Learn Thai Like a Local

1. Thai Alphabet and Names
2. Thai alphabets that already obsolete
3. Thai alphabets that you do not see often
4. Thai alphabets that you will see often
5. Tips to remember Thai alphabets

Get to know Thai alphabets is the first step when it comes to learn to read Thai. There are 44 Thai consonants in total but some of them are already obsolete or barely used. So, you do not really need to work on remembering all of them.

In this blog article, you will get to know Thai alphabets and learn about the tips to help you on remember better on what are needed.

Thai Alphabet and Names

Here is the complete list of Thai alphabets (Thai consonants) in order and their names in Thai:

1. ก (กอ ไก่) = gaaw gài (Chicken)
2. ข (ขอ ไข่) = kăaw kài (Egg)
3. ฃ (ฃอ ขวด) = kăaw kùuat (Bottle) *obsolete
4. ค (คอ ควาย) = kaaw-kwaai (Buffalo)
5. ฅ (ฅอ คน) = kaaw-kon (Person) *obsolete
6. ฆ (ฆอ ระฆัง) = kaaw rá-kang (Bell) *don’t see often
7. ง (งอ งู) = ngaaw nguu (Snake)
8. จ (จอ จาน) = jaaw jaan (Plate)
9. ฉ (ฉอ ฉิ่ง) = chăaw chìng (Cymbal)
10. ช (ชอ ช้าง) = chaaw cháang (Elephant)
11. ซ (ซอ โซ่) = saaw sôo (Chain)
12. ฌ (ฌอ เฌอ) = chaaw chooe (Tree) *don’t see often
13. ญ (ญอ หญิง) = yaaw yĭng (Woman)
14. ฎ (ฎอ ชะฎา) = daaw chá-daa (Pinnacled coronet) *don’t see often
15. ฏ (ฏอ ปะฏัก) = dtaaw bpà-dtàk (Spear) *don’t see often
16. ฐ (ฐอ ฐาน) = tăaw tăan (Base) *don’t see often
17. ฑ (ฑอ นางมณโฑ) = taaw naang-mon-too (Ravana’s consort) *don’t see often
18. ฒ (ฒอ ผู้เฒ่า) = taaw pûu-tâo (Old people) *don’t see often
19. ณ (ณอ เณร) = naaw neen (Novice)
20. ด (ดอ เด็ก) = daaw dèk (Kid)
21. ต (ตอ เต่า) = dtaaw dtào (Turtle)
22. ถ (ถอ ถุง) = tăaw tŭng (Bag)
23. ท (ทอ ทหาร) = taaw tá-hăan (Soilder)
24. ธ (ธอ ธง) = taaw-tong (Flag)
25. น (นอ หนู) = naaw-nǔu (Mouse)
26. บ (บอ ใบไม้) = baaw bai-mái (Leaf)
27. ป (ปอ ปลา) = bpaaw bplaa (Fish)
28. ผ (ผอ ผึ้ง) = păaw pêung (Bee)
29. ฝ (ฝอ ฝา) = făaw făa (Lid)
30. พ (พอ พาน) = paaw paan (Traditional style tray)
31. ฟ (ฟอ ฟัน) = faaw fan (Tooth)
32. ภ (ภอ สำเภา) = paaw sam-pao (Junk)
33. ม (มอ ม้า) = maaw máa (Horse)
34. ย (ยอ ยักษ์) = yaaw yák (Giant)
35. ร (รอ เรือ) = raaw ruuea (Boat)
36. ล (ลอ ลิง) = laaw ling (Monkey)
37. ว (วอ แหวน) = waaw wăaen (Ring)
38. ศ (ศอ ศาลา) = săaw săa-laa (Pavilion) *don’t see often
39. ษ (ษอ ฤาษี) = săaw ruue-sǐi (Hermit) *don’t see often
40. ส (สอ เสือ) = săaw sǔuea (Tiger)
41. ห (หอ หีบ) = hăaw hìip (Old style box)
42. ฬ (ฬอ จุฬา) = laaw jù-laa (Kite) *don’t see often
43. อ (ออ อ่าง) = aaw àang (Basin)
44. ฮ (ฮอ นกฮูก) = haaw nók-hûuk (Owl) *don’t see often

Thai alphabets that already obsolete

1. ฃ = kăaw kùuat
2. ฅ = kaaw-kon

Thai alphabets that you do not see often

1. ฆ = kaaw rá-kang
2. ฌ = chaaw chooe
3. ฎ = daaw chá-daa
4. ฏ = dtaaw bpà-dtàk
5. ฐ = tăaw tăan
6. ฑ = taaw naang-mon-too
7. ฒ = taaw pûu-tâo
8. ศ = săaw săa-laa
9. ษ = săaw ruue-sǐi
10. ฬ = laaw jù-laa
11. ฮ = haaw nók-hûuk

Thai alphabets that you will see often

1. ก = gaaw gài
2. ข = kăaw kài
3. ค = kaaw-kwaai
4. ง = ngaaw nguu
5. จ = jaaw jaan
6. ฉ = chăaw chìng
7. ช = chaaw cháang
8. ซ = saaw sôo
9. ญ = yaaw yĭng
10. ณ = naaw neen
11. ด = daaw dèk
12. ต = dtaaw dtào
13. ถ = tăaw tŭng
14. ท = taaw tá-hăan
15. ธ = taaw-tong
16. น = naaw-nǔu
17. บ = baaw bai-mái
18. ป = bpaaw bplaa
19. ผ = păaw pêung
20. ฝ = făaw făa
21. พ = paaw paan
22. ฟ = faaw fan
23. ภ = paaw sam-pao
24. ม = maaw máa
25. ย = yaaw yák
26. ร = raaw ruuea
27. ล = laaw ling
28. ว = waaw wăaen
29. ส = săaw sǔuea
30. ห = hăaw hìip
31. อ = aaw àang

Tips to remember Thai alphabets

• Write Thai alphabets to help you on remembering better.
• Ignore the obsolete and those Thai alphabets that are not used often and focus on those Thai alphabets that are used more often first which are 31/44 Thai alphabets in total.
• If the names are too long, work on remembering the initial sound first such as “ก = g”
• Use our flashcards for practicing on remembering Thai alphabets

And these are all Thai alphabets in Thai and the tips to help you on remembering them better. After you remember the Thai consonants, next step is to work on remembering Thai vowels.

Another way to help you remembering Thai consonants one more round is when you learn about classes of Thai consonants as they have different rules to read Thai.

If you are interest to learn how to read and write Thai from scratch with a native Thai, Learn Thai Like A Local offers reading and writing Thai course 1 and 2 which will takes around 20-25 hours in total. You will learn all the rules you need to know when it comes to reading Thai and practice to work on becoming fluency on reading and writing in Thai.

Book a trial class with our teachers to see how we could help you during Thai learning journey successfully and happily.