I cannot read the Thai "modern" letter fonts compared to the more classical Thai letter fonts like the ones used in schools to learn to read and write Thai

[Tchooptip]

Hello every one, two years ago I was discouraged to go on with my learning to read Thai because I was incapable to recognize too many letters in some adverts for instance,

In Tesco Lotus I could read almost every words written in small letters under most products, but almost nothing in the many adverts everywhere in the store, because written with other letter fonts I could hardly recognize,  some of those letters looking almost like  our own alphabet it was frustrating,  so do someone have advice for a book I could buy? or a website because the young Thai children probably have the same difficulties to recognize those letters compared to the letters they've just learned at school? Now that I decided to resume my learning, I have the same problem again, any advice welcome ????

 

 

0

[soi3eddie]

 

I can't give you any advice on books however I would like to offer you encouragement to persevere. At a guess you are probably in the 1% (or less) of expats in Thailand who can read any Thai. Some of us can get by speaking but reading would be a real benefit. I wish I had the determination to learn to read or write Thai. Keep going as best you can it will be worth it.

[1FinickyOne]

If you are talking about the "artistic" lettering that occurs sometimes, the bit of it I have seen is usually done on a minimal basis, first letter only, followed by regular lettering... I saw one the other day that I did not even know it was a letter... I doubt there is any book as I think the letters you are talking about are stylised by individual artists.. 

 

stick with it w/the understanding that you will not get 100% 

 

Though I know i will never be truly fluent, I do get better as I go along...  

[scammed]

spot on, i decided to forget about the whole debacle

when i realized i had learn for nothing

[chickenslegs]

14 minutes ago, kenk24 said:

If you are talking about the "artistic" lettering that occurs sometimes, the bit of it I have seen is usually done on a minimal basis, first letter only, followed by regular lettering... I saw one the other day that I did not even know it was a letter... I doubt there is any book as I think the letters you are talking about are stylised by individual artists.. 

 

stick with it w/the understanding that you will not get 100% 

 

Though I know i will never be truly fluent, I do get better as I go along...  

 

Maybe means this sort of thing.

From Tesco Lotus website.

Edited January 4, 2021 by chickenslegs

[tomazbodner]

2 hours ago, Tchooptip said:

Hello every one, two years ago I was discouraged to go on with my learning to read Thai because I was incapable to recognize too many letters in some adverts for instance,

In Tesco Lotus I could read almost every words written in small letters under most products, but almost nothing in the many adverts everywhere in the store, because written with other letter fonts I could hardly recognize,  some of those letters looking almost like  our own alphabet it was frustrating,  so do someone have advice for a book I could buy? or a website because the young Thai children probably have the same difficulties to recognize those letters compared to the letters they've just learned at school? Now that I decided to resume my learning, I have the same problem again, any advice welcome ????

 

 

0

You mean this, right?

 

[Kinnock]

48 minutes ago, tomazbodner said:

You mean this, right?

 

Yes!  I have the same problem as the OP.  I went on a week-long intensive reading course, and I can read the top (grey) fonts, but on the last day we were shown the modern (red) fonts, and I realised I couldn't read most of them, and the tricks I'd used to remember the sounds didn't work either.

[1FinickyOne]

1 hour ago, Kinnock said:

I went on a week-long intensive reading course,

where was this course? any info? can it be done online... 

[1FinickyOne]

op  - - I think the best comparison might be what we find as block letters in English, then being shown script... 

[timendres]

22 minutes ago, kenk24 said:

op  - - I think the best comparison might be what we find as block letters in English, then being shown script... 

 

Exactly! Having developed a number of Thai websites, I can say that there are a number of fonts that are exceptionally easy for me to read, and others that are very difficult to almost impossible. I also find the fonts used in the newspaper headlines here difficult to read. There is no simple approach to the problem, other than to expose yourself to increasingly more abstract fonts. Eventually, you will begin to recognize the letters more and more.

[kokesaat]

I learned the schooled way to read/write Thai (difficult enough).   Once I started reading things like signs, I realized that not all Thai is the same.  But if you know the traditional basics, you'll find you can work out scripted letters/different fonts soon enough.  For example, words with ท and ห, บ and ข, or ณ and ญ in signs confused me.....but over time it became easier to read.  If you're in Thailand, you'll be surrounded by signs/billboards that offer you plenty of opportunity to test yourself (I called them 'stop light lessons').  Bottom line, get the formal written basics down pat, and the rest will come......eventually.

If I want to do something akin to Sudoku, I'll find some handwritten Thai and challenge myself.  Good luck with your studies.

[Kinnock]

1 hour ago, kenk24 said:

where was this course? any info? can it be done online... 

It was Gary Orman's course in Bangkok, but he normally runs them in Chiang Mai.  "Learn Thai Rapid Method" https://rapidlearnthai.com

[scammed]

3 hours ago, timendres said:

fonts used in the newspaper headlines here difficult to read.

this, i gave up the entire project when my skills turned out to be utterly useless

 

[ThaiNotes]

It's a bit premature, but I developed some alphabet flashcards for a soon-to-be-released update of my website.  They're accessible at the link below.  AFAIK, they work fine, but the "Help" page needs more work.

 

The flashcards cover the individual consonants, and then vowels & diphthongs.  The latter uses real words.  By clicking on the "Options" button you can choose the typeface used.  "Modern" uses the type of typeface the OP is interested in.  (Other options include "Handwriting" and "Indic".)

 

 

http://thai-notes.com/games/alphabetcards.html

 

p.s. Any feedback would be appreciated.  I'd like to fix any problems before they're officially released.

[Natai Beach]

It is just practice like everything else. 
 

Often they will font it to look like the original English version and sometime the chinese way. 
Quite clever IMO.

 

eg, lactosoy and lays chips.

 

[cooked]

Graphic artists are the curse of 8 year olds the world over. Long time ago now but I can well remember struggling with advertising signs and the like when I was reading Noddy books easily.

Never mind, it keeps me alert and curious.

[bluesofa]

 

I came across this info about eight or nine years ago (hence "14 new" at the time), and saved it.

Do all these fonts seem clear to others? For me they are easier to read than the older 'cursive' fonts:

 

 

14 new Thai government approved standard fonts - in the public domain:

กขชวยบอปคabc 38pt baijam 12pt

กขชวยบอปค abc 38pt chakra petch 12pt

กขชวยบอปค abc 38pt charm of AU 12pt

กขชวยบอปค abc 38pt charmonman5 12pt

กขชวยบอปค abc 38pt fah kwang 12pt

กขชวยบอปค abc 38pt K2D July8 12pt

กขชวยบอปค abc 38pt Kodchasal 12pt

กขชวยบอปค abc 38pt KoHo 12pt

กขชวยบอปค abc 38pt Krub 12pt

กขชวยบอปค abc 38pt MaliGrade6 12pt

กขชวยบอปค abc 38pt Niramit AS 12pt

กขชวยบอปค abc 38pt Sarabun New 12pt

กขชวยบอปค abc 38pt Sarabun PSK 12pt

กขชวยบอปค abc 38pt srisakadi 12pt

[bunnydrops]

I can read the basic script but the others give me give me a pain. The artistic like Coke and Lays are easy for me to read.

The Thai-English English-Thai Talking Dictionary by Word in the Hand inc will show Thai in different script

[Radar501]

My local cafe is named LULU.   But with its modern font, I call it BAIBAI ใบใบ

 

[chickenslegs]

54 minutes ago, Radar501 said:

My local cafe is named LULU.   But with its modern font, I call it BAIBAI ใบใบ

 

That sign just makes me wanna SHOUT!

[Smokin Joe]

Thai Fonts.docx

[tgeezer]

When you are familiar with Thailand you will be able to guess the words. Often it is easy to recognize the letters yet still not get the words because you don't know enough Thai. Look at the handwriting in the recent "text" in a passport post. If you were not familiar with  สิ้นสุด you would not see it. เช่า is very clear but ที่? you need to know that it must be พัก but some people will not know ที่พัก. 
The Tesco sign in this topic is fun too but for a different reason. The font is clear enough and the meaning can be guessed but what English mantra is being translated?

I suggest: ตามคำเรียกร้องของมหาชน eg."following requests of crowd"  By popular demand  ตัดและตรึงราคาอีก cut and fixed prices more= we have maintained our low prices. 

Knowing this the next sign you see in odd font you see should be easier to read. 

[Tchooptip]

19 hours ago, chickenslegs said:

 

Maybe means this sort of thing.

From Tesco Lotus website.

yes those ones,  have many like that on Lazada too. , when I know a word it is easier to read it, but with longer sentences some times it is almost impossible, but I do not put pressure on me any more, 

[KhunBENQ]

I hate such:

 

From a collection of 62 different font styles:

http://www.thai-language.com/ref/typographical-styles?page=38

 

Edited January 5, 2021 by KhunBENQ

[Vietem]

Completely relate to this. The sans serif fonts (if that is what they are called) take away the key signifiers in identifying the letters. It's like learning a new script, and I suspect that there is no short-cut - you just have to learn it. Here is your starter-pack. Carry it round with you, and you're all set!

[CrunchWrapSupreme]

The very rounded, modernized, stylized ones can be quite difficult. They got rid of all the traditional little circles and curves that make the letters distinctive, and oversimplified them.

 

These are the ones most common on big, advertising signs (not govt signs), logos, and menus. It appears that thick English lettering was their influence in this. Of these, off the top of my head are:

 

ป becomes a U

ร becomes an S

ล and ส become an A

(You've prob heard of the many new, American farangs happy to see the "USA" laundry detergent ????)

ท becomes an N

น becomes a u

ม becomes a backwards, upside down u

ข becomes a V

อ becomes a backwards G

พ becomes a W

ญ becomes a y with an extra curve in front of it

[CrunchWrapSupreme]

5 minutes ago, Vietem said:

The sans serif fonts (if that is what they are called) take away the key signifiers in identifying the letters.

Haha, you just beat me to it.

[tgeezer]

21 hours ago, KhunBENQ said:

I hate such:

 

From a collection of 62 different font styles:

http://www.thai-language.com/ref/typographical-styles?page=38

 

This is a case in point, on first looking at this, เป็น is instantly recognizable then สุดประเสริจ leads me to recognize the way that ษ is differentiated from ย in มนุษย์  there is no way that I can read it all in spite of being able to find many other words วิชา กว่า  ย่า ฟูงสัตว์ พัฒนา etc. my Thai is not advanced enough to understand it.  Although I could research it more the stumbling blocks are in ฯ which is not a font problem but a familiarity problem. 
So I "asked a friend" and discover that there are font problems I didn't look closely enough  ฯ is the second component of ฤา meaning หรือ! .   จะ๊ ๆ จ๋ะ ๆ Has no ฯ either. 
I am told that it is poetic and means that we are not wild animals and shouldn't be killing one another so it seems that my task is to now work out how it says that. Thanks for posting.

[richsilver]

I found this to be quite helpful. 

tell thai letters apart.pdf

[Oxx]

On 1/5/2021 at 7:11 PM, Vietem said:

The sans serif fonts (if that is what they are called) take away the key signifiers in identifying the letters.

 

They don't.  The issue is that foreigner learners are taught to look for the initial loops of the letters.  Once these are reduced (or removed completely) foreign learners struggle.  Native learners use other characteristics to identify letters, such as the height of the central ^ in letters such as ผ and พ, or whether the "neck" is open or closed, as in ข and ช.

 

Doug Cooper's paper (attached to the previous post) is a good guide to these other characteristics.