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Spoken by around 69 million people in Thailand and some parts of Malaysia, Cambodia, and Myanmar, the Thai language is the most widely spoken Kra-Dai language. Like many other tonal languages, Thai can be intimidating for English speakers. The fact that it also uses its own script makes learning Thai very challenging.
However, if you like melodic languages, enjoy challenging yourself, and want to travel or work in Thailand, it’s worth learning Thai.
One of the best ways to jumpstart your Thai learning journey is with an app. Here’s the thing though: Thai is not available on Duolingo and Rosetta Stone. A Babbel Thai course is also not on offer. With these three popular apps not offering Thai, what’s left for you?
A lot, fortunately. You can learn Thai using other apps, books, and online resources. Keep reading to know what your best options are.
What is Babbel?
What’s Babbel and why is it so popular? What’s all the rave about?
My review of Babbel answered those questions. But to TL;DR, Babbel is a comprehensive and well-structured app that addresses core language skills through a holistic set of exercises.
First off, there are flashcards and typing/spelling exercises to train your reading and writing skills. Secondly, audio recordings of native speakers help you improve your comprehension and listening skills.
More importantly, you’re frequently asked to speak and mimic the pronunciation and accent of native speakers. The app’s speech recognition engine does a great job of preparing you for real-life conversations.
Babbel is an outstanding app for learners of 14 languages including French, Spanish, Italian, and even Indonesian. Unfortunately, there’s no Thai on Babbel. A shame, but like I said earlier, you’re not left without options.
The best Babbel alternatives
There are, in fact, many Babbel alternatives, for language learners. For Thai learners, in particular, starting with these three would be a good move:
1. Mondly
Given Thai’s reputation of being a difficult language to learn, it’s important to tackle it in a non-intimidating way. Regardless of your skill level, using Mondly will prove helpful.
Mondly Thai takes you through well-organized and immersive exercises. The lessons come with visual cues that teach vocabulary, while the chatbot conversations help train speaking skills.
Despite being beginner-friendly, Mondly’s lessons are not dumbed down. With the premium account, you can even get feedback on your pronunciation, more vocabulary builders, conjugation tables, and more grammar features. Check out the latest offers here.
Key features:
- Short and effective lessons that you can easily squeeze into your day
- Essential vocabulary and well-explained grammar
- Ample listening and speaking practice
2. Pimsleur
Try Pimsleur Thai for FREE today
As a tonal language, Thai pronunciation can pose challenges that speakers of English and other non-tonal languages.
Thai has not one, not two, but five tones! Foreigners understandably find it difficult to distinguish between these five. What’s more, there’s no official transliteration (i.e., Romanization) of Thai, or at least one that’s used internationally.
For these reasons, it makes sense to use an audio-based app like Pimsleur. By hearing authentic pronunciation and accents from native Thai speakers, you won’t just learn Thai expressions like “hello” and “how are you” but also how to say them accurately.
Pimsleur’s 30-minute core audio lessons teach essential Thai words and phrases repeated in systematic intervals. This time-tested and science-backed method helps you expand your vocab, develop long-term recall, and improve your conversational skills.
Learn more about Pimsleur in this review. Better yet, you can try it for free!
Key features:
- Authentic pronunciation and accents from native Thai speakers
- Learn useful Thai vocabulary and contextualized grammar
- Effectively train your listening and speaking skills
3. Ling App
Another thing that makes Thai daunting is its script. But learning the Thai alphabet is crucial if you want to build a strong foundation and not rely on various Romanization systems.
Ling is a fun and interactive app that addresses this and more. Through gamified lessons, puzzles, quizzes, and chatbot dialogues, you gain not just writing skills but all essential Thai language skills.
That said, the writing drills are particularly useful for Thai learners. This, plus extensive grammar notes, makes Ling a well-rounded app for beginners and advanced learners alike.
Key features:
- Fun mini-games and exercises for learners of all levels
- Listening and speaking practice with chatbot and audio recordings of native speakers
- Lots grammar tips
Other great resources to learn Thai
A great way to quickly become fluent in Thai is to use a good mix of learning resources. For a thorough study of the language, it’s best to combine Mondly, Pimsleur, or Ling with any of the apps, Thai books, and websites below.
Preply: It’s tough to learn Thai (or any language, really) in isolation. At some point, you’ll need guidance and feedback. With Thai tutors on Preply, you can get conversation practice, beginner and advanced courses, Thai courses for business, and even lessons on Thai literature.
italki: For more tutor options, head over to italki. Get private coaching, personalized feedback, and customized lessons that fit your schedule and budget.
Cudoo: For in-depth theoretical understanding coupled with practical exposure to the Thai language and culture, Cudoo’s online courses are ideal. Whatever level you start on, you’ll learn the fundamentals at your own pace.
ThaiPod101: Offering audio and video lessons on multiple platforms (its website, mobile app, podcast, and YouTube channel), ThaiPod101 is one of the best resources to learn Thai. Its vocab lessons are easy to digest and the lessons on grammar and writing are extensive.
Rapid Learn Thai: This website is great for quickly learning the Thai alphabet and pronunciation. You can also learn new Thai words and phrases and sentence patterns by reading and listening to songs, novels, and other engaging materials.
- Used Book in Good Condition
Thai for Beginners: Designed for either self-study or classroom use, this textbook and its companion audio CD targets all core language skills in 10 lessons. It offers clear and easy-to-follow instructions and a phrasebook that’s useful for travelers.
Drops: Perfect for expanding your Thai vocabulary, this well-designed and interactive app focuses on flashcards that promote word association. Gameplay lasts for five minutes and you’ll easily find yourself addicted to it.
Skillshare: For those with shorter attention spans but who would prefer to still have a “teacher” onscreen, Skillshare’s Thai courses are for you. The lessons are broken down into short videos often shorter than 15 minutes. Substantial enough to make good progress but easy enough to digest!
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Read Thai in 10 Days: Promising to help you decrypt the Thai alphabet in less than two weeks, this book is a simple yet comprehensive guide for beginners. It comes with sound files that help you study Thai pronunciation too.
You too can learn Thai: This Thai podcast for beginners and intermediate learners is hosted by Kruu Nan, who has a Ph.D. in Linguistics and teaches Thai in London. Topics include everyday themes, useful Thai expressions, and practical ways to engage in Thai.
Thai Notes: While not visually appealing, this comprehensive site contains a lot of resources that Thai learners will find useful. It has a variety of self-study courses, Thai dictionaries, typing tools, listening practices, and even games!
ThaiwithMod: Featuring Thai language teachers, this YouTube channel has a huge collection of videos that teach Thai pronunciation, grammar, useful expressions, conversation practice, and Thai culture. The “common mistakes and confusion” series is particularly helpful.
Conclusion
While a Babbel Thai is yet to exist, I hope you’re relieved to find out that there are lots of alternatives for you. The above recommendations are by no means poor replacements — they rival Babbel’s quality and can help you excel in your studies.
That said, no matter which app or Thai learning resource you use, learning a new language quickly and easily requires determination and discipline. And if you want to go beyond “sawasdee” in Thai, it’s all worth it.