During the last century it has been noticed that English loanwords have played an important role in the Thai lexicon. English, instead of the long used Sanskritic languages, has become the most- favoured source for new vocabulary. Though there is a traditional preference for the Sankritic coinage, the influx of modern technology from the Western civilization is so strong that the English words which are the carrier of such influences have been accepted with an increasing rate of current usage, colloquially as well as in writing.
Although the British people traded with the Thais of Ayudhya in the reign of King Songtham (1610-1628 A.D.), English words were not taken to the Thai language until the early Ratanakosin period when the British expanded their trade and power to Southeast Asian territories. A study of documents in the reign of King Rama III (1824-1851 A.D.) shows some seventy English personal names, titles and place names written in Thai orthography. Some of them reflect a pronunciation very close to the English but others are beyond recognition.
The study of the English language began first among Thai princes and some officers in the reign of King Rama IV (1851-1868 A.D.) and become more widespread in the reign of King Rama V (1851-1868 A.D.). Since then English words began to invade the Thai language and at present more than 1000 English words are accepted in the standard Thai literature, not counting innumerous more in conversational forms and in informal usage among various professions such as scientific, industrial,trading and fashion circles.
Since World War II, there has been a large number of influx of English loanwords as a result of many interacting factors: more Thai students returning from their study in Europe and the United States of America; rapidity of communications and transportation between the Western world and Thailand; greater expansion of world industries and world trade; and the increased interest in Western styles of sports, entertainment and fashions brought about by the mass communication media. These loanwords have characteristics that are determined by the class and competency of the people who use them either in writing or in conversation of both. Their forms differ from one circle to another. Their written forms and meaning have undergone a number of attempts at standardization without general public acceptance. In general, one can notice very easily the differences in the pronunciation of educated and uneducated people. The educated people accept the foreign influence more readily than the uneducated people, who in most cases will retain the primary phonological system.