Learn Thai the Easy Way > Reading Thai > Romanization of Thai Script

Just about every book on learning Thai seems to have their own method for romanizing Thai script so that it is readable by Westerners. No-one can agree about the best way of doing this. Even in Thailand you will sometimes see roadsigns using different methods. The disadvantage for you the learner is that when you move from one language course to another you have to first learn their method of transliterating the Thai letters. To me that is like having to learn two different languages at the same time. I really do suggest that you make an effort to learn how to read Thai. It is not as difficult as it looks. Try my free Reading Thai lessons on this web site. If you insist on learning how to read romanized Thai script then I offer you the following guide produced by the Royal Institute in Bangkok.

TABLE 1 - VOWELS

  Thai Vowels Examples
a

Êоҹ - saphanÅѹµÒ - lantaºÒ§ - bang
ÊÁØ·Ã - samut
am ÅÓ - lam
i ÊÔ§Ëì - singºØÃÕ - buri
ue ʵ֡ - satuek¾×ª - phuetºÃº×Í - borabue
u ºØÃÕ - buriÀÙ - phu
e »Ð¹ÒàÃÐ - panareà¾ç­ - phenࢹ - khen
ae á«Ð - saeÊÐá¡ - sakae
o ¾ÐâµêÐ - phatož - lopÊÒÁâ¡é - samkoà¡ÒÐ - ko
ºèÍ - bo
oe à«ÍÐ - soeÍÓàÀÍ - amphoeà¹Ô¹ - noen
ia à¼ÕÂÐ - phiaà·Õ¹ - thian
uea à¡×ÍÐ - kueaàÁ×ͧ - mueang
ua ¼ÑÇÐ - phuaºÑÇ - bua¤Ç¹ - khuan
ai ãË­è - yaiä¼è - phaiªÑ - chaiä·Â - thai»Ò - pai
ao à¨éÒ - chao¢éÒÇ - khao
ui ¡ØÂ - kui
oi â´Â - doi´ÍÂ - doi
iu §ÔéÇ - ngiu
eo àÃçÇ- reoàÅÇ - leo
oei àÅ - loei
uai à´×Í - duaiËéÇ - huai
aeo áÁÇ - maeo
ieo à¢ÕÂÇ - khieo

1 The single hyphen indicates the absence of any associated vowel-sign. Such a consonant is to be transcribed with an a or o following it, according to pronunciation.

TABLE 2 - CONSONANTS

Initial Final Thai consonant
k- -k ¡
kh- -k ¢¤¦
ng- -ng §
ch- -t ¨
ch- -t ©ª¬
y- -n ­
d- -t ´®±*
t- -t µ¯
th- -t °·±*¸²
n- -n ¹³
b- -p º
p- -p »
ph- -p ¼¾À
f- -p ½¿
m- -m Á
y- - Â
r- -n Ã
l- -n ÅÌ
w- - Ç**
s- -t «·ÃÈÉÊ
h- - ËÎ
- - Í

* This character may be pronounced th or d when it is in initial position.
** See Table 2, where Ç appears in combination with vowels. It serves as the diphthong, ua, when placed between two consonants.