For the past 10+ years, Duolingo has been my go-to app to learn languages.
Every time I go to a new country, I use the app to learn the basics.
But when I decided to learn Thai, I realized that it wasn’t available on the app!
Yeah, you read that right, you can’t learn Thai on Duolingo.
You can learn Klingon (that weird galactic language from Star Trek) and Welsh, but not Thai.
So the best alternative is Ling.
Ling app is similar to Duolingo in the way it teaches you languages (through games and repetition).
And it now offers more than 60 languages, including Thai.
They even started with Thai, as their team is based in Thailand.
So they know about the Thai language.
Why Thai Is Not On Duolingo?
This is the question everybody asks.
There are threads about it on Duolingo help section, on Reddit, on Quora, and other places online.
And it’s impossible to know exactly why not.
Duolingo has a course to learn English, from Thai.
So their app works with the Thai language.
It’s not that the language is too complicated
And Thailand being the number one destination in the world, there’s not a lack of interest in the language.
So, the absence of Thai on Duolingo remains a mystery.
And you know what? We may never know the answer.
But don’t worry, I have good news for you.
There’s an excellent alternative out there for us to learn Thai – the Ling App.
The Best Alternative To Duolingo: Ling
Unlike Duolingo, Ling has a whole course dedicated to Thai.
Even better, even if Ling has over 60 languages now, it started as an app to learn Thai.
The team is based in Thailand and mostly includes Thai people.
So you know they’ve built the perfect app to teach you Thai!
Plus, if like me you like Duolingo, you’ll see that Ling is quite similar to Duolingo, and in some ways, better.
With Ling, you get to learn Thai through practical situations.
We’re talkin’ about real-world examples here.
You’ll pick up Thai phrases to order at a restaurant, book a hotel, negotiate prices at the market, etc.
Pretty handy.
Ling also has interactive learning.
The app offers games, quizzes, and even challenges to keep you engaged and make learning fun.
Trust me, you’ll be coming back for more!
And like in Duolingo, in Ling you can track your progress.
You can track your learning journey, see the areas you’ve improved, and know where you need to get better.
It’s like having a personal Thai tutor in your pocket.
So, if you felt lost about Duolingo not offering Thai, don’t be.
Ling is here to save the day!
Read my review of Ling (coming soon)