The Thai Language

Thai is the main language of Thailand in Southeast Asia. About 70 million people speak it. Thai has its own alphabet with curly, round letters. Like Vietnamese, Thai uses tones to change word meanings. The Thai alphabet was created more than 700 years ago.

Thai Letters

The Thai alphabet has 44 consonants and 15 vowel symbols. That is a lot more letters than English has. Thai does not put spaces between words in a sentence. Readers have to figure out where each word ends. This can be tricky for people learning Thai.

Polite Thai Words

Thai people are known for being very polite when they speak. Boys and men often end sentences with the word 'krap.' Girls and women use the word 'ka.' These polite words show respect to the person you are talking to. Thai also has special words to use with the king and royal family.

Fun Facts

• Thai has five tones: mid, low, falling, high, and rising.
• King Ramkhamhaeng made the Thai alphabet in 1283.
• The word 'sawadee' means hello in Thai.

Did You Know?

When Thai people greet each other, they press their hands together and bow. This is called a 'wai.'