This article was originally posted on WomenLearnThai.com.
Paiboon Publishing & Word in the Hand…
As I mentioned in the previous post, Please Vote THAI and WIN! 2015: Top 100 Language Lovers Competition, for seven weeks (a week for each year WLT has been online) there will be giveaways by top movers and shakers in the learning Thai industry.
And what better way to kick it off than with three of my favourite Thai apps from Paiboon Publishing and Word in the Hand: The Talking Thai-Eng-Thai Dictionary, the Thai for Beginners course, and the Talking Thai-Eng-Thai Phrasebook (soon to be rolled into the dictionary).
Over the years, Benjawan Poomsan Becker (Paiboon Publishing) and Chris Pirazzi (Word in the Hand) have been incredibly generous to readers of WLT, gifting handfuls of apps whenever they’ve come out with a totally new app, or when they’ve updated an app. Thanks you two!
If you are looking a good way to learn Thai online, check out ThaiPod101. Although their courses are not free, they are cheap, effective, and can quickly teach you conversational Thai. All ExpatDen readers get a 25% discount using this link.
For WLT’s Thai Language Giveaway they are sponsoring FOUR EACH of the apps. Details below.
Talking Thai–Eng–Thai Dictionary…
Price: US$24.99
Version: 1.8
Seller: Paiboon Publishing and Word in the Hand
Updated: Oct 23, 2014 (major update coming)
Word count: 150,000+ entries
Audio: 100% native speaker
Thai script: Yes
Transliteration: Yes
Zoom/pinch: Yes
Font control: Yes
Help: Yes (extensive)
Requires iOS: 6.0 or later
Optimised for: iPhone 5, iPhone 6, and iPhone 6 Plus
Compatible with: iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch
WLT Review: English Thai iOS App Dictionaries: iPhone and iPad
Talking Thai–English–Thai Phrasebook…
Price: US$14.99
Version: 1.9
Seller: Paiboon Publishing and Word in the Hand
Released: 06 April 2015
Word count: 12,000+
Audio: Native speaker (female)
Thai script: Yes
Transliteration: Yes
Turn off Transliteration: Yes
Zoom/pinch: No need
Font control: Yes
Help: Yes (amazing)
Requires iOS: 5.1.1 or later
Optimised for: iPhone 5, iPhone 6, and iPhone 6 Plus
Compatible with: iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch
WLT Review: Win a Talking Thai-English-Thai Phrasebook iOS App!
Thai for Beginners…
Price: US$19.99
Version: 1.10 (major update coming)
Author: Dominique Mayrand ©2010 Benjawan Poomsan
Date: Nov 21, 2013
Internet connection required: No
Word count: 3,000+ words and phrases
Thai script: Yes
Tone tips: Yes
Zoom: Not needed
Sound: Yes, male and female
Quiz: Yes
WLT Review: Thai for Beginners iPhone App: Four Apps to Win
Rules for WLTs Thai Language Giveaway…
As with previous draws, I’ve kept the rules as simple as possible.
- To be included in the draw, leave comments below.
- Comment(s) need to add to the conversation (it really does matter).
- Each relevant comment gets counted, so please do leave as many as you like!
- If you don’t collect your prize within a week of the announcement, it will be given away to the next person in line.
I will not be responsible for choosing the winners so even if we are the best of buddies, don’t be shy, you too can win. Actually, you can win every week as there is no limit to how many prizes you can walk away with.
Important: If you already own any of the apps, please let us know in the comments so we can adjust the prizes.
The draw will run from this moment until the 3rd of June, 6am Thai time. As soon as I get word from Chris and Benjawan, I’ll announce the winners in the comments below.
Good luck everyone. And my thanks again to Chris and Benjawan for sponsoring these wonderful prizes!
Oh, and before I forget … if you haven’t voted in the Language Lovers Competition, please do. Cheers!
27 comments
And the winners are ….
Angela Savage
Tom Kolek
Richard
Chris
Mike
Winners, please contact me asap to receive your codes. Any codes not retrieved by next Wednesday will be given to the winner/s in waiting (already chosen).
Thank you for participating!
In the next draw you’ll get a chance to win two each of James Higbies’ Essential Thai and Thai Reference Grammar, as well as Smyth’s Essential Grammar and Segaller Thai Without Tears.
It doesn’t matter if you’ve won this time, you are eligible to win again. Good luck everyone!
Hi Tom, teaching English in Thailand should be quite the adventure for you. Good luck!
I just submitted an application to teach English in Thailand this Fall. Your books and apps would really come in handy to help me learn Thai. Korb khun mak krub!
From Chris Pirazzi:
Mike, I ditto the flashcards! It’d be handy to be able to add words you want to practice right when you find them.
Tony, good reminder – I don’t use the history aspects of the dictionary as often as I should.
Chris, in the 2.0 update all features of the phrasebook will be rolled in. Just my opinion … because the phrasebook covers so many subjects, I’d say it’s suitable for all levels. But I will ask Chris and get back to you asap …
I have Paiboon’s dictionary, and it is excellent. Will current dictionary users get the phrasebook functionality included with the 2.0 upgrade? Is the phrase book suitable for intermediate to advanced Thai learners, or is primarily aimed at beginners?
I have the dictionary and the phrase book. The phrase book is fun and a good learning app, but the dictionary is indispensable. I use it at least weekly and usually more often. When I shop or travel, I often don’t know the word for something I need. I can usually find the word in the dictionary and can show the Thai word to the person I’m working with. I can also listen to the audio of the Thai if I want to try speaking the word myself.
I’m amazed at how comprehensive the dictionary is. I’ve found words that I didn’t think would be included. It also lets you back through words you have looked up before.
This is an invaluable resource if you live in Thailand. Well worth the cost.
The talking dictionary has proved to be the most useful Thai language learning app I have purchased(I have quite a few!).
It has helped a lot with my reading, now I find I can even type Thai in the Thai to English section.so learning to write a bit has been a positive spin off!
Being able to write my name and some other stuff in long hand is quite exciting(for me)
Looking forward to the integration later this year.
I also like the idea of flash cards as suggested above.
Angela, this is great! As I have experience with both Bangkok and Chiang mai, I’ve just purchased ‘Behind the Night Bazaar: Jayne Keeney PI in Chiang Mai’ on Kindle. I’m an avid reader and Kindle has saved me a ton in shipping.
“Fieldwork will take me to Si Sa Ket and Surin, amongst other places.”
Fantastic! I enjoyed my time in Buri Ram. While there, I met the most wonderful Thai couple who had an experimental Thai farm in the traditional style. I have videos here somewhere, for one of those posts that I’ll ‘eventually’ get around to.
Thanks Catherine. My first three novels are crime fiction, a series involving a 30-something Australian PI based in Bangkok. I set the books in different parts of Thailand in order to showcase the beauty and diversity of the country — and also because it makes the fieldwork more fun!
My current WIP (work in progress) is a standalone novel. Fieldwork will take me to Si Sa Ket and Surin, amongst other places. I am really looking forward to it.
Sam, here’s your reply from Chris:
Angela, went searching and found you on wiki – impressive. I hope you have a wonderful time in Thailand during your research. If I were to write a book it would have to be here (Thailand is always surprising me).
Chuck and Mary, we are totally like minds. Just my opinion, these three products should be in everyone’s Thai learning arsenal (well, until they become two). Thank you both for your support!
Sam, I’ll ask Chris if flashcards are in the works. I know the request has been made and they were indeed discussing the possibilities.
Colon, if you do most of your work on your laptop, why not get their software dictionary for the PC instead? I have a Mac so can’t use the software unless I get an emulator (and the expense keeps getting pushed to the back burner).
Angela, “fieldwork for my next novel” sounds exciting! With Lao/Issarn under your belt, getting the ultimate use out of both the dictionary and the phrasebook will be a dawdle. Good luck!
I’m a Lao/Issarn speaker who would like to learn to speak Thai. I’m heading to Thailand at the end of the year to conduct fieldwork for my next novel and I strongly suspect I shouldn’t leave home without the Talking Thai-English-Thai Dictionary and Phrasebook. Thanks for bringing these resources to my attention, Catherine.
I think the Thai dictionary is brilliant and highly thought out, used on my Andriod phone offline most days. One annoying point is the verification of purchase , still very much a lap top user so do not go online with the phone much.
However I have learnt a great deal from this App
properly fields -> already properly fielded
Rather than pile Ossa upon Pelion — idiomatic Thai translation, please ! — in a fruitless attempt to explain how excellent this weeks applications are, I’d like to file a feature request with the dictionary programmers:
I wish that dictionaries integrated flash card functionality. Bookmarks and favorites and categories are great, but at the end of the day — there’s another cliche crying out for idiomatic Thai — I want to learn the words, and flash cards are ideal for that.
I think that you must have the database properly fields for this purpose, so it would really be a matter of plugging the fields into a flash card template, however your platform handles that concept technically, and then adding functionality unique to flash cards, like timing and testing (but that might even wait for version 2.0).
Thank you all!
I completely agree with Josh and Chuck. I also have all of the Paiboon apps and they are simply the best. As I am not able to live in Thailand full-time yet, they are the closest thing I have to being immersed in the language every day. So much thought has been put into each and every one. I feel so fortunate to have started my Thai studies at the same time that they started releasing their products. I have a little Ipod that is devoted exclusively to their apps. So, Paiboon, thank you for all that you do! And that goes to Catherine as well.
i have been using the Thai dictionary for years. Absolutely the best one out there. When I heard that the phrase book would be integrated into the dictionary free at the end of this year, I couldn’t what so I bought that too! Well worth the extra money. I also have the Thai for beginners app and it has improved my Thai two fold. These three apps are my go to apps when I’m stuck and need help! Thanks for producing fabulous learning products. And thanks to Catherine for promoting and informing us of all the products out there!!!
You are welcome Jee. I’m just sorry there’s no option at this time. Hopefully later …
Thanks for the clarification, Catherine.
From Chris: “Currently we don’t have a way to give out free copies of Android apps (Google Play Store doesn’t have the promo code capability yet).”
Richard, transliteration was an annoyance to me as well. I was so relieved to see the option to turn it off.
Jee, let me double-check. I know there are Android versions …
Thanks Josh! They really are the top apps to have for learning Thai so I’m not at all surprised that you have the complete set.
Hopefully you’ll find something you don’t have in the coming rounds… there’s even stuff I don’t have!
iPhone only? That’s a pity, I’m on Android.
I’m really happy to see that there are apps that allow you to turn off the transliteration, every single one I’ve used seemed to rely on it and it became really distracting once I’d learned to read Thai script!
I already own all of these apps. They are indispensable for learning (and understanding) the Thai language. I highly recommend them to every Thai language learner.
And kudos to Catherine and Paiboon Publishing for putting this contest together!