Has any progressed far with the Thai language or do the majority of foreigners just learn, at most, a handful of phrases and then call it a day and try to get by w/English + Google Translate?

It seems quite overwhelming at first. I'm learning the letters, but there are so many different things you have to know.

1. The consonant makes a different sound at the beginning and end of a sentence.
2. Each cons. has a different class
3. The syllable has a different tone depending on the combo of letters/vowels
4. The vowels are a bit funky and have long/short versions

It's definitely way different than just learning a Romance language where you can immediately get into grammar and learning vocab.

I'll stick with it b/c I love learning languages, but feels like I'm getting nowhere for the time being lol.

You'll get by perfectly even with English and no need for google translate in all the tourist areas. And much of Thailand is tourist area, so... Having a few Thai phrases at hand helps though. Thai is difficult obv like all the Asian languages because it has a completely different structure from what we are used to. Some farangs try to learn it, particularly those with Thai wifes but most do not progress very far. Obv there is the occasional guy who can speak it very well. I tried to learn Cantonese a few years back which is kind of related and has many of the same challenges for a westerner but I've mostly given up on that and these kind of languages for now. Maybe sometime in the future when I have more time for it. Which probably means never.

I'll be comitting to 5+ years there, so will continue learning, but I might change my mind if it gets to be too much of a grind or I'm not having fun learning.

One thing that gives me a bit of hope is that Thai is grouped in the medium difficulty category. So at least Thai is "only" 2x as difficult as learning a romance language like Italian compared to 4x as difficult as the more popular Asian languages. If it were that difficult, then I probably wouldn't be as interested.

I'm not so sure about that one but GL to you. I mean one advantage of Thai is that at least it has an alphabet although it is not the same than the one we use. Whereas in Chinese, Japanese you have to learn all the characters too which obv adds to the difficulty, three sets of characters in the case of Japanese

There's a fuller version of the list here
https://www.state.gov/foreign-language-training/

They're still quite broad categories and I'd say they depend on a lot of factors. Slovak (also medium level - which I have learned in-country as an adult to translator level) was way easier than Thai seems to me, but maybe once I've cracked the Thai tones and writing system it will seem easier.

By a lot of factors - for example Slovak was a lot easier to learn 20 years ago when the Slovaks couldn't speak English to any decent level, there was no real expat bubble to hide away in, and there were wide possibilities for foreign men to find sleeping dictionaries. Which parts of that are relevant to your life in Thailand and learning Thai will depend what choices you make in your lifestyle. If you only socialise in English it will be hard I imagine.

If so it varies a lot from bar to bar how obvious it is that something like that might be available: But in any case,

1 Pin those two places on google maps.
2 Zoom out so google maps shows the whole city of Bangkok
3 See what a small part of the city that is.

If foreigners (and this is not aimed at south 5 or anyone here specifically, just at a general attitude prevalent in the west) keep flocking to that tiny corner of the city because it offers what they want then they should just embrace it, all power to them, but not complain about it and particularly not tar the whole city and country with the same brush because people who report Thailand is just a huge red light district are the ones who decided to spend their whole holiday in one.

Sounds like you're a perfect candidate for an Ed visa before jumping into an elite visa.
The one good thing about Thai I've found is the grammar. Pretty basic and just a fraction of the exceptions to the rule cases you have to remember compared to English.
Once I found out glai can means either near or far though depending on the tone I said **** it.
Your pronunciation has to be pretty spot on but it comes with time but it's still frustrating. Like the other day I went to a little coffee street cart and said "Cafe bolan". Lady looked at me like I was crazy. Said it a couple different ways and pointing or whatever. Then she's like oh, you mean kafe bolaan. Yeah that's it. It's just a traditional Thai coffee but like that's one of her main things she sells. Give me a break, you don't know what I'm saying even if it's not perfect? Like you know I want to order something from you, what could this phrase be?
Do Mexicans have the same issue when limeys try to order tacos and pronounce them as tackos?

Yeah but it was just a continuation of a conversation saying don't live around there if you're not into that stuff. I was always shocked by how many expats with families I worked with ended up living right around there. There's no way I'd want my kids living anywhere close to that street be it upper or lower sukumvhit.

Ah, what are you afraid of, it's not like the Thai hookers will rape your kids. In Europe many families live in or close to redlight areas too, usually because it's cheaper there. And it should be noted that it works both ways, obv Thais come to that part of the city too because it is known to be an area full of expats, and nightlife and party, and not only those who will outright charge you for services. I took a gal to my hotel in March from that nightclub in Soi Cowboy (2nd floor, forgot the name, that one with the alcohol speech on the wall). I wasn't quite sure at that time but sure enough she didn't want any money. And yes, not every bar there will have takeaway service, maybe all the bigger ones, but that's just because of the freelancers.

It's sleazy. If I had the means why would I want to raise my kids with hookers 100 meters either way? Yeah, some people have no choice but these are guys on expat packages, they could literally live anywhere but maybe it's just me.
I'm guessing you mean Penny Black? Maybe you're hansum man and got a freebie.

Yeah Penny Black

I know many farangs that speak almost perfect thai. By many I mean maybe 7-10 out the top of my head. Most of these are long term expats with thai wife, kids, a proper job here, etc. Then a lot that speak enough to get by but not perfect. I'd include myself in this category after going to classes on and off for a couple years while on student visa. I can get by on the day to day stuff and make people understand me but is very hard for me to understand what others are saying out of context. So yes, is doable, it will take time but is not impossible.

And like someone said it sounds like you'd benefit a lot from a student visa, I'm sure you can arrange with a school to pay extra for 1-on-1 classes and even do these by Zoom or something if you're too lazy to go in person and it'll let you get a feel of the country before commiting to a long term stay. Also, this way you can do 2-3 years of ED visa and then Elite if you're still into that. Possibly can do the other way around but doing ED first probably makes your life with immigration easier.

Does anybody know if it`s hard to find a condo in chiang mai for 1 1/2 months? I saw in the facebook groups that most owners searching for longterm renter.

I already made the experience in Malaysia, that it is harder to find shortterm rentals in cities and I really want to avoid airbnb.

I'd say that the minimum an agent will do is 3 months but can always do monthly deals with airbnb

hi, which sites work in thailand? i read that ipoker for thailand is dafabet? anyone have experience with them? i know gg/n8 work there, what about ACR and Partypoker? 888? Thank you.

can you tell which documents needed?
sometimes i read you need some sheet from your hotel, but maybe not needed anymore.
or is it just two fotos and passport and rest you can copy/get at arrival at the office
cheers

The agency just wanted my passport and a picture. They told me that if I had the TM-30 to take it too (that's probably the paper from the hotel you mean, is a paper the landlord or hotel manager does with immigration saying you're staying at their property) but the way they phrased it it didnt sound compulsory (I had it anyways so wouldn't know for sure).

then i try my luck with only passport and foto, cause i renew hotel weekly, so dont even have 30days proof of stay. sad that the immigration is so far out of town.

The documents needed depends on the immigration office. In Chiang Mai and Phuket they ask for the TM30.
Every places have to do a TM30 where you arrive there. You should ask your hotel to do it, they can do it online and send you the screenshot of it.

for the 30day tourist extention, is the place to go
immigration division 1 government complex
or
office at it square laksi
?
cheers

I went to laksi, note this was 3 months ago.

Few days ago I went for a tourist extension in Pattaya, the hotel lady misunderstood me when I checked in and didn't send the TM30 thing, asked her a few days before I was going to immigration, then she tells me I will for sure get the 1600 baht fine there. So I go to immigration and hear people arguing about why they/the landlord have to pay this fine, I end up not paying and no questions about it. They also wrote wrong nationality on me on this paper you get. Guess I got super lucky somehow.

did it today, laksi it square
was done in 20min, was positive suprised. service woman really friendly, even filled the whole papers out for me
tm30 not needed
only passport, scan copy of frontpage and visastamp, 1 picture, 1900baht and 3papers
which u get at the place. also three copyshops for scans and pictures at the place
if agency want for assistance 3500baht,i think heavily overpriced, no assistance needed.

can't play ignition/Bovada, Party and Unibet. Others are fine.

I think 888 also isn´t a thing from Thailand, or am I wrong?

You can play 888 here.