The FSI Thai Basic Course, Volumes I and II, provides introductory materials in modern spoken Thai for the student who wants to learn to Speak and understand the language used by an estimated 20 to 22 million people in Thailand.

The programmed introduction to Thai phonology which occupies the first 25 pages of Volume I is the work of Warren G. Yates, chairman of the Department of East Asian Languages at the Foreign Service Institute. Dr. Yates and Absorn Tryon, Thai language instructor at FSI, are co-authors of the 40 lessons comprising the core of the course.

In the early stages of the project, Richard B. Noss, then chairman of the FSI Department of East Asian Languages made valuable suggestions. The authors have made extensive use of Dr. Noss's Thai Reference Grammar in the preparation of these volumes, and users will find that they are often referred to for fuller explanations.

Mr. Prapas Kanchanandul contributed drills and assisted in matters of Thai language usage. Mrs. Tryon re-read the entire text of both volumes in Thailand in late 1969 and suggested changes to make the materials current.

Mrs. Phongchan Nabanchang collected and organized the items in the glossaries which appear at the end of each lesson and the the comprehensive glossary for both volumes which appears at the end of Volume I. Irma C. Ponce typed the camera copy of the entire text while Miss Chotchai Kambhu, Mr. Prasert Crupiti and Mr. Thaworn Jireivat assisted in proofreading, having previously participated in the classroom trials of the new materials in pre-publication form. Thai language textual material was tape recorded in the FSI Language Laboratory under the direction of Gary Alley with technical assistance from Jose M. Ramirez and Arthur Young.

The Foreign Service Institute gratefully acknowledges the financial assistance of the U.S. Office of Education which has made the preparation and publication of these volumes possible.