As the official language of Thailand, Thai is spoken by more than 20 million people in Thailand. It is a member of the Tai language family, with plenty of words borrowed from Old Khmer, Pali, and Sanskrit. It is a tonal language, and spoken Thai is mutually intelligible with Laotian.
The script of Thai derives from the Khmer language and is closely related to Laotian. It has a complex orthography, with silent letters used to keep the traditional spelling and many letters with the same sound. There are several different ways to transcribe Thai using the Latin alphabet, and their main weakness is the lack of tonal indication. The first Thai inscriptions date back to 1292 CE.
Thai Language Facts
- About 40 million people speak Thai all over the world. Native speakers in Thailand are about 20 million.
- There are five different tones in the Thai language, and there are about 32 vowels and 44 consonants in Thai phonology.
- Thai is also known as Siamese, which emerged in the area between China and Vietnam in the 13th century.
- The first occurrence of written Thai language is assumed to be a stone inscription date back to 1292 AD.
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My husband and I are planning a 3 week…
Alisa was a great listener to all the things we wanted to incorporate into our trip. We discussed everything throughly, and when I had questions, she had answers the next day. I really appreciate her responsiveness and detail with me. I feel like we are in the best hands with Alisa and Asia Highlights. More
, Mar 2024
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Very great experience our driver D was…
Very great experience our driver D was never late and always had waters and a cold towel for us and our tour guide Som was very informative and had amazing English I recommend them both highly for anyone else traveling More
Rylan Coache, Feb 2024
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Excellent guide in Siem Reap
Our recent time spent in Siem Reap was made even more memorable by our expert guide, Som Piseth. Som was knowledgeable, attentive, flexible and super helpful - we learnt so much about Siem Reap and Cambodia in our 3 days with him. His English was excellent and his knowledge of, and pride in, his country was outstanding. We would highly recommend Som for anyone wanting an excellent guide in Siem Reap! More
Sharon Townshend, Feb 2024
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Asia Highlights trip to Thailand
Our first tour guide in Bangkok, Marie, was great to tour around with. She was extremely friendly and knowledgeable and spoke wonderful English. Our next stop in Chang Mai we were greeted by our new tour guide, Rafael. He too was extremely friendly and knowledgeable and spoke wonderful English. He made it feel as if we were traveling around with a long time friend. Every time we arrived at a new destination, we were greeted at the airport by someone with a sign with our name making our travels easy. I would definitely recommend Asia Highlights to anyone looking for a well planned trip of a lifetime! More
Tricia, Feb 2024
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Amazing Thailand experience
The tour guides were all knowledgeable and accommodating, especially Mayuree in Bangkok- absolutely wonderful. We felt taken care of and every step of the way was catered to our needs. More
Ashley White, Feb 2024
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Private tour perfect for our times
Asia highlights organized a private tour with our requests. Everything was perfect ?? the driver Tom and the guide Ying were always on time with a smile in their face. Always willing to help and make our trip perfect. Bangkok is a very hot city so we minimized the time outside. The driver always had cold towels for us in the van and cold beverages. More
Virginia, Feb 2024
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Thailand
We loved Chiang Mai and Susie did a great job showing us several temples, taking many pictures of us with the elephants at the sanctuary (a definite highlight of the entire trip!), and making sure we were well fed, which became a running joke between us.We had a very relaxing few days in Phuket enjoying the beautiful beaches. Kai was great, answering all of our questions and giving us a nice tour of the old town. The all-day speedboat tour of the Phi Phi islands started off a little shaky as the sea was quite rough so if you’re at all uncomfortable bouncing around in a speedboat, you might want to skip that tour. Things did calm down as the day went on and some of the areas they took us to for swimming, snorkeling, etc were really beautiful. A couple of the islands were too crowded with people. More
Andrea Roberts, Feb 2024
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What a Wonderful Trip
What a Wonderful Trip! We booked with Sharon and our trip was great - guides were waiting for us at each stop, and they were all very nice and helpful. I cannot stress how amazing the guides were - they made the trip. More
Rachel, Feb 2024
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Ask for Victor!
If you are traveling to Bangkhok you need to request Victor. He made our trip amazing! My family completed bucket list items with his guidance. He knew exactly how to get us places, kept us on time, made us feel safe, educated us on history, spoke excellent English and was genuinely a nice man! Everyone we encountered was awesome- but Victor is the reason for my 5 star review! More
Sandy, Jan 2024
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Thank you Alisa for helping us plan a…
Thank you Alisa for helping us plan a wonderful trip to Thailand. We had a great time. The tour guides were wonderful as were the hotels you booked for us. We will definitely contact you to plan our next trip More
Carol Yeung, Jan 2024
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Ying was the best
Ying was the best. She was really knowledgeable and kind. Thank you Ying for wonderful experience in Thailand! More
Sylvester Yeung, Jan 2024
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Very well organized
Very well organized. Our tour guide, Ying, was amazing! She had full knowledge of every location we visited and made sure our itinerary was fulfilled as expected. She was extremely helpful for our airport experiences, and made sure we arrived at an appropriate time. More
David M. Kang, Jan 2024
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Family trip to Thailand
We were lucky to be greeted by Marie and her driver.In Marie, we have made a friend for life. She is incredibly smart and knowledgeable about her home country. From the vast number of temples to safely traversing Chinatown.She helped give us tips on our free days, locate left behind lost clothing and arrange for pickup. She even helped check us in for our flight to Chiang Mai.She prepared us ahead of time for every event we had scheduled and bonded with our kids, 3x 13 year olds. More
Justin Levenbrook, Jan 2024
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Thailand with and amazing tour guide Ying
I highly recommend Ying as a tour guide in Thailand. Her expertise in Thai culture, combined with her passion for food and genuine love for her country, made the tour an exceptional experience. If you're looking for a guide who will not only show you the sights but also immerse you in the local culture and help you discover delicious Thai cuisine, Ying is the perfect choice. More
Diana Irizarry, Jan 2024
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Asia Highlights Thailand trip
Asia Highlights provided us with a great travel trip. They made it very easy to navigate through Thailand with everything going very smoothly. From the easy transportation to the great day itinerary everything was awesome. Will definitely look to use this agency again in the future. More
Taylor Jones, Jan 2024
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Perfect 2 WK Thailand Trip for a Solo Female Traveler
Bank was our guide in Bangkok and he showed us around the city with ease and we were able to see and try things I never would have planned on my own. After Bangkok, our small group flew to Chiang Mai for Yi Peng lantern festival and that was a breathtaking experience that I will never forget! Pop was our guide in this city and she was knowledgeable, kind and caring which made our experience even more memorable. More
Tia, Dec 2023
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We recently have just returned from Thailand
We recently have just returned one from a 5 week trip to Thailand through Asia Highlights. We had a wonderful time and Asia Highlights went beyond our expectations. They truly tried their best to make sure everything went smoothly and we were taken care of! Everyone was amazing and we would definitely use them in the future!! Many thanks to everyone that helped to make this an incredible once in a lifetime experience!! More
Karen Rocque, Dec 2023
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Indochina Experience
On our 5th day of our trip with Asiahighlights. We felt well taken care of before and it hasn’t changed since we started from Bangkok to Hanoi (guide Kim was verrry knowledgeable!) to Halong Bay (spectacular scenery) to Hoi An (guide Nhieu Tran, giving great local (shopping) tips and insights). More
Stefan Eisenhut, Dec 2023
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The Thai Alphabet and Tones
The Thai alphabet has 44 consonants and 15 vowels. The vowels can be written with up or down accents and with consonants before or after to modify the vowel. The 15 vowels can also be combined in different ways to produce a further 17 compound vowels.
There are five tones in the Thai language: mid, low, falling, rising, and high. As with any tonal language, they are the core of the language, and they are essential for comprehension and correctness.
Each syllable consists of a vowel (single or compound) and one consonant or more.
Useful Phrases in Thai for Tourists
English | Thai |
---|---|
Hello | สวัสดีค่ะ/ครับ (sà-wàt-dii kha/krab) |
Thank you | ขอบคุณค่ะ/ครับ (kob khun kha/krab) |
How are you? | สบายดีมั๊ย (sà-baai-dii mái) |
I can speak Thai. | ฉันไม่สามารถพูดภาษาไทยได้ (phoot Thai mai dai) |
Do you understand? | เข้าใจมั้ย (kao chai mai) |
May I take a photo? | ขอถ่ายรูปหน่อยได้ไหม (tai ruup dai mai) |
What is this? | นี่มันอะไรกัน (nee arai) |
Good luck to you. | ขอให้โชคดีนะ (kor hai chok dee) |
Where is the restroom? | ห้องน้ำอยู่ที่ไหน (hong nam yoo tee nai) |
Numbers in Thai
English | Thai |
---|---|
0 | ศูนย์ (soon) |
1 | หนึ่ง (neung) |
2 | สอง (sowng) |
3 | สาม (saam) |
4 | สี่ (see) |
5 | ห้า (haa) |
6 | หก (hoke) |
7 | เจ็ด (jet) |
8 | แปด (paed) |
9 | เก้า (kao) |
10 | สิบ (sip) |
100 | หนึ่งร้อย (roy) |
1000 | หนึ่งพัน (pan) |
10,000 | หมื่น (muern) |
Thai Phrases Used in Restaurants
English | Thai |
---|---|
Where is the restaurant? | ร้านอาหารอยู่ที่ไหน (rahn ahan yoo tee-nai) |
I am hungry. | ฉันหิวแล้ว (chaan heeloo) |
I am thirsty. | ฉันหิวน้ำ (heeoo nam) |
May I have the bill? | ขอบิลหน่อย (check bil nee) |
Fork | ทางแยก (sawm) |
Spoon | ช้อน (chawn) |
Knife | ใบมีด (meed) |
General Greetings in Thai
English | Thai |
---|---|
Hi | หวัดดี (wat-dii) |
How are you? | สบายดีมั๊ย (sà-baai-dii mái) |
Good morning | สวัสดีตอนเช้า (sà-wàt-dii dtaawn cháo) |
Good afternoon | สวัสดีตอนบ่าย (sà-wàt-dii dtaawn bàai) |
Good evening | สวัสดีตอนเย็น (sà-wàt-dii dtaawn yen) |
Thank you | ขอบคุณค่ะ/ครับ (kob khun kha/krab) |
You are welcome | ไม่เป็นไรค่ะ (mai bpen rai) |
Read more on Greetings in Thailand.
Asking Directions in Thai
English | Thai |
---|---|
Where is the bus station? | ป้ายรถเมล์อยู่ที่ไหน (satahnee rohtmeh) |
Train station | สถานีรถไฟเหรอ (satahnee roht fy) |
Airport | สนามบิน (sanahm bin) |
Embassy | สถานทูต (satahn toot) |
Toilet | ห้องน้ำ (hawng nam) |
Hotel | โรงแรม (rohng raam) |
Post office | ที่ทำการไปรษณีย์ (prysanee) |
Thai Phrases Used in an Emergency
English | Thai |
---|---|
Where is a hospital? | โรงพยาบาลอยู่ที่ไหน (rong payabahn yoo tee ny) |
I need a doctor. | ฉันต้องการหมอ (tonggahn maw rahksaa) |
Call a police officer. | ตระหนกตกใจ (satahnee tahmroout) |
Dangerous | อันตราย (antarai) |
I need help. | ฉันต้องการความช่วยเหลือ (chooay dooay) |
Thai Phrases Used in Taxis
English | Thai |
---|---|
Stop here | หยุดตรงนี้ (yoot tee nee) |
Slowly please | โปรดใช้เวลาของคุณ (chah, chah-chah) |
Turn left | เลี้ยวซ้าย (leeow sy) |
Turn right | ทางขวา (leeow kwah) |
Straight ahead | ตรงไป (trohng bai) |
Be careful | ความระมัดระวัง (rawang) |
Asking the Price in Thai
English | Thai |
---|---|
How much? | ราคาเท่าไหร่ (nee tao-rai) |
Very expensive | แพงมาก (paeng maag) |
Who sell chicken eggs? | ใครขายไข่ (krai kai kii ) |
Please speak slowly. | กรุณาพูดช้าๆ (garoona poot chah chah) |
I want… | ฉันต้องการ (ow) |
I don't want… | ฉันไม่อยาก (my ow) |
10-Day Thailand Rain Forest and Beach Escape:
Dialects of the Thai Language
There are four major dialects of the Thai language in Thailand: southern, northern ("Yuan"), northeastern (close to Lao language), and central.
The central regions' Thai dialect is called Central Thai or Bangkok Thai. Central Thai is the most widely used dialect around the whole country. All schools in Thailand teach in central Thai. Most video media and paper books are in Central Thai.
Besides the major four dialects, there are some ethnic group dialects in Thailand, such as Phuan and Lue. They are spoken by just small populations in Thailand.
Writing Thai
The Thai script is believed to be derived from the Khmer script (Cambodia's official language script). Thai is written from left to right. Different from English, written Thai has no spaces to separate words. You can often see a block of text on a page, with little spacing/punctuation.
It is believed that more than half of Thai vocabulary, grammar, intonation, and vowels are common with the Lao language. Thai script is so close to the Lao script that most literate Lao can understand written Thai.
Visit Thailand with Asia Highlights
Start your adventure in Thailand off on the right foot by letting us do the planning for you. At Asia Highlights, we have years of experience with travelling in Thailand and exploring Thai culture and would love to share it all with you!
Why Asia Highlights (10,000+ reviews & 98.8% 5-star rating)
- Save Your Time:
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Discover real reviews of Highlights Travel Family's best-rated service across trusted platforms.
Our guide lele is a wealth of information, Lele is very professional and very attentive to our needs. Lele is amazing. Lele got everything spot on. It probably helps that Guilin is a brilliant place to visit so Lele has great material to work with but that doesn't take anything away from how much Lele helped make it a great trip.
moreOur guide for Beijing was super knowledgeable and experienced and able to help us to achieve as much as we wanted within the time given. We had a fun time guided by him as he is also super humorous and you can see how he interacts with the vendors and people whom he comes by. Thank you for a very enjoyable time in Beijing and accommodating to all our needs!
moreOur China Highlight guide. Michael, was attentive, thoughtful and knowledgeable. He narrated many interesting historical events about Chengdu while touring around the city and having afternoon tea with us. He was thoughtful to provide us with snacks during long hikes at Leshan or walks around the city.
moreShe was very flexible and added extra time when we needed it and we felt extremely well taken care of. She also chose the best restaurants for us,
moreOur tour guide Helen, was excellent, she was very kind, professional and passionate for her work and she also loves Pandas! She will take you to take the best panda photos and to know more about Chengdu city. Our tour was great, she took us to all our destinations always with the best spots: Temples, pagodas, famous streets, theaters, pandas...you name it! Everything was great.
moreHe picked up our pre-booked boat/other excursions tickets so we were able to avoid all the long lines and chaos. He is knowledgeable of the places we visited, courteous, fun to travel with and well-versed in Chinese classics.
moreTom is the guide that will take you to where no other guide will. We pushed for the experience and Tom and the team delivered more than what we could have ever asked for. His English speaking ability and his Chinese history knowledge is second to none.
moreTom is the guide that will take you to where no other guide will. We pushed for the experience and Tom and the team delivered more than what we could have ever asked for. His English speaking ability and his Chinese history knowledge is second to none.
moreOur day trip to Hangzhou was phenomenal. Derek, our guide, was impeccable. By far the best guide we have had so far. He is extremely knowledgeable about the country’s history and geography and was always excited to share his insights.
moreXian es encantadora, el hotel Eastern house boutique muy buena elección por parte de la agencia, los desayunos muy completos para complacer todo tipo de gusto, lo recomiendo 100%, el itinerario fue muy acertado fueron 2 días en la ciudad xian, compartimos con la guía Susana, la atención, la amabilidad y sobre todo su profesionalismo fue lo que marcó la diferencia, sus detalles, estaba siempre en el lugar y momento correcto para hacer de xian un lugar inolvidable.
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