Why Can't Most Thai People Speak Lao?

Majority of Thais cannot speak Lao. Most people from Laos also cannot speak Thai (except for the residents of Laotian villages living close to the Thai border, where they can receive Thai TV and radio broadcasts, read Thai newspapers, and frequently crosses the border for business and trading reasons). Thailand itself also has a large Lao-speaking population (Thais living in the North Eastern region of Thailand in provinces like Udon Thani, Ubon Ratchatani, Kalasin, Srisaket, Sakhon Nakon, Nakhon Phanom, Nongkai, etc.). People in these Northeast Provinces speaks Lao as their local dialect. However, being Thai nationals they are required to speak and learn Thai (which is the national language of Thailand). So, people in this region are bi-lingual. Thai language is mainly spoken in the Central Region of Thailand (Bangkok and surrounding provinces like Saraburi, Patum Thani, Ratchaburi, Pattaya, Chon Buri, Nakhon Nayok, Nakhon Sawan, etc.). People from this region can only speak Thai, and cannot speak dialects of other regions. The Northern Region of Thailand (provinces like Chiang Mai, Lampang, Chiang Rai, Phayao, Nan, Mae Hong Son, Sukhotai, etc.) speaks their own local dialect (different from NorthEast and Southern dialects). However, being Thai nationals, they are also required to learn and speak Thai (being the national language). So people in this region are also bi-lingual. The Southern Region of Thailand (provinces like Suratthani, Phuket, Hatyai, Songkhla, Pattani, Nakhon Sritammarat, Yala, etc.) speaks their own local dialect (different from Northern and Northeastern dialects). However, being Thai nationals, they are also required to learn and speak Thai (being the national language). So people in this region are also bi-lingual. In summary, people from one region, although they cannot speak the dialect of the other regions, are still be able to speak with people of those other regions by communicating together in Thai (which is the national language, and which people from every region can speak). It is no different than in the Philippines, where almost every province has its own local dialect but all Filipinos are required to speak and learn Tagalog (the national language).

I would bet more than 40% of the population of Thailand can go to Laos and speak with a Laotian. Thai and Lao are very similar and most of the people in Issan are of Lao decent. In fact at one time they use to be the same country. Kind of like Mexico and the United States. Now written Lao is a different matter. My wife and I went to Laos and she could speak with no problem but I asked her what a sign said and she got a little huffy. She speaks English and reads English and speaks and reads Thai and speaks Lao and the tiniest bit of French and a few words of Spanish and Japanese (I was born in Japan and lived in Southern California so I added to her vocabulary) but she's just a dumb farmer at least by the PAD standards.

Most people in the N.E. of Thailand speak Lao and understand and speak Thai, As you say, the programs they watch on TV are in Thai. but in the rest of Thailand people have no need to speak Lao, so they don't learn.

if you talk about northeast people, i think most of them can. according to your logic, in thailand, it is not many can understand and even speak Lao because they do not watch Lao TV.

I guess it's the same reason as why Chinese or Japanese can't speak Thai. They never had a need to learn the language.

Thai people always think that Laos and Burma are the inferior countries, there is no financial benefit of learning Lao Why in southern Thailand many Thai can speak Chinese and Malay, is it because the economy is flowing from Msia in that region? only a few northern Msian can speak Thai because those people think that they are flowing in the economy, not necessary for them to learn as the opposite side will have to know it in order to gain financially. It is the same case with northern Thailand. Another reason is that Thai people is quite weak in foreign language, just look around you, how many people around you can master in speaking and writing in more than three languages?

Most Thais don't even speak English, and they watch lots of English TV, and movies. Most Thais do speak Thai though. I can read Laos, it's do similar to Thai and understand a bit of Khmer, but it looks for like cryptography to me. Like when I look at Cambodian writ ting, the words float up and I understand it!!! For Laos, it's like 80% understandable, but the mean might be misleading to a Thai because Laos uses different words (to the central Thai anyway). Thai and Laos are pratically the same race of people, so not to worry.

If you think for just a few seconds you just answered your own question...indirectly. Thai people don't speak Lao because they don;t live there and don't watch Lao TV. I live in Texas and watch Latino TV and am learning some Spanish plus my ex was Hispanic.. It's really obvious if you take more than two seconds to think it over..

It is like India and Nepal. Indian language Hindi is understood well by all Nepalese as well spoken also to some extent. But very few Indian people can understand Nepalese language.