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Department of the Languages and Cultures of South East Asia

BA Thai

Programme Code: T353 BA/Thai

Overview

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David Smyth

David A Smyth

Convenor

Mode of Attendance: Full Time

NOTE: 2011-2012 is the last year of intake for new students on the single-subject BA Thai programme.  Interested applicants are encouraged instead to consider the combined honours BA Thai and... programme, which will continue.  Contact the Thai convenor Dr David Smyth for clarification.

Thailand, formerly known as Siam until 1939, differs from other countries in South East Asia as a result of never having been formally colonized. Its semicolonial status makes it an interesting starting point for comparison with other nations in the region. In 1932 a coup brought an end to the absolute monarchy and established in its place the constitutional monarchy which still remains today. Ever since, the military have played a dominant role in the governing of the country and coups, plots and counter-coups have been a salient feature of the domestic political scene, the most recent occurring in September 2006.

After a turbulent decade in the 1970s, Thailand enjoyed a period of political stability and rapid economic growth, which came to a drastic halt in mid 1997. It has since made some economic growth, partly fuelled by a vibrant tourist industry, despite setbacks in confidence as as a result of the tsunami which devastated its south western coastline in December 2004.

Thailand currently enjoys widespread publicity abroad as a result of its popular cuisine and a vibrant film industry that has, in the new millennium, made significant inroads into the international marketplace. Thai is a member of the Tai family of languages which are dispersed over a wide area of Asia from northern Vietnam to northern India. It is the national language of Thailand and spoken by over 60 million people. Distinct dialects are spoken in the north, north-east and south of the country, but the language of the Central Region is regarded as the standard and is used both in schools and for official purposes throughout the country.

The earliest surviving writings in Thai are stone inscriptions, dating back to the 13th century, which often record historical or religious events. By the end of the 18th century a refined court literature encompassing poetry and drama had begun to emerge, sometimes building upon indigenous traditions, sometimes adopting and adapting works of foreign origin. The introduction of printing, the emergence of a reading public as a result of the spread of education and contact with the west stimulated a demand for more reading material toward the end of the 19th century, and by the early 20th century prose fiction had begun to gain popular acceptance. Today there is an enormous diversity of short stories and novels available.

Structure

Learn a language as part of this programme

Degree programmes at SOAS - including this one - can include language courses in more than forty African and Asian languages. It is SOAS students’ command of an African or Asian language which sets SOAS apart from other universities.

NOTE: 2011-2012 is the last year of intake for new students on the single-subject BA Thai programme.  Interested applicants are encouraged instead to consider the combined honours BA Thai and... programme, which will continue. Contact the Thai convenor Dr David Smyth for clarification.

The single-subject degree allows for the greatest possible concentration on the study of Thai language and its literature. 16 course units must be taken over the four years of the degree, of which 11 or 12 are in Thai language and its literature, three are concerned with South East Asia in general, and one or two are devoted to related subjects, including the option of a second South East Asian language.

Students studying BA Thai (single subject) spend the third year of their 4-year degree programme in Thailand. For further details please contact Dr David Smyth, Senior Lecturer in Thai on ds5@soas.ac.uk.

Students must take 4 units each year.

Year 1
Year 2
Year 3

Year of study at a university in Thailand

Year 4
Approved units

Programme Specification

Teaching & Learning

Year abroad

Yes. See information above

Teaching & Learning

Course Information

Language teaching is mostly in small tutorial groups; cds and language laboratory facilities are available for formal teaching and self-study. Non-language units are taught by lecture and seminar. Students are assessed by a combination of written examination (and oral for language units) and coursework, including essays and translations.

Special Features

The School’s teaching is backed up by the South East Asia collection within the SOAS library, one of the world’s major collections of information in the field of South East Asian studies. The South East Asia collection now contains over 6500 books and pamphlets and 550 periodical titles as well as substantial collections of microfilms and manuscripts.

Pre Entry Reading

  • C.F.Keyes. 1987. Thailand: Buddhist Kingdom as modern nation-state. Boulder Colorado and London: Westview Press.
  • N. Mulder. 2000. Inside Thai Society: Religion, Everyday Life, Change. Chiangmai: Silkworm Books.
  • J. Eliot. 1997. Thailand Handbook. London: Footprint Handbooks.

Destinations

As a graduate who specialised in Thai, you will have gained competency in language skills and intercultural awareness and understanding. Familiarity with the region will have been developed through a study of language in combination with literature, development studies, economics, geography, history, history of art and archaeology, law, linguistics, music, politics, social anthropology or religion.

Graduates leave SOAS not only with linguistic and cultural expertise, but also with a portfolio of widely transferable skills which employers seek in many professional and management careers, both in business and in the public sector. These include written and oral communication skills, attention to detail, analytical and problem-solving skills, and the ability to research, amass and order information from a variety of sources. 

Former students in the Department of South East Asia have gone on to work in a variety of capacities in commerce, industry, teaching, the media, finance, the civil service, academe, the armed forces and other spheres. Some have chosen to work in South East Asia or have found work related to the region thus being able to make direct use of their linguistic and cultural expertise.

For more information about Graduate Destinations from this department, please visit the Careers Service website.

How to apply

How to apply
Scholarships

For further information visit the Scholarships section

Undergraduate Research Awards

Application Deadline: 2013-04-26 00:00

A Student's Perspective

One of the highlights of my course has been having the opportunity to study for one year at Thammasat University in Bangkok, Thailand. It was really daunting at first but there is no better way to learn a language than to totally immerse yourself in it and you learn all about the society and culture that you’re living in.

Nicholas Day