear about her system of teaching. You have to chose between two ways of learning: only conversation or reading and writing followed by speaking. Don’t be mistaken by the effort you have to put in! I only got six weeks and this was just enough to learn some basic knowledge about this language and enable you in speaking and understanding some standard phrases in several situations. As a teacher she is very keen about you to learn it the right way. It is a serious business, but she is not always too serious. You can have a laugh as well. I enjoyed that I have been a student of a-jaan Lah and can recommend it to everybody who wants to make a serious effort to learn more about Thailand..
Robert Klarenbeek – Holland
Understanding Thai language for beginner is not always easy. Although, It does not mean that Thai itself is impossible to understand and master on it. It just required seriousness, diligent and a person, such us a professional Thai teacher to help.
I, personally as a beginner, one thing that very important in order to be able to speak Thai in a correct way is the tone. Our pronunciation should be correct tone and clear, otherwise we will mispronounce the words, and the meaning will also be different. Teacher Lah is very good in directing all of her students to be able to speak Thai with correct tone. She is professional and has experience for 7 years teaching Thai for foreigners. She has her own very good methods to teach Thai. I was helped so much with her methods.
Yosep Jonal Indonisia
Dearest Teacher Lah, It’s my honor to have you as my third language (TTL) teacher. I feel especially lucky to have found you among those dazzled internet sites.Through ten days of intensive study with you, has enhancing the value of my trip in Chiang Mai!
I now realized finding a good teacher plays an important role in language study. To me, language is not just a concept of communicating, but it’s a great extension of its own culture and reveals one’s personality indeed.
Teacher Lah, you have expressed Thai’s exclusive beauty and brought it into live with your own way of passion. Time has escaped instantly, I will be back again for my continuing progress. Thank you!
Jonathan Taiwan
Thank you for going slowly when I didn’t understand. Thank you for praising me when you knew I needed it. Thank you for pushing me when I thought I couldn’t do it. Thank you for showing me new things. Thank you for making me laugh. Thank you for challenging me. Thank you for motivating me. Thank you for talking and listening. Thank you for being a good and kind teacher I will never forget.
Leslie Campbell – Canada
We say in German “Maskos do not drop from the sky, There is skill along way of practicing ahead…and narrow and story is the way that reach to the blessings of understanding Thai ! “ So, we hope you continue as you did to teach us in your patient and professional way !
Wolfram Spreer
Ulrich Shuler – Germany
Before starting my lessons with teacher Lah I thought I could already speak some decent Thai at a basic level. What I didn’t realize at this time was that the different sounds and intonations were crucial in understanding and speaking the Thai language, this is something I think Westerners don’t pick up automatically. Formal lessons in the Thai language are therefore indispensable for being able to communicate competently and enjoyably in it. The personal lessons and attention from teacher Lah have improved my Thai-language level a lot in a short time. I am very satisfied with her and her teaching methods and I’m planning to learn a lot more in the future.
Johan Van Leersum Holland
Patrick (Alo) Connaughten – Ireland
Thank you accepting me as a student although you already had a busy schedule. Before I met you personally I told you I was in my mid-sixties. That normally, is enough to prompt a teacher to say “no” in some polite way. You have been a demanding teacher, but in the correct way, because you insisted so much on correct pronunciation, I now feel confident that I have a solid foundation. I admired your great patience, your calm and your humour. Le gach dea ghui ( with every good wish )
The few moments we’ve spent together over the last 3 weeks have been fantastic.
Each lesson has been helpful and entertaining and we’re fortunate to have scratched the surface of the Thai language with your help.
Mike Hovanes & Janette Searle- Canada
Learning Thai is not just about what you read in a book. You brought the Thai language to life for us. You taught us about culture and people as well as words.
With you as our teacher we have learned to communicate and enjoy all aspects of life in Thailand.
Marjorie & Paul Hilts USA.
Marjorie & Paul Hilts USA.
Without a doubt, A-jaan Lah is one of the very best Thai language teachers in Chiangmai. She is dedicated to her students and a task-master with regards to teaching the tones correctly.
She is a go-getter who is curious about life and all its’ aspects and easy to engage in conversation. On my ‘Thai teacher 1 to 10 Scale’ she is a solid 10
Benji Cogswell – USA
I think you are a good teacher and I have progressed considerably under your tutelage.
Thank you and I have recommended you to all budding Thai students
John Carragher – Australia
Thank you so much for teaching me over the past 8 months. Each and every lesson has been well thought out and planned so I have learned the important vocab that I have needed to communicate with Thai people.
You have not just helped me with Thai language but also any other problems I have had since I have been here. I can’t ever begin to tell you how much I appreciate that.
Ryan Best – England
I took Thai lessons with Ajaan Lah for over one year, and found her methods to be very effective. I have learned more Thai language than I would have expected in that time period. Ajaan Lah also has a very pleasant personality, which made the learning time enjoyable. If you are planning to learn the Thai language, I would highly recommend Ajaan Lah as a teacher.
Mathew – Australia Anntoinette – Holland
A-jaan Lah has brought the Thai language, Thai culture to life for me. Thank you so much for all the time, energy, patience, persistance and sense of humor you’ve invested in my studies.
NGO-Build House
‘I can heartily recommend A-jaan Lah as a Thai teacher. Her patient yet motivated style has seen me develop my Thai language skills much faster than I would have expected. Through her combination of rote learning and the encouragement of improvisational conversational I have found myself developing fast confidence in my Thai speaking ability.
Her teaching is systematic enough to provide a clear learning structure, but also free and fun enough to allow students to choose their own priorities and emphasis. For me, it was definitely the right fit.’
Josh Bird – Sheila Palm Australia
