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Originally Posted by gcbrowni
Thailand doesn't use a roman alphabet, so that may be a problem. The language problems in Thailand were worse (in terms of english speakers) than anywhere else we went, maybe exagerated by the alphabet, but even then there always seems to be someone around to help out.
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Fortunately, street signs for principal streets in the larger cities are often subtitled in English, and any business that expects a tourist trade will have some kind of English signage and English speakers of some caliber, including most money changers and banks. For buying and selling stuff, especially if bargaining, keep a cheap pocket calculator on hand so you and the seller can at least punch in and display numbers, if they don't understand English at all. (The Thai word for "seven" sounds a lot like English "six," for example, so it's best to be clear.)
But a lot of people do understand at least some English, including cab drivers, so you'll never be too bad off. Thais who speak German aren't too hard to find, either, but French-speakers have a harder time.