The purpose of this study is to compare the characteristics of word problems used in a selection of Thai and Finnish mathematics textbooks. A total of 1,565 word problems from a series of 2nd grade to 4th grade Thai and Finnish mathematics textbooks were analysed. The results show that the characteristics of word problems used in Thai textbooks differ from Finnish textbooks in many aspects. A majority of word problems in Finnish textbooks are multi-step word problems, while in Thai textbooks, one-step word problems are more prominent. Finnish textbooks have a higher percentage of repetitive sections (ones that include only the same type of problems) than Thai textbooks. In both countries, word problems requiring the use of realistic considerations are infrequent, making up less than 5 percent of the total.