How to Count in Thai: Numbers 1–100 (with Pronunciation)

Learning to count in Thai is one of the fastest wins for any beginner, because the Thai number system is remarkably regular. Once you know the digits 1–10 and just two special forms, you can build every number up to 100 — and far beyond — by simply combining words you already know. This complete guide covers Thai numbers 1–100 with pronunciation, the two exceptions you must memorise, how to use numbers with classifiers, ordinals, prices, ages and phone numbers, plus the native Thai numerals you'll see on price tags.

Numbers are also one of the most practical things you can learn: you'll use them every single day for shopping, prices, time, phone numbers and directions. Let's start with the short answer, then go step by step.

How to count in Thai: the quick answer

To count in Thai, learn 1–10, then combine. The word for ten is สิบ (sìp), so 11 is สิบเอ็ด (sìp-èt) and 25 is ยี่สิบห้า (yîi-sìp-hâa). A hundred is ร้อย (rói) and a thousand is พัน (phan). There are only two irregularities to remember: เอ็ด (èt) replaces "one" at the end of a compound (11, 21, 31…), and ยี่ (yîi) means "two" only in the word for twenty.

Thai numbers 1–10 (with pronunciation)

Start here. These ten words (plus zero) are the building blocks for the entire number system:

Practise these out loud until you don't have to think. The tones matter: ห้า (hâa, "five") has a falling tone, while สี่ (sìi, "four") has a low tone. Getting the tone wrong can make a number hard to understand.

Thai numbers 11–19: ten plus a digit

For the teens, say สิบ (sìp, ten) followed by the digit. The only twist is 11, where "one" becomes เอ็ด (èt) instead of nùeng:

• 11 — สิบเอ็ด (sìp-èt) ← special: èt, not nùeng

• 12 — สิบสอง (sìp-sǎwng)

• 13 — สิบสาม (sìp-sǎam)

• 14 — สิบสี่ (sìp-sìi)

• 15 — สิบห้า (sìp-hâa)

• 16 — สิบหก (sìp-hòk)

• 17 — สิบเจ็ด (sìp-jèt)

• 18 — สิบแปด (sìp-bpàet)

• 19 — สิบเก้า (sìp-gâo)

Tens in Thai: 20, 30, 40 … 90

For the multiples of ten, say the digit followed by สิบ (sìp) — with one exception: 20 uses the special word ยี่ (yîi) instead of sǎwng.

• 20 — ยี่สิบ (yîi-sìp) ← special: yîi, not sǎwng

• 30 — สามสิบ (sǎam-sìp)

• 40 — สี่สิบ (sìi-sìp)

• 50 — ห้าสิบ (hâa-sìp)

• 60 — หกสิบ (hòk-sìp)

• 70 — เจ็ดสิบ (jèt-sìp)

• 80 — แปดสิบ (bpàet-sìp)

• 90 — เก้าสิบ (gâo-sìp)

Combining Thai numbers: 21–99

Now just stack the tens word and the units word. Remember the èt rule: any number ending in 1 uses เอ็ด (èt) for the "one".

• 21 — ยี่สิบเอ็ด (yîi-sìp-èt)

• 25 — ยี่สิบห้า (yîi-sìp-hâa)

• 31 — สามสิบเอ็ด (sǎam-sìp-èt)

• 42 — สี่สิบสอง (sìi-sìp-sǎwng)

• 58 — ห้าสิบแปด (hâa-sìp-bpàet)

• 77 — เจ็ดสิบเจ็ด (jèt-sìp-jèt)

• 99 — เก้าสิบเก้า (gâo-sìp-gâo)

Thai numbers 100, 1,000 and beyond

A hundred is ร้อย (rói), so 100 is หนึ่งร้อย (nùeng-rói) and 250 is สองร้อยห้าสิบ (sǎwng-rói-hâa-sìp). The system keeps scaling with a new word at each power:

• 100 — ร้อย (rói)

• 1,000 — พัน (phan)

• 10,000 — หมื่น (mùen)

• 100,000 — แสน (sǎen)

• 1,000,000 — ล้าน (láan)

The two exceptions you must remember

Almost all of Thai counting is regular. The two irregular forms below are the only things that trip beginners up, so drill them until they are automatic:

Counting things: Thai classifiers

Here is the part that surprises most learners: to count nouns in Thai, you usually need a classifier (ลักษณนาม, lák-sà-nà-naam). The pattern is noun + number + classifier — so "two dogs" is หมาสองตัว (mǎa sǎwng dtua), literally "dog two [animal-classifier]". Each type of noun takes a particular classifier.

The most common Thai classifiers to learn first:

A few examples so the pattern sticks:

• หมาสองตัว (mǎa sǎwng dtua) — two dogs

• กาแฟสองแก้ว (gaa-fae sǎwng gâew) — two (glasses of) coffee

• คนสามคน (kon sǎam kon) — three people

• รถหนึ่งคัน (rót nùeng kan) — one car

Ordinal numbers: first, second, third

To make ordinal numbers (first, second, third), simply put ที่ (thîi) in front of the number:

• first — ที่หนึ่ง (thîi nùeng)

• second — ที่สอง (thîi sǎwng)

• third — ที่สาม (thîi sǎam)

• fifth — ที่ห้า (thîi hâa)

Asking about numbers: prices, quantity and age

Numbers become useful the moment you can ask about them. Here are the phrases you'll use most in daily life:

• How much is it? — เท่าไหร่ (thâo-rài). For a price: ราคาเท่าไหร่ (raa-khaa thâo-rài).

• How many? — กี่ (gìi) + classifier, e.g. กี่คน (gìi kon) "how many people?"

• Baht (currency) — บาท (bàat). Fifty baht is ห้าสิบบาท (hâa-sìp bàat).

• Age — อายุ (aa-yú) + number + ปี (bpii). "I'm 25" is อายุยี่สิบห้าปี (aa-yú yîi-sìp-hâa bpii).

Decimals, halves and phone numbers

• Decimal point — จุด (jùt). So 1.5 is หนึ่งจุดห้า (nùeng jùt hâa).

• Half — ครึ่ง (khrûeng). "Half a kilo" is ครึ่งกิโล (khrûeng gì-loo).

• Phone numbers — read digit by digit; the 0 is often said as "soon" (sǔun) or, colloquially, like the English letter "o".

Thai numerals (๑ ๒ ๓) vs Arabic numbers

Thailand uses the same Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3) as the West for most everyday purposes, but you will also see traditional Thai numerals on temple signs, official documents, some menus and dual-price displays. They map one to one onto the digits you already know:

• ๐ = 0, ๑ = 1, ๒ = 2, ๓ = 3, ๔ = 4

• ๕ = 5, ๖ = 6, ๗ = 7, ๘ = 8, ๙ = 9

How to practise counting in Thai

• Count objects around you out loud — steps, baht coins, minutes on a clock.

• Say prices back to yourself when you shop; markets are perfect, low-pressure practice.

• Drill the two exceptions (èt and yîi) until they are automatic.

• Practise noun + number + classifier with things you own: two phones, three books.

• Learn the numbers with native audio so your tones stay correct from the start.

Common mistakes when counting in Thai

Beginners tend to make the same handful of counting errors. Watch out for these and you'll sound natural much faster:

• Using หนึ่ง (nùeng) instead of เอ็ด (èt) for numbers ending in 1 — say sìp-èt for 11, not sìp-nùeng.

• Saying สองสิบ (sǎwng-sìp) for 20 instead of the correct ยี่สิบ (yîi-sìp).

• Getting the tone wrong on ห้า (hâa, five, falling) or สี่ (sìi, four, low) — a wrong tone makes the number hard to understand.

• Forgetting the classifier when counting nouns.

• Putting the classifier before the number — the order is always noun + number + classifier.

Numbers in Thai culture: luck and 555

Numbers carry meaning in Thai culture. The digit 9 (เก้า, gâo) is considered especially lucky, because it sounds like ก้าว (gâao), "to step forward" or "progress" — you'll see it chosen for car plates, phone numbers and shop names. And if you chat with Thai friends online, you'll notice 555 everywhere: since 5 is ห้า (hâa), "555" reads as "ha-ha-ha", which is how Thais laugh in writing. Learn more in our guide to what 555 means in Thai.

Counting money and bargaining in Thai

Numbers are at their most useful at the market. Prices are quoted in baht (บาท, bàat): 120 baht is หนึ่งร้อยยี่สิบบาท (nùeng-rói-yîi-sìp bàat). To ask a price, say ราคาเท่าไหร่ (raa-khaa thâo-rài). To bargain politely, ask ลดหน่อยได้ไหม (lód nòi dâi mái), "can you lower it a little?" — bargaining is normal at markets, though not in shops with fixed prices.

Years and the Thai Buddhist calendar

One quirk worth knowing: Thailand officially uses the Buddhist Era (พ.ศ., B.E.), which runs 543 years ahead of the Western calendar. So 2024 CE is the year 2567 in Thailand. You'll see B.E. years on documents, coins and temple signs, read as ordinary numbers — 2567 is สองพันห้าร้อยหกสิบเจ็ด (sǎwng-phan-hâa-rói-hòk-sìp-jèt). Just add 543 to any Western year to get the Thai one.

FAQ

How do you say 100 in Thai?

One hundred is ร้อย (rói), usually said as หนึ่งร้อย (nùeng-rói). Multiples follow the same pattern: 200 is สองร้อย (sǎwng-rói) and 500 is ห้าร้อย (hâa-rói).

Why is 20 different in Thai?

Twenty uses the special word ยี่ (yîi) instead of the normal "two" (สอง, sǎwng), giving ยี่สิบ (yîi-sìp). It is a historical form that survives only in the twenties; every other ten uses the regular digit, e.g. 30 is สามสิบ (sǎam-sìp).

What is เอ็ด (èt) and when do I use it?

เอ็ด (èt) means "one", but it is used only at the end of a compound number — 11 (sìp-èt), 21 (yîi-sìp-èt), 101 (nùeng-rói-èt). A standalone "one" is still หนึ่ง (nùeng).

Do I really need classifiers to count things in Thai?

Yes, in most cases. To count nouns you use the pattern noun + number + classifier, e.g. หมาสองตัว (mǎa sǎwng dtua, "two dogs"). If you forget the right classifier, อัน (an) is a usable fallback for small objects and you'll still be understood.

Are Thai numbers hard to learn?

No — Thai counting is one of the most regular systems in any language. Once you know 1–10 plus the two exceptions (èt and yîi), you can build every number up to a million by combining words you already know. Classifiers take a little more practice but follow clear patterns.

Do Thai people use Thai numerals or Arabic numbers?

Both. Everyday life mostly uses Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3), but Thai numerals (๑, ๒, ๓) still appear on official documents, temples, some menus and dual pricing, so they are worth being able to recognise.

Keep going: learn the 5 Thai tones so your numbers sound right, start on Thai script, or build everyday vocabulary with Thai words and native audio.