Editing Thai language (section)

== Register ==
Central Thai is composed of several distinct [[register (sociolinguistics)|registers]], forms for different social contexts:
* Street or Common Thai ({{Wikt-lang|th|ภาษาพูด}}, {{lang|th-Latn|phasa phut}}, spoken Thai): informal, without polite terms of address, as used between close relatives and friends.
* Elegant or Formal Thai ({{Wikt-lang|th|ภาษาเขียน}}, {{lang|th-Latn|phasa khian}}, written Thai): official and written version, includes respectful terms of address; used in simplified form in newspapers.
* Rhetorical Thai: used for public speaking.
* Religious Thai: (heavily influenced by [[Sanskrit]] and [[Pāli]]) used when discussing Buddhism or addressing monks.
* Royal Thai ({{lang|th|ราชาศัพท์}}, {{lang|th-Latn|racha sap}}): influenced by [[Khmer language|Khmer]], this is used when addressing members of the [[Royal Family of Thailand|royal family]] or describing their activities. (See {{section link|Monarchy of Thailand|Rachasap}}.)

Most Thais can speak and understand all of these contexts. Street and Elegant Thai are the basis of all conversations.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.studycountry.com/guide/TH-language.htm|title=The Languages spoken in Thailand|website=Studycountry|language=en-US|access-date=2017-12-26}}</ref>{{Citation needed|date=March 2009}} Rhetorical, religious, and royal Thai are taught in schools as part of the national curriculum.

As noted above, Thai has several registers, each having certain usages, such as colloquial, formal, literary, and poetic. Thus, the word 'eat' can be {{lang|th|กิน}} ({{lang|th-Latn|kin}}; common), {{lang|th|แดก}} ({{lang|th-Latn|daek}}; vulgar), {{lang|th|ยัด}} ({{lang|th-Latn|yat}}; vulgar), {{lang|th|บริโภค}} ({{lang|th-Latn|boriphok}}; formal), {{lang|th|รับประทาน}} ({{lang|th-Latn|rapprathan}}; formal), {{lang|th|ฉัน}} ({{lang|th-Latn|chan}}; religious), or {{lang|th|เสวย}} ({{lang|th-Latn|sawoei}}; royal), as illustrated below:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! "to eat" !! [[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]] !! Transliteration !! Usage !! Note
|-
| {{lang|th|กิน}} || {{IPA|/kīn/}} || ''kin'' || common ||
|-
| {{lang|th|แดก}} || {{IPA|/dɛ̀ːk/}} || ''daek'' || vulgar ||
|-
| {{lang|th|ยัด}} || {{IPA|/ját/}} || ''yat'' || vulgar || Original meaning is 'to cram'
|-
|{{lang|th|บริโภค}} || {{IPA|/bɔ̄ː.ríʔ.pʰôːk/}} || ''boriphok'' || formal, literary ||
|-
| {{lang|th|รับประทาน}} || {{IPA|/ráp.pràʔ.tʰāːn/}} || ''rapprathan'' || formal, polite|| Often shortened to {{lang|th|ทาน}} /tʰāːn/.
|-
| {{lang|th|ฉัน}} || {{IPA|/tɕʰǎn/}} || ''chan'' || religious ||
|-
| {{lang|th|เสวย}} || {{IPA|/sàʔ.wɤ̌ːj/}} || ''sawoei'' || royal ||
|}
Thailand also uses the distinctive [[Thai six-hour clock]] in addition to the [[24-hour clock]].