The 'Decision of the Constitutional Court No. 12-14/2553' which is published in the Government Gazette using the font "TH Sarabun PSK"
The National Fonts (Thai: ฟอนต์แห่งชาติ; RTGS: [font] haeng chat)[1] are 2 sets of free and open-sourcecomputer fonts for the Thai script sponsored by the Thai government. In 2001, the first set of fonts was released by NECTEC. The 3 Thai typefaces in the set; Kinnari, Garuda and Norasi; were intended to be public alternatives to the widely used commercial typefaces.[2] Later on, Thai Linux Working Group (TLWG) released these 3 typefaces alongside 10 others as Fonts-TLWG software package.[3][4] In 2006,[5] a computer font competition was held. 13 of these typefaces won the competition and later got adopted by the Government of Thailand as public and official fonts. Later in 2021, another typeface, Chulabhorn Likhit was selected as the 14th typeface in the set. Thus, the set has gained the nickname of fourteen National Fonts. The typefaces and all of their subsequently developed versions are released by the Software Industry Promotion Agency (SIPA), together with the Department of Intellectual Property through f0nt.com. Hence another nickname for the set, SIPA fonts (ฟอนต์ซิป้า).[6][7] In 2018, 13 of these typefaces from this set have been revised by a local font foundryCadson Demak (คัดสรร ดีมาก), along with Google Fonts.[8][9]
History
Typefaces by NECTEC and Thai Linux Working Group
In 2001, the first "National Fonts" set was released by NECTEC. It contains three Thai typefaces: Kinnari, Garuda, and Norasi. These typefaces were intended to be public alternatives to the widely used, yet licence-restricted, commercial typefaces that came bundled with major operating systems and applications.[2] Later on, Thai Linux Working Group (TLWG) released these 3 typefaces alongside 10 others as Fonts-TLWG software package. Aside from Waree, the other 12 typefaces were released under GPL.[3][4]
2006 competition
On 2 August 2006,[5]Abhisit Vejjajiva's Council of Ministers organised a competition to replace all existing fonts the Thai Government had bought from the private sector, including Microsoft's Angsana New, Browalia New, Cordia New, and EucrosiaUPC, which were extensively used at that time, with fonts created by Thai nationals. The competition was part of the "Standard Fonts for Thai Public Sectors" Project (โครงการฟอนต์มาตรฐานราชการไทย) proposed by the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology. The Ministry was quoted as saying: "...Various fonts are now used among the public agencies, that's why the state papers have never become standard. The fonts are also from the private companies which monopolise the rights over them, so we cannot use them as much as we should...".[10][11]
On 7 September 2010, the Council of Ministers officially announced the thirteen fonts as the public fonts, naming them the "national fonts". The public agencies were ordered to use these fonts, especially TH Sarabun PSK, in their state papers. They were required to cease to use the private sector's fonts by 5 December 2010, King Bhumibol Adulyadej's 83rd birthday. The legislative branch and the judicial branch were also asked for cooperation.[12]
Revision by Cadson Demak and Google Fonts
In 2018, Cadson Demak a local font foundry worked with Google Fonts to revise all existing 13 National Fonts, providing them with more hinting, a wider range of weights, and better Unicode support. There is also a new font "Thasadith"[13] which was inspired by TH Srisakdi. All of those fonts were released under Open Font License.[8][14] Cadson Demak expected that the release of these revised National Fonts to Google Fonts would result in higher adoption of Thai looped typefaces compared to Thai loopless typefaces.[9]
Chulabhorn Likhit
On 6 July 2021, the Council of Ministers officially approved the royal font set "Chulabhorn Likhit", the 14th Thai government standard font set as proposed by the Chulabhorn Royal Academy. The font is named to celebrate Princess Chulabhorn on the occasion of her 64th birthday and her graduation from the Doctor of Philosophy program in the Visual Arts Department, Faculty of Painting, Sculpture and Graphic Arts at Silpakorn University.[15]
Adoption
Thai Wikipedia
The font "TH Sarabun PSK" is used on the Thai Wikipedia's current logo.
The font "TH Sarabun PSK" has been used in the Government Gazette of Thailand (Thai: ราชกิจจานุเบกษา; RTGS: Ratchakitchanubeksa) since January 2011, replacing Angsana New. The Gazette's first volume using such font is volume 128, part 1 A, dated 7 January 2011, in which the "Ministerial Regulation Determining the Criteria and Procedure for Acknowledging the Aircraft Type Certificates or Supplementary Type Certificates issues by the State Parties to the Conventions governing the Application for Certificates of Airworthiness or by the States with which Thailand has adopted the similar Agreements, BE 2553 (2010)" ("กฎกระทรวงกำหนดหลักเกณฑ์และวิธีการรับรองใบรับรองแบบอากาศยานหรือใบรับรองแบบส่วนเพิ่มเติมที่ออกโดยรัฐภาคีแห่งอนุสัญญาหรือประเทศที่ได้ทำความตกลงกับประเทศไทย เพื่อขอใบสำคัญสมควรเดินอากาศ พ.ศ. 2553") was published.[17]
List of typefaces
Fonts-TLWG
The following table list all 13 typefaces published by Thai Linux Working Group in the Fonts-TLWG software package; including Kinnari, Garuda and Norasi.
Name
Etymology
Designers
External links
1.
Kinnari
A kinnari is a female counterpart of a kinnara, a creature from Hindu and Buddhist mythology.
Copyright (C) 1999 Db Type. All Rights Reserved.
Copyright (C) 2007 National Electronics and Computer Technology Center.
Copyright (C) 1999, The National Font Project (v.beta).
Yannis Haralambous, Virach Sornlertlamvanich and Anutara Tantraporn.
All rights reserved.
Modified under GNU General Public License, with creators' permission,
by Thai Linux Working Group (TLWG).
"TH Sarabun New" is a new revision of "TH Sarabun PSK", initially released on August 19, 2011. The latest version of "TH Sarabun New" is the version 1.35 which fix issues with Microsoft Office for Mac, released on November 15, 2019.[18]
The font is named after a Thai particle "Krub" (ครับ, RTGS: Khrap).
Ekkalak Phianphanawet
4.
TH Srisakdi
The name "Srisakdi" (ศรีศักดิ์, RTGS: Si Sak) means prestige. The font is inspired by "court style", a style of writing prominent during the Thonburi Kingdom and the early Rattanakosin Kingdom. A font family on Google Fonts by Cadson Demak, Thasadith, is based on TH Srisakdi.
Aksaramethi Team (ทีมอักษราเมธี), consisting of Phairot Piamprachakphong (ไพโรจน์ เปี่ยมประจักพงษ์) Bowon Chonradon and (บวร จรดล)
5.
TH Niramit AS
The name "Niramit" (นิรมิต) means being invented by magic.
The name "July8" refers to the Buddhist observance marking the beginning of Vassa, also known as Buddhist Lent.
Kan Rotsawat (กานต์ รอดสวัสดิ์)
9.
TH Mali Grade 6
It is the handwriting of a grade-6 girl named "Little Jasmine" or "Mali" (เด็กหญิงมะลิ), a character created by the designer.
Sudarat Leotsithong (สุดารัตน์ เลิศสีทอง)
10.
TH Chakra Petch
The name "Chakra Petch" (จักรเพชร, RTGS: Chak Phet) means a crystal chakram. According to Google Font's metrics, Chakra Petch is the most popular looped Thai typeface.
Thirawat Photwibunsiri (ธีรวัฒน์ พจน์วิบูลศิริ)
11.
TH Bai Jamjuree CP
The name "Bai Jamjuree" (ใบจามจุรี, RTGS: Bai Chamchuri) means 'the leaves of a rain tree'.
PITA Team, consisting of Rapee Suveeranont (รพี สุวีรานนท์) and Virot Chiraphadhanakul (วิโรจน์ จิรพัฒนกุล)
12.
TH KoHo
"KoHo" refers to the first and last consonants of the Thai writing system, ko kai (ก ไก่) and ho nok-huk (ฮ นกฮูก).
Ko-Ho Group (กลุ่ม ก-ฮ), or A-Z Group, consisting of Kham Chaturongkhakun (ขาม จาตุรงคกุล), Kanokwan Phaenthaisong (กนกวรรณ แพนไธสง) and Khanittha Sitthiyaem (ขนิษฐา สิทธิแย้ม)
13.
TH Fah Kwang
The name "Fah Kwang" (ฟ้ากว้าง, RTGS: Fa Kwang) means 'the sky is wide' or 'the wide sky'.
Team Eleven (ทีมสิบเอ็ด), consisting of Kitti Sirirattanabunchai (กิตติ ศิริรัตนบุญชัย) and Niwat Phattharowat (วัฒน์ ภัทโรวาสน์)
^ abPracha Suveeranont. "ฟอนต์แห่งชาติ". ๑๐ ตัวพิมพ์ กับ ๑๐ ยุคสังคมไทย (10 Faces of Thai Type and Thai Nation) (in Thai). Thaifaces. Retrieved 22 May 2020. Originally exhibited 18–31 October 2002 at the Jamjuree Art Gallery, Chulalongkorn University, and published in Sarakadee. 17 (211). September 2002.
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