News and society ท้องถิ่น táwng-tìn
local adjective
- táwng high
- tìn low
- High: start high and go a little higher, a bit tense; don’t let it fall.
- Low: flat and lower than your normal voice, dropping a little at the end.
How to use it
ท้องถิ่นtáwng-tìn is local: อาหารท้องถิ่นaa-hǎan táwng-tìn, local food, คนท้องถิ่นkon táwng-tìn, local people, and local government, the elected councils of towns and subdistricts. Regional dialects are ภาษาถิ่นpaa-sǎa tìn, like the Northern Thai of Chiang Mai or the Isan of the Northeast.
In conversation, locals are simply คนแถวนี้kon tǎew níi, people from around here.
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:
- thongthin
- tong tin
- thawng thin
- tongtin
Read more
Culture Regional Thai: Northern, Isan and Southern Thai Explained Kham Mueang in the north, Isan in the northeast, Pak Tai in the south: how Thailand's regional languages differ, what you'll hear in Chiang Mai, and key words. 
Culture Isan Language (Isaan): How It Differs from Thai (with Audio) Isan, the language of northeast Thailand, is a form of Lao with 15 million or more speakers. How it differs from Thai, everyday words, mor lam and luk thung.
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Written by the Learn Thai For Free team
Audio: AI voices, quality-checked for tones