Free · A1 to B1 · no sign-up
Free Thai course: from zero to real conversations
Learn to speak Thai with short lessons built around real life in Thailand: useful words with native-quality audio, one grammar pattern at a time, real dialogues, and AI that listens to you speak.
- Units
- 24 units
- Lessons
- 144 lessons
- Words
- 600 words and phrases
- Level
- CEFR A1 to B1
About this course
The syllabus: 24 units in 3 stages
Each unit follows the story of your life in Thailand: Bangkok first, then Chiang Mai, then festivals, families and real conversations.
First steps
ก้าวแรก Units 1-10Survival Thai for your first weeks: greetings, food, prices, getting around Bangkok.
Unit 1 · A1 Hello, Thailand สวัสดีประเทศไทย Greet people, ask how they are, say thank you and sorry, answer yes or no and say goodbye politely. 6 lessons · 18 words · 46 min
Unit 2 · A1 Nice to meet you ยินดีที่ได้รู้จัก Introduce yourself, ask someone's name and where they're from, and handle not understanding. 6 lessons · 27 words · 46 min
Unit 3 · A1 I like it! ชอบมาก Say what you like, want and don't like, and describe things as very good, too sweet or not very hot. 6 lessons · 27 words · 46 min
Unit 4 · A1 How much is it? เท่าไหร่ Count to 100, ask prices, understand the total and pay by cash, card or QR. 6 lessons · 26 words · 46 min
Unit 5 · A1 Street food ข้าวมันไก่ป้าแดง Order food and drinks the way you like them, eat in or take away, and ask for the bill. 6 lessons · 26 words · 46 min
Unit 6 · A1 Questions, questions นี่อะไร Ask what, who, where, when, why and how, and ask and answer yes/no questions. 6 lessons · 25 words · 46 min
Unit 7 · A1 By Grab and BTS นั่งแกร็บกับบีทีเอส Say where you're going, direct a driver, and get on and off the skytrain. 6 lessons · 25 words · 46 min
Unit 8 · A1 Where is it? อยู่ที่ไหน Ask where places are and understand answers like near, opposite, next to, on the left or upstairs. 6 lessons · 25 words · 46 min
Unit 9 · A1 At the market ไปตลาด Count things with the right classifier, ask how many, choose sizes and colours, and bargain politely. 6 lessons · 26 words · 46 min
Unit 10 · A1 This weekend เสาร์อาทิตย์นี้ Talk about days and times, say whether you're free, make plans and suggest something better. 6 lessons · 27 words · 46 min
Settling in
ตั้งตัว Units 11-18Move to Chiang Mai: travel, a place to live, daily routines, health, shopping and the weather.
Unit 11 · A2 Night train north รถไฟขึ้นเหนือ Buy a ticket, ask when trains, buses and planes leave and arrive and how long the trip takes, and get a ride from the station. 6 lessons · 26 words · 46 min
Unit 12 · A2 A room in Nimman ห้องเช่าที่นิมมาน Ask to see and rent a room, ask about rent, bills and wifi, ask permission, and get broken things fixed. 6 lessons · 27 words · 46 min
Unit 13 · A2 Can you speak Thai? พูดไทยได้ไหม Say what you can and can't do, how well, and get help with your Thai: meanings, translations, explanations. 6 lessons · 26 words · 46 min
Unit 14 · A2 A day in my life ชีวิตประจำวัน Tell the time the Thai way and describe your daily routine and how often you do things. 6 lessons · 25 words · 46 min
Unit 15 · A2 Have you eaten yet? กินข้าวหรือยัง Talk about meals and Northern food, say what's done and what isn't yet, describe tastes and order with allergies in mind. 6 lessons · 24 words · 46 min
Unit 16 · A2 At the clinic ไปหาหมอ Say where it hurts and how you feel, understand what you must and should do, and handle the pharmacy, the clinic and insurance. 6 lessons · 26 words · 46 min
Unit 17 · A2 Bargain hunting ลดได้ไหม Shop for clothes: sizes and fit, compare prices and quality, find gifts and bargain politely. 6 lessons · 25 words · 46 min
Unit 18 · A2 Rainy season หน้าฝน Talk about the weather and the seasons, and say what you and others are doing right now. 6 lessons · 25 words · 46 min
Real conversations
คุยได้จริง Units 19-24Festivals, families, stories, opinions and plans: hold a real conversation in Thai.
Unit 19 · B1 Songkran! สุขสันต์วันสงกรานต์ Talk about experiences: what you have and haven't done, how many times, and for how long. 6 lessons · 22 words · 46 min
Unit 20 · B1 Fon's family ครอบครัวของฝน Talk about family, ages and jobs, show respect to elders, and give gifts and compliments. 6 lessons · 26 words · 46 min
Unit 21 · B1 Island stories เรื่องเล่าจากเกาะ Tell the story of a trip in order: what happened first, next, when, and in the end. 6 lessons · 24 words · 46 min
Unit 22 · B1 What do you think? คิดว่ายังไง Give your opinion with reasons, agree and disagree politely, and compare places and food. 6 lessons · 25 words · 46 min
Unit 23 · B1 If I were you ถ้าเป็นเรา Ask for and give advice, and talk about conditions and plans with if…then. 6 lessons · 24 words · 46 min
Unit 24 · B1 Until we meet again ไว้เจอกันใหม่ Describe people and places in detail, report what people said, and say goodbye with wishes and promises. 6 lessons · 23 words · 46 min
What's in every unit
Six lessons of 5-10 minutes, always in the same order, so you know what's coming.
- Lesson 1
Words 1
8-14 useful words and chunks, each with native audio and a natural example sentence.
- Lesson 2
Words 2
More words for the same situation, then mixed listening and speaking practice.
- Lesson 3
Pattern
One grammar pattern, explained in plain English with examples, tables and short drills.
- Lesson 4
Conversation
A real-life dialogue: listen, read along, answer questions and learn a culture note.
- Lesson 5
Speaking
Say it out loud: the speech trainer checks your tones, then an AI role-play.
- Lesson 6
Checkpoint
A mixed review of the whole unit and a can-do check before you move on.
Everything you learn goes into a spaced-repetition review, so words come back right before you would forget them. Every lesson also has a page here you can read before you practise it.
Meet the cast
The people you meet along the way. They speak natural Thai with their own voices, ages and ways of talking.
- N
Nam
น้ำ · náam
27, barista at a café on Sukhumvit, Bangkok; your first Thai friend. Cheerful and clear; ค่ะ/คะ with strangers, friendly นะ with you; often calls herself น้ำ.
- B
Boss
บอส · báwt
29, Nam's cousin; Grab driver, later a junior developer. Jokey and casual; ครับ, ผม, some light slang.
- P
Pa Daeng
ป้าแดง · bpâa-daeng
58, khao man gai street-food vendor near your Bangkok condo. Warm and motherly; จ้ะ/จ้า, calls you หนู or ลูก, calls herself ป้า.
- L
Lung Chai
ลุงชัย · lung-chai
63, security guard at your condo, from Khon Kaen (Isan). Kind and slow; ครับ, the odd Isan word (เด้อ), explained when used.
- F
Fon
ฝน · fǒn
24, Chiang Mai University student and singer; your language-exchange partner. Lively; ค่ะ/นะคะ, the occasional Northern word (เจ้า), explained.
- K
Krit
กฤษ · grìt
34, owns a co-working café in Nimman and rents you a room. Relaxed and friendly; ครับ.
- M
Mae Noi
แม่น้อย · mâe-náwy
55, Fon's mother; runs a small family restaurant in Chiang Mai. Warm and teasing; จ้ะ, ค่ะ.
- D
Dr. Somchai
หมอสมชาย · mǎw-sǒm-chaai
50, doctor at a clinic. Calm and polite; ครับ.
- C
Cashier
พนักงาน · pá-nák-ngaan
Shop or 7-Eleven cashier, polite, quick.
- D
Driver
คนขับ · kon-kàp
Taxi, songthaew, tuk-tuk or Grab driver, friendly.
- V
Vendor
แม่ค้า · mâe-káa
Market vendor, chatty.
- S
Staff
พนักงาน · pá-nák-ngaan
Hotel receptionist, waiter, ticket seller, officer: polite service staff (male).
- P
Pharmacist
เภสัชกร · pee-sàt-chá-gawn
Pharmacist, calm and helpful.
- Y
Yai
ยาย · yaai
78, Fon's grandmother (Mae Noi's mother); lives with the family in Chiang Mai. Gentle and slow, a little hard of hearing; Central Thai with the odd Northern word (เจ้า), explained; calls you หลาน.
More free Thai courses
Short side courses you can mix with the main course at any time.
- Learn to read Thai 20 short lessons from your first letter to real signs and menus.
- Thai pronunciation: sounds and tones The five tones, long and short vowels and the sounds English doesn’t have.
- Numbers, time and money Count, pay, bargain and tell the time the Thai way.
- The Thai alphabet All 44 consonants, the vowels and tone marks in one interactive chart.
- Thai tones Hear the five tones, see their pitch and train your ear.
- Basic Thai phrases The everyday phrases you need first, with male and female forms.
Questions about the course
Is this Thai course really free?
Yes. Every unit, lesson and audio clip is free, and so are the speech trainer and the AI role-plays (with fair daily limits so we can keep them free). You can start a lesson without an account and sign in with Google later to keep your progress on all your devices.
What level does the course reach?
It starts from zero and goes from A1 ("First steps") to B1 ("Real conversations") on the CEFR scale: 24 units, from greetings and ordering food to telling stories, giving opinions and talking about plans.
How long does it take to learn Thai with this course?
Lessons take 5-10 minutes, about 18 hours of new lessons in total, plus short daily reviews. With 15 minutes a day, most learners finish the first stage (A1) in 2-3 months.
Do I need to learn the Thai alphabet first?
No. Every Thai word is shown in Thai script with tone-marked romanization, and you can switch to romanization only, or fade it out as you learn. When you are ready, the free Read Thai course teaches the script one rule at a time.
Which Thai does the course teach?
Standard Central Thai, the Thai of Bangkok, TV and every Thai you will meet: polite but relaxed, the way you would talk to a Grab driver, a café owner or a friend’s parents. Male and female forms (ครับ and ค่ะ, ผม and ฉัน) adapt to you automatically.
Can I learn Thai on my phone?
Yes. The course runs in any browser and installs like an app on Android and iPhone. Your progress syncs between devices, and lessons you have opened work offline.