Editing Thai language (section)

=== Transcription ===
{{Main|Romanization of Thai}}
There is no universally applied method for transcribing Thai into the Latin alphabet. For example, the name of the main airport is transcribed variably as Suvarnabhumi, Suwannaphum, or Suwunnapoom. Guide books, textbooks and dictionaries follow different systems. For this reason, many language courses recommend that learners master the Thai script.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Pronk |first1=Marco |title=The Essential Thai Language Companion: Reference Book: Basics, Structures, Rules |date=2013 |publisher=Schwabe AG |isbn=978-3-9523664-9-3 |page=v |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ctZBDwAAQBAJ&pg=PR5 |language=en |quote=learn the Thai alphabet as early as possible, and get rid of romanized transcriptions as soon as you can}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Juyaso |first1=Arthit |title=Read Thai in 10 Days |date=2015 |publisher=Bingo-Lingo |page=xii |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=r6dcEAAAQBAJ&pg=PR12 |language=en |quote=There have been attempts by Thai language schools to create a perfect phonetic system for learners, but none have been successful so far. ... Only Thai script is prevalent and consistent in Thailand.}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Waites |first1=Dan |title=CultureShock! Bangkok |date=2014 |publisher=Marshall Cavendish |isbn=978-981-4516-93-8 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gh0dAwAAQBAJ&pg=PT186 |language=en |chapter=Learning the Language: To Write or Not to Write |quote=you're far better off learning the Thai alphabet}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Cooper |first1=Robert |title=CultureShock! Thailand: A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette |date=2019 |publisher=Marshall Cavendish |isbn=978-981-4841-39-9 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=o7SaDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT209 |language=en |chapter=Learning Thai: Writing Thai in English |quote=take a bit of time to learn the letters. The time you spend is saved many times over when you begin to really learn Thai.}}</ref>

Official standards are the [[Royal Thai General System of Transcription]] (RTGS), published by the [[Royal Institute of Thailand]],<ref>[http://www.royin.go.th/ Royal Thai General System of Transcription], published by the Thai Royal Institute only in Thai</ref> and the almost identical {{nowrap|[[ISO 11940-2]]}} defined by the [[International Organization for Standardization]]. The RTGS system is increasingly used in Thailand by central and local governments, especially for road signs.<ref>{{citation|url=http://www.ooh5.go.th/book/CA/CA01.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171115222340/http://www.ooh5.go.th/book/CA/CA01.pdf |archive-date=2017-11-15 |url-status=live|at=Appendix ง|language=th|title=Handbook and standard for traffic signs}}</ref> Its main drawback is that it does not indicate tone or vowel length. As the system is based on pronunciation, not orthography, reconstruction of Thai spelling from RTGS romanisation is not possible.