Using an iPhone & iPad in Thailand Tips, App Reviews and News for the iPhone and iPad by Richard Barrow

Free Thai Phrasebook for the iPhone

The Tourism Authority of Thailand presents a new useful tool that lets you visit Thailand worry-free: the Speak Thai (EN) Application, your personal & portable translator with over 2,500 words for all your needs in Thailand. Communicate with Thai people anywhere, anytime with a few easy touches. Simply install this application on your phone and you'll have the power to speak Thai at your fingertips.

Speak Thai (EN) is now the fourth iPhone app to be released by the Tourism Authority of Thailand. The first three were a real disappointment. These were Top 50 Amazing Experiences in Thailand, Eat and Drink in BKK and Thai Cookbook by TAT. However, I think I can safely predict that Speak Thai (EN) will prove to be a runaway success at iTunes as anyone planning a holiday to Thailand will surely be downloading it. At last the TAT have produced something that we not only need, but is also free too. On the first screen you are given nine different categories. If you click through to the next page you are then given a sub-category page which then leads to a list of useful phrases and words. Click on this you are then taken to a page where you can listen to a native speaker. In settings you can choose either a female or male speaker. You are given the phrase in English, romanisation and Thai script. There are apparently 2,500 words and phrases already and they promise that there will be an update in the future.

I am planning on compiling a Top 10 list of essential iPhone apps for tourists going to Thailand. This is definitely a contender to go on this list. It's not perfect but you cannot really nitpick when you are given something for free. I found it a little tedious having to click 4 times just to listen to the sound clip for the phrases. Then, having to go back one to choose another phrase. Normally this is not too bad if you are only learning a few phrases. But, if you are learning to count from 1 to 10 then it is a little boring. Would be nice to see things like numbers and words like that on one page. However, it is nice that you can bookmark favourite phrases to make it easier to find later. Another thing is that they have the female and male speaker both using "chan" which is OK if you are familiar with someone. But, I personally wouldn't use "chan" when referring to myself.  Having said all that, Speak Thai (EN) definitely should be downloaded by any tourist coming to Thailand.

UPDATE: The SpeakThai app now supports five native languages (English, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, French and Japanese). Strangely, this is not an update but a new app! Click here to visit iTunes.