languages of Thailand

The following table comprises all 62 ethnolinguistic groups recognized by the Royal Thai Government in the 2011 Country Report to the UN Committee responsible for the International Convention for the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, available from the Department of Rights and Liberties Promotion of the Thai Ministry of Justice.{{cite book|title=International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination; Reports submitted by States parties under article 9 of the Convention: Thailand|date=28 July 2011|publisher=United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination|url=http://www.rlpd.go.th/rlpdnew/images/rlpd_1/HRC/CERD%201_3.pdf|access-date=8 October 2016|language=en, th |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20161009184727/http://www.rlpd.go.th/rlpdnew/images/rlpd_1/HRC/CERD%201_3.pdf |archive-date=9 October 2016}}{{RP|3}}

Regional language data is limited. The following table shows all the language families of Northeast Thailand, as recognized in the report which is the source for the national breakdown.

Note that numbers of speakers are for the Northeast region only. Languages may have additional speakers outside the Northeast.

Provincial-level language data is limited; those interested are directed to the Ethnolinguistic Maps of Thailand resource, or to the Ethnologue [https://www.ethnologue.com/country/TH Thailand country report].

{{main|Thai language|Southern Thai language}}

{{main|Isan language}}

{{main|Northern Thai language}}{{Unreferenced section|date=May 2022}} {{Copyedit|section|date=April 2025}}

The sole official language of Thailand is Central Thai (Siamese), a vernacular language in Central (including the Bangkok Metropolitan Region), Southwestern, and Eastern Thailand, along with Thai Chinese ethnic enclaves in outer parts of the country such as Hatyai, Bandon, Nangrong, and Mueang Khonkaen. Central Thai is a Kra-Dai language closely related to Lao, Shan, and numerous indigenous languages of southern China and northern Vietnam. It is the solely language of education (except international schools used English and Chinese school in Maesai used Mandarin) and government and is spoken throughout the country. In practice, almost all Thai nationality are proficient at the level of a native speaker in the Central Thai, despite less than half of the population claiming that they use it as their vernacular language. The standard is written in the Thai alphabet, an abugida that evolved from the Khmer script.

There are several Thai topolects. The Central Thai and Southern Thai is successors of Sukhothai language which divided during 17th century. Northern Thai is spoken in the northern provinces that were formerly part of the independent kingdom of Lan Na, while Isan (a Thai variant of Lao) and Phu Thai are native languages of the northeast. All languages are partially mutually intelligible with Central Thai, with the degree depending on standard sociolinguistic factors. Although all are classified as a separate language by most linguists, the Thai government has historically treated them as dialects of one "Thai language" for political reasons of Thai national identity building. In the 2010 national census, filling in the four Thai languages are not option.

The varieties of Central Thai itself are also marginalize and treat as if it doesn't exist by government, however, local Central Thai accent discrimination is still practical and is called a ner ({{langx|th|เหน่อ}}). The most well-known accents of Central Thai language are Krungthep accent, accent of the Teochews (with no dialect continuum), carrying the highest social prestige since as late of the 20th century, Rattanakosin accent, authentic accent of Bangkok, and accent of Suphanburi province. These three accents can be compared to in England are Received Pronunciation, Cockney and Scouse.

The position of all minority languages, including the largest, i.e. Isan in the Northeast and Kham muang in the North, is precarious given that they are not well supported in Thailand's language education policy.{{Citation|last=Draper|first=John|title=Language education policy in Thailand|date=2019-04-17|work=The Routledge International Handbook of Language Education Policy in Asia|pages=229–242|location=Abingdon, Oxon|publisher=Routledge|doi=10.4324/9781315666235-16|isbn=978-1-315-66623-5}} In the far south, Kelantan-Pattani Malay, also known as Yawi, is the primary community language of the Malay Muslims. Khmer is spoken by older Northern Khmer. Varieties of Chinese are also spoken by the older Thai Chinese population, with the Teochew dialect being best represented. However, the younger Thai Chinese and Northern Khmer trend towards speaking Central Thai. The Peranakan in Southern Thailand speak Southern Thai at home.

{{See also|Thai Sign Language|Deafness in Thailand}}

Several village sign languages are reported among the mountain peoples ('hill tribes'), though it is not clear whether these are independent languages, as only Ban Khor Sign Language has been described. Two related deaf-community sign languages developed in Chiangmai and Bangkok; the national Thai Sign Language developed from these under the influence of American Sign Language.

The 2014 Ethnologue country report for Thailand, which uses the EGIDS language endangerment assessment scale,{{Cite journal|last1=Lewis|first1=M.P.|last2=Simons|first2=G.F.|title=Assessing endangerment: Expanding Fishman's GIDS|url=http://www.lingv.ro/RRL%202%202010%20art01Lewis.pdf|journal=Revue Roumaine de Linguistique|volume=55 |issue=2|pages=103–120 |date=2010}} lists one national language (Central Thai), one educational language (Isan), 27 developing languages, 18 vigorous languages, 17 threatened languages, and 7 dying languages.{{Cite book|first1=M.P.|last1=Lewis|title=Ethnologue: Languages of Thailand|last2=Simons|first2=G.F.|last3=Fennog|first3=C.D.|publisher=SIL International|year=2014}}

The following table shows ethnolinguistic groups in Thailand with equal to or more than 400,000 speakers according to the Royal Thai Government's 2011 Country Report to the Committee Responsible for the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD).^:99 and the Ethnolinguistic Maps of Thailand project.{{cite book|url=http://www.newmandala.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Thailand-Ethnolinguistic-Maps.pdf|title=Ethnolinguistic Maps of Thailand|date=2004|publisher=Office of the National Culture Commission|language=th|access-date=26 March 2024}} Note that the degree to which language speakers will have shifted in their idiolects towards Central Thai will depend on standard sociolinguistic factors, like age, education, gender, and proximity to an urban center.

Ethnolinguistic groups of Thailand with equal to or more than 400,000 speakers^:99

The figures in the following table are for first language speakers, following Ethnologue. Note that Ethnologue describes 'Isan' as 'Northeastern Thai', following Thai government practice until the 2011 Country Report.

Languages by number of speakers in Thailand with more than 400,000 speakers (with Expanded Graded Intergenerational Disruption Scale)

The following table employs 2000 census data and includes international languages. Caution should be exercised with Thai census data on first language. In Thai censuses, the four largest Tai-Kadai languages of Thailand (in order, Central Thai, Isan (majority Lao),{{cite journal |last1=Draper |first1=John |last2= Kamnuansilpa|first2= Peerasit|date= 2016|title= The Thai Lao Question: The Reappearance of Thailand's Ethnic Lao Community and Related Policy Questions|journal= Asian Ethnicity|volume= 19|pages= 81–105|doi= 10.1080/14631369.2016.1258300|s2cid=151587930 }} Kam Mueang, Pak Tai) are not provided as options for language or ethnic group. People stating such a language as a first language, including Lao, are allocated to 'Thai'.{{cite book |last=Luangthongkum |first=Theraphan |date=2007 |chapter=The Position of Non-Thai Languages in Thailand |editor-first1=Lee Hock |editor-last1=Guan |editor-first2=L. |editor-last2=Suryadinata |title=Language, nation and development in Southeast Asia |pages=181-194 |location=Singapore |publisher=ISEAS Publishing |oclc=190824881}} This explains the disparity between the three tables in this section. For instance, self-reporting as Lao has been prohibited, due to the prohibition of the Lao ethnonym in the context of describing Thai citizens, for approximately one hundred years.{{cite thesis |last=Breazeale |first=Kennon |date=1975 |title=The integration of the Lao states |degree=PhD |publisher=Oxford University}}{{cite journal |last=Grabowsky |first=Volker |date=1996 |title=The Thai census of 1904: Translation and analysis |journal=Journal of the Siam Society |volume=84 |issue=1 |pages=49-85}} The 2011 Country Report data is therefore more comprehensive in that it differentiates between the four largest Tai-Kadai languages of Thailand and between languages described as 'local languages' and 'dialects and others' in the census.

* Above the age of five

Thai is the language of education. The curriculum introduced by the 1999 National Education Act,{{Cite web|url=https://asean.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Thailand184.pdf|title=National Education Act B.E. 2542 (1999)|publisher=Ministry of Education|year=1999|location=Bangkok |access-date=26 March 2024}} which introduced 12 years of free education, emphasized Thai as being the national language. The 2008 Basic Education Core Curriculum{{Cite book|url=http://academic.obec.go.th/images/document/1525235513_d_1.pdf|title=The Basic Education Core Curriculum B.E. 2551 (A.D. 2008)|publisher=Office of Basic Education|year=2008|location=Bangkok |access-date=26 March 2024}} prioritises Thai, although it also mentions 'dialects' and 'local languages', i.e., ethnic minority languages. The monolingual education system is generally seen as ineffective, with one-third of teenagers functionally illiterate.{{Cite web|title=Thailand Economic Monitor – June 2015: Quality Education for All|url=https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/thailand/publication/thailand-economic-monitor-june-2015|access-date=2020-07-21|website=World Bank|language=en}} Illiteracy in Thai is particularly widespread in Thailand's three southernmost provinces as the Patani dialect of Malay is the mother tongue for the majority Malay community. International programs and schools which teach, for example, English or Chinese alongside Thai exist, as do a small number of pilot projects to teach ethnic minority languages alongside Thai in Thai schools.

• Demographics of Thailand
• Ethnic minorities of Thailand
• Kra-dai languages
• Nationality, religion, and language data for the provinces of Thailand
• Southwestern Tai languages
• Thai language

• {{cite book |last=Bradley |first=D. |date=2007 |chapter=East and Southeast Asia |editor-first=C. |editor-last=Moseley |title=Encyclopedia of the world’s endangered languages |pages=349–424 |location=London |publisher=Routledge |oclc=47983733}}
• {{cite book |last=Bradley |first=D |date=2007 |chapter=Languages of Mainland South-East Asia |editor-first1=O. |editor-last1=Miyaoka |editor-first2=O. |editor-last2=Sakiyama |editor-first3=M. E. |editor-last3=Krauss |title=The vanishing languages of the Pacific Rim |pages=301–336 |location=Oxford |publisher=Oxford University Press}}
• {{cite web |url=http://www.newmandala.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Thailand-Ethnolinguistic-Maps.pdf |title=Ethnolinguistic Maps of Thailand |date=2004|language=th |publisher=Office of the National Culture Commission |location=Bangkok}}
• {{cite book |last1=Lebar|first1=F. M. |first2=G. C. |last2=Hickey |first3=J. K. |last3=Musgrave |date=1964 |title=Ethnic groups of mainland Southeast Asia |location=New Haven |publisher=Human Relations Area Files Press |oclc=409451}}
• {{cite book |last=Luangthongkum |first=Theraphan |date=2007 |chapter=The Position of Non-Thai Languages in Thailand |editor-first1=Lee Hock |editor-last1=Guan |editor-first2=L. |editor-last2=Suryadinata |title=Language, nation and development in Southeast Asia |pages=181-194 |location=Singapore |publisher=ISEAS Publishing |oclc=190824881}}
• {{cite book |last=Matisoff |first=J. A. |date=1991 |chapter=Endangered languages of Mainland Southeast Asia |editor-first1=R. H. |editor-last1=Robins |editor-first2=E. M. |editor-last2=Uhlenbeck |title=Endangered languages |pages=189–228 |location=Oxford |publisher=Berg Publishers |oclc=464005212}}
• {{cite book |last1=Matisoff |first1=J. A. |first2=S. P. |last2=Baron |first3=J. B. |last3=Lowe |date=1996 |title=Languages and dialects of Tibeto-Burman |series=Sino-Tibetan Etymological Dictionary and Thesaurus Monograph Series 1 and 2 |location=Berkeley |publisher=University of California Press |url=https://stedt.berkeley.edu/pubs_and_prods/STEDT_Monograph2_Lgs-Dialects-TB.pdf |isbn=0-944613-26-8}}
• {{cite book |last=Smalley |first=W. |date=1994 |title=Linguistic Diversity and National Unity: Language Ecology in Thailand |location=Chicago |publisher=University of Chicago Press |oclc=29564736 |isbn=9780226762883}}
• {{cite book |author=Suwilai Premsrirat |date=2004 |chapter=Using GIS For Displaying An Ethnolinguistic Map of Thailand |title=Papers from the Eleventh Annual Meeting of the Southeast Asian Linguistics Society |editor-first=Somsonge |editor-last=Burusphat |location=Tempe, Arizona |pages=599–617 |publisher=Arizona State University, Program for Southeast Asian Studies |chapter-url=http://sealang.net/sala/archives/pdf4/suwilai2004using.pdf}}

{{Reflist}}

• Languages of Thailand at Muturzikin.com
• [https://www.ethnologue.com/country/TH Languages of Thailand] at Ethnologue

{{Languages of Thailand}}

{{Thailand topics}}

{{Asia topic|Languages of}}