Official (formal) in Thai

“Official (formal)” in Thai is ทางการtaang-gaan.

ทางการ taang-gaan

official, formal; the authorities adjective

taang mid
gaan mid

Mid: level, in your normal speaking voice.

How to use it

ทางการtaang-gaan is official or formal. ภาษาทางการpaa-sǎa taang-gaan is formal language, the Thai of the news, forms and speeches, while ภาษาพูดpaa-sǎa pûut is the spoken language. Officially is อย่างเป็นทางการyàang bpen taang-gaan, and informal is ไม่เป็นทางการmâi bpen taang-gaan.

In the news, ทางการtaang-gaan on its own means the authorities, as in ทางการไทยtaang-gaan tai, the Thai authorities. An official as a person is a เจ้าหน้าที่jâo-nâa-tîi.

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:

thangkan
tang kan
thang karn
pen thangkan

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