Easy Way to Read Thai : general part 1

Easy Way to Read Thai

What is Thai ? Thai, the word is used to call citizen of Thailand or someone know as Siam. The land where Bangkok is the capital. The land that Pattaya, Phuket,Klabi,Samui,Phangan are exist. The other way Thai is the name of speaking and writing language in Thailand also.

I am Thai and I love Thai language so I write this blog to show how easy to understand Thai writing language but I’am not the great English language user. I write this block with dictionary so please forgive me if something wrong.

The general principle.

Thai alphabet need to spell like English, the meaning is “if you understand how Thai alphabet works you will read Thai word without any guidline symbol.

1. The sound of speech

Thai writing language is the symbol that show how to create sound from your mouth ,The sound of speech. I separate the sound of speech to tree parts ,Starting, Vowel, and Finisher. Exemple by English

Try to say “Dad” this word have just 1 sound of speech

The 1^st “D” show how to starting

“a” show Vowel, how to control the sound.

The last “d” is finisher, show how to finish the sound.

And then say “Bad” what’s difference?

Now you know how Starting works. “D” showing that you need to move your tongue for starting but “B” you have to move lips instead.

The Vowel symbol in this case is “a”, English also have “e” “i” “o” and “u” sometime are used as Starting too.

Finisher in English are often pronounce the last symbol sound but not this way in Thai. See afterward.

Thai sound of speech need to featuring by Starting and Vowel at least.

2. The series of symbol

Starting, Vowel, and Finisher symbol in English are contained in one series “A-Z” but Thai have 3 series of symbol

1^st Series of Starting and Finisher

2^nd Series of Vowel

3^rd Series of Tone, this couldn’t found in English language system. Thai have 5 tones

3. Special symbol

First you have to know “อ” this is special symbol which is contained in both 1^st and 2^nd series, “อ”can used as Starting or Vowel like we use “a” “e” “i” “o” and “u” in English.

4. The name of Thai-Starting and Finisher – symbol

1^st series of Thai Symbol have 44 symbols but show just 21 styles of Starting and just 8 styles of finisher. In 1^st series symbols have name and surname.

Name, from the word “Thai sound of speech need to featuring by Starting and Vowel at least.” So we always call the symbol name by use it with “อ” Vowel.

 Ex.    ก the name is กอ

Surname, surname of symbol is traditional word that is writen by the symbol for determine many symbols which have the same name.

           Ex    ส (Name = สอ,sor) เสือ(Surname)

ศ (Name = สอ,sor) ศาลา(Surname)