Standard Thai · Bangkok Thai
The Bangkok-area variety that forms the basis of the modern Thai standard. The reference variety in education, broadcasting, and most Thai instruction abroad.
Isan
Also known as: Northeastern Thai, Lao-Isan
The Tai language of Thailand's Northeast region. Closer to Lao than to Central Thai; spoken by the largest non-Central-Thai population in the country.
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Frequently asked questions
What language is Isan?
Isan is a dialect of the Thai language.
Where is Isan spoken?
Isan is primarily spoken in Thailand.
Which region is Isan associated with?
Isan is part of the Southeast Asia region on DialectAtlas.
Is Isan known by other names?
Yes — Isan is also referred to as Northeastern Thai, Lao-Isan.
What are the other dialects of Thai?
Thai also includes Central Thai, Lanna. Each variety has its own vocabulary, pronunciation, and cultural context.
Other Thai dialects
See on the atlas →Northern Thai · Kham Mueang
The Tai language of Thailand's Northern region around Chiang Mai. Carries its own historical script and a literary tradition tied to the former Lanna kingdom.
Nearby dialects
See on the atlas →172 km away
A Tai-Kadai language and the official language of Laos. Closely related to Thai Isan; written in a script derived from the same source as Thai but distinct in several letters and vowel signs.
337 km away
A Khmuic (Austroasiatic) language of formerly nomadic hunter-gatherers in the highlands of Nan and Phrae provinces, northern Thailand, and adjacent Laos. Roughly 100–300 speakers; its numeral system allows only one and two to modify nouns, and it lacks the register contrasts typical of related languages.
390 km away
The Bangkok-area variety that forms the basis of the modern Thai standard. The reference variety in education, broadcasting, and most Thai instruction abroad.
484 km away
The Tai language of Thailand's Northern region around Chiang Mai. Carries its own historical script and a literary tradition tied to the former Lanna kingdom.
509 km away
The Central Vietnamese variety of Huế. Preserves a distinctive five-tone system and lexicon rooted in the former Nguyễn-dynasty imperial capital.
555 km away
An Austroasiatic language of Lower Burma and adjacent Thailand. Once the dominant cultural language of mainland Southeast Asia, displaced over centuries by Burmese and Thai expansion.