Phrase guide · Thai
43 phrases for greeting people, bargaining at markets, getting around by taxi and tuk-tuk, and ordering street food in Thailand. Every one comes in Thai script with tone-marked romanization, so you can say it, or point to it.
Thai · Travel phrasesขอบคุณ
khàwp khun
Thank you.
Sàwàtdii covers hello and goodbye at any time of day. Thais often say it with a wai, palms pressed together.
| Thai | Romanization | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| สวัสดีครับ / สวัสดีค่ะ | sàwàtdii khráp / sàwàtdii khâ | Hello.Said by a man / by a woman. It also means goodbye |
| สบายดีไหม | sàbaai dii mái? | How are you?Usually asked when you haven't seen someone for a while |
| สบายดี แล้วคุณล่ะ | sàbaai dii, láew khun lâ? | I'm fine, and you? |
| มาจากไหน | maa jàak nǎi? | Where are you from?You'll hear this a lot. Answer maa jàak and your country |
| ไปก่อนนะ | pai kàwn ná | Bye for now.Said by the person leaving. Literally “going first” |
Thai has no everyday word for please. Start a request with khǎw and end it with khráp or khâ.
| Thai | Romanization | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ขอบคุณครับ / ขอบคุณค่ะ | khàwp khun khráp / khàwp khun khâ | Thank you. |
| ขอบคุณมาก | khàwp khun mâak | Thank you very much. |
| ไม่เป็นไร | mâi pen rai | You're welcome. / No problem.Also means never mind or it's OK |
| ขอ... | khǎw ... | Can I have ..., please?Add what you want. The menu, please: khǎw meenuu |
| ใช่ / ไม่ใช่ | châi / mâi châi | Yes. / No.Literally “that's right / that's not right” |
| ถ่ายรูปได้ไหม | thàai rûup dâi mái? | Can I take a photo?Put dâi mái? after an action to ask if it's OK |
| ขอโทษครับ / ขอโทษค่ะ | khǎw thôot khráp / khǎw thôot khâ | Excuse me. / Sorry.To apologize, get someone's attention or squeeze past |
Thai is tonal, so it can take a second try to be understood. These phrases help when you get stuck.
| Thai | Romanization | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| พูดภาษาอังกฤษได้ไหม | phûut phaasǎa angkrìt dâi mái? | Do you speak English? |
| ไม่เข้าใจ | mâi khâo jai | I don't understand. |
| พูดอีกทีได้ไหม | phûut ìik thii dâi mái? | Could you say that again? |
| พูดช้าๆ หน่อยได้ไหม | phûut cháa cháa nàwy dâi mái? | Could you speak more slowly? |
| พูดไทยได้นิดหน่อย | phûut thai dâi nít nàwy | I speak a little Thai. |
Haggling is normal at markets like Chatuchak, as long as you keep it friendly. Malls and street food stalls usually have fixed prices.
| Thai | Romanization | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| อันนี้เท่าไหร่ | an níi thâo rài? | How much is this? |
| แพงไปหน่อย | phaeng pai nàwy | It's a bit expensive. |
| ลดหน่อยได้ไหม | lót nàwy dâi mái? | Can you lower the price a little? |
| สองร้อยได้ไหม | sǎwng ráwy dâi mái? | Would you take 200? |
| ขอดูก่อน | khǎw duu kàwn | I'm just looking.Literally “let me look first” |
| เอาอันนี้ | ao an níi | I'll take this one. |
| ไม่เอา ขอบคุณ | mâi ao, khàwp khun | No, thank you.Polite but firm, for touts and pushy sellers |
Bangkok taxis must use the meter. Tuk-tuks have none, so agree on the price first. Ride-hailing apps like Grab and Bolt usually show the fare when you book.
| Thai | Romanization | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ไปสนามบิน | pai sànǎam bin | To the airport, please.Bangkok has two: Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang |
| เปิดมิเตอร์ด้วย | pòet mítôe dûai | Please turn on the meter. |
| ไป...เท่าไหร่ | pai ... thâo rài? | How much to ...?Ask before you get in a tuk-tuk or on a motorbike taxi |
| เลี้ยวซ้าย / เลี้ยวขวา | líaw sáai / líaw khwǎa | Turn left. / Turn right. |
| จอดตรงนี้ | jàwt trong níi | Stop here, please. |
| สถานีรถไฟฟ้าอยู่ที่ไหน | sàthǎanii rót fai fáa yùu thîi nǎi? | Where's the BTS or MRT station?Rót fai fáa, “electric train”, covers both |
| ห้องน้ำอยู่ที่ไหน | hâwng náam yùu thîi nǎi? | Where's the restroom? |
| รออยู่หน้าโรงแรม | raw yùu nâa roong raem | I'm waiting in front of the hotel.Handy when a Grab or Bolt driver calls to find you |
Thai food can be fiery, so mâi phèt (not spicy) is worth knowing. Drink bottled water, not tap water.
| Thai | Romanization | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ไม่เผ็ด | mâi phèt | Not spicy, please.For no chili at all, say mâi sài phrík |
| อันนี้คืออะไร | an níi khue àrai? | What's this? |
| ขอน้ำเปล่าหนึ่งขวด | khǎw náam plào nùeng khùat | A bottle of water, please. |
| น้องครับ / น้องคะ | náwng khráp / náwng khá | Excuse me! (to a server)Literally “younger sibling”. To someone older, say phîi |
| อร่อยมาก | àràwy mâak | It's delicious! |
| กินที่นี่ / กลับบ้าน | kin thîi nîi / klàp bâan | For here. / To go.Literally “eat here / go home” |
| เก็บเงินด้วย | kèp ngoen dûai | Can I pay, please?In restaurants, chék bin dûai works too |
Hopefully you won't need these. Call 191 for the police, 1669 for an ambulance and 199 for fire. The tourist police answer 1155 in English and other languages, 24 hours a day.
| Thai | Romanization | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ช่วยด้วย | chûai dûai! | Help! |
| เรียกตำรวจ | rîak tamrùat! | Call the police! |
| เรียกรถพยาบาลให้หน่อย | rîak rót pháyaabaan hâi nàwy | Please call an ambulance. |
| หลงทาง | lǒng thaang | I'm lost. |
Tuk-tuks have no meter, so agree on the fare before you get in, and say no to shop stops. In this one you're a man, so you say khráp.
Prices are in Thai baht, so 350 baht is sǎam ráwy hâa sìp bàat.
| Thai | Romanization | Number |
|---|---|---|
| หนึ่ง | nùeng | 1 |
| สอง | sǎwng | 2 |
| สาม | sǎam | 3 |
| สี่ | sìi | 4 |
| ห้า | hâa | 5 |
| หก | hòk | 6 |
| เจ็ด | jèt | 7 |
| แปด | pàet | 8 |
| เก้า | kâo | 9 |
| สิบ | sìp | 10 |
| ยี่สิบ | yîi sìp | 20 |
| ห้าสิบ | hâa sìp | 50 |
| หนึ่งร้อย | nùeng ráwy | 100 |
| หนึ่งพัน | nùeng phan | 1,000 |
| บาท | bàat | Thai baht |
Thais greet and say goodbye with a wai (ไหว้): palms together, fingertips near your nose and a slight bow. If a host or new friend gives you one, return it. When hotel or restaurant staff wai you, a smile and a nod are enough. Don't wai children.
At a temple, or วัด (wát), cover your shoulders and knees, and take your shoes off before you go inside. Sit with your feet pointing away from Buddha images. Women shouldn't touch a monk or his robes, so put things down near him rather than handing them over.
Insulting the monarchy is a crime in Thailand, with prison terms of up to 15 years, and the law covers social media too, so steer clear of jokes about it. Thai money carries the King's portrait, so never step on a note or coin, even one that's rolling away. In cinemas, stand when the royal anthem plays before the film.
Thais see the head as the most respected part of the body and the feet as the lowest. Don't touch anyone's head, even a child's, and don't point at people or things with your feet. Shoes come off at the door of homes and some small shops.
สวัสดีครับ (sàwàtdii khráp) if you're a man, สวัสดีค่ะ (sàwàtdii khâ) if you're a woman. It works at any time of day and as a goodbye too, so you don't need separate words for good morning or good night.
ขอบคุณครับ (khàwp khun khráp) if you're a man, ขอบคุณค่ะ (khàwp khun khâ) if you're a woman. For thank you very much, say ขอบคุณมาก (khàwp khun mâak). The usual reply is ไม่เป็นไร (mâi pen rai), you're welcome.
เท่าไหร่ (thâo rài?) means how much? Point and say อันนี้เท่าไหร่ (an níi thâo rài?), how much is this? At a market, follow up with ลดหน่อยได้ไหม (lót nàwy dâi mái?), can you lower the price a little?
In hotels, malls and tourist areas, many people speak some English. Away from them it's often limited, so a few Thai words, and the numbers for prices, help a lot.
It depends on you, not on who you're talking to. Men say ครับ (khráp). Women say ค่ะ (khâ), or คะ (khá) in a question. Put it at the end of a sentence to sound polite. On its own, it's a polite yes.
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