Final answer:
Thomas's age is 27.
Step-by-step explanation:
We can solve this problem by setting up an equation. Let's say Thomas's age is x.
According to the problem, Huilan's age is two times Thomas's age, so we can write this as 2x. The sum of their ages is given as 81, so we can set up the equation x + 2x = 81.
Combining like terms, we get 3x = 81. Dividing both sides by 3, we find that x = 27.
Therefore, Thomas's age is 27.