New Thai Version (NTV) ... The Beginning

In 1989 the leaders of the NTV team were riding in a taxi through the crowded streets of Bangkok. As usual the traffic was clogged to a standstill in the blistering heat of the famous city. The taxi driver began to vent his frustration with his current state of affairs. His economic and family situation seemed almost hopeless. We told him the good news of the salvation that comes through Jesus. He was deeply touched and as we were leaving we wished we could give him an accurate and readable Bible that he could understand. This was the genesis of our 30 year Bible translation project. The New Thai Version is a Bible that is done by biblical scholars and is both accurate and highly readable in language that Thai people can understand. It is a great Bible for the serious Bible student and also for someone who has never read the Bible before.

The first copies of the NTV came out in the early 1990s and it was then known as “Su Itsara” or “Into Freedom” (taken from the last words of Luke 4:18). Tens of thousands of copies were distributed throughout Thailand by organizations such as Campus Crusade For Christ and Youth With A Mission. At first we published just Luke and Acts and then later Luke, Acts, and John. OMF Publishing (Kanok Bannasan) in Bangkok did all the printing and distribution for our new translation.

In the year 1998 the New Testament was completed by the NTV team and again Kanok Bannasan did the printing and distribution of what was then called the New Thai Translation Version (NTTV). Many churches throughout Thailand used the translation and it became known for its accuracy, clarity, and smoothness of speech. It was popular on university campuses and was widely distributed among people reading the Bible for the first time. It was also used in Bible schools throughout Thailand.

By the year 2012 the name was changed to the New Thai Version (NTV) and now Genesis, Psalms, and Proverbs were added to the New Testament. Some prominent Thai pastors and Bible teachers used our translation. Throughout those years the NTV team continued to revise and improve the translation. Highly educated theologians and editors worked to polish the flow and clarity of the NTV. Throughout these 33 years the New Testament has gone through multiple revisions and the Old Testament has as well. This has been a predominantly Thai project from the beginning because we wanted the NTV to touch the hearts of the Thai people.

Now in 2023 the whole New Thai Version (NTV) is complete and is available digitally on YouVersion and Bible Gateway. The printed edition of the complete Bible is available at Kanok Bannasan (OMF Publishing) in Bangkok and some bookstores throughout Thailand and available in the United States through our website. Readers will be impressed by the accuracy, consistency, and clarity of the text. Our goal has always been to create a Thai translation of the complete Bible that will have a positive impact on our beloved nation of Thailand for hundreds of years.

“The grass writhers and the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.”

 - Isaiah 40:8