No, Duolingo doesn't have Thai. There is no Thai course on Duolingo for English speakers, and none from any other language either: we read Duolingo's full course catalogue on 1 November 2026, and Thai isn't in it.
A disclosure: we make Qlango, a language app that teaches Thai, so we have an interest here. The Duolingo fact above is plain fact, and you can check it yourself on Duolingo's course list.
One thing that confuses people: Duolingo does offer courses for Thai speakers, such as English taught from Thai, so Thai can turn up in its language menus. None of them teaches Thai itself.
Does Duolingo offer anything close to Thai?
Not really. Duolingo's other courses in Southeast Asia are Vietnamese and Indonesian. Vietnamese is tonal like Thai, but the two languages aren't related, and neither one uses the Thai script. If Thai is the language you want, a Duolingo course in a neighbouring country's language won't get you there. Babbel and Busuu don't offer Thai either (checked November 2026).
How to learn Thai with Qlango
Qlango teaches Thai from A1 to B2, the four levels of the CEFR scale from beginner to upper intermediate. At A1 and A2 you introduce yourself, talk about daily life in simple sentences and get through everyday exchanges. At B2 you can follow the main points of conversations and articles on familiar topics and talk about them with some ease.
A lesson works like this. You get a set of short example sentences in Thai script with the translation in the language you learn from, and you answer them in different ways, such as flashcards, picking one of two answers, matching pairs, putting scrambled words in order, writing what you hear and writing the translation yourself. Each example is read aloud by an AI voice, and you can slow it down, which helps with Thai's long and short vowels. When you finish a lesson, it comes back after one, two, four and eight days and then once more, and any example you needed a hint for returns in harder questions later.
You also choose the language you learn from. It can be English, or your own native language if that isn't English.
Why tones need repetition
Thai has five tones, and vowel length changes meaning too. To an untrained ear, all of these sound like "khao":
| Thai |
Meaning |
| ข้าว |
rice |
| ขาว |
white |
| ข่าว |
news |
| เขา |
he, she |
| เข่า |
knee |
Nobody learns that set from a list. You learn it by hearing and writing each word again and again in short sentences until the difference is obvious, which is what a fixed repetition schedule is for.
Your first Thai words
| Thai |
Roughly |
Meaning |
| สวัสดี |
sawatdi |
hello, goodbye |
| ขอบคุณ |
khop khun |
thank you |
| ครับ, ค่ะ |
khrap, kha |
polite endings: khrap if you're a man, kha if you're a woman |
| ไม่เป็นไร |
mai pen rai |
never mind, no problem |
| เท่าไร |
thao rai |
how much? |
| อร่อย |
aroi |
delicious |
The polite ending depends on who is speaking, not who you're talking to, so a man says สวัสดีครับ and a woman says สวัสดีค่ะ to everyone. Our full guide to learning Thai covers the script, the tones and a plan for your first month.
FAQ
Is Thai on Duolingo?
No. As of November 2026, Duolingo has no Thai course from English or from any other language.
What is the best app to learn Thai?
It depends on what you want. If you want a course organised by CEFR level, with Thai script from the first lesson and a fixed review schedule, Qlango teaches Thai from A1 to B2. Duolingo, Babbel and Busuu don't offer Thai (checked November 2026).
Is there a free app to learn Thai?
Qlango is free to download on iPhone and Android, and you can start your first Thai lesson without creating an account. It also works in your browser.
Will Duolingo add Thai?
We can't say. Duolingo adds and removes courses over time, so check its catalogue if you're reading this much later.
Thai isn't the only gap. See every language Duolingo doesn't teach, or compare Qlango and Duolingo side by side. Your first Thai lesson in Qlango takes about five minutes.
