Getting Started with SEAsite Getting Started with SEAsite Current 01/17/08 To get full use of SEAsite, you will need to get and install some free software onto your machine. Note on computer types supported: SEAsite development is primarily for Windows (which make up about 90% of our hits). Contents: Fonts SEAsite was developed starting in 1997. Some SEAsite materials already use Unicode - most of the Vietnamese materials have a Unicode version and some Thai materials are also in Unicode. If we can obtain funding, we do have a plan to convert other non-Latin alphabet materials to Unicode in the future. Instructions: If you intend to study Thai, Vietnamese, Burmese, Lao, or Khmer you need to have a font (or two) for that language installed on your machine. Windows Note: Turn off Virus Protection when you download these fonts. Win 95: To download a font, simply click on the link at the end of this section for the font you want. Win 98, XP: Right-click on the link. Win2000, ME etc. Download problems? Download Fonts Browsers
Thai language, alphabet and pronunciation Thai is a Tai-Kadai language spoken by about 65 million people mainly in Thailand (ประเทศไทย), and also in the Midway Islands, Singapore, the UAE and the USA Thai is closely related to Lao, and northern dialects of Thai are more or less mutually intelligible with Lao, particularly the Lao spoken in northern Thailand. Thai vocabulary includes many words from Pali, Sanskrit and Old Khmer. Thai alphabet (ตัวอักษรไทย) The Thai alphabet was probably derived from, or at least influenced by, the Old Khmer alphabet. According to tradition it was created in 1283 by King Ramkhamhaeng (พ่อขุนรามคำแหงมหาราช). The Thai alphabet is used to write Thai, Sanskrit, Pali, and a number of minority languages spoken in Thailand. Notable features Type of writing system: syllabic alphabet consisting of 44 basic consonants, each with an inherent vowel: [o] in medial position and [a] in final position. Thai alphabet and pronunciation Consonants (พยัญชนะ) Notes Vowel diacritics (รูปสระ) Numerals (ตัวเลขไทย) Tone indication
Thai Language