Pali or Thai?

[Gintoki]

This is an uneducated question. I was reading the thoughts of a Thai on Bhikkhu Bodhi's English translation, he said he personally felt that a lot is lost in the English translations of the pali canon compared to that of the Thai translations due to their language being richly influenced by pali, the guy said many of the words were left untranslated due to the pali influence, even his own name was pali. I've heard the English language just doesn't mix well with pali. I have read that learning a dead language can be a nightmare due to having no one to speak it with and in that it can only be read (not sure how true this is) and that it is already quite difficult in itself. I'm wondering if there would be much left to interpretation if I were to learn and read it in Thai?

I basically want to know if it's really worth it to stick with learning pali or if Thai or another language would be preferable for experiencing the mind and message behind the original text. I'm afraid of learning pali only to have an English speaker's interpretation of the language. I also don't expect myself to spend hours a day for the next 10 years learning pali if that's what it takes.

Anyway, sorry for asking what's probably a common question. Thanks

[Derek]

If you really want to study the original texts in the original language, then learn Pali. And yes, you're looking at several years' study to learn to read fluently.

[samseva]

Here is part of a post by Ven. Dhammanando (back in January 2007):

Edit: I ought to add that all the above is pertinent only to spoken Thai. The written language is another story; learning that will certainly require many hours of sweating over books. And learning the language of the Thai Tipitaka is an even harder task since the Buddha and his disciples are all depicted as speaking in Ratchasap (Rãjasabda), the highly ornate form of Thai spoken in the royal court.