Knowing Thai numbers and counting before visiting Thailand will give you an advantage while negotiating with locals. Want to save money with every purchase you make? Keep reading!
Don’t worry if numbers make you nervous; we won’t be teaching you to calculate! Instead, we’ll be delighted to show you how the Thais count.
Knowing Thai numbers will be handy for any Thai enthusiast, whether trying to buy a bus ticket, find some fruit at the market, or find your way around town.
For example, if someone tells you to walk for “หนึ่งกิโลเมตร (nʉ̀ng gì-loo-mêet),” you’ll know that they mean “one kilometer.”
Now is the time for some light entertainment. Are you all set? Okay, let’s get moving!
Thai Numbers At A Glance
Let’s get into the most intriguing bit of language first! Do you know Thai uses its unique numeral alphabet, apart from Arabic numerals? Check out the Thai numerals we’ve written in the following table.
| English Numerals | Thai Numerals |
|---|---|
| 1 | ๑ |
| 2 | ๒ |
| 3 | ๓ |
| 4 | ๔ |
| 5 | ๕ |
| 6 | ๖ |
| 7 | ๗ |
| 8 | ๘ |
| 9 | ๙ |
| 0 | ๐ |
Since 1292 (or 1835 B.C.), the Thai numerals on the Ram Khamhaeng inscription were first discovered.
Like its namesake, it was created by Ram Khamhaeng or Pho Khun Ram Khamhaeng Maharat. He ruled the Sukhothai Kingdom from 1279 until 1298 as the third monarch of the Phra Ruang dynasty.
When Do The Locals Use Thai Numbers?
Thai people use Arabic numerals daily, so you might have little chance to see original Thai numbers. But, if you learn Thai to an advanced level, you’ll see Thai numbers and more complex language and sentences, especially in official papers or government documents.
In addition, you can usually see these numbers on the temple’s whiteboard alongside notices of upcoming religious events or at a rural school and train station. Thais advocate for the widespread use of Arabic numerals to eliminate potential confusion.
Thai writing might be a manageable challenge, but you should start working on counting and pronouncing them immediately, so read on!
How To Read A Number In Thai?
Here are the basics of Thai numerical digits from 1 to 10.
| English | Thai | Transcription | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zero | ศูนย์ | Sǔun | |
| One | หนึ่ง | Nʉ̀ng | |
| Two | สอง | Sɔ̌ɔng | |
| Three | สาม | Sǎam | |
| Four | สี่ | Sìi | |
| Five | ห้า | Hâa | |
| Six | หก | Hòk | |
| Seven | เจ็ด | Jèt | |
| Eight | แปด | Bpɛ̀ɛt | |
| Nine | เก้า | Gâao | |
| Ten | สิบ | Sìp |
These numbers will also be seen in many basic counting and Thai vocabulary that involves one digit. For example, when initiating telephone conversations in Thai, you’ll have their phone numbers in this numerical form.
The Rule Of Reading Thai Numerals
Alright, before we begin Thai number counting and reading, we’d like to teach you a new word for “1” that will be used for numbers that come after the number ten, which are 11 to 91.
- One – เอ็ด (èt)
Let’s see the examples below!
| English | Thai | Transcription | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (one) | หนึ่ง | Nʉ̀ng | |
| 11 (eleven) | สิบเอ็ด | Sìp èt | |
| 21 (twenty one) | ยี่สิบเอ็ด | Yîi sìp èt | |
| 31 (thirty one) | สามสิบเอ็ด | Sǎam sìp èt | |
| 41 (forty one) | สี่สิบเอ็ด | Sìi sìp èt | |
| 51 (fifty one) | ห้าสิบเอ็ด | Hâa sìp èt | |
| 61 (sixty one) | หกสิบเอ็ด | Hòk sìp èt | |
| 71 (seventy one) | เจ็ดสิบเอ็ด | Jèt sìp èt | |
| 81 (eighty one) | แปดสิบเอ็ด | Bpɛ̀ɛt sìp èt | |
| 91 (ninety one) | เก้าสิบเอ็ด | Gâo sìp èt | |
| 101 (one hundred and one) | หนึ่งร้อยหนึ่ง | Nʉ̀ng rɔ́ɔi nʉ̀ng | |
| 111 (one hundred eleven) | หนึ่งร้อยสิบเอ็ด | Nʉ̀ng rɔ́ɔi sìp èt | |
| 2,001 (one thousand one) | สองพันหนึ่ง | Sɔ̌ɔng pan nʉ̀ng | |
| 2,121 (one thousand one hundred twenty one) | สองพันหนึ่งร้อยยี่สิบเอ็ด | Sɔ̌ɔng pan nʉ̀ng rɔ́ɔi yîi sìp èt |
How To Read A Number That Has Many Digits?
You’re about to see a more extended digit in a number. Are you prepared? If yes, let’s get some practice together!
| English | Thai | Pronunciation | Sound |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 (hundred) | หนึ่งร้อย | Nʉ̀ng rɔ́ɔi | |
| 1,000 (thousand) | หนึ่งพัน | Nʉ̀ng pan | |
| 10,000 (ten thousand) | หนึ่งหมื่น | Nʉ̀ng mʉ̀ʉn | |
| 100,000 (hundred thousand) | หนึ่งแสน | Nʉ̀ng sɛ̌ɛn | |
| 1,000,000 (one million) | หนึ่งล้าน | Nʉ̀ng láan | |
| 1,000,000,000 (thousand million) | หนึ่งพันล้าน | Nʉ̀ng pan láan | |
| 234,560 (two hundred thirty-four thousand, five hundred sixty) | สองแสนสามหมื่นสี่พันห้าร้อยหกสิบ | Sɔ̌ɔng sɛ̌ɛn sǎam mʉ̀ʉn sìi pan hâa rɔ́ɔi hòk sìp | |
| 1,234,561 (one million, two hundred thirty-four thousand, five hundred sixty-one) | หนึ่งล้านสองแสนสามหมื่นสี่พันห้าร้อยหกสิบเอ็ด | Nʉ̀ng láan sɔ̌ɔng sɛ̌ɛn sǎam mʉ̀ʉn sìi pan hâa rɔ́ɔi hòk sìp èt |
How To Read Decimal Number In Thai
You must remember one word below to be fluent in Thai decimal numbers.
- Dot/point – จุด (jùt)
Specifically, the numbers preceding and after the point will be interpreted differently. Alright, now it’s time to look at some examples and get some practice!
| Arabic Numbers | Thai | Transcription | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.02 | หนึ่งจุดศูนย์สอง | Nʉ̀ng jùt sǔun sɔ̌ɔng | |
| 10.22 | สิบจุดสองสอง | Nìp jùt sɔ̌ɔng sɔ̌ɔng | |
| 100.38 | หนึ่งร้อยจุดสามแปด | Nʉ̀ng rɔ́ɔi jùt sǎam bpɛ̀ɛt | |
| 1,000.658 | หนึ่งร้อยจุดหกห้าแปด | Nʉ̀ng rɔ́ɔi jùt hòk hâa bpɛ̀ɛt | |
| 1,550.20658 | หนึ่งพันห้าร้อยห้าสิบจุดสองศูนย์หกห้าแปด | Nʉ̀ng pan hâa rɔ́ɔi hâa sìp jùt sɔ̌ɔng sǔun hòk hâa bpɛ̀ɛt |
How To Read Fractions In Thai
In this case, you need only one vocabulary to comprehend how to read fractions in Thai.
- Fraction – เศษส่วน (sèet-sùan)
The words เศษ (sèet) and ส่วน (sùan) will be used when reading fractions in Thai. Come on, let’s take a look at some examples and practice!
| English | Thai | Transcription | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1/2 (one-half) | เศษหนึ่งส่วนสอง | Sèet nʉ̀ng sùan sɔ̌ɔng | |
| 1/3 (one-third) | เศษหนึ่งส่วนสาม | Sèet nʉ̀ng sùan sǎam | |
| 3/4 (three-fourths) | เศษสามส่วนสี่ | Sèet sǎam sùan sìi | |
| 6/8 (six-eighths) | เศษหกส่วนแปด | Sà sà hèek sùan bpɛ̀ɛt |
How To Read House Numbers In Thai
Without the correct number and postcode, you risk losing your package. In Thai, two important words are used when reading ordinal numbers:
- Number – เลขที่ (lêek tîi)
- Slash – ทับ (táp)
Address Numbers And Postcodes
Let’s check it out and get some practice with the rules for reading address digits and postcodes.
| English | Thai | Transcription | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Address number 123/456 | บ้านเลขที่ 123/456 | Bâan lêek tîi nʉ̀ng sɔ̌ɔng sǎam táp sìi hâa hòk | |
| Address number 100/300 | บ้านเลขที่ 100/300 | Bâan lêek tîi nʉ̀ng sǔun sǔun táp sǎam sǔun sǔun | |
| Postcode 10600 | หมายเลขไปรษณีย์ 10600 | Mǎai lêek bpai rót nii nʉ̀ng sǔun hòk sǔun sǔun | |
| Postcode 123456 | หมายเลขไปรษณีย์ 123456 | Mǎai lêek bpai rót nii nʉ̀ng sɔ̌ɔng sǎam sìi hâa hòk |
In Summary
So, now when you buy fruit at the local market and they say “แตงโม หนึ่ง ลูก หนึ่งร้อย บาท (dtɛɛng moo nʉ̀ng lûuk nueng roi bàat),” you then understand that it means “a watermelon is one hundred baht.”
The ability to converse fluently in Thai numbers will serve you well not just in understanding the natives but also in negotiating down the prices of goods in the local marketplace in Thailand.
The Thai language has so many complicated but exciting words to learn.
So, if you’re motivated to learn more, let’s use the Ling app!
Learn Thai With The Ling App
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