3 Unique Types Of Thai Abbreviations To Learn Now

Insufficiently motivated to write out a lengthy Thai word? Perhaps now is the time to enlighten yourself on Thai abbreviations. That way, you can breeze through any form you need to fill out!

By the way, do you know that the longest name of the city in the world belongs to Bangkok, the capital of Thailand? The Thai name for Bangkok is กรุงเทพมหานคร (grung têep má hǎa ná kɔɔn om-rá-rát-ná-goo-sǐn ), and the full version is กรุงเทพมหานคร อมรรัตนโกสินทร์ มหินทรายุธยา มหาดิลกภพ นพรัตนราชธานีบูรีรมย์ อุดมราชนิเวศน์มหาสถาน อมรพิมานอวตารสถิต สักกะทัตติยวิษณุกรรมประสิทธิ์ (grung-têep-má-hǎa-ná-kɔɔn má-hǐn-tá-ra-a-yút-yaa má-hǎa-din-gà-póp nóp-rát-ná-râat-taa-nii-buu-rii-rom ù-dom-râat-ní-wêet-má-hǎa-sà-tǎan à-mɔɔn-pí-maan-à-wá-dtaan-sà-tìt sàk-gà-tát-dtì-yá-wí-sà-nú-gam bprà-sìt). 

Do you dare to attempt pronouncing them? If not, you can simply shorten it in three ways. First, กรุงเทพมหาคร (grung-têep-má-hǎa-ná-kɔɔn). The next one is กรุงเทพฯ (grung-têep), and lastly, กทม. (gɔɔ tɔɔ mɔɔ). Now, it’s much less complicated. So, don’t you think we should learn more about Thai abbreviations?

We’ve covered Thai month abbreviations before, but in this blog, we’ll teach you more about how Thai people shorten words. Of course, there are more than simply putting dots between each consonant, such as ก.ย., which is กันยายน (gan-yaa-yon), September in English. So let’s look at the primary methods of Thai abbreviation together!

1. Add Dots In Between Consonants

Thai Abbreviations

To get started, let’s look at the simplest kind of Thai word shortening. Dots between consonants are the most famous and straightforward method, as we’ve already discussed. So, let’s have a look at the examples below.

Abbreviations For Thai Months And Days

Thai AbbreviationsFull VersionPronunciationEnglish Definition
ว.ด.ป.วัน เดือน ปีwan dʉan bpiiDay Month Year
พ.ย.พฤศจิกายนprʉ́t sà jì gaa yonNovember
มี.ค.มีนาคมmii naa komMarch
เม.ย.เมษายนmee sǎa yonApril
จ.จันทร์janMonday
อา.อาทิตย์aa títSunday

Abbreviations For Career, Location, And Others

Thai AbbreviationsFull VersionPronunciationEnglish Definition
พ.ต.อ.พันตำรวจเอกpan dtam rùat èekPolice colonel
ต.ช.ด.ตำรวจตะเวนชายแดนdtam rûat dtà ween chaai dɛɛnBorder police
ส.ส.สมาชิกสภาผู้แทนราษฎรsà maa chík sà paa pûu tɛɛn râat dɔɔnMember of the House of Representatives
ร.พ.โรงพยาบาลroong pá yaa baanHospital
ร.ร.โรงเรียนroong rianSchool
พ.ร.บ.พระราชบัญญัติprá râat chá ban yàtAn act of legislation
ห.จ.ก.ห้างหุ้นส่วนจำกัดhâang hûn sùan jam gàtLimited partnership
ธ.ธนาคารtá naa kaanBank
จ.จังหวัดjang wàtProvince
อ.อำเภอam pəəDistrict
ต.ตำบลdtam bonSub-district
ถ.ถนนtà nǒnRoad

2. Add One Dot At The End

The practice of some Thai abbreviations will differ from the most common above terms. For example, if you want to shorten the word title, position, or specific name, such as the city, you should put a dot at the end, as in the following example.

Thai AbbreviationsFull VersionPronunciationEnglish Definition
นพ.นายแพทย์naai pɛ̂ɛtMale medical doctor
พญ.แพทย์หญิงpɛ̂ɛt yǐngFemale medical doctor
ผอ.ผู้อำนวยการpûu am nuai gaanPrincipal
รฟท.การรถไฟแห่งประเทศไทยgaan rót fai hɛ̀ng bprà têet taiThe State Railway of Thailand
สน.สถานีตำรวจsà-tǎa-nee-dtam-rùatPolice station
สนง.สำนักงานsǎm nák ngaanOffice
ตร.ตำรวจdtam rùatPolice
นร.นักเรียนnák rianStudent
นศ.นักศึกษาnák sʉ̀k sǎaStudent (university)
อ.อาจารย์aa jaanTeacher
ศจ.ศาสตราจารย์sàat sà dtraa jaanProfessor
รศ.รองศาสตราจารย์rɔɔng sàat sà dtraa jaanAssociate Professor
จนท.เจ้าหน้าที่jâo nâa tîiAuthority
รมว.รัฐมนตรีว่าการrát tà mon dtrii wâa gaanMinister
กม.กฎหมายgòt mǎaiLaw
รธน.รัฐธรรมนูญrát tà tam má nuunConstitution
ครม.คณะรัฐมนตรีká ná rát tà mon dtriiCabinet

3. Add “ฯ” At The End

Thai Abbreviations

” is ไปยาลน้อย (bpai yaan nɔ́ɔi) or เปยยาลน้อย (bpəəi yaan nɔ́ɔi). It’s an abbreviation marker that is placed at the end of the specific term, such as กรุงเทพฯ (grung-têep), as we mentioned earlier. Let’s explore the following examples.

Thai AbbreviationsFull VersionPronunciationEnglish Definition
กรุงเทพฯกรุงเทพมหานครgrung têep má hǎa ná kɔɔnBangkok
ห้างฯห้างสรรพสินค้าhâang sàp pá sǐn káaDepartment store
สหรัฐฯสหรัฐอเมริกาsà hà rát à mee rí gaaThe United States of America

In Summary

You probably already know that there are a lot of really long terms in Thai, which can frustrate those learning the language. In addition, even Thai individuals have trouble with the form’s lack of writing room. As a result, they create a ton of Thai abbreviations that is super convenient for everyone!

Knowing standard Thai abbreviations can help you save time when writing. For example, you can shorten your titles and birth date because it is not always necessary to write the full version of the term, such as when filling out the form. Therefore, understanding Thai abbreviations is helpful and will save you a ton of time. Simply put, you need to learn the above Thai abbreviations and start using them immediately.

Learn Thai With Ling Now!

Learn Thai With Ling Now!

If you want to make the most of your time in Thailand, beyond just the abbreviations you learned, you should consider expanding your knowledge of the Thai language. In such a case, we have just the app to suggest!

When it comes to learning Thai, Ling is your best bet. We give you a wealth of Thai vocabulary to study whenever and wherever you choose! So if you’re on a tight schedule but still want to learn it, all you have to do is pull out your phone and start learning. Of course, now that Ling is available, there’s really no reason not to learn it. In addition, we provide several engaging tools—including mini-games, puzzles, and a fantastic chatbot—that facilitate the acquisition of new vocabulary and the development of native-like pronunciation.

Most Thai learners chose Ling to help them succeed, so why not join them? Download the Ling App from Google Play Store and Apple App Store now, and prepare to be fluent in Thai soon!

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