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[uhuh]

Kinokuniya carries "A reference grammar of Thai" by Shōichi Iwasaki (1900 Baht)
Anybody can compare it to Higbie's "Thai Reference Grammar" or David Smyth's "Thai: an essential grammar"?

[seeker720]

A Reference Grammar of Thai is much more technical than the other two. I think the other books are more straightforward if you're not interested in the linguistic details of the language. That said, those are really the only 3 good Thai grammar books that you'll find, so if you're serious about learning Thai just I'd just get them all.

[uhuh]

thanks a lot!
thats what I did: I have the other 2 books already and bought this one anyway
I like linguistics

[ChristianPFC]

I read a friend's copy of this book, it's ok. They use example sentences from real conversations. Sometimes have to explain the context, which I don't like.

I like David Smyth's "Thai: an essential grammar" much better, I don't know Higbie's "Thai Reference Grammar".

I have the habit to write down mistakes I find in books (there are few books without mistakes). This doesn't mean I know better (on the contrary, I am beginner to intermediate, whereas this book is for intermediate to advanced learners), they just leap to my eye.

Mistakes in “A Reference Grammar of Thai” Shoichi Iwasaki and Preeya Ingkaphirom Cambridge University Press (This digitally printed version 2009)

I replaced some phonetic symbols by standard letters for easier displaying.

page number, mistake and correction, translation

33 นัวตกรรม /nawata-kam/ อั is missing
(I don’t remember if there were no mistakes between 33 and 206 or I didn’t write them down. I think I was travelling and didn’t have a pencil to mark the mistakes – I don’t write permanently in books.)
206 กลับบ้านกันเถอะ เอ is missing
214 ‘to be shameless’ has to be shifted to the left
219 ‘beekbaan’ has to be shiftet to the right
225 Thai text corresponding to ‘LINK 3 close much’ is missing
228 wrong: สนิท correct: สนิม rust
251 wrong: ไม่ไดี correct: ไม่ดี NEG good
270 ประมาณสัก or ‘sak pamaan’ ?
277 ‘7’ cét with high tone ?
306 wrong: เพี่อน correct: เพื่อน friend
311 wrong: phroo-mkan correct: phroom-kan พร้อมกัน
356 wrong: ไม่รู้รื่อง correct: ไม่รู้เรื่อง NEG know story
368 wrong: ใ้ห้อ๊วก correct: ให้อ้วก give/CAUS vomit
372 wrong: ชุปเปอร์มาร์เกต correct: ซุปเปอร์มาร์เกต supermarket

Edited by ChristianPFC, 2012-01-14 01:28:57.

[Cooee]

"A reference grammar of Thai" by Shōichi Iwasaki (1900 Baht)

Anybody can compare it to Higbie's "Thai Reference Grammar" or David Smyth's "Thai: an essential grammar"?

Here's a comparison: A Guide to Thai Grammar Books