Reading 500 Review: A Thai-Focused English Reading Practice App With 500+ Questions
A good English reading practice app should do more than mark an answer right or wrong. Most learners do not struggle because they have done too few questions. They struggle because they cannot see why they keep missing the same kinds of questions: running out of time, guessing at unfamiliar words, or picking an answer that sounds right but has no support in the passage.
This review looks at Reading 500, an iPhone and iPad app from ChatStick built for Thai learners preparing for English exams. We cover what is inside the app, the features that matter most, how to use it efficiently, and what it costs, so you can decide whether it fits your exam goals. One thing to know up front: the explanations are written in Thai, so the app is best suited to Thai speakers.
Why reading scores often stall
The reading section of an English exam tests more than vocabulary. It measures separate skills: finding the main idea, inferring what the author implies, working out a word's meaning from context, and recognizing tone or purpose. If you only work through mixed question sets, you can put in a lot of hours without ever finding out which of those skills is holding you back.
Answer keys are the other common problem. Many of them give the correct letter and nothing else, so you never learn why your choice was wrong. Effective reading practice needs three things working together: questions at several difficulty levels, explanations that show the reasoning, and feedback that makes weak spots visible. That combination is the idea behind this app.
What is Reading 500?
Reading 500 is an English reading comprehension app designed for Thai students. It includes more than 160 original passages on topics such as technology, science, society, business and the environment, plus over 500 exam-style questions across 4 difficulty levels, from foundation to university-entrance standard.
Key features for focused reading practice
What sets the app apart from a plain question bank is that it shows the reasoning behind each answer and tells you what to work on next.
Detailed Thai explanations: each question explains why the right answer is right and why the other options are wrong.
Evidence Locator: highlights the supporting sentence in the passage, so you answer from the text rather than guess.
Reading Tips: short strategy advice for each skill.
Analysis across 18+ skills: including Main Idea, Inference, Vocabulary in Context, Tone and Author's Purpose.
Smart Practice: builds question sets automatically from the areas where you still make mistakes.
Wrong-Answer Notebook: keeps the questions you missed so you can review them later.
What is included in the app
Section | What you get |
Passages and questions | 160+ original passages and 500+ questions across 4 levels |
Vocabulary bank | 500+ words with translations, IPA, parts of speech and example sentences |
Mock Tests | Timed tests in several lengths with question navigator, flagging and a skill-by-skill summary |
Statistics | Reading Readiness, accuracy, reading speed (WPM), study time and streaks |
Vocabulary tools and progress tracking
While reading, you can tap a word to see its translation, IPA pronunciation, part of speech, example sentences, synonyms, antonyms and common collocations, then save it to your personal word bank. Saved words are reviewed with a Spaced Repetition System (SRS) that schedules each review, and there are several vocabulary quiz formats to test yourself.
For progress, the app shows a Reading Readiness score that updates in real time, accuracy charts for each skill, and Achievements to help you keep a regular routine. Together these make it easier to decide which skill deserves your attention next.
How to get the most out of it
Start at a difficulty level you can manage, so the app can collect accuracy data for each skill.
After every wrong answer, read the explanation and check the sentence shown by the Evidence Locator before moving on.
Use Smart Practice to drill your weaker skills instead of answering questions at random.
Save unfamiliar words from each passage and review them regularly with SRS.
Revisit your Wrong-Answer Notebook, then sit a timed Mock Test and study the skill summary.
Developer's note: all passages and questions are original, exam-style content. They are not real exam papers, and the app is not affiliated with any exam provider.
Who is this app for?
Reading 500 suits Thai-speaking learners preparing for TGAT, TOEIC, CU-TEP, CU-AAT, TU-GET or university entrance exams, as well as anyone who wants to improve their English reading with explanations in Thai. It works offline with no login, and your study data stays on your device, so it is easy to fit practice into a commute.
App information
Name: Reading 500 ตะลุยโจทย์อังกฤษ
Price: free to download; Unlock All Features in-app purchase is ฿99 as a one-time payment
Free Pass: watch an ad to unlock premium content temporarily, up to 3 times a day
Compatibility: iPhone (iOS 18.0 or later), iPad (iPadOS 18.0 or later), Mac with Apple M1 chip or later (macOS 15.0 or later) and Apple Vision (visionOS 2.0 or later)
Size: 13.2 MB
Age rating: 4+ (contains advertising)
Developer: ChatStick Company Limited
Frequently asked questions
Is Reading 500 free?
Yes, you can download it and start practicing for free. To use every feature without ads, the Unlock All Features purchase is ฿99 as a one-time payment with lifetime access. You can also watch ads for a temporary Free Pass, up to 3 times a day.
Does it work offline?
Yes. The app states that it works fully offline, needs no login, and keeps all study data on your device.
Are these real exam questions?
No. All passages and questions are original, exam-style content, and the app is not affiliated with any exam provider.
Do I need to read Thai to use it?
The explanations are written in Thai and the app is designed for Thai learners, so it will be most useful if you can read Thai comfortably.
Conclusion
If you can read Thai and want an English reading practice app that explains the reasoning behind each answer, tracks your weak skills and works without an internet connection, Reading 500 is worth trying. It costs nothing to start, so you can test the free content first and decide about the one-time unlock once you know it suits your exam preparation.
See all ChatStick apps on the App Store developer page
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