Thailand's official language is Thai, a close relative to languages spoken in Burma and southern China. It is the primary language spoken and taught in the country and is based on a central Thai dialect. There are also a number of other dialects spoken in southern and northern provinces. Thai is a tonal language that uses long, short, high and low tones to distinguish the meaning of a word. For example, the word 'kao' means news, nine, come in, rice and knee and only the difference in tone establishes meaning.
The Thai alphabet is a script based on early Khmer script. English is also spoken throughout Thailand is actually a mandatory study at school. Despite this, the number of fluent English speakers in Thailand is low, particularly once you get outside the main cities. The main differences in the Thailand language is that women end a sentence with 'ka' while men end with 'krap'. Also, add mai at the end of a sentence to turn it into a question or at the beginning to create the negative. Below is an example of basic words and expressions in Thai.
FAQs
Thai, or Central Thai (historically Siamese; Thai: ภาษาไทย), is a Tai language of the Kra–Dai language family spoken by the Central Thai, Mon people in Central Thailand and the vast majority of Thai Chinese enclaves throughout the country. It is the sole official language of Thailand.
What language is mostly spoken in Thailand? ›
The national language of Thailand is Thai, spoken by about 53% of the population. Many more speak it as a second language. Lao is spoken by about 27%, and Chinese 12%. Malay is spoken by 4% and Khmer 3%.
Is Thai language easy to speak? ›
Thai is a relatively hard language to learn for speakers of Western languages. The US State Department places Thai at Level 4/5 on its FSI language difficulty ranking (5 being the most difficult).
Are Thai and Chinese similar? ›
They're both tonal languages, but they're not in the same language family, despite what linguists tended to believe some 15 years ago. Thai belongs to the Kra-Dai language family and has 5 tones. Mandarin is related to the Sino-Tibetan language family, and the Chinese uses 4 tones.
Is it hard to learn Thai? ›
The Thai language has its own distinct characteristics with quite a number of letters, vowels, and special intonations, causing many people to find Thai a difficult language to learn.
Is Thailand expensive for tourists? ›
Travelling in Thailand doesn't have to break the bank. In fact, it's one of the most budget-friendly destinations. From low-cost accommodation options and inexpensive street food, visitors to Thailand can easily plan an affordable trip. That's good news for those of us whose Thailand travel budget is on the small side.
Can I live in Thailand without knowing Thai? ›
In this comprehensive article, we'll delve into this topic and explore the various aspects of language, culture, and communication that impact daily life in Thailand. But to give you a short answer: No, you do not need to speak Thai if you live in Thailand as English is spoken in most parts of the country.
How English friendly is Bangkok? ›
English Language friendly? Thailand used to have up to 40 million tourist per year, about 3 quarters of them used their knowledge of English to get by. Most Thais in the tourist industry understand enough basic phrases to get you what and where you want.
What is the hardest language in the world? ›
Yes, Mandarin Chinese is considered the hardest language in the world for several reasons. Firstly, it's tonal, meaning that the meaning of a word can change based on the tone used. Secondly, it has a complex writing system with thousands of characters, each representing a word or a morpheme.
Is Thailand a good place to live? ›
Thailand is one of the world's most popular locales for good living abroad. And there are lots of reasons why. For pennies on the dollar, you get a year-round tropical climate and access to modern comforts and conveniences, including affordable, high-quality medical care.
It depends if you mean learning to read and write or just speak. Thai is a tonal language, but being tonal does not add much more difficulty. It just means that you have to listen for, and speak, the tone as part of the pronunciation. For reading and writing, Japanese requires thousands of hours of learning.
Is Thai food healthier than Chinese food? ›
Thai food is often healthier than Chinese food. Thai food puts a focus on balance and variety. They are often light and the aromas are just as important as the taste of the food. Thai food uses less heavy sauces and oils than Chinese food uses that are healthier for you, if any oil at all.
How long does it take to learn Thai? ›
In general, expect it to take at least a year of consistent study and practice to reach a comfortable conversational level in Thai. To become truly fluent, it can take several years of continuous effort.
What are the top 3 languages spoken in Thailand? ›
The top three languages spoken in Thailand, according to Ethnologue, are Central Thai, Northern Thai, and Isan. Central Thai is the official language of Thailand and is spoken by about 20 million people. Northern Thai is spoken by about 6 million people. Isan is spoken by about 15 million people.
What percent of Thailand speaks English? ›
According to a 2021 survey, the most common languages spoken in Thailand are: Thai (92.7%) English (44.6%)
Is Thai a beautiful language? ›
And if you're heading to Thailand, you're in luck – the Thai language is one of the most charming in the world. It's a tonal language, and although it can be difficult to learn, there are so many melodic Thai phrases you'll just love to practice.
