Best dictionaries

[Percy Penguin]

I'm getting frustrated with the dictionaries at thai-language.com and thai2english.com because quite a few of the definitions seem to be off. Not miles off but enough to cause confusion. I went to get the Mary Haas dictionary but it was out of stock at the time. I should be able to pick one up soon but wondered what other good dictionaries there are. I am not ready for a Thai/Thai dictionary just yet but I hope it won't be long. Any recommendations on that front?

[tgeezer]

I think that you probably are ready for a Thai dictionary, it is never too early to use one if you intend to study Thai. However if not and most people don’t, there is never any need for a Thai dictionary, Thais learn the meaning of Thai as much from English as they do from everyday speech and so can you. If you find popular books they are often translations and the Thai syntax used has influenced Thai very greatly so a Thai dictionary will only confuse you as it has me.
The other day I couldn’t work out what จนไม่มีในที่สุด meant until I realised that it was English “in the end”! That could never have been the meaning where I encountered if I relied on the RID because จน, จนถึง, จนกระทั่ง etc. says it all and ‘in the end’ is redundant. The presence of ‘in the end’ says translation to me but I could be wrong, it could now be ‘standard Thai’.



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[Oxx]

By far the best Thai-English dictionary (only) is, in my opinion, this one:

 

https://www.se-ed.com/product/พจนานุกรมไทย-อังกฤษ-New-Age-Thai-English-Dictionary.aspx?no=9789749410752

 

Mary Haas' dictionary is very good (particularly since it gives the classifier(s) along with every noun).  However, it's rather dated now, and very expensive.  A derivative of it is available online at http://www.sealang.net/thai/

 

It's amazing to think it's all the work of just one man.

 

For Thai-Thai, nothing beats the official dictionary of the Thai language, that of the Royal Institute which is available online, as well as on slices of dead trees.

[Percy Penguin]

Thanks, really useful info and I will give the Thai/Thai dictionary a go.

On 1/9/2019 at 1:47 AM, Oxx said:

Mary Haas' dictionary is very good (particularly since it gives the classifier(s) along with every noun).  However, it's rather dated now, and very expensive.  A derivative of it is available online at http://www.sealang.net/thai/

 

It's amazing to think it's all the work of just one man.

One woman, I think...

[Oxx]

17 minutes ago, Percy Penguin said:

One woman, I think...

 

Mea culpa.  Messed up in editing.  I was referring to the New Age Dictionary, which is the work of a single man.  The Haas dictionary was the work of a team led by Mary Haas.