Video highlights gap between textbook Thai and real-life handwritingListen to this articleScreenshot from IG: @ThaibychomA video posted by the social media account @ThaibyChom, which teaches Thai to foreigners, has gone viral, sparking heated discussion and highlighting the striking contrast between textbook Thai script and how the language is commonly written by native speakers. The content compares the neatly structured Thai characters taught in school textbooks with the informal, often untidy handwriting of most Thais in the real world. Most viewers, Thai and foreign, agreed the portrayal was highly accurate, noting that Thai handwriting can be far more difficult to decipher than its textbook counterpart. The discussion took a new turn when one social media user shared samples of handwritten notes from Anutin Charnvirakul, leader of the Bhumjaithai Party and a prominent contender for prime minister at the Feb 8 polls. His handwriting, dating back to his early years, prompted widespread amusement, with many commenting that it resembled the notoriously hard-to-read script often associated with doctors.

Source: Bangkok Post January 12, 2026 12:15 UTC