The Easy Way for Beginners to Read and Write Thai
I’m all for the easy way out…
Learning how to read Thai is often a stumbling block for students of the Thai language. Some students have opted to forgo the pleasure. Others have stops and starts. Then there are those who soar through all with ease (and those, we admire through clinched teeth).
I’m of the stops and starts variety. I also go for the easiest way possible, which is what you’ll get here.
Note: In this post I won’t be taking you through the Thai alphabet letter by letter. I’ll be sharing methods and available resources for beginners learning to read and write Thai. And while my way may not be your way, you’ll still find decent resources.
Reading Thai the easy way…
Before you begin reading, you’ll need to know what each letter sounds like, their class, and if they have different sounds at the beginning or end of a word.
And if you’ve started to panic at the thought of learning 44 Thai consonants (along with their initial and final sounds), 32 different vowel configurations, numbers, and all those extra symbols, then head over to the previously mentioned digital flipbook, 60 Minutes to Learn the Thai Alphabet. A steal at $12.99.
Note: 60 Minutes to Learn the Thai Alphabet is for the PC, but runs easily on a Mac with a PC emulator. I use Parallels Desktop with no problems.
How it works… as you can see from the graphic, the letter is represented with an easy to remember object association. In this case, a swan.
The graphic also includes a setting (beach, town, mountains) to denote the class (low, medium and high). And as the swan is on the beach, it’s a low class consonant (class determines tone).
Consonants gifted with different sounds at the beginning and end have two word descriptions, as in Swan Tail.
Note: With 60 Minutes, you don’t learn the full Thai name for each (in this case it would be ซ = so so = chain). What you learn is the approximate English sound. And when attempting to learn a confusing language such as Thai, a close English equivalent gets you to the next step with ease.
Getting the Thai sounds down…
Your next move is to get the actual sounds and full names into your head. IMHO, the best Thai alphabet sources available on the Internet are:
- ashoka10’s Channel (YouTube)
Thai Alphabet, Tone Rules Explained, Thai Vowels Part 1 and Thai Vowels Part 2, and Understanding Haw Heep. - Langhub.com
Consonants, Three Consonants Classes, Vowels and Numbers With Thai Script. - LearningThai.com
Learning to read Thai, Consonants 1, Consonants 2, Vowels, Tones, Numbers, and Practice Writing Thai Letters. - Learn Thai Podcast
Alphabet & Transliteration System, Alphabet, Vowels, Complex vowels, and Numbers.
You’d think that learning to read Thai with 60 Minutes would interfere with learning the individual names, but it didn’t for me.
The Thai I learned at ashoka10’s Channel and Learn Thai Podcast slid to the front. What I learned at 60 Minutes stayed in the background until I needed to remember which letter had two sounds, and what class they were. Then visual linking clicked in.
Testing your alphabet skills via flash cards (hardcopy)…
If you are in Thailand, you can purchase flash cards at most Thai bookstores with a children’s section (all in Thai).
Or if you prefer a bit of English (and need to buy online), the black and white Thai Alphabet Flashcards are a good buy.
To my knowledge, there are no Thai flash cards that include everything - alphabet, graphic, English explanation and examples - so if it’s important to you, you’ll need an additional resource.
Suggestion: Buy two sets of flash cards with complimenting elements (I used the colour Thai version, with the English / Thai black and white).
And you can always print your own from slice-of-thai.com, Thai consonant/vowel flashcards. Or by printing an existing set and/or creating a new one at Flashcard Exchange.
Testing your alphabet skills via flash cards (SRS)…
SRS (Spaced Repetition Systems) are basically digital flash cards. Some are online, other SRS programs can be downloaded to your computer. Some, like the Flashcard Exchange have Thai sets created by other users. Others are a clean slate (no Thai available).
- Anki (download)
A program designed to help you remember words and phrases (Mac, Windows, Linux and Debian). - ProVoc (download)
Easy-to-use vocabulary trainer (Mac). - SuperMemo (download, online, as well as without computer)
A learning method that makes it possible to learn fast and retain memories for years (Windows). - The Mnemosyne Project (download)
A flash-card program to help you memorise question/answer pairs, but with an important twist: it uses a sophisticated algorithm to schedule the best time for a card to come up for review (Mac, Linux and Windows).
You’ll also find a growing list of SRS products in WLT’s Thai resources under SRS (Flash Cards).
Writing Thai the easy way…
When I started writing Thai, I felt forced into an uncomfortable scrunch when using the course books from AUA. It was definitely not for me. You might not feel the pinch so go ahead and try them. But I did. Beware. The books are poorly reproduced so they are also difficult to read. Eye strain. Hand strain. That’s all the excuse I needed to bail.
Knowing there just had to be a better way, I started hounding the different bookstores in Bangkok.
For those living in Thailand, kindergarten books for practicing the Thai alphabet are not difficult to find. Again, just drop by that Thai bookstore with the children’s section.
And just like their counterpart in the West, they have ample space to practice your new alphabet. Over and over.
If you prefer a grown up approach, then Reading Thai is Fun by James Neal might just be the one for you.
In Reading Thai is Fun, James shows you how to feel the natural flow of writing Thai by using the cursive style of an adult. Not the formal boxy style taught to children.
To understand what I mean, grab a stack of scrap paper.
Then, as big as you like (I used a 1/4 page for each), fluidly write the Thai letter ม in the graphic to the left.
Each letter has a start and finish, so be sure to note the drawing direction at www.learningthai.com.
Keep tracing over that letter until you own it. Until you are in the alphabet zone if you like. I like.
Putting it all together…
- To get a general feel, flip through 60 Minutes to Learn the Thai Alphabet.
- With paper and pen, work through each letter at Reading Thai is Fun while…
- …intermittently clicking on relevant sounds found at Practice Writing Thai Letters (if tech savvy, record each into a loop for hands-free ease).
Soon you’ll have the shapes, sounds, tones and class down solid. You’ll also be ready for Thai / English readers found at Thai publishers such as Nation Egmont and Nanmeebooks. Right?
More reading and writing tips…
- Practice writing the Thai script for at least 15 minutes a day.
- Listen to spoken Thai often, no matter how bored, frustrated, or confused.
- Load down an iPod for short walks around town.
- Grab a stack of flash cards when headed out the door.
What you might not know…
- Spoken Thai and written Thai are not always the same.
- You are not going blind, there really are missing letters in Thai words.
- Yes, some Thai words are read from middle to left then top to bottom.
- If the lack of spaces between words frustrates you, hark back to Illuminated Manuscripts.
More reading and writing resources…
- Thai handwriting
Examples of Thai Handwriting Written in Different Age Groups. - Consonant shape learning aids
Scroll down to find his notes on useful patterns. - Manee and Friends
Learn to Read Thai with Manee and Friends. - Thai Alphabet
Wikipedia resource on the Thai alphabet. - Thai Alphabet Poem
A Thai version of the ABC song. - Thai Font Comparison
if you’ve ever been confused at trying to read Thai around town, here’s a good round up of available Thai fonts to defog your brain. - Learn Thai with Pictures
Photos of Thai signs for most any occasion.
Shortly after taking on the Thai alphabet, I found myself sitting in a taxi at a long light on Paholyothin in Bangkok. Looking out the window to my left, I was thrilled to be able to read a street sign in Thai.
I wish you the same joy.
Stumble it!
This is a brilliant and very encouraging post. I’ve wrestled with the Thai language for years and this is the first thing I’ve read that makes me feel that perhaps I might eventually find some success in leaving the ranks of the tongue-tied.
Thank you Janet. When I stumbled across 60 min, it opened up reading Thai in an afternoon. From that point on, I knew I could do it.
Then finding Reading Thai is Fun gave me what I needed to write Thai without feeling like my hands were as huge as elephants!
I’m still wrestling, but I’m determined to find each and every easy way to learn Thai there is. And if I have to, I’ll develop one myself.
Right now I’m having sentences translated, then recorded. Sentences I know I’ll use daily. Stay tuned as l plan on sharing when I’m done.
That idea is sheer genius and I am going to steal it (well– adopt it)next month.
When you come out, look me up and I’ll pass over some helpful bits to get you started.
cats last blog post..The Easy Way for Beginners to Read and Write Thai
Hello Cat
It’s so amazing to know how an expat wants to learn Thai. I’ve known a lot of expats who’ve been living in Thailand for almost 10 years and can only understand 2 Thai words; Sawasdee,and Khob Khun.
My husband is a writer (crime and mystery) and he can speak and read Thai, but writing is a bit difficult. Now as we moved to a remote place in Thailand, we automatically speak Thai all the time. However, it’s kind of bad advantage for me.
Thanks for visiting my blog. I’ll let you know when I translate my short stories into English.
Jessis last blog post..My Warmy Home in Lang Suan
by the way, I added you to my blog list. Hope you don’t mind.
Jessis last blog post..My Warmy Home in Lang Suan
Hi Jessi,
Truthfully, I’m just awful at Thai! So, knowing that I can’t live here without speaking the language, I had to figure out how I could approach it my way.
Researching everything I can about the subject is one way. Sharing it all on a blog, another.
No promises on the quality of my Thai when I get done, just the promise that I will struggle through :-)
So some of what you’ll be reading here will be pretty much what I’m doing at the moment. Sometimes after trial and error. Sometimes just after I’ve sourced it all out. But it’ll be fresh in my mind when posting (mistakes included), that’s for sure.
And that’s why your short stories are so important. And why I’m looking forward to reading the Thai and English translation of your stories. It will be a great help for those of us who are determined to learn to read and write Thai.
Thank you for adding me to your blog list (I’m honoured). I have you in my resources in my top nav, under ‘blogs’. I’ll be sure to keep in touch as you settle into your beautiful home!
The below just came via email…
Just read your blog. Suggestions for beginners reading…hmm I guess it depends on what level. For someone just learning to read I like Becker’s first book (Thai for Beginners).
For reading practice I think bi-lingual books are the way to go. After I felt reasonably comfortable with the tone rules etc., I bought a set of 15 Winnie the Pooh books but my vocabulary was so small I wasted a lot of time looking up words in the dictionary.
I couldn’t find any bilingual books especially with audio until just recently. I found this at the buythaibooks site: Disney Princess - Book & CD
I bought it and another set with Toy Story, Nemo, Monsters, inc., and Cars. I don’t see it in the shop…maybe it’s sold out. I just recently saw them for sale at a B2S store but they don’t all stock it. I plan to read through these 8 stories and then spend a few months on the Kati book.
Thanks S! This is a great help. I’ll add your suggestions to WLT’s resources.
Hi Cat
Thanks for adding me to your resources and making a link to my husband’s website. The number of people visiting his website should be increased soon :)-
I’ve been delayed in writing my third short story as it’s quite erotic and I’m not sure whether I should post it, though some of my friends have asked me to do so.
Now as my garden is in shape I’ll have more time to translate my old short stories (there’re only 2 actually). I’ll let you know when I’m finished.
Thanks for pushing me to write. I’ve been lazy lately.
Jessis last blog post..My Warmy Home in Lang Suan
Hey Jessie,
Apologies for my tardiness. Sigh. Put it down to a bad dose of termite poisoning (here’s hoping you don’t have the same experience in your new abode).
Erotic, huh? I always have to pull myself back when posting so I know where you are coming from. And it’s not like my mother reads this blog or anything, so no excuses, right?
Hmm… well, there was that one penis episode in the beginning…
You are SO lucky to have a garden. I miss mine dreadfully as a patio (no matter how large) just doesn’t cut it.
I can’t get totally smudgy in mud and grunge and be able to skittle through water when I want. Well, the water skittling is possible, but I look pretty silly doing it in this cramped space.
Hey, whenever you need a writing push, I’m your gal. I also do lazy pretty well too.
http://f0nt.com/download/details.php?image_id=244
This is front for try to write Thai.
Same as in a book for children’s writting.
((My English is bad.I’m sorry if I write this comment wrong.))
It’s not difficult for U.
Fight!!!!!!!
Thanks. What a great idea for a font! I can open it in my PC emulator (it switches to English with ‘The Quick Brown Fox’). But so far, not my Mac. Fingers crossed I can get it to work properly on both :-)
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This is quite a nice idea Cat :)
Especially because writing while learning it can help others who are learning it as well to see that maybe certain difficulties they are encountering might be because of the type of language… and not necessarily because of them!
You know, you find a problem, and explain how you overcome it, together with the resources you are posting… That’s fairly helpful.
Quite a nice idea.
Thanks Betta! There are a ton of language learning blogs for the European languages, but not as many for Thai. I hope what I’m doing helps someone besides me (because I know it’s helping me a great deal)