In this series of article, I will describe a use of LaTeX as a document preparation platform for Thai document in Win32 (WinXP) environment.

There are numerous reason why one should use LaTeX: free (both gratis and libre), easy, content-oriented, etc. However, my particular reason is that it resembles programming and fits more perfectly to my style. Typing math is also much less painful, if not joyous.

LaTeX is bundled with almost every Linux distros. In Win32, MiKTeX is a well respect port of the LaTeX on window or you can try proTeXt, a MiKTeX derivation which bundles GUI editor and viewer.

Using Thai language in LaTeX requires some modification. In Linux, a thailatex package by Khun Theppitak Karoonboonyanan, a debian contributor, provides an update to the latex allowing Thai language to be used. Debian user are blessed with the binary package while other distro user can use the source package with equal result.

In Windows, the situation become more complex. The port of thailatex package for MiKTeX is done by Chaiyakorn Yingsaeree and available at MiKTeX Thai Extension. However, this package does not work with MiKTeX 2.5, the current stable release. It works flawlessly with MiKTeX 2.4 but the MiKTeX project page no longer provides the 2.4 version anymore. Moreover, the repository of 2.4 is also removed, i.e., even you have the minimal installer for 2.4, you cannot install it, unless you also have the local repository.

In forthcoming articles, I will concern about the installation and configuration of LaTeX in Windows for Thai language, the workflow of the LaTeX and finally, I will describe an example of a style file for Chulalongkorn University thesis format.

Stay tuned.