Thailo — learn the Thai your trip actually needs
Land in Thailand speaking more than "hello"
The Thai your trip actually needs, taught as a journey through Thailand — airport to night market to the islands, one short lesson at a time.
Launching on iOS. One email when it's out — maybe two, if something's genuinely worth telling you.
How it works
Not flashcards. The trip itself.
Pick your route
Ten destinations across Thailand, each teaching the Thai that place demands — arrival, transport, markets, food, people.
Learn each place's Thai
Short lessons that fit a layover. Real phrases with script, honest romanization, and the politeness notes that make or break how you sound.
Go use it for real
Say it out loud and get graded. Then a real-world challenge sends you to order that food in actual Thailand — practice that ends in the country, not the app.
A real phrasebook
459 phrases, organized by what's actually happening
Taxis, bargaining, allergies, temple etiquette. Each phrase carries correct Thai script, easy romanization, and a note on when to use it — including the polite particles (ครับ/ค่ะ) that carry half of Thai politeness.
Practice for real
Graded speaking, then real-world challenges
Try saying it — Thailo checks whether a local would get you and shows a better way when there is one. Real-world challenges then send you out with a phrase toolkit to actually do it.
From the phrasebook
Three phrases that carry a whole trip
Straight from Thailo's phrasebook — real Thai, honest romanization, and the cultural note nobody prints on a laminated card:
Hello
สวัสดีครับ
sa-wat-dee khrap
Men say ครับ (khrap), women ค่ะ (kha). Works all day. Pair with a small wai.
Thank you
ขอบคุณครับ
khob-khun khrap
A slight wai makes it warmer, especially to elders or staff.
You're welcome / never mind
ไม่เป็นไร
mai pen rai
The famous Thai phrase — also 'no worries', 'it's fine', 'no problem'.
Free guides for every topic are rolling out weekly — the linked ones are live now.
Your choice
Learn to read Thai — or skip straight to speaking
Speak-first
Romanization only
Every word and phrase in clear, consistent romanization. No script required — built for travelers who want to talk, not study.
Read-too
Script, tones and all
Learn the 44 consonants, the vowels, and the five tones step by step — menus and street signs start making sense before you land.
Why this exists
Made by a traveler, not a committee
I kept landing in Bangkok knowing only สวัสดี — and kept watching the trip get better every time I learned five more words. The big apps teach Thai like a school subject; the phrasebook apps haven't been updated since 2015. Thailo is the app I wanted in the taxi from Suvarnabhumi: warm, fast, honest about what a traveler actually needs, and rigorous underneath — every word validated against a real Thai dictionary, zero made-up Thai.
Common questions
What is Thailo?
An upcoming iOS app that teaches you Thai as a journey through Thailand: 10 destinations, each teaching the words and phrases you'd actually need there — clearing the airport, ordering at a night market, haggling, checking in, making friends.
Should I learn Thai before visiting Thailand?
You don't need it — but even 20–30 phrases visibly change how Thailand treats you. Full answer: Should you learn Thai before visiting Thailand?
Can you learn Thai with Duolingo?
No — Duolingo has no Thai course for English speakers. What to use instead: Can you learn Thai with Duolingo?
Does Thailo work offline?
Yes — every lesson and the whole phrasebook, built for airplane mode and no-signal beaches. (Only the optional AI speaking practice needs a connection.)
Be first off the plane
Join the waitlist for launch access and the TestFlight beta.
Launching on iOS. One email when it's out — maybe two, if something's genuinely worth telling you.