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Which Tai languages are spoken in northern and southern Thailand besides Standard Thai?
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Tai languages
Major divisions of the Tai languages and related languages.
Beyond Standard Thai, which is based on the language of central Thailand, there are distinct Tai languages spoken in the northern and southern regions of the country:
- Northern Thailand: The primary language spoken is Kammüang, which is also known as Northern Thai or Yuan in its written form.1
- Southern Thailand: The language spoken is Pak Tai, also referred to as Southern Thai.1
Additionally, dialects related to the Lao language are spoken by a significant portion of the population, particularly on the Khorat Plateau in the northeast. While Standard Thai is used in public and urban settings, these regional languages remain prevalent in domestic and rural contexts. Other Tai languages, such as Khün and Lü, are also found within Thailand and Laos.12