Thai
Reference material, with every source named. Our own communities are further down the page.
Endangerment status
Not endangered
Children are still learning this language at home.
Source: Glottolog (glottolog-cldf, master)
ISO 639-3 tha · ISO 639-1 th · Glottocode thai1261
Speakers at home
The census does not count this language separately. It is folded into a broader category, and the figures below are that whole category — not this language. How many of those people speak it is recorded nowhere. Category: Thai, Lao, or other Tai-Kadai languages
By state
- California75,359limited English 39,978
- Texas21,957limited English 11,197
- Florida15,185limited English 8,319
- Washington13,599limited English 6,737
- Illinois11,012limited English 5,832
- New York10,307limited English 5,651
- Virginia9,421limited English 4,247
- Minnesota7,808limited English 3,743
- Massachusetts7,357limited English 3,738
- Tennessee7,300limited English 3,278
- Nevada7,260limited English 3,854
- Georgia6,977limited English 3,161
- North Carolina6,636limited English 3,550
- Iowa6,374limited English 3,020
- Pennsylvania5,400limited English 2,991
- Ohio5,237limited English 2,281
- Oregon4,892limited English 2,475
- Arizona4,742limited English 1,933
- Maryland4,682limited English 2,218
- Connecticut4,596limited English 2,505
- Arkansas4,420limited English 2,468
- Kansas4,246limited English 2,285
- Colorado4,078limited English 2,056
- Michigan3,913limited English 1,772
- Wisconsin3,799limited English 1,815
- Hawaii3,204limited English 1,921
- New Jersey2,967limited English 1,358
- Utah2,908limited English 1,301
- Rhode Island2,856limited English 1,385
- Indiana2,597limited English 1,403
- Oklahoma2,474limited English 1,331
- Louisiana2,404limited English 1,252
- Missouri2,387limited English 1,244
- South Carolina1,980limited English 1,111
- Alabama1,704limited English 825
- Alaska1,545limited English 734
- Idaho1,493limited English 618
- Nebraska1,476limited English 754
- Kentucky1,084limited English 465
- New Hampshire883limited English 412
- Vermont634limited English 241
- South Dakota511limited English 142
- Mississippi504limited English 284
- New Mexico496limited English 153
- Maine465limited English 243
- West Virginia417limited English 111
- North Dakota298limited English 90
- Delaware275limited English 136
- Montana226limited English 87
- Wyoming213limited English 60
By city
- Los Angeles10,393limited English 6,375
- San Diego3,754limited English 2,197
- New York City3,428limited English 1,809
- Seattle2,660limited English 1,572
- Chicago2,395limited English 1,052
- Philadelphia2,348limited English 2,162
- San Jose2,132limited English 810
- Sacramento1,682limited English 831
- Phoenix1,332limited English 284
- Charlotte1,244limited English 865
- Houston1,151limited English 538
- Dallas1,029limited English 447
- Columbus688limited English 293
- Boston320limited English 234
Source: US Census Bureau, ACS table B16001 (via Census Reporter), ACS 2024 5-year. The second figure counts people who speak English less than “very well”.
The census publishes this table for every state but for only a handful of cities. A city missing from this list is one it does not publish, not one where nobody speaks the language.
Help record this language 0 / 10
Ten small things, each answerable in under a minute by anyone who speaks the language. You do not need to prepare, and you do not have to do them in order.
- A greetingnone yet
How do you greet someone, and how do they answer?
- Numbersnone yet
Count from one to ten.
- Familynone yet
The words for mother, father, grandmother, grandfather, child.
- Saying goodbyenone yet
How did the oldest person you knew say goodbye?
- Foodnone yet
Name a dish and say how it is made.
- Weather and seasonsnone yet
Describe today’s weather, then name the seasons.
- A place namenone yet
The name of your home place in this language, and what it means.
- A proverbnone yet
A saying that does not translate well. Say it, then explain it.
- A song for a childnone yet
Sing something that was sung to you.
- A storynone yet
A story you were told as a child. Take as long as you need.
Join a community for this language to add a recording
You keep what you record. It stays credited to you, nobody else can change it, and you can delete it at any time.
Communities on CultureMesh
- Thai speakers in Michiganmembers 1
- Thai speakers in Californiamembers 1
- Thai speakers in New Yorkmembers 1
Notes from people here
Is this right? For most languages the census refuses to count speakers separately, so the figure above is a whole category rather than this language. If you know better, write it down — on this page you are the source.
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Sign in to add a noteCite this page
CultureMesh, "Thai" language page (https://culturemesh.com/languages/thai-26). Endangerment status: Glottolog (glottolog-cldf, master). Speakers at home: US Census Bureau, ACS table B16001 (via Census Reporter), ACS 2024 5-year.