How long does it take to learn Thai? A realistic timeline

How long does it take to learn Thai? A realistic timeline

The time it takes to learn Thai depends on what you want to achieve. Learning all four skills—listening, speaking, reading, and writing—can be challenging as Thai has its own script. While Thai writing follows certain rules, there are many exceptions due to loanwords from Pali, Sanskrit, Chinese, and English.

However, if your goal is simply to communicate in everyday conversations or navigate as a tourist, it can be much easier.

At Thai Buddy by TSLTK, we offer a special curriculum designed for Thai survival. By learning the 300 most frequently used Thai words, you’ll be able to understand more than 60% of everyday conversations and handle nearly any situation as a tourist.

Our curriculum is backed by thorough research and has been proven effective for over 2,000 students taught by 300 teachers.

So, back to the question: how long will it realistically take to communicate and live comfortably in Thailand, either as a tourist or an expat? Based on our experience, most students achieve their desired goals within 30–45 hours of study.

Our lessons are available in the following options:

1. Group lessons on weekends: FREE
2. Private lessons: 10 hours for 8,000 THB
3. Self-study videos and books: Starting at 3,500 THB

If you’re interested in learning more about our lessons, please contact us via Line at @TSLTK or email us at info.tsltk@gmail.com.