If you are looking for an awesome book to teach yourself how to speak Thai with perfect pronunciation, check out The Thai Handbook - A Comprehensive Guide to Thai Conversation and Grammar
The Thai Handbook is essentially a phrase- and grammar book combined that covers everything you need to know to speak Thai at an intermediate level.
What makes this book stand out from many other books is the systematic order in which the vocabulary is presented, using relevant examples of dialogue used in daily interaction with Thai speakers. Each lessons builds on top of the previous lessons in a manner that allows you to gradually expand conversation beyond the examples presented in the book.
Each lesson outlines the grammatical function of key vocabulary (WH-question words, interrogatives, particles, classifiers etc.) featured in the dialogues, and shows you how to apply it to build your own sentences. You don't need to know anything about grammar at all because the order that the examples of dialogue are presented in enables you to get a feel of the grammar intuitively. Complete the translation exercises at the end of each lesson and check your answers in the back of the book to test your ability to apply the grammar correctly.
The book contains vocabulary and phrases that cover the following topics:
- Introduction and presentation
- Family and relations
- Asking for directions
- Shopping at the market
- Days of the week, months of the year, telling date and year
- Time expressions
- Telling time
- Visiting
- Ordering food and dining out
- Getting around the country
- Thailand's geography
The introductory chapter describes the structure of the Thai language and has a thorough pronunciation guide to the consonants, vowels and tones, as well as exercises to practise pronunciation based on the phonetic script that is used to write the examples of vocabulary and dialogues featured in the book.
The audio files (available for download or embedded in the ebook) enable you to listen and practise the pronunciation of the vocabulary and phrases, and are part of the listening and pronunciation exercises to learn the pronunciation of the individual tones.
Studying, learning and memorising all the vocabulary, phrases and expressions presented using the more than 2.000 flashcards on your smartphone or tablet while on the move is easy. Moreover, having everything on your device is handy if you need to review a phrase before practising it. The flashcards have audio and are in both phonetics and Thai script as shown here:
Click the link below to preview the flashcards:
https://quizlet.com/104011920/the-thai-handbook-flashcards-lesson-1-11-vocabulary-flash-cards/
All of these features make The Thai Handbook a unique studying tool that will help you make rapid progress in conversational Thai. The book is a soft introduction to the Thai script and writing system, but the book's emphasis on pronunciation using phonetic script will prepare you well for learning how to read and write Thai.
Read reviews here:
http://thai-language-academy.net/thai-handbook-reviews/
Download Lesson 1 and the Table of Contents here:
http://thai-language-academy.net/the-thai-handbook/preview/
The book is available in print and an ebook edition for tablets/iPad. Both editions can be purchased online on the Thai Language Academy website and ships within Thailand and internationally.
The print edition is also available on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Thai-Handbook-Comprehensive-Conversation-Grammar/dp/8799605430/
If you are in Thailand, the book is available from DK Today Book Store (ร้านหนังสือดวงกมล สมัย) and Suriwong Book Center (สุริวงศ์บุ๊คเซนเตอร์) in Chiang Mai.
For more info about The Thai Handbook and Thai Language Academy, please visit:
http://www.thai-language-academy.net
Please feel more than free to ask relevant questions about the book in this thread or on the Thai Language Academy Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/thai.language.academy/