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typography tutorial \u00b7 beginner · 15 min

Guide to Thai Type Foundries

Portrait of Narongsak Chaiwong, Typography Specialist at ThaiGraph

By Narongsak Chaiwong

Typography & Licensing Specialist, ThaiGraph ·

Information verified as of April 2026

What this guide covers

This guide profiles the six sources of Thai type that designers in 2026 actually use: Cadson Demak, Katatrad, PSL Smart Font, DB Thai Text, the f0nt.com community, and the Thai National Font set. Read time fifteen minutes; the goal is to know who makes which fonts, where to license them, and what kind of work each foundry is best suited to.

Cadson Demak \u2014 the modern loopless leader

Cadson Demak is the most internationally visible Thai type foundry, founded in Bangkok in 2002 by Anuthin Wongsunkakon and Pracha Suveeranont, and the foundry that pioneered the loopless Thai type movement. Their catalogue (Sarabun, Kanit, Prompt, IBM Plex Thai, Mitr, Athiti, Bai Jamjuree, Charm, Charmonman, Fahkwang, Itim, K2D, Niramit, Pattaya, Pridi, Sriracha, Taviraj, Chakra Petch) is the de facto canon for contemporary Thai branding work. Most of their fonts ship free under SIL OFL through Google Fonts; their commercial-only fonts are licensed via cadsondemak.com.

Katatrad \u2014 craft and editorial

Katatrad is a smaller Bangkok foundry focused on craft and editorial work \u2014 their fonts are characterised by humanist construction and narrow weight ranges intended for editorial display rather than UI. The catalogue is commercial; licenses are negotiated through the foundry directly. Brand and editorial designers working on heritage hospitality and museum projects reach for Katatrad first.

PSL Smart Font \u2014 the commercial workhorse

PSL Smart Font, founded by Pongsak Suvanavejborirak, has been the largest commercial Thai foundry by font count for over two decades \u2014 their catalogue covers everything from headline display to body sans to specialty script. PSL fonts are commercial; rates are published on pslfontstore.com. PSL fonts dominate Thai print publication and are commonly seen on government correspondence and educational publications.

DB Thai Text \u2014 corporate type

DB Thai Text is a commercial foundry whose catalogue includes the DB Helvethaica X family (a Thai adaptation of Helvetica that is widely used in Thai corporate identity work) and the DB Adman X family (a popular display geometric). Licensing is per-seat; rates are negotiated through dbthaitext.com. DB Thai Text is the foundry of choice for Thai corporate work where Helvetica equivalence matters.

The f0nt.com community

f0nt.com is the largest community Thai font repository, hosting over 400 fonts from independent designers and hobbyist foundries \u2014 the quality range is wide and the licensing is variable. Most f0nt fonts are free for personal use only; commercial use requires direct foundry permission. The community has produced occasional standout commercial fonts (Mitr precursor, several display faces), but the typical use case is sketching and student work rather than commercial projects.

The Thai National Font set

The Thai National Font set is a state-funded SIL OFL release of thirteen Thai font families, published by the Department of Intellectual Property in 2010 with the explicit goal of giving Thai government and educational institutions a free, commercial-use-safe font supply. The thirteen families include TH Sarabun New (the de facto Thai government default), TH Niramit AS, TH Mali Grade 6, TH Krub, TH Charm of AU, TH Fah Kwang, TH Charmonman, TH Kodchasal, TH K2D July8, TH Mali Grade 6, TH Sarabun PSK, TH Bai Jamjuree CP, and TH Charm of AU. All thirteen are commercial-use safe.

Where to find each foundry

For full license guidance see Understanding Thai Font Licensing. For the canonical list of fonts in each foundry’s catalogue, browse the font directory.

Which foundry for which brief

The match between brief and foundry is more practical than aesthetic. A modern startup brand identity that needs a single licensable family across desktop, web, and broadcast is a Cadson Demak brief. An editorial museum or hospitality identity that needs craft-quality humanist construction is a Katatrad brief. A government or educational publication that needs a commercial-safe Thai default is a National Font Set brief (Sarabun). A corporate identity that needs Helvetica-equivalent Thai is a DB Thai Text brief. A high-volume publication printer that needs a deep catalogue of styles for a magazine layout is a PSL brief. A student exploring Thai type history is an f0nt.com brief.

Next steps

Browse the full font directory for individual font entries, or read the Thai Typography pillar for the broader context.

Information verified as of April 2026

Sources

  1. Cadson Demak, founded in Bangkok in 2002 by Anuthin Wongsunkakon and Pracha Suveeranont, pioneered the modern loopless Thai type movement.—Cadson Demak — Studio retrospective, Typotheque Journal, 2022 (accessed Apr 10, 2026)
  2. The Thai National Font set comprises 13 OFL-licensed Thai font families released by the Department of Intellectual Property in 2010.—Thailand Department of Intellectual Property — National Font Project, 2010 (accessed Apr 10, 2026)
  3. PSL Smart Font, founded by Pongsak Suvanavejborirak, has been the largest commercial Thai foundry by font count for over two decades.—PSL Smart Font — corporate profile, 2024 (accessed Apr 10, 2026)