Learning Thai: school, tutor or app? Here’s how to start

You want to order dinner, join the conversation and eventually read something more ambitious than the Wi-Fi password. Good. The next decision is how to learn: school, private tutor, an app, or a sensible mix. Here are actual options, what they cost and how to get started.

This is a research-based comparison of providers’ published information, checked on 3 November 2026. The routines and lesson agendas are our suggestions. Direct provider links are collected in Sources.

Choose the commitment you will actually keep

Schools: put the timetable first

International House Bangkok is a concrete weekday option on Sukhumvit Soi 13, in The Trendy Office Building. Its General Thai TH 10 course advertises ten group hours a week, Monday–Friday, 13:15–15:15 Thailand time, with starts any Monday and a maximum of 12 students. The advertised starting price is THB5,000 per week; the coursebook and level test are included. Ask for the total for your chosen duration and a confirmed beginner place. “From” is doing some work here.^[1]

Use Apply on the Thai course page. Send your dates and current level, then ask when script enters the syllabus and how the class practises speaking. The school describes group study across speaking, listening, reading and writing. Choose days you can attend before choosing a course that sounds impressively intensive.^[1]

For an online group, Learn Thai with Mod publishes Zoom courses and emailed Word/PDF materials. Its listed Beginner Level 1 costs THB4,900 for ten teaching hours across seven sessions. That cohort runs 3 October–14 November 2026, so it is already under way. Email through the course page for the next complete-beginner start; do not mistake the later Level 3 dates for a first course. A free assessment is offered if you already know some Thai.^[2]

The booking instructions ask for the course, your learning background, Zoom email and location/time zone. Read the linked syllabus, then send a short enquiry like this:^[2]

“Hi, I’m [a complete beginner / comfortable with basic conversation]. I can attend [days and times] from [date], in [time zone]. Which course fits? Please confirm the next start, total fee including materials, class size, speaking and script content, and missed-class arrangements. Is an assessment or taster available?”

Tutors: audition the lesson, not just the profile

Preply has a Thai tutor directory. Shortlist three teachers against your budget, recurring availability, lesson language and experience with your goal: absolute beginners, pronunciation, reading or workplace conversation. Compare the continuing lesson rate and duration shown on each profile. A friendly introduction video is useful; a slot you can keep every week is more useful.^[4]

For a paid Preply trial, set your time zone, open the teacher’s profile, select Book trial lesson, choose 25 or 50 minutes, pick a slot and complete payment. You can book the trial before subscribing. Continuing study uses a subscription tied to that tutor: a minimum of four lessons per 28-day cycle, with automatic renewal. That is a different commitment from buying an occasional standalone lesson.^[5][6]

For a direct route, SpeakThaiEasy lists online private tuition at THB1,000 for one hour or THB9,500 for ten hours. In-person Bangkok private tuition starts with a listed ten-hour package at THB13,000. Its course page describes PDF materials, shared vocabulary notes and homework. Follow Contact us to ask about a suitable teacher and recurring time; confirm package scheduling and terms with the provider.^[3]

A useful first message: “I want to [order comfortably / follow colleagues / begin reading]. I know [background], can study [times and time zone], and have [budget] per lesson. How do you correct tones and pronunciation? How much will I speak? Can we include script, shared notes and a little homework, with a plan for the next four lessons?”

Suggest a 25-minute trial agenda: five minutes on goals and level, five on sounds and correction, ten on a small speaking task, five on materials and the next steps. Agree it with the teacher. Afterwards, ask yourself whether you spoke, understood the corrections and know what to practise next.

Apps: give each one a job

Ling is the structured-lesson option here: Thai content on iOS and Android, with native-speaker audio, dialogues and flashcard review. Download it, select Thai and try the introductory lesson at an appropriate level. Free access is limited. Its published one-month Pro option is US$16.99; the currently advertised twelve-month offer is US$89.99 paid for the year. The annual monthly equivalent is not a monthly payment. Local/store prices can differ.^[7][8][9]

My Thai publishes this site; we include its app as a vocabulary-and-alphabet option. It runs on the web, iPhone and Android. Choose a useful category, listen to a small set, use the flashcards or quiz and rate your confidence Low, Medium or High. Add a few alphabet entries alongside the vocabulary rather than saving script for some mythical quieter month.^[10][11]

My Thai has a free tier; Premium adds higher vocabulary levels and unlimited reviews. The US iPhone listing currently shows US$3.99 monthly or US$34.99 yearly, specifically US App Store prices. The public alphabet, numbers and starter-phrase guides are free. Start with those or a free account, then decide whether more review is useful for your routine.^[10][11]

Three other routes worth making room for

A book with audio: Benjawan Poomsan Becker’s Thai for Beginners gives you a sequence to follow. Paiboon lists a 262-page paperback and separate book-only, CDs-only and book-plus-CD options, with a displayed US$20.95–40.95 range across those variants. Select the actual format before comparing totals. The CDs follow the lessons; check you have a way to play them. This shop ships to Thailand and the US and links another retailer for elsewhere. First session: one short section, its audio and the matching written exercise.^[12]

A language exchange: Tandem offers free sign-up and a directory that includes Thai speakers learning English. After account acceptance, search by language and shared interests, then suggest a short voice or video exchange. Our starting format: twenty minutes, ten per language, one topic and an agreement about corrections. You are both contributing time. Choose a tutor when you want someone responsible for planning the whole lesson.^[13][14]

A listening session: Learn Thai with Mod’s public “Listen Actively & Answer the Questions” lesson provides a video and five questions. It dates from November 2022 and is a practice resource, not a new course announcement. Try a short section, answer what you can, replay, then note what became clearer. Already know some Thai? Take one question into your next lesson. New to everything? Ask your teacher to pick an easier starting clip.^[15]

Build a routine with a real price tag

• Free start: a My Thai public guide, short listening practice and a reciprocal exchange. No tuition or subscription charge for that combination; use the equipment and connection you already have.
• Weekly personal feedback: four separate one-hour online lessons at SpeakThaiEasy’s listed THB1,000 rate total THB4,000. Add ten minutes of independent practice on five days each week. This is example arithmetic, not a Bangkok market average.
• Group rhythm: Mod’s listed THB4,900 course works out at THB490 per teaching hour over the whole ten-hour course. Ask for the next Level 1 intake and its quote; this is not a monthly fee or an invitation to join the current cohort halfway through.

Your first week, sorted

• Day one: choose one real-life goal and put two learning slots in the calendar.
• Day two: send one school enquiry or shortlist three tutors. Try a free app lesson or guide while you wait.
• Days three to five: take a trial or start one book/audio section. Keep a tiny list of things you want help saying or reading.
• By the weekend: choose a main route for the next four weeks, plus one small practice habit. Judge it on attendance, useful feedback and what you can now attempt. You can always change the combination.