Culture and festivals เอกราช èek-gà-râat
independence noun
- èek low
- gà low
- râat falling
- Low: flat and lower than your normal voice, dropping a little at the end.
- Falling: start high and drop clearly, like a firm “No!”
You'll hear it in The Thai National Anthem (เพลงชาติไทย).
How to use it
เอกราชèek-gà-râat, "sole rule", is national independence. Thais are proud that their country was never colonised by a European power, the only one in Southeast Asia, and the word appears in the national anthem. For personal independence, being free to do what you like, Thai says อิสระìt-sà-rà.
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:
- ekkarat
- ek ga rat
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Written by the Learn Thai For Free team
Audio: AI voices, quality-checked for tones