The Complete Guide to Learn Thai and the Thai Alphabet
Why Speak Thai?
Thailand is a country in Southeast Asia with more than 67 million people.
The official language is Thai, and the capital is Bangkok.
It is a popular tourist destination with over 30 million visitors each year.
You should learn some basic Thai phrases because it's a popular tourist destination. It could be the difference between having a great time or not getting what you want from your trip.
Why Learn to Speak Thai?
Thai is the official language of Thailand. It is also spoken in Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar.
The Thai language has a lot of beautiful words and phrases that are not found in English.
It can be helpful for business purposes such as selling products in Thailand or using Thai to make more friends.
How I learned Thai
I made friends with local Thai people and practiced speaking and building a vocabulary bank. I also used to go to the Thai Markets and communicate with the sellers and ask them questions, and they would ask me questions. This was a great way to practice in real time.
I didn't concentrate on Thai tones; I focused on vocabulary and didn't think about the Thai tones. I decided to focus on the context of a sentence. I didn't take any Thai lessons; instead, I used kindergarten Thai language books to learn how to write and pronounce the words. I asked my Thai friends to help me instead of paying for Thai lessons.
It took about three months to develop a large vocabulary base and start speaking Thai with the correct Thai pronunciation. Learning the correct Thai pronunciation was challenging because that's where the Thai tones I didn't focus on became more important, so I began trying to simulate the sounds of the words to get the correct Thai pronunciation, and it worked!
My conversational Thai developed within one year, and my listening skills improved. Within three years, my conversational Thai and listening proficiency were native speaker proficiency.
Introduction Thai Alphabet Basics
The Thai alphabet is called the Thai script. It has 44 Thai consonants and 21 Thai vowels. The Thai alphabet can be written from left to right or from right to left. The letters are not case-sensitive but have different forms depending on where they are in a word.
The Thai consonants are grouped into three classes, with eight letters in each class. The three classes are high class, middle class, and low class. The high-class letters are ก, ข, ฃ, ค, ฅ; the middle-class letters are ง, เง (ng), เเ (ng), and the low-class letters are all other sounds that do not fit into any of these categories.
Three classes of consonants are ก, ข, ฃ, ค, and there are eight letters in each category. The high-class letter is also called the uppercase letter, and the low-class letter is also called the lowercase letter. ก is a high-class consonant letter, ข is a middle-class consonant letter, and ฃ is a low-class consonant letter.
The vowels are grouped into three classes, with three letters in each category. The high-class vowel is the sound of ‘a’; the middle-class vowel is the sound of 'o', and the low-class vowel sounds like 'u.'
There are more vowel sounds than just those three. The high-class vowel is the sound of 'a'; the middle-class vowel is the sound of 'o', and the low-class vowel is like 'u.'
Some people like using a Thai alphabet chart while learning to help them remember the alphabet.
Thai Consonanats ก-ก๊
Consonants are letters in a language that are not vowels.
The word consonant comes from the Latin "consonare," meaning "to sound together." In Thai, there are 33 consonants. Of these 33 consonants, 20 are stop consonants, and 13 are nasal consonants.
ก is a stop consonant. ข is also a stop consonant. ฃ is a nasal stop consonant, and it's one of the 13 nasal stops in Thai. . ค is a stop consonant.
The Thai Alphabet has 33 consonants: ก ข ค ฅ ง เ The word vowels describes the letters in a language that are not consonants. The word vowel comes from the Latin "vowel," meaning "space." In Thai, there are 18 vowels.
Of these 18 vowels, 12 are short, and six are long. Of these six long vowels, five are nasal, but one is oral, and it's one of the six nasal vowels.
The nasal vowels are pronounced through your nose, as in "la." These six nasal vowels are: ɑ, ɛ, æ, œ, and ʌ.
Thai Vowels เ๓-๓๕
The Thai language has 44 consonants, which are divided into three groups. These consonants are classified according to their pronunciation in the mouth: อักษร (Aksara) or consonant letters,เ๓-๓๕ (Vowels) and ส ห อ (Sara Haha), or vowels.
Thai has 32 vowel symbols, which can be divided into short and long. Short vowel symbols consist of 10 characters, and long vowel symbols comprise 22.
Three groups of consonants are classified according to their pronunciation in the mouth: อักษร (Aksara) or consonant letters, เ๓-๓๕ (Vowels) and ส ห อ (Sara Haha), or vowels and consonants.
Aksara is the Thai writing system, and it consists of 33 consonant letters, which are classified into three groups:
อ ักษร (Aksara) or consonant letters
เ๓-๓๕ (Vowels)
ส ห อ (Sara Haha), or vowels and consonants.
Consonant Letter อ เอ รันต์ ๙ (A)Pronounced as "ah" in a final syllable when spoken aloud.
Diphthongs & Character Pronunciations
In the Thai language, there are two types of diphthongs: - อา - เอ The first type is an open diphthong, where the vowel sound starts as a short vowel and then moves to a long one.
The second type is a closed diphthong, where the vowel sound starts as a long one and then moves to a short one. In this Thai example, the word อา (open diphthong) is pronounced as ɛ. In this Thai example, the word เอ (a closed diphthong) is pronounced as oo. อา (ɛ)เอ (oo)
Learning Thai Tips
Thai is a language spoken by the Thai people in Thailand. It is a tonal language with five tones.
There are many ways to learn this language, but here are some of the most common ones. There are many ways to learn this language, but here are some of the most common ones:
Learn Thai writing, Learn Thai in an online environment with a teacher, Learn Thai in English, or Learn Thai in an environment that speaks a different language.
Learn Thai writing and words and then pronunciation from a native speaker. There are many ways to learn this language, but here are some of the most common ones: online with a teacher, studying with a teacher, and learning online with native speakers.
Learning Thai basics: Learn the alphabet and essential words.
Translate Thai sentences- Create and customize your Thai flashcards. Track your progress with an online dashboard.
How to Speak Basic Thai Quickly?
Learning a new language takes time, and it takes time. But with these tips and tricks, you can learn to speak Thai quickly.
1. Start with the basics: Learn how to say "hello" in Thai
2. Immerse yourself in the language: Watch movies and TV shows in Thai, listen to music, and read books
3. Focus on learning the most common words first: In any language, there are always a few hundred words that are used more often than others
4. Make your flashcards: Use one side of an index card for a word or phrase and use the other side for its translation into English or another language
5. Take a Thai language course: There are many online resources for learning to speak Thai
6. Practice speaking with native Thai speakers
Use an App like Ling App
Ling is a language-learning app that both individuals and businesses use. It has been designed to help people learn a new language quickly.
The Ling app is available on both iOS and Android devices. It includes over 170 languages, including Hindi, Portuguese, Mandarin, French, and Spanish. It also has voice recognition technology that helps learners improve their pronunciation.
Follow this link to access the Ling App-Thai language-https://ling-app.com/learn-thai-language/
FAQ’s
Is Thai an Easy Language to Learn?
Many people think that Thai is an easy language to learn. The alphabet has 44 letters, and the language has six different tones. Many words are similar to English words.
Some aspects of the Thai language are problematic, such as ก and ข, which can be challenging for people unfamiliar with the Thai alphabet. Additionally, some words have no direct translation in English and require extensive research to understand their meaning.
How to Start Learning Thai?
Learning the Thai language is easy. Various resources can help you learn the language.
Thai is easy for beginners to comprehend because it has a straightforward grammar and pronunciation system. The alphabet consists of 44 consonants and 32 vowels, combined in various ways to form different syllables.
There are many different ways to learn Thai, including:
learning from a tutor
taking courses or classes at a university or community center
using textbooks and workbooks
How do you say Sorry in Thai?
One of the most essential phrases in Thai is ขอโทษ (kŏr tôt) or เสีย ใจ (sĭa jai), which both mean "sorry."
What Language is Primarily Spoken in Thailand?
The Thai language is a member of the Tai-Kadai language family. About 70 million people in Thailand and about 20 million people elsewhere speak it.
Thai is a tonal language with five tones. The Thai alphabet, called the Khmer script, has 44 consonants and 32 vowels.
What are the Top 3 Languages Spoken in Thailand?
Thailand is a country in Southeast Asia. The official language of Thailand is Thai.
About 68 million people live in Thailand, and about 95% speak Thai as their first language.
It is also one of the most commonly spoken languages in the world, with more than 20 million native speakers.
English is the most popular second language spoken by about 8% of the population.
In addition, many other languages are spoken throughout Thailand, including Khmer, Lao, Burmese, and Chinese dialects such as Hakka and Teochew.
Are Thai & Chinese Langugae Similiar?
This question has been asked for centuries. The answer is yes and no. Thai and Chinese are related languages, but they are not the same.
The Thai language is mainly used in Thailand and Laos. In contrast, Chinese is primarily used in China, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and other countries with large Chinese communities.
Many other languages have influenced Chinese, so it has a much larger vocabulary than Thai.
The written forms of these languages also differ. Thai uses a modified version of the Indian alphabet. In contrast, the Chinese use an ideographic system called Hanzi (漢字).
Is the Thai Alphabet Easy to Learn?
The Thai alphabet is difficult to learn because it consists of 44 consonants, 18 vowels, and four tone marks.
How to Learn to Read & Write Thai Script?
Learning to read and write Thai script is easier than it seems. Practicing the alphabet is a great way to start, and there are various ways to do this.
The following are some tips that can help you learn to read and write Thai script:
Make sure to practice writing the alphabet every day.
Use flashcards to memorize and review the Thai alphabet.
Practice reading out loud to hear the pronunciation.
Write down any new words you learn and practice them daily by writing them repeatedly.
Important Thai Words and Phrases
Communicating with the waitress/chef outside of tourist spots could be challenging. To help you along the way, here are some food-related Thai words and phrases
Here are some food-related Thai words:
Food = aa haan
Restaurant = raan aa haan (literal meaning-food shop)
What is this? = nee a rai, (khrab/Kha)
Is it spicy? = phet mai, (khrab/Kha)
No, it isn't = mai phet, (khrab/Kha)
Yes, it is spicy = phet, (khrab/Kha)
It's a little bit spicy = phet nit noi, (khrab/Kha)
It's very spicy = phet mark, (khrab/Kha)
Don't add chili = mai sai prik, (khrab/Kha)
Breakfast = aa haan Chau
Lunch = aa haan klang wan
Dinner = aa haan yen
Here are some food-related Thai words:
Chicken = Gai
Pork = moo
Egg = kai
Fried egg = Khai daao
Boiled egg = Khai dtohm
Beef = Nua
Duck = pet
Prawn/Shrimp = gung
Mushroom = het
Fish = pla
Squid = pla muk
Shellfish = hoi kreng
Crab = boo
Seafood = aa haan taley
Onion =hom
Tomato = makeatet
Chilli = prik
Here are some fruit-related Thai words
Pineapple = sap bpa roht
Mangosteen = munkut
Papaya = malagor
Mango = mamuang
Banana = gluai
Coconut = ma prao
Oranges = som
Thai Numbers and Pronunciation
Here is a list of Thai numbers with pronunciation.
0 – ศูนย์ (sǔun)
1 – หนึ่ง (nùeng)
2 – สอง (sǎawng)
3 – สาม (sǎam)
4 – สี่ (sìi)
5 – ห้า (hâa)
6 – หก (hòk)
7 – เจ็ด (jèt)
8 – แปด (bpàaet)
9 – เก้า (gâo)
Thai Language Numbers
0 – ศูนย์ (sǔun)
๑ – หนึ่ง (nùeng)
๒ – สอง (sǎawng)
๓ – สาม (sǎam)
๔ – สี่ (sìi)
๕ – ห้า (hâa)
๖ – หก (hòk)
๗ – เจ็ด (jèt)
๘ – แปด (bpàaet)
๙ – เก้า (gâo)
Want to Teach in Thailand in 2025?
The Teach English Abroad Program 2025 is open for applications from graduates in any field.
Located in the beautiful province of Sukhothai, Thailand, the program provides meaningful work and travel opportunities through salaried teaching jobs in Thailand.
The teaching jobs are in provinces across Thailand, allowing you to earn money, learn a new language, and meet new people while discovering Thailand's diverse and beautiful landscape.
The teacher training program and Thai cultural orientation ensure you adapt to living in Thailand and are fully prepared for the classroom and your students!
The cost of living in Thailand is very inexpensive; your salary will easily cover living expenses, and some people travel around this beautiful country to visit its temples, national parks, and paradisical beaches!
Requirements to Teach in Thailand
The Teach-in Thailand-Teach, Abroad Program fee is 350 USD, which is only paid once you arrive in Thailand at our HQ. (Note: No advance payment is necessary!
The only requirements are that you have a bachelor's in any subject and be able to commit to an entire school year contract. Sometimes, six-month agreements are available.
You must bring your original bachelor's in any subject, certificates, police clearance certificate, and transcripts to Thailand. The Degree must be legalized in your home country and then authenticated at the Thai Embassy in your Home Country.
You must also be willing to learn and adapt to Thai culture by actively participating in the training program.
Related
Go to kidsenglishthailand.org/blog/laosvisaguide to read the guidelines for a visa run to Savannakhet, Laos.
Go to kidsenglishthailand.org/blog/savankhet-laos-thai-visa-application-form-guidelines to read the guidelines for completing the visa application form.
Go to kidsenglishthailand.org/blog//understanding-thai-visa-categories-employment-document-process to read about the various categories of Thai visas and information for teaching in Thailand.
Go to kidsenglishthailand.org/teacher-training-program-thailand to read about Meaningful Work and Travel Teaching Positions starting in May 2023 with teacher training in April 2023.
Go to kidsenglishthailand.org/blog/lantern-festival-loy-krathong-lamphun-thailand to read about Teacher Olga’s experience in Lamphun Province Thailand during Loy Krathong Festival 2022.
Go to kidsenglishthailand.org/blog/seasons-in-thailand-explained to read about the seasons and climate in Thailand.
Go to kidsenglishthailand.org/blog/the-thai-school-calendar to read about Thailand's school year and how it differs from most other countries.
Go to kidsenglishthailand.org/blog/loy-krathong-lantern-yipeng-2022 to read about Loy Krathong and Yi-Ping/Ye-Peng Festivals in Thailand.
Go to https://kidsenglishthailand.org/blog/the-complete-guide-to-the-thai-alphabet to read a detailed guide to Thai and Alphabet languages.
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