Thai font · FREE
Umpush
Information verified as of July 2026
How to install & use
- Windows — Download the .zip, unzip it, then right-click the .ttf/.otf file → “Install”.
- macOS — Double-click the .ttf/.otf file, then click “Install Font” in Font Book.
- Web — Self-host the font files and declare them with @font-face in your CSS.
Preview Umpush
Umpush is a foundry/desktop font, so it can’t be embedded as a free webfont for a live preview here. See the specimen above for the real letterforms, or load your own text into the Thai Font Tester to compare it against the free Google Fonts alternatives.
What Umpush is
Umpush is a free, GPL-licensed looped Thai sans-serif from the TLWG National Fonts, notable among the free set for offering a Light weight in addition to Regular and Bold. It is built for document and interface text and is free to download, modify and redistribute.
According to Wikipedia’s National Fonts entry, Umpush carries two copyright lines — “NECTEC, 2003” and “Widhaya Trisarnwadhana, 2007” — reflecting a NECTEC origin later developed by Widhaya Trisarnwadhana and released under the GNU GPL by the Thai Linux Working Group.
For designers browsing the ThaiGraph font library, Umpush is the free National sans with the widest tonal range, thanks to that extra Light cut that lets it read a touch more elegantly than Garuda or Loma.
Character design and tone
Umpush is a looped (มีหัว) Thai sans with clean, even strokes and a slightly more refined finish than the plainer National sans faces, helped by its three-weight range. The tone stays practical, but the Light weight opens up a softer, airier option.
The looped consonant heads on ก, ถ and ภ follow the traditional Thai structure discussed in our Thai typography guide, keeping text legible at small sizes. The availability of Light, Regular and Bold means Umpush can carry a small amount of hierarchy on its own, which the two-weight National faces cannot.
The Latin companion is a plain, functional sans covering the basics, suitable for mixed Thai–English documents and interfaces.
Weights and availability
Umpush ships in three weights — Light, Regular and Bold — with oblique companions, and is free to download. Get it from the Thai Font Collection on GitHub, packaged with the rest of the TLWG National Fonts.
The font is not on Google Fonts, but it is bundled in the fonts-tlwg package and installed on most Linux systems, making it one of the more versatile free Thai sans faces available.
Best use cases
Umpush is the right choice when a Thai layout needs a free sans with a little more range than the other National faces. Strong briefs:
- Thai documents and reports that benefit from a Light weight for airier body text
- Linux and open-source UI localisation needing a legible, free Thai sans
- Simple layouts wanting light/regular/bold hierarchy without a commercial licence
- Non-profit and budget branding that needs more than one usable weight for free
- Bilingual documents mixing Thai and Latin at no cost
Where it doesn’t fit: display and premium branding — for expressive sans-serif Thai with full weight ranges, a Google Fonts release is the better tool.
Pairings
Umpush works well on its own across a document or paired with a quieter body face. Three pairings:
- Sarabun — OFL body sans as a modern companion or replacement
- TH Sarabun New — the official Thai document face for formal report furniture
- Leelawadee — the Windows-bundled Thai sans for cross-platform office layouts
Licensing
Umpush is free software from NECTEC and Widhaya Trisarnwadhana, maintained by TLWG under the GNU General Public License, so it is free to use, modify and redistribute. Verify the terms in the fonts-tlwg licence file and download from the Thai Font Collection. For a modern SIL OFL Thai sans with more weights, see Sarabun or browse the free fonts category.
Frequently asked questions about Umpush
Is Umpush free for commercial use?
Yes — Umpush is free for both personal and commercial use. You can use it in client work, apps, products, and websites at no cost, and self-host or embed it. The only OFL condition is that you don’t sell the font files on their own.
How many weights does Umpush have?
Umpush ships in 3 weights: Light, Regular, Bold. Pick a heavier weight for display and headlines, and a Regular or lighter weight for body text and long-form reading.
Does Umpush support Latin and English characters?
Yes — Umpush includes a Latin character set alongside Thai, so it can set English and Thai in one typeface. That makes it a practical choice for bilingual branding, packaging, and UI.
Where can I download Umpush?
Get Umpush from NECTEC / TLWG. Use the download/license button at the top of this page for the official source — avoid third-party font sites, which often ship outdated or unlicensed files.
What fonts are similar to Umpush?
The closest alternatives to Umpush are Leelawadee, Cordia New, Thasadith. They share a similar style and use case, so they’re the first faces to compare if you need a different weight range, license, or price.
Who designed Umpush?
Umpush was designed by Widhaya Trisarnwadhana at NECTEC / TLWG, released in 2007. Full designer credit and the primary source are listed at the bottom of this page.
Information verified as of July 2026
Sources
- Umpush is a looped Thai sans-serif carrying 'Copyright (C) 2003 NECTEC' and 'Copyright (c) 2007 Widhaya Trisarnwadhana', released under the GNU GPL and distributed as part of the TLWG National Fonts package.—National Fonts — Wikipedia (accessed Jul 16, 2026)
- Umpush is distributed as a free TrueType family in the Thai Font Collection, shipping Light, Regular and Bold weights with oblique companions (six files).—Thai Font Collection (jeffmcneill) — nectec-tlwg folder (accessed Jul 16, 2026)