สอนสบาย · sɔ̌ɔn sà-baay · “teach with ease”
Learn Thai with tones from day one
Interactive lessons with native audio on every line, phonetic transcription that shows every tone, and exercises that correct themselves.
Built by a learner, checked by a real Thai teacherIn Thai, the tone is the word.
Why Thai feels harder than it is
Most ways to start Thai skip the things that matter most
Tones treated as “advanced”
Apps postpone tones, so you memorize words you'll have to relearn. In Thai, the tone is part of the word.
Romanization chaos
“Sawatdee,” “sawasdii,” “sah-waht-dee” — every site spells Thai differently, and most spellings hide the tones.
Classroom Thai ≠ real Thai
Listening is the hardest part — and natural speech sounds nothing like textbook audio. You need real voices from day one.
The solution
Lessons you can hear, tap, and practice
Everything below is the real product, not a screenshot. Press play. Tap a word. Toggle the romanization. Hide your lines and role-play.
Dialogues with native-quality audio
Male and female voices, word-by-word meanings on tap, word-spacing while you're new to the script — and a role-play mode that hides one speaker's lines so you can practice your half out loud.
sa-wàt-dii khráp khun phlɔɔy
Hello, Khun Ploy.
sa-wàt-dii khâ khun sǒm sàk sa-baay-dii máy khá
Hello, Khun Somsak. How are you?
Vocabulary with tones you can see
Every syllable is transcribed in one consistent, IPA-based system with tones marked — not the ad-hoc romanization you see elsewhere. Each word is colored by tone and has audio. Here: the same syllable in all five tones.
Exercises that correct themselves
Tap-to-answer — no Thai keyboard needed — with an explanation when the answer is wrong, not just a red border.
Plus a transliteration tool you can use right now
Paste any Thai text and get segmentation, tone-marked romanization, and translation — free, no account:
อาหาร ไทย อร่อย มาก (aa-hǎan thay a-rɔ̀y mâak)
Open the transliteration tool →The curriculum
Three tracks, one consistent lesson format
Speak Thai
Conversational Thai for everyday situations — greetings, shopping, food, directions.
Lesson 1 live · 20 lessons planned
Read Thai
From the first consonants to full sentences — script, tone rules, reading drills.
25 lessons planned
Thai for Kids
Songs, games, and pictures for ages 5–12 — for families raising Thai-speaking kids abroad.
15 lessons planned
Your way in
Study on your own, or learn with a teacher
On your own
Every lesson works for self-study: audio for your ear, romanization for your eyes, exercises that check themselves. Start now — lesson 1, the transliteration tool, and the printable alphabet chart are free, no account needed.
With a teacher
Honestly? Thai clicks faster with one. Every SornSabai lesson is built to be taught from — role-play needs a partner, and a teacher hears what you can't yet. If you have a teacher, learn from the same lesson together. If you'd like one, we're working on connecting you with teachers we trust — join the list and we'll tell you when it's ready.
Who's behind this
A student who's been through it, and his teacher
Sampsa started learning Thai in 2019 — and wasted his first year on materials with no tone marks and no structure. Then he found Palm, a Thai teacher who taught tones and letters from day one, and has taken weekly lessons ever since. Today he speaks and reads Thai — and SornSabai is the tool he wishes he'd had. Palm reviews every lesson before it ships.
Read the full story →How it's built
With a Thai teacher, from day one
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Original lessons, teacher-reviewed
Every lesson is original material checked by a Thai teacher for language and cultural accuracy — not scraped or copied.
- ✓
Free tools stay free
The transliteration tool, lesson 1 of every track, and the printable alphabet chart are free and will stay free.
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Teacher matching — coming
Down the road: learn with a vetted Thai teacher, inside the same lessons. Lessons and tools first.
From the blog
Guides with audio, tones, and no romanization chaos
I Love You in Thai: รัก (rák) — From First Crush to Forever
I love you in Thai is รัก (rák): say ฉันรักคุณ (chán rák khun) or just รักนะ (rák ná). Hear both genders, learn flirting phrases, terms of endearment, and how Thais really show love.
Thank You in Thai: ขอบคุณ (khɔ̀ɔp-khun) and How Thais Really Say It
Thank you in Thai is ขอบคุณ (khɔ̀ɔp-khun): khráp for men, khâ for women. Hear the tones, learn casual forms like khɔ̀ɔp-cay, and how to respond.
Thai Tones Explained: Hear All 5 Tones in One Syllable
Thai has 5 tones — mid, low, falling, high, rising — and one syllable can mean five different things. Hear each tone and learn to tell them apart.
Thai Alphabet Chart: Free Printable PDF With All 44 Letters
Download a free printable Thai alphabet chart (PDF): 44 consonants color-coded by class, vowels, and tone marks with accurate romanization. No email needed.
Get the free Thai starter pack
We're turning the free lessons, audio, and tools into a guided beginner path. Join the list for the starter pack, early access, and a vote on which track we build next.
Want to shape the course before it launches? Send Palm and the team feedback →