Duke Language School | Thai Language School Bangkok

Great school based on (1) reasonable pricing, although lessons shortened to 2 hours from 3 hours this year (2) excellent responses from reception staff (3) excellent teachers. Classrooms could be slightly bigger. The school also appears to want to improve its courses and text books each year, with the introduction this year of multiple sentences after every 5 chapters. I have downloaded Journey 1-3 sentence audios and have listened to them everyday whilst exercising as my listening skills are what I've struggled with most. I hope the school continues to strive for excellence. One suggestion which I wish I could have undertaken would be to invite students from the Thai classes to interact with people from the English classes outside the school, and say, two people have a chat using their native language to assist with students listening skills *One final thing: If you want to see something funny, read the one star reviews. I know the school would be angry with some comments, but some of the claims are quite funny (flirty teachers and staff, language sweat shop). I mean, I didn't see anything but professional conduct by everyone (I did Journey 2 and 3 only, flying in from Australia just to do the 4 week courses in 2024 and 2025)

3 months ago

I just finished the introductory class (Journey 1) at DLS with Kruu (Teacher) Naevis. I can’t show my appreciation enough. The school was super easy to work with, responding to all of my emails and helping with the visa process, and the teaching style is fast paced, immersive, and just difficult enough to stretch you but not impossible. Kruu Naevis is an incredible teacher and explains everything very well with enthusiasm. I wish I could have him teach every course that I’m going to take from this point forward!

4 months ago

This is my third Thai language school in Bangkok, and it’s by far the best — but it’s not for everyone. Before signing up, you need to be very clear about your goals and your learning style. Duke is much more fast-paced than other schools I’ve tried. Each class covers 20–30 new words/expressions plus multiple grammar concepts, and the entire lesson is taught exclusively in Thai. You have to stay engaged the whole time or you’ll get lost quickly. To really keep up, I personally need 1–2 hours of study outside class every day. With a full-time job, that’s tough. If you miss even one class, it’s very easy to fall behind, and most classmates who had work or travel conflicts ended up dropping out. Even when I attend every class, I often still feel behind. But — and this is the important part — if you genuinely want to learn Thai and you’re willing to put in the effort, this is the best school in Bangkok. The structure, immersion, and teaching quality are unmatched. I feel more confident using Thai in real life, and I’ve gotten so much positive feedback from Thai people since studying here. Bottom line: If you want an easy, casual class, this isn’t it. If you want real progress and a serious challenge, Duke delivers.

4 months ago