Thai font · FREE
Waree
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 Waree
Waree 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 Waree is
Waree is a free Thai sans-serif built on the Bitstream Vera Latin design with a Thai script added by the Thai Linux Working Group, giving it unusually solid, well-hinted Latin coverage for a free Thai face. It ships four styles and is free to download and redistribute.
According to Wikipedia’s National Fonts entry, Waree carries “Copyright (C) 2003 by Bitstream, Inc.” for its Vera base, with the TLWG Thai additions placed in the public domain and distributed alongside the other TLWG National Fonts. Its lineage means the Latin side behaves like the widely trusted Vera/DejaVu family.
For designers browsing the ThaiGraph font library, Waree is the free Thai sans to reach for when the Latin has to be as dependable as the Thai — for example in bilingual technical documents.
Character design and tone
Waree marries a looped (มีหัว) Thai script to the Bitstream Vera Latin, so its Latin has the sturdy, humanist-grotesque proportions of Vera while its Thai follows conventional looped construction. The overall tone is functional and neutral, engineered for clarity rather than character.
The Thai consonant heads on ก, ถ and ภ keep the traditional looped structure covered in our Thai typography guide, sitting at a weight that matches the robust Vera Latin. Because the Latin is inherited from a screen-optimised design, Waree renders cleanly at small sizes across both scripts.
The practical upshot is a free Thai–Latin sans where the Latin does not feel like an afterthought — a genuine advantage over many free Thai faces with weak Latin companions.
Weights and availability
Waree ships Regular and Bold, each with an oblique companion — four TrueType files in total — 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 broadly available for free Thai–Latin work.
Best use cases
Waree is the right choice when a bilingual Thai–Latin layout needs both scripts to be equally solid and free. Strong briefs:
- Bilingual technical documents, manuals and specifications with heavy Latin content
- Open-source and Linux localisation needing dependable Thai plus Vera-grade Latin
- Data tables and interfaces mixing Thai text with Latin numerals and code
- Non-profit and budget projects requiring a trustworthy free Thai–Latin sans
- Cross-script documents where Latin quality usually forces a commercial licence
Where it doesn’t fit: expressive branding and display — for personality and modern weight ranges, an OFL release is the better tool.
Pairings
Waree pairs with other quiet document faces or stands alone across bilingual material. Three pairings:
- Sarabun — OFL body sans as a modern companion or replacement
- TH Sarabun New — the government-standard Thai document face for formal layouts
- Cordia New — the legacy Windows Thai sans for cross-platform office work
Licensing
Waree is free to use: its Bitstream Vera base carries the permissive Vera licence and the TLWG Thai additions are in the public domain, so the font 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 matching Latin, see Sarabun or browse the free fonts category.
Frequently asked questions about Waree
Is Waree free for commercial use?
Yes — Waree 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 Waree have?
Waree ships in 2 weights: Regular, Bold. Pick a heavier weight for display and headlines, and a Regular or lighter weight for body text and long-form reading.
Does Waree support Latin and English characters?
Yes — Waree 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 Waree?
Get Waree from TLWG (based on Bitstream Vera). 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 Waree?
The closest alternatives to Waree are Leelawadee, Cordia New, Browallia New. 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 Waree?
Waree was designed by TLWG (based on Bitstream Vera), released in 2003. Full designer credit and the primary source are listed at the bottom of this page.
Information verified as of July 2026
Sources
- Waree is a looped Thai sans-serif based on Bitstream Vera ('Copyright (C) 2003 by Bitstream, Inc.'), with the TLWG Thai additions in the public domain, distributed as part of the TLWG National Fonts package.—National Fonts — Wikipedia (accessed Jul 16, 2026)
- Waree is distributed as a free TrueType family in the Thai Font Collection, shipping Regular, Bold, Oblique and Bold Oblique styles.—Thai Font Collection (jeffmcneill) — nectec-tlwg folder (accessed Jul 16, 2026)