There are many people who can not read Thai characters even if they can speak. I understand the feeling that it is hard to start the first step. Because Thai characters are unfamiliar.
But it will be so easy to read after you just learn some of patterns. At least you can read all Thai words even you don’t know the meanings.
If you are just a tourists who stay in Thailand just a few days, maybe you don’t need to read Thai. But if you are living in Thailand, learning Thai characters makes your Thai Life more convenience.
So you should try it!
Basics for reading Thai letters
Thai language has 42 consonants and some vowels. Strictly speaking that has 44 consonants but Thai people seldom use 2 of them so I cut it.
You will be able to read all of Thai words when you memorize these characters (of course they have exceptions).
Thai consonants list
These consonants are source of Thai pronunciation.
For example, the first one can be read {kɔɔ kài} and children in Thai memorize it {kɔɔ kài of chicken}
ไก่（kài） ⇒ chicken
{kɔɔ kài} has a sound of K, and we can pronounce it {ka} when vowel is A , or {ke} when it is E.
⇓make your smartphone horizontally if you cannot see all cos it has wide volume.
| No | char | name | pron | mean | init | end | class |
| 1 | ก | ไก่ | kɔɔ kài |
chi- cken |
k | k | mid |
| 2 | ข | ไข่ | kȟɔɔ khài |
egg | kh | k | high |
| 3 | ค | ควาย | khɔɔ khwaay |
buffalo | kh | k | low |
| 4 | ฆ | ระฆัง | khɔɔ rakhaŋ |
bell | kh | k | low |
| 5 | ง | งู | ŋɔɔ ŋuu |
snake | ŋ | ŋ | low |
| 6 | จ | จาน | cɔɔ caan |
plate | c | t | mid |
| 7 | ฉ | ฉิ่ง | cȟɔɔ chìŋ |
cymbal | ch | t | high |
| 8 | ช | ช้าง | chɔɔ cháaŋ |
ele- phant |
ch | t | low |
| 9 | ซ | โซ่ | sɔɔ sôo |
chain | s | t | low |
| 10 | ฌ | กะเฌอ | chɔɔ kachəə |
tree | ch | t | low |
| 11 | ญ | หญิง | yɔɔ yǐŋ |
woman | y | n | low |
| 12 | ฎ | ชฎา | dɔɔ chadaa |
head -dress |
d | t | mid |
| 13 | ฏ | ปฏัก | tcc pàtàk |
goad, javelin |
t | t | mid |
| 14 | ฐ | ฐาน | thɔ̌ɔ thǎan |
pede- stal |
th | t | high |
| 15 | ฑ | มณโฆ | thɔɔ mon thoo |
Mrs. Montho |
th | t | low |
| 16 | ฒ | ผู้เฒ่า | tɔɔ phûu tâw |
elder | t | t | low |
| 17 | ณ | เณร | nɔɔ neen |
sama- nera |
n | n | low |
| 18 | ด | เด็ก | dɔɔ dèk |
child | d | t | mid |
| 19 | ต | เต่า | tɔɔ tàw |
turtle | t | t | mid |
| 20 | ถ | ถุง | thɔ̌ɔ thǔŋ |
sack | th | t | high |
| 21 | ท | ทหาร | thɔɔ tha hǎan |
soldier | th | t | low |
| 22 | ธ | ธง | thɔɔ thoŋ |
flag | th | t | low |
| 23 | น | หนู | nɔɔ nǔu |
mouse | n | n | low |
| 24 | บ | ใบไม้ | bɔɔ bai máai |
leaf | b | p | mid |
| 25 | ป | ปลา | pɔɔ plaa |
fish | p | p | mid |
| 26 | ผ | ผึ้ง | phɔ̌ɔ phɯ̂ŋ |
bee | p | p | high |
| 27 | ฝ | ฝา | fɔ̌ɔ fǎa |
lid | f | p | high |
| 28 | พ | พาน | phɔɔ phaan |
phan | ph | p | low |
| 29 | ฟ | ฟัน | fɔɔ fan |
teeth | f | p | low |
| 30 | ภ | สำเภา | phɔɔ sǎm phao |
junk ship |
ph | p | low |
| 31 | ม | ม้า | mɔɔ máa |
horse | m | m | low |
| 32 | ย | ยักษ์ | yɔɔ yák |
giant | y | y | low |
| 33 | ร | เรือ | rɔɔ rɯa |
boat | r | n | low |
| 34 | ล | ลิง | lɔɔ liŋ |
monkey | l | n | low |
| 35 | ว | แหวน | wɔɔ wɛ̌ɛn |
ring | w | w | low |
| 36 | ศ | ศาลา | sɔ̌ɔ sǎa laa |
pavi- lion |
s | t | high |
| 37 | ษ | ฤๅษี | sɔ̌ɔ rɯsǐi |
hermit | s | t | high |
| 38 | ส | เสือ | sɔ̌ɔ sɯ̌a |
tiger | s | t | high |
| 39 | ห | หีบ | hɔ̌ɔ hìip |
box | h | – | high |
| 40 | ฬ | จุฬา | lɔɔ culaa |
kite | l | n | low |
| 41 | อ | อ่าง | ʔɔɔ ʔàaŋ |
basin | ʔ | – | mid |
| 42 | ฮ | นกฮูก | hɔɔ nók hûuk |
owl | h | – | low |
・Final consonants
Some consonants will change their sound when they come the end of word.
The number 1 {kɔɔ kài} not change
นก（nók） ⇒ bird
This word consist of น (nɔɔ nǔu) and ก (kɔɔ kài). And ก (kɔɔ kài) is the last consonant of this word.
Pronunciation is K.
The number 18 ด(dɔɔ dèk) pronounce D but when this consonant come the end of word, it pronounce T as final consonant.
ดาว（daaw） ⇒ star
When ด(dɔɔ dèk) come the first of word, it pronounce D.
คิด（kʰít） ⇒ think
But when it come the last, it change T.
・classes of consonants
Thai consonants can be divided into 3 classes which are high class, middle class and low class.
If you just memorize Thai alphabet, you can pass here. But if you want to speak Thai with good pronunciation, you need learn here, too.
Click link below about the classes of consonants.
Thai Tone rules
・the difference of {k} and {kh}(aspirates and unaspirated)
Thai language contrasts aspirated and unaspirated sounds.
See the initial of the table above, and you can see {k} and {kh} or {t} and {th}
The words that have {h} are aspirated sounds and the others are unaspirated sounds.
・pronunciation of {c} and {ch}
number 6 จาน (caan) and number 8 ช้าง (cháaŋ) use { c } { ch }.
ช้าง (cháaŋ) you can read it (chaan) without any questions.
จาน (caan) this sound pronounce (jaan).
Remember that { ca } in Thai language read { ja }.
e.g.
จะ {càʔ} is read { ja } ⇒ means will
จอง {cɔɔŋ} is read { joon } ⇒ means reserve or book
Thai Vowels list
Thai language has 16 (17) normal vowels.
This website uses the pronunciations below in all pages.
It is better to listen with play icons.
| short vowels | long vowels | ||||
| vowel | sound | pron | vowel | sound | pron |
| อั, อะ |  |
a | อา | |
aa |
| อิ | |
i | อี | |
ii |
| อึ | |
ω | อื | |
ωω |
| อุ | |
u | อู | |
uu |
| เอะ | |
e | เอ | |
ee |
| แอะ | |
ɛ | แอ | |
ɛɛ |
| โอะ | |
o | โอ | |
oo |
| เอาะ | |
ɔ | ออ | |
ɔɔ |
Thai Diphthong
The above is a list of normal vowel, but Thai language has diphthongs or some special vowels, too.
| vowel | sound | pronounce |
| ไอ , ใอ | |
ai |
| อำ | |
am |
| เอา | |
ao |
| เอีย | |
iaa |
| เอียะ | |
ia |
| เอือ | |
ωaa |
| เอือะ | |
ωa |
| อัว | |
ua |
| เออ | |
ɘɘ |
| เออะ | |
ɘ |
| อวย | |
uay |
When you call vowels, you use “sala” before the vowel.
e.g.
” ั ” is called “sara a”
” เ า ” is called “sara ua”
“ะ ” also pronounce “a” but this vowel called ” Mai han a-kat “
ไ ⇒ Ai- Mai-Ma lai
ใ ⇒ Ai-Mai-Muan
combining vowels and consonants
Assuming that you already memorized above, I will continue talking.Next step you can make sound by combining vowels and consonants.
ก ＋ ิ ＋ น ⇒ กิน
number 1 ก ไก่(kɔɔ kài)＋ ิ sara i ＋number 23 น(nɔɔ nǔu) ⇒ กิน(kin) means eat
เ ＋ ข ＋ า ⇒ เขา
เ sara ee ＋ number 2 ข ไข่(kȟɔɔ khài) ＋ า sara aa ⇒ เขา(kȟao) means he or she
เ ＋ ก ＋ า ＋ ะ ⇒ เกาะ
เ sara ee ＋ ก ไก่(kɔɔ kài) ＋ า sara aa ＋ ะ Mai han a-kat ⇒ เกาะ(kɔ̀ʔ) means island
Now you can ask Thai people ” How it spells?”
And they will teach the spell by ” sara ee, kɔɔ kài, sara aa,Mai han a-kat “
เ ＋ ก ＋ า ＋ ะ ⇒ เกาะ
This is the basic of vowels and consonants in Thai language.
But sometimes you will face with exceptions or some special patterns.
I will update them in main blog about.