Translation · Thai
Thai translation services
Audiovisual translation is our specialisation, but our native Thai translators also translate any text — corporate documents, technical and marketing material, articles and eLearning. Thai is written without spaces between words, so where each line breaks is a decision, not a default.
EN · 00:03
Thank you.
TH · 00:03
ขอบคุณ
About Thai translation
Thai translation, with the line breaks checked by a person
Thai is written without spaces between words. A space in Thai separates phrases, not words, which means the text itself carries no instruction about where a line is allowed to break.
Browsers, subtitle players and design tools guess the boundaries with a dictionary-based segmenter, and the guess is not always right. Wrong breaks are not a rendering curiosity: they split a word across two lines and the reader trips over it. Somebody who reads Thai has to look at the delivered file.
At GoLocalise, we work with native Thai translators matched to the subject matter, and every text is reviewed by a second linguist before delivery.
How can we help you?
Your project manager has everything covered
One point of contact from brief to delivery, and a second linguist on every text before it reaches you.
Brief review
We review your source material and your audience, and agree up front the decisions this language forces before anyone starts translating.
Linguist assignment
Your project goes to a native Thai translator with experience in the relevant field.
Translation and review
The text is translated and then checked by a second native linguist for accuracy, consistency, and register.
Delivery and consistency check
Files are delivered in the format you need, with the choices agreed at the brief applied consistently from the first line to the last.
Regional varieties
Thailand, and the register the audience expects
Thai is the national language of Thailand and there is one written standard, so the regional question that other languages raise does not arise in the same way here.
What does have to be decided is register. Polite particles belong in some material and are out of place in others, and it is far easier to agree the level at the brief than to lift it across a finished file.
Areas of expertise
What we specialise in
From corporate video and eLearning to documentary, advertising and subtitles — always audiovisual, with Thai line breaks and reading speed checked before anything is signed off.
Corporate and brand video
Company films and internal communications, written to fit the shot rather than overflow it.
eLearning and training video
Course modules and training films, with terminology kept consistent across the programme.
Documentary and interviews
Factual programming and interviews, where the register shifts between speakers and has to survive the move.
Advertising and social video
Campaigns and short-form video, cut to land inside the time available.
Subtitles and captions
Frame-accurate subtitles kept within a comfortable reading speed.
Voice over and dubbing scripts
Scripts timed to the original, ready for a native voice in the booth.
Built for video and audio
Getting Thai right on screen
Thai brings its own on-screen considerations, and the absence of word spaces is the one that shapes every subtitle and every layout.
No spaces means no automatic breaks
A space in Thai separates phrases, not words. Line breaking falls to a dictionary-based segmenter, and the delivered file gets looked at by a Thai reader before it goes out.
Counting characters, not marks
Where a house standard applies, Thai subtitles are commonly set at 35 characters a line, counting the base characters and not the tone marks or the vowels that sit above and below.
Sentences separated by a space
Thai subtitle practice separates sentences with a single space rather than a full stop, so a file converted straight from English punctuation reads wrong.
Timed, not dumped
We deliver spotted subtitle files and two-column voice-over scripts timed to the original — never a loose document that still needs spotting.
Deliverables
How your Thai translation arrives
Subtitle files
SRT, VTT, STL or TTML, burnt in or as separate files, ready to drop into your edit.
Line breaks looked at, not assumed
Someone who reads Thai checks how the delivered file actually breaks, instead of trusting the segmenter to have got every boundary right.
Dual-column scripts
Source and target side by side with timecodes, the format the studio records from.
Reviewed, never single-pass
Every script is checked by a second native linguist before it reaches the studio.
Translation rates
Professional Thai translation
For internal documents, correspondence and material where accuracy is the main requirement.
- Native subject-matter translator
- Second-linguist review
- Subtitle files or a timed script
For marketing, eLearning and technical content, with review, terminology management and layout adjustment.
- Everything in Standard
- Terminology management
- Layout and expansion handled
- Dedicated project manager
Every project is quoted individually and backed by our Price Match Promise. Send us your files for an exact, no-obligation quote.
Trusted by global brands
We have used GoLocalise on a regular basis for projects in a number of languages. The service we receive is great. The team is always friendly and professional. The voiceovers we receive are of a very high quality and the turnaround is extremely quick. We are very happy to recommend GoLocalise to other businesses.
It was a pleasure to work with David and the team at GoLocalise. David gave me lots of help and advice, guiding me through my first subtitling project. He really knows his stuff! The experience was completely pain-free. I would not hesitate to recommend GoLocalise – outstanding work at a good price.
They're reliable, adaptive and obsessed with quality. And while you can never be 100% guaranteed of perfection, you can be sure GoLocalise will go the extra mile to get it right every time. We've worked with them now for over 5 years and we are truly thankful to have such a strong localisation partner for our business.
Related services
The rest of your Thai project
Thai voice over
Native Thai voice actors, recorded in broadcast-quality studios.
Learn moreThai subtitling
Frame-accurate subtitles and captions, burnt in or as separate files.
Learn moreAll translation services
Our full audiovisual translation offer across 100+ languages.
Learn moreThai transcription
Verbatim or clean-read transcripts, with timecodes and speaker labels.
Learn moreAudiovisual translation in 100+ languages
Native translators for subtitles, voice over and any content. Browse another language, or ask us about yours.
Most common questions
How much does Thai translation cost?
Thai translation is priced per word for text and per minute for audiovisual, varying with volume, subject and turnaround. Send your files for a free, itemised quote, backed by our Price Match Promise.
Are your Thai translations done by native linguists?
Yes. Native Thai linguists translate and a second reviews every text, so it reads naturally and sits correctly on screen.
Do you provide Thai subtitling and voice over as well?
Yes — Thai translation, subtitling and voice over from one team, with the same reading-speed and line-break decisions applied across all three.
Why does Thai need a line-break check when English does not?
Because Thai is written without spaces between words. A space in Thai separates phrases, so nothing in the text tells the player or the browser where a line may break. The boundaries are worked out by a dictionary-based segmenter, and when it gets one wrong a word is split across two lines.
Can your subtitles be dropped straight into our player?
Yes, and we check how they break in practice. The same file can break differently in different players, which is why the check happens on the delivered file and not only in the editing tool.
How long can a Thai subtitle line be?
Where a house standard applies, 35 characters a line is the common setting, counted on the base characters — the tone marks and the vowels that sit above and below the line are not counted. We write to that from the start.
Will the Thai version be longer than the English?
We do not publish an expansion figure for Thai, because we have not found a source we trust for one. What we do instead is write to the space available and tell you at the brief if your layout is going to be tight.
Do you deliver Thai subtitles and voice-over scripts, not just documents?
Yes — audiovisual is our specialisation. We deliver spotted SRT/VTT and timed two-column voice-over scripts, plus translated text when you need it.
How quickly can a Thai translation project be delivered?
Most short documents are delivered within 24 to 48 hours. Word count, subject complexity and turnaround all move the date, and your project manager will confirm the timeline at the start.
Ready to start your Thai translation project?
Send us your documents, script or video and we'll come back with an exact, itemised quote.
Professional voice over services for your audio and video productions
Voice over
- State-of-the-art studios
- Neumann microphones
- On-hand sound engineers
- 1,000+ voice actors
Translation
- 100+ languages covered
- Tailored to your needs
- Stringent quality control
- Dedicated project managers
Subtitling
- Experienced subtitlers
- Industry-standard software
- Burn-in and graphic editing
- Open and closed captions
Transcription
- Improve accessibility
- Reach a wider audience
- Boost SEO and video views
- Maximise video engagement