Dialogue about Bangkok in English with Quiz

Beginner Listening Series 5 Lesson 17- Dialogue about Bangkok in English

In this lesson, you listen to an English conversation between two people talking about Bangkok.

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English Listening Lesson Audio with Script

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Lesson Script

Jim: So, I’m here with Jerri, and she’s Thai, and we are in Bangkok. And we are going to talk about fashion. So, Jerri, Bangkok is a very, very fashion-conscious city.

Jerri: Yes, absolutely.

Jim: Shopping is huge here. So, let’s talk about prices. So, first we’ll talk about jeans. You are wearing jeans today. So, how much are an expensive pair of jeans in Bangkok?

Jerri: Well, that’s funny that you ask because the price range for clothes here is quite wide, so you can go from 200 baht – Thai baht – for a pair of jeans up to 4000 Thai baht for a pair of jeans in a, like a, like, one of the top brands.

Jim: Wow. So, just so people know, 200 baht would be – in U.S. dollars that’s about six dollars. And 4000 baht would be about 130 dollars.

Jerri: Yes. Yeah.

Jim: Wow.

Jerri: So, it’s quite a, quite a difference there. But I would say that generally it will be in the range of 500 to 2000 Thai baht.

Jim: Okay. 500 to 2000. That’s still pretty a wide gap.

Jerri: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Jim: Okay, cool. So those are jeans. What about, for women, a blouse?

Jerri: A blouse? I would say…for, like, a nice quality one, like, 500 Thai baht.

Jim: Okay. That’s not bad.

Jerri: Yeah. That’s alright.

Jim: Fifteen dollars, about. Okay. What’s the most you would pay for a blouse?

Jerri: No more than 1000 Thai baht.

Jim: Okay.

Jerri: Yeah.

Jim: That’s your, that’s – what about the cheapest?

Jerri: The cheapest? Like, 300 Thai baht. Like, if you started going lower than 300 Thai baht, then you have to accept that the, you know, the quality – you might get to wear it not more than three times.

Jim: Okay.

Jerri: So, that’s the price you pay.

Jim: Nice, alright. So, what about shoes?

Jerri: Shoes? It’s – it also depends on where you go. So, Chatuchak market is known for affordable clothes, so the shoes there would be from 200 Thai baht to 500 Thai baht. But if you visit the more well-known stores and the department stores, then they can be from 500 Thai baht to 1000 Thai baht.

Jim: Okay, that’s interesting. So, you mentioned Jatujak market – can you kind of talk about Jatujak market?

Jerri: Yes, so, this is one of the main activities for tourists to do when they visit Bangkok. It’s a weekend market, so it’s only open on Saturdays and Sundays. It’s quite crowded, but it’s definitely something you should do. There’s a lot of souvenir stores, a lot of local shops, and, yeah, a place to shop for clothes. And it’s not just for tourists, you also see a lot of Thais go there because all the stores there are reasonable – reasonably priced and they’re quite trendy. Yeah, they have, like, different styles…stores that you won’t find anywhere else.

Jim: Right. Oh, yeah, I’ve been there a couple of times. It’s massive. It’s really, really big.

Jerri: Yeah, it’s massive. It takes about half a day to do the entire thing.

Jim: It’s easy to get lost right?

Jerri: Yes.

Jim: If you go inside, you kind of don’t know where you are.

Jerri: Exactly, exactly. Which I guess is also the fun part of it. It’s like an adventure in itself, right?

Jim: Right, exactly. Okay, so, what about things like, like belts or, you know, like accessories?

Jerri: I would recommend going to Platinum Mall. This mall is located near Siam BTS station. It’s known for its accessories that are, like, reasonably priced. So, at that – at Platinum Mall accessories can be from two – 100 Thai baht to not more than 1000 Thai baht, but usually in the range of 100 to 500 Thai baht.

Jim: Okay. Oh, wow.

Jerri: Yeah. But there’s a whole floor, like, two floors that’s dedicated to accessories. So, you can find necklaces, sunglasses, rings, earrings, about ten shops for each category, yes.

Jim: Oh, that’s fantastic. So, Bangkok’s quite interesting because it has so many different ways. You can buy things on the street…

Jerri: Yes.

Jim: You can buy things at the markets. You can buy things at the nice, air-conditioned malls.

Jerri: Yeah.

Jim: Yeah. What about online? Do you Thais shop online very much?

Jerri: Yeah. Online – online shops are becoming more and more popular now because it’s quite convenient. You just get it delivered to you. Yeah, there’s a lot of – a lot of more fashion brands that are online. On Instagram, for example. Yeah, so it’s becoming a thing.

Jim: Oh, cool. Alright, thanks Jerri.

Jerri: You’re welcome.

English Listening Lesson Quizzes

Answer the following questions about the conversation.

1) How much does a top brand jeans cost in Bangkok?

1. a) 2000 baht
2. b) 4000 baht
3. c) 1000 baht

2) Which place does she recommend for buying shoes?

1. a) Chatuchak market
2. b) Platinum Mall
3. c) Instagram

3) How much is the maximum Jerri would spend on a blouse?

1. a) 200 baht
2. b) 1000 baht
3. c) 500 baht

4) Where can you find two floors of stores that sell accessories?

1. a) Chatuchak market
2. b) Siam BTS
3. c) Platinum Mall

5) What is now becoming a thing in Bangkok?

1. a) Online shopping
2. b) Department stores
3. c) Air-conditioned malls

Answers

• 1=b
• 2=a
• 3=b
• 4=c
• 5=a

English Grammar Tips

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English Listening Lesson Phrases

fashion-conscious

Bangkok is a very, very fashion-conscious city.

Being fashion conscious means to know about and follow fashion trends. Notice the following:

1. Being very fashion-conscious, she chose every outfit carefully.
2. She made the fashion-conscious decision to wear heels.

the price you pay

That’s the price you pay.

The price you pay means the consequence of your decision. Notice the following:

1. Bad health is the price you pay for not eating well.
2. Failing is the price you pay for not paying attention in class.

A couple of times

I’ve been there a couple of times.

A couple of times means more than once or a few times. Notice the following:

1. I have eaten pizza a couple of times already this month.
2. I have gone camping a couple of times.

souvenir stores

There’s a lot of souvenir stores.

Souvenir stores sell things that remind people of something special, like a place. Notice the following:

1. I like to buy mugs from souvenir stores in every city.
2. He bought a postcard of the monument from the souvenir store.

reasonably priced

The stores there are reasonable – reasonably priced.

A reasonably priced item has a fair and average price. Notice the following:

1. I think this shirt is reasonably priced. You should buy it.
2. She would have bought the painting if it was reasonably priced.

becoming a thing

Yeah, so it’s becoming a thing.

Becoming a thing means becoming more popular. Notice the following:

1. Online degrees are becoming a thing.
2. Paying with an app is becoming a thing.

Quizzes for Lesson Phrases

• fashion-conscious
• price you pay
• a couple of times
• souvenir stores
• become a thing
• reasonably priced

1. Housing is not cheap here, but it is……….  .
2. Teens are more……….  than elderly people.
3. Tourists buy gifts in……….  .
4. When did selfies…….  ?
5. Failure is the…….  for not trying.
6. I have been there……….  .

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