PURPOSE: To provide a thermal head capable of performing halftone recording, by such a simple control circuit that a pluraity of one electrodes are embedded in a linear heat generating body in the longitudinal direction thereof so as to leave intervals therebetween and other electrodes are embedded in said heat generating body between said electrodes in up-and-down double stages.

CONSTITUTION: A plurality of one electrodes 3 are embedded in the heat generating body 2 provided to a substrate 1 in the longitudinal direction thereof so as to leave intervals therebetween and plutal stages of other electrodes 4a, 4b are embedded in said heat generating body between the electrodes 3 in up-and- down double stages. First heat generating resistance 2a is provided between the lower electrode 4a and the electrode 3 while second heat generating resistance 2b between the upper electrode 4b and the electrode 3 and four stages of controls such that a current is supplied only to the first heat generating resistance 2a, only to the second heat generating resistance 2b and both of them or not supplied to both of them can be performed. As a result, halftone recording can be performed by a simple control circuit.