Learn Thai Online for FREE… the Mother of all Resources

Free Thai Lessons

This article was originally posted on WomenLearnThai.com.

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FREE Thai language learning resources…

For months I’ve been promising to clean Women Learning Thai’s messy Learning Thai resources. After mulling it over, I’ve gone whole hog with FREE. Free downloads, free websites, free software, all free.

Note: This is part announcement, part teaser post. For the full wack, go to: Learn Thai for FREE

Free online Thai courses…

Learn Thai from a White Guy
After entering your email, you get five free Thai lessons to help you start learning to read Thai.

ThaiPod101
Thai online courses. A free account comes with a daily free lesson and vocabulary. If you want more, you need to subscribe to one of their plans.

Ling
A mobile application to help you get started learning basic Thai conversation.

FSI Thai Basic Course
Thai language course developed by the Foreign Service Institute. Pdf and mp3 downloads.

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FSI Intermediate Course
FSI workbook (lessons 1-80) with supplementary exercises for the Thai Basic Course. Pdf download.

FSI Thai Basic Reader
FSI supplementary textbook for self-study. Pdf download.

Langhub.com
The lessons are written for English-speaking expats living in Thailand, travelers to Thailand, those doing business in Thailand, and those who are simply learning the language. Mp3 audio and mp4 video downloads.

SEAsite
Supported by Northern Illinois University, this site is slightly old-fashioned but well worth the time it takes to dig into all the various nooks and crannies. Includes sound.

Teachthai.com (no longer online but sometimes Thai gov sites come back)
Interactive Thai language e-Learning course covering the basics of Thai. Flash based, includes sound. Hosted by the Department of Non-formal Education, Ministry of Education, Thailand.

The Fundamentals of the Thai Language
Thai course with 26 lessons. By Stuart Campbell and Chuan Shaweevongs (Fifth Edition, not under copyright). No sound.

The Thai System of Writing
This book is designed to be used with the Thai Reader and the Thai Vocabulary.

Free online Thai mini lessons…

DLI FLC: Field Support Modules
For a conflict situation… Pdf and mp3 downloads.

elearning with Sriwittayapaknam School
Thai only. If you can’t read the Thai script, click on the icons.

GenkiThai.com
Learn Thai online with simple games.

Learn Thai Online
101 Languages has an overview of the Thai language.

Learn to read Thai Tutorials (links work)
By Phil at Phil.UK.Net. Also beneficial are the notes detailing his first Thai lessons.

slice-of-thai.com
Excellent resource with Thai consonant / vowel flashcards, printable flashcards for the Thai consonants and vowels, consonant shape learning aid, chart of the 44 Thai consonants arranged by similar shape, voice viewer, the five tones of the Thai language, the consonant sounds of Thai, the vowel sounds of Thai, pronunciation guide systems for Thai.

Speak Real Thai
Lessons cover greetings, how to wai, how to make a suggestion politely, giving a snappy retort, how much money to give a beggar, dialects.

Thai For Beginners Study Aids
Matching word quiz, jumbled sentences, exercises and more exercises. You don’t need Becker’s Thai For Beginners course book, but it helps.

Thai Language Games
Interactive game to learn Thai numbers, colours, fruits and vegetables.

World Nomads – Free Travellers Language Guide
Thai iPod language guide. Thai language guide app for iPhone & iPod touch. Pdf and Mp3 downloads.

Free Thai lessons from pay sites…

BYKI: Before You Know It
Software which includes a collection of lists to learn Thai. Download software with sound.

ITS4Thai
Conversation course (400 Thai words with sentences), 5 lesson vocabulary course (50 Thai words), and the first 3 lessons free for their Thai script course. Online course.

Learn Thai Podcasts
Blog style Thai Language lessons with video and audio. Pdf, mp3 audio and mp4 video downloads.

Top Thai language learning websites…

Learning Thai the Easy Way (offline for now)
Extensive resource for learning the Thai language: Forums, Thai alphabet, Thai script, read Thai, grammar notes, listening resources, reading resources, Thai road signs, short stories, study aids, games and quizzes, exams, your name in Thai, and much much more. Home of Read with Manee.

Learn to Speak Like a Thai (spokenthai.com – offline for now)
Video and audio clips to help you speak like a Thai. Mp3 downloads.

thai-language.com
Internet resource for learning the Thai language: Lessons, forums, dictionary with an excellent search criteria, and Thai language reference.

The mother of all FREE Thai resources…

For the full collection of totally FREE online Thai resources, head on over to Learn Thai for FREE.

26 thoughts on “Learn Thai Online for FREE… the Mother of all Resources”

  1. James, there’s a lot of free stuff for download on the resources page (mostly audio files): Learn Thai for FREE

    But looking at your list, seems you need software. I’d go with BYKI Thai. There’s a free version but if you upgrade to BYKI Deluxe you can add your own lessons. You are in control of your cards so you can delete or add whatever you want (whole cards, sound files, transliteration, Thai script). The software works offline. There is an iPhone app but it doesn’t include the games.

    Two things.

    1) A friends says BYKI slows down on his Mac but I don’t have that problem.

    2) There are a few mistakes in the Thai version. Not biggies though.

    Here’s a review: Byki Thai Language Course

    Learning how to write in Thai is merely down to doing the time with pen and paper. I wrote a post on the subject here: The Easy Way for Beginners to Read and Write Thai

    Good luck.

    Reply
  2. Hello,
    I am looking for downloadable resources as I am not around an internet connection very often. I wish to learn to read and write and pronounce Thai correctly from the beginning. I do not wish to use transliteration systems. Show me a picture of an object, show me the Thai symbols for it, let me hear a native speaker pronounce it. Give me practice games, etc… And preferably start with the basic things that are useful when you are in Thailand having to make your way around and feed yourself and purchase items, travel and the like.
    But so far I am having difficulty in finding this. Can anyone point me in the right direction? If this does not exist then I would like to collaborate with some people in making it. If you are interested in this then we can search for grants, work with universities, government, etc. I recently spent a month in Thailand and desire to return there shortly on a long-term basis. Of course I’ll be going to teach English and further learn more of the language, culture, and the country that has captured part of my heart.

    Thanks
    James

    Reply
  3. I am an experienced Thai language teacher. I was born in Bangkok, Thailand and live in Bangkok. I have been teaching Thai to foreigners for more than 3 years. It is a Thesis [ Project] for my Master‘s degree.

    Reply
  4. Learning Thai sounds interesting, especially if one lives on the West Coast of the US (due to the large Thai population there). The writing part is the largest hurdle though…. If one is used to a certain alphabet (English alphabet, for example) then it becomes a tedious task to learn such an alphabet like the Thai one.

    Reply
  5. UPDATE: Added two pages from WikiBooks that should interest a number of people here…

    1) Thai/Writing lessons plan
    QUOTE: This is a plan for propadeutic (preparatory) lessons teaching the student the Thai script and its pronunciation (including letter combinations). The goal is to introduce letters one by one so as not to overwhelm the student.

    2) Thai/Adding vocabulary with word association
    QUOTE: Here are some Thai words that sound something like English words, and so can be easy to remember. It helps if you create a vivid image in your mind connecting the meaning of the word with the sound.

    Check in the main Learn Thai for FREE page for the links.

    Reply
  6. Hi Sidney,

    Thanks. I’m glad to hear that you are finding WLT useful.

    Some of the seasite product is quite old (’99) but worse, they used Microsoft FrontPage 6.0 with frames.

    I’m not sure if much can be done but I’ve sent the query to Jay (programmer friend who knows all sorts of obscure bits about browsers and code).

    If you are on a Mac in FF, what you can do is hold down the command key while clicking on the sound links. This will bring up new pages in the background, but at least it will keep you on the main page for the duration. A pain, you’ll have to close all the new pages when you are done.

    If you do come up with a better solution, please let me know. And if Jay comes up with anything, I’ll post here.

    Reply
  7. Dear Catherine,

    First, thank you for this wonderful service and all the time and effort you have devoted to helping people learn Thai. – I hope you can help. My problem is that when I click on the speaker icon to hear the audio clips on the website, Spoken Thai for the Internet (adapted from the book by Mary R. Haas and Henry R. Subhanka), I am taken away from the page with the words and shown a black media screen. I hear the pronunciation, but I am looking at a black screen. I had this problem with another website, but was able to fix it on the site control panel. Is it possible to do on the Spoken Thai for the Internet website, or must this problem be solved in another way? – I thank you for any help you can offer.

    Sid Leonard

    Reply
  8. @Keven
    Sorry to hear about how TV is distracting for you. I can have it on in the background, no problem. And if I’m having difficulties sleeping, on goes the TV and out like a light I go. Mostly.

    I used to be allergic to Bangkok air (back in the Haze days), but it is not so bad now that they’ve partially cleaned up their act (Skytrain, MRT, etc).

    @Greg
    You asked… ‘have you heard of translation software that works on cell phones, that might do the trick for my next trip to wonderland?’

    If you buy an iPhone, you can get an ap that’ll do that for you. In a couple of days I’m reviewing iPhone aps for learning Thai, so please check back then.

    Reply
  9. Yes, I do watch the Thai news broadcast at a Thai friends house on occasion. However, I avoid actually having a TV in my home because it detracts from my computing work.
    If it were not for the air pollution in Bangkok, I may be living there but I have an allergy to certain pollutants that makes my eyes tear to the point where I can’t see!! That’s why I’m living in the country.

    Reply
  10. Hi Kevin, welcome to WLT! I’m glad to hear that it is helpful to you. Central Thai… can you watch Thai TV to keep your ear tuned? That and radio should help a bit… (and moving to this humongously crowded city is always an option 😀

    Reply
  11. Great site! Really helps me a lot!

    I live in a small town in southern Thailand so I don’t hear much Central Thai spoken. There’s a really nice Thai lady from Bangkok who runs the one and only gourmet coffee shop here in this town but I don’t like to impose on her…she has a business to run.

    Right now your site is on the top of my list for Thai language.
    Keep up the wonderful work!

    Reply
  12. I’m not sure where to get the txt messaging software in Thailand, but it sounds great. Perhaps ask on the Thaivisa.com forum? They have a Thai language section.

    Reply
  13. Ok I see what you mean about TV,I am still on dial up, no fun to live in the sticks(even coco dees beach hut on Koh chang had highspeed!)I met a swedish guy who said he had trans.software on his cell,txt messages only, input Eng.sends txt to your friends in Thai and vise versa.He got it in Thailand,stupid me didnt ask where.If you find it let me know please!Why cant I pod make this work?Thanks and Cheers Greg

    Reply
  14. Sure, you can get Thai tv where you are now. Thais from all over the world log into the internet to keep up with home. Just scroll down on the following link and you’ll find a section on TV.

    http://womenlearnthai.com/index.php/resources/learning-thai/

    Translation software on mobiles… I’m just now looking into the iPhone but not much has been written for it yet. Not like for Palms.

    I’m sort of a Mac person so I’m willing to wait for more to be written for it. BYKI started to write for iPhone but they haven’t made it to Thai yet.

    A guy I know out here has a Palm. Not good at languages, he’s typed phrases into the PDA and is quite happy with the situation.

    I’m writing a post on learning thai via PDAs and iPhones but I’m waiting to actually own one before I post it.

    Reply
  15. Hello Thanks for the reply,I think there is a Thai community but I am a few hours and a couple of boat rides away,so it doesnt help much.Trying hard to get a job at the local Thai restaurant as dishwasher my be the answer.I really must get it as I have a few good friends in Thailand who dont speak much english and I want to get to know them. OK Will try some tv,if i can get it?have you heard of translation software that works on cell phones,that might do the trick for my next trip to wonderland?Really great blog!! cheers Greg

    Reply
  16. Hi Greg! Glad to hear that you are one of the men learning to speak Thai. I so feel for you being in Vancouver trying to learn. Is it too cold for a Thai community out there?

    For reviews on WLT, I’ve purchased almost every Thai learning course out there and Pimsleur is excellent. I’ve also researched different ways of learnng a language and Pimsleur is a great way to get the tones into your head. And if you are not in Thailand, you’ll need to surround yourself with as much listening as you can.

    Have you started watching Thai tv yet? In WLTs extensive resources you’ll find links to the different tv and radio stations. I try and watch Thai tv every day (and I’m afraid I’m getting hooked on soaps!)

    Reply
  17. Hi one of the men too!Trying to learn thai,stuck in beautiful Vancouver oh so far from BKK.Not knowing any other human on the planet who is trying to learn the language,boy am I happy to find your blog!!!!I really needed help because just a phrase didnt help at all, along with one thai person I know(who only smiled and said dont,you will only say it wrong,it mean something else,all laugh at you).However I found something called pimsleur thai it has cd’s.Any thoughts or tips? sa-wat-dee Greg

    Reply
  18. Inaki, no, I haven’t heard of smart.fm. I checked it out and it has Thai. Excellent!

    Inaki and Ash, welcome to WLT 🙂

    Reply

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