Gender in Thai

“Gender” in Thai is เพศpêet.

เพศ pêet

sex, gender noun

pêet falling

Falling: start high and drop clearly, like a firm “No!”

How to use it

เพศpêet is sex or gender, the word on forms: เพศชายpêet chaai is male and เพศหญิงpêet yǐng female. The final letter is read t, so it's pêet, with a falling tone.

Thai news talks about LGBTQ+ people with the phrase ความหลากหลายทางเพศkwaam-làak-lǎai taang pêet, gender diversity, and the older term เพศที่สามpêet tîi sǎam, "the third sex", is still heard. Since January 2025, same-sex couples can marry in Thailand, the first country in Southeast Asia to allow it.

Other spellings you'll see

There's no single official way to write Thai in English letters. We mark the tone of every syllable; online you'll also find:

phet
pet
peht
pheet

More news and society in Thai

All news and society

กลุ่ม glùm Group
สังคม sǎng-kom Society
ผล pǒn Result
result, outcome
ระบบ rá-bòp System
มาตรา mâat-dtraa Section (of a law)
section, article (of a law)
ระดับ rá-dàp Level
level, grade

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Written by the Learn Thai For Free team
Audio: AI voices, quality-checked for tones