Taviraj

Taviraj is a serif Latin and looped Thai typeface that has a wide structure that ensures readability and legibility. It is well-suited for formal usage. Thai letters have thick and thin strokes, similar to the Latin, together with rounded and airy looped terminals. Taviraj is a 9 weight family that includes italics.

Taviraj is a Thai word that refers to the last two kings of Krungsri Ayutthaya, the former capital of Thailand. People also metaphorically refer to Taviraj as the fall of a dynasty, and that is the reason why it appeared in the poem written by King Rama V regarding the situation of Siam being threatened by French expansionism, with his majesty expressing his sorrow towards the possibility of the end of his era. A traditional Thai style of typeface is called “farangses,” which means french, and Taviraj is in this genre. This contradiction highlights its origin.

A similarity between some glyphs such as ก ถ ภ ฤ ฦ and ฎ ฏ is something to take into consideration because it might lead to confusion when typesetting very short texts. Taviraj takes a specific approach when dealing with the thick and thin strokes of Thai glyphs. Other type designers of Thai fonts may like to use this approach as a reference. Formal looped Thai typefaces have delicate details so care must be taken when expanding them to heavier weights, to retain all the details. The size and position of Thai vowel and tone marks has been managed carefully because they are all relevant to readability, legibility, and overall texture.

The Taviraj project is led by Cadson Demak, a type foundry in Thailand. To contribute, see github.com/cadsondemak/taviraj