Prathet

Prathet is the Thai noun 般ประเทศ (phonetically prathet), meaning "country" or "nation." It is used in Thai to refer to a sovereign state or homeland and serves as a foundational element in the names of countries in Thai language.

In Thai, prathet commonly appears in compound forms that name specific countries. Thailand is called ประเทศไทย (Prathet Thai), literally "the country of Thai people." Other examples include ประเทศลาว (Prathet Lao) for Laos and ประเทศกัมพูชา (Prathet Kampuchea) for Cambodia. Beyond country names, the term appears in general phrases such as ประเทศสมาชิก (prathet samanuk) meaning “member countries” and ประเทศที่พัฒนาแล้ว (prathet thi phatthana laeo) meaning “developed countries.”

Pronunciation and transliteration follow Thai phonology. In the Royal Thai General System of Transcription (RTGS), the word is transliterated as "prathet." In English-language writing, “Prathet” may appear as part of Thai place names or discussions about Thai terminology, whereas the country Thailand is the common English name for the nation.

Overview and usage context: Prathet is a neutral, everyday term in Thai not limited to political discourse. It functions as the generic word for any country when paired with a specific demonym or name, and it is widely found in education, media, diplomacy, and law to label sovereign states.

See also: Thai language, Thailand, country name conventions in Thai, RTGS transliteration.