How do I write Thai names in English Letters?

• In 1999, the Thai Royal Institute created the current OFFICIAL system for writing Thai names in the Romanic alphabet (aka English). It is the system used on all highway signs, and it is the basis for current spellings of province and city names
  • English Version - This is Chulalongkorn University's translation of the official romanization system.
  • Official Thai Version

Your Thai counterparts will appreciate the official Thai version, linked directly to the Thai Royal Institute's website. Don't be afraid use it yourself. Skip to pages 3-5 for the consonants and pages 6-7 for the vowels.

• Romanization Software - Download free software from Chulalongkorn University that takes Thai script input and automatically puts it in English characters based on the official system. Can anyone see the Karaoke implications!!! Or let your students use it to learn how to write their names in English! (3.2 MB)
• Equivalency Chart of Different Systems - This chart shows the equivalencies between the Poomsan Becker dictionary's transliteration, the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), and the official Thai romanization.

• Some computational linguists have modified the Thai Royal Institute's system to cut out some of the ambiguity. While some consider it better, be aware that it is not the standard.
  • Suggested but non-standard modified system (a Word document)
    
  • Tech note: If you don't have SILSophiaIPA font installed on your computer, you must download and install it from the SIL site (click here) to view the document properly. Ignore warnings that it's obsolete.

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