Editing Thai language (section)

== Classification ==
{{Further|Kra–Dai languages|Tai languages|Tai peoples}}
Standard Thai is classified as one of the Chiang Saen languages—others being [[Northern Thai language|Northern Thai]], [[Southern Thai language|Southern Thai]] and numerous smaller languages, which together with the Northwestern Tai and Lao-Phutai languages, form the [[Southwestern Tai languages|Southwestern]] branch of [[Tai languages]]. The Tai languages are a branch of the [[Kra–Dai languages|Kra–Dai language family]], which encompasses a large number of indigenous languages spoken in an arc from [[Hainan]] and [[Guangxi]] south through Laos and Northern Vietnam to the Cambodian border.

Standard Thai is the principal language of education and government and spoken throughout Thailand. The standard is based on the dialect of the central Thai people, and it is written in the [[Thai script]].
[[File:"tooth" in Kra-Dai languages.svg|thumb|384x384px|Example of divergence among the Kra-Dai Languages]]
{{clade
|label1=[[Kra-Dai languages|Kra-Dai]]
|1={{clade
|    1=[[Hlai languages]]
|    2=[[Kam-Sui languages]]
|    3=[[Kra languages]]
|    4=[[Be language]]
|    label5=[[Tai languages]]
|    5={{clade
|       1=[[Northern Tai languages]]
|       2=[[Central Tai languages]]
|  label4=[[Southwestern Tai languages]]
|       4={{clade
|           label1=Northwestern Tai languages
|                1={{clade
|                  1=[[Khamti language]]
|                  2=[[Tai Lue language]]
|                  3=[[Shan language]]
|                  4=others}}
|           label2=Chiang Saen languages
|                2={{clade
|                  1=[[Northern Thai language]]
|                  label2=Sukhothai language
|                       2={{clade
|                       1='''Thai language'''
|                       2=[[Southern Thai language]]}}}}
|           label3=Lao-Phuthai languages
|                3={{clade
|                  1=[[Tai Yo language]]
|                  2=[[Phu Thai language|Phuthai language]]
|                  3=[[Lao language]] (PDR Lao, [[Isan language]])
}}
}}
}}
}}
}}