Everyday Thai for Visitors
Thai is a tonal language with five tones, which means the same syllable can mean completely different things depending on how you say it. That sounds intimidating, but in practice most Thais will understand what you mean from context, and any attempt at their language goes down extremely well. Even a mangled "khob khun" beats pointing and hoping. One thing to know first: Thai has polite particles added to the end of sentences. Men say krap (sometimes written krub), women say ka. You can attach either to almost any phrase to make it polite. This guide uses krap/ka to show where the particle goes.
The Golden Rule: Krap and Ka
Add krap (men) or ka (women) to the end of any phrase to make it sound respectful. Locals use it constantly. You should too.
| Situation | Men say | Women say |
|---|
| Agreeing, saying yes
| Krap | Ka |
|---|
| Saying thank you
| Khob khun krap | Khob khun ka |
|---|
| Any polite request
| ...krap | ...ka |
|---|
Basics
| English
| Thai (romanised) | Sounds like |
|---|
| Hello / Goodbye
| Sawadee krap/ka | Sa-wah-dee |
|---|
| Thank you
| Khob khun krap/ka | Kob-koon |
|---|
| Sorry / Excuse me
| Kho thot krap/ka | Kor-toht |
|---|
| Yes
| Chai / Krap / Ka | Chai |
|---|
| No
| Mai | My |
|---|
| No thank you / I don't want it
| Mai ao krap/ka | My ow |
|---|
| I don't understand
| Mai khao jai | My cow jai |
|---|
| Do you speak English?
| Phut angrit dai mai? | Poot ang-grit dai my? |
|---|
At a Restaurant or Bar
| English
| Thai (romanised) |
|---|
| Water
| Nam |
|---|
| Drinking water
| Nam plao |
|---|
| Ice
| Nam khaeng |
|---|
| No ice
| Mai sai nam khaeng |
|---|
| Bill / Check please
| Chek bin krap/ka |
|---|
| Delicious
| Aroy |
|---|
| Very delicious
| Aroy maak |
|---|
| Spicy
| Phet |
|---|
| Not spicy
| Mai phet |
|---|
| A little spicy
| Phet nit noi |
|---|
| No sugar
| Mai sai nam tan |
|---|
| Ashtray
| Tee khia buri |
|---|
| Menu
| Menu (same word) |
|---|
| Can I have...
| Kho... krap/ka |
|---|
Examples:
- "Kho nam krap" = Can I have water, please
- "Mai phet krap" = Not spicy, please
- "Chek bin ka" = Bill please (said by a woman)
Shopping and Prices
| English
| Thai (romanised) |
|---|
| How much?
| Tao rai? |
|---|
| Too expensive
| Phaeng pai |
|---|
| Can you lower the price?
| Lot noi dai mai? |
|---|
| Cheap
| Thuuk |
|---|
| Free
| Free (loanword, widely used) |
|---|
Getting Around
| English
| Thai (romanised) |
|---|
| Where is the toilet?
| Hong nam yuu tee nai? |
|---|
| Toilet / Bathroom
| Hong nam |
|---|
| Left
| Sai |
|---|
| Right
| Kwaa |
|---|
| Straight ahead
| Trong pai |
|---|
| Stop here
| Yut tee nee |
|---|
Numbers
Numbers are worth learning. You will use them for prices, ordering quantities, and understanding what you owe.
| Number | Thai (romanised) |
|---|
| 0
| Soon |
|---|
| 1
| Neung |
|---|
| 2
| Song |
|---|
| 3
| Sam |
|---|
| 4
| See |
|---|
| 5
| Ha |
|---|
| 6
| Hok |
|---|
| 7
| Jet |
|---|
| 8
| Paet |
|---|
| 9
| Gao |
|---|
| 10
| Sip |
|---|
| 11
| Sip-et |
|---|
| 12
| Sip-song |
|---|
| 20
| Yee-sip |
|---|
| 21
| Yee-sip-et |
|---|
| 30
| Sam-sip |
|---|
| 100
| Roi |
|---|
| 1,000
| Pan |
|---|
So 350 baht is "sam roi ha-sip baht", and 1,200 baht is "neung pan song roi baht". In practice you can just hold up fingers or show your phone screen and you will be fine.
Food Restrictions
| English
| Thai (romanised) |
|---|
| I'm vegetarian
| Gin jeh / Gin mangsawirat |
|---|
| No meat
| Mai sai nuea |
|---|
| No pork
| Mai sai muu |
|---|
| No seafood
| Mai sai ahaan talay |
|---|
| I'm allergic to...
| Phaae... |
|---|
| Peanuts
| Tua lisong |
|---|
| Gluten / wheat
| Salee |
|---|
The word jeh (เจ) is what Buddhist vegan food is called in Thailand. Saying "gin jeh" at a street stall is widely understood and means no meat, no fish sauce, no eggs.
Useful Little Words
| English
| Thai |
|---|
| Very / A lot
| Maak |
|---|
| A little
| Nit noi |
|---|
| Good
| Dee |
|---|
| Not good
| Mai dee |
|---|
| Beautiful
| Suay |
|---|
| Hot (temperature)
| Ron |
|---|
| Cold
| Yen |
|---|
| Big
| Yai |
|---|
| Small
| Lek |
|---|
| Same same
| Meuan meuan |
|---|
A Few Tips
Thai people are generally very patient with foreign attempts at their language. Smiling helps with everything. If you say something and get a confused look, try saying it slightly differently or writing it down to show a local who can help. The tones matter most for words like mai (which can mean "no", "new", "burn", or "silk" depending on tone), but context usually saves you. The word sanuk means fun, enjoyment, or having a good time. It is a core Thai value. If something is sanuk, it is worth doing. Keep that in mind and you will get along fine.