Although Thailand does have an official system of transliteration, it isn't used consistently even by government agencies,
and it wasn't designed to give the Western reader an accurate pronunciation of words:
- There is no "v" sound in Thai, yet a "w" is represented by a "v." So viharn (temple hall) is actually pronounced
wihaan.
- There is both a "ch" sound and a "j" sound in Thai, yet both are represented by "ch." So, chao (lord, prince, ruler)
is pronounced jao and chedi (stupa) is pronounced jaydee.
- Thai has a "g" sound but it is represented by "k." To add to the confusion, a "k" sound is represented by "kh."
- Thai has a hard "t" sound, between a "d" and a "t," and a soft "t" sound. The former is represented by "t" and the latter by
"th." So Thailand is pronounced "Tailand" not "Thigh-land."
- Thai has an explosive "p" sound, between a "p" and a "b," and a normal "p" sound. The former is represented by "p" and
the latter by "ph." So Phuket is pronounced "Pooket" not "Fooket."
