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Basic Thai Vocabulary
Exploring Thailand offers an exciting blend of vibrant culture, stunning landscapes, and warm hospitality. While English is commonly spoken in tourist areas, knowing some basic Thai phrases can greatly enhance your travel experience and help you connect with locals. Here’s a guide to essential Thai phrases for your trip:
Basic Greetings and Common Phrases
Hello: เธชเธงัเธชเธี (Sawasdee)
- For men: เธชเธงัเธชเธีเธเธฃัเธ (Sawasdee khrap)
- For women: เธชเธงัเธชเธีเธ่เธฐ (Sawasdee kha)
- Use this for any greeting. Adding "khrap" for men and "kha" for women adds a polite touch.
Thank you: เธเธญเธเธุเธ (Khob khun)
- For men: เธเธญเธเธุเธเธเธฃัเธ (Khob khun khrap)
- For women: เธเธญเธเธุเธเธ่เธฐ (Khob khun kha)
Yes: เนเธ่ (Chai)
No: เนเธก่เนเธ่ (Mai chai)
Excuse me / Sorry: เธเธญเนเธเธฉ (Khor thot)
- For men: เธเธญเนเธเธฉเธเธฃัเธ (Khor thot khrap)
- For women: เธเธญเนเธเธฉเธ่เธฐ (Khor thot kha)
Goodbye: เธฅเธฒเธ่เธญเธ (La gon)
- For informal goodbyes, you can also use เธชเธงัเธชเธี (Sawasdee).
Numbers
- One: เธซเธึ่เธ (Neung)
- Two: เธชเธญเธ (Song)
- Three: เธชเธฒเธก (Sam)
- Four: เธชี่ (Si)
- Five: เธซ้เธฒ (Ha)
- Ten: เธชิเธ (Sip)
- Twenty: เธขี่เธชิเธ (Yee sip)
Useful Travel Phrases
How much?: เนเธ่เธฒเนเธซเธฃ่ (Tao rai)
- Use this when inquiring about prices.
Where is the restroom?: เธซ้เธญเธเธ้เธณเธญเธขู่เธี่เนเธซเธ (Hong nam yoo tee nai)
- Hong nam means restroom, and yoo tee nai means where.
I don’t understand: เนเธก่เนเธ้เธฒเนเธ (Mai kao jai)
Help!: เธ่เธงเธขเธ้เธงเธข (Chuay duay)
Water: เธ้เธณ (Nam)
Delicious: เธญเธฃ่เธญเธข (Aroi)
- A great word to use when enjoying local food.
Check, please: เนเธ็เธเนเธิเธเธ้เธงเธข (Geb ngern duay)
- Use this to ask for the bill at a restaurant.
Transportation
Taxi: เนเธ็เธเธี่ (Teksi)
BTS/MRT Station: เธชเธเธฒเธี (Sa-tha-nee)
- For example, BTS station is เธชเธเธฒเธีเธีเธีเนเธญเธช (Sa-tha-nee BTS).
Bus: เธฃเธเนเธกเธฅ์ (Rot mae)
Train: เธฃเธเนเธ (Rot fai)
Motorcycle Taxi: เธงิเธเธกเธญเนเธเธญเธฃ์เนเธเธ์ (Win motorcy)
Shopping
Too expensive: เนเธเธเนเธิเธเนเธ (Paeng gern bpai)
Can you lower the price?: เธฅเธเธฃเธฒเธเธฒเนเธ้เนเธซเธก (Lot rakha dai mai)
Pronunciation Tips
Politeness: Adding "khrap" (for men) or "kha" (for women) at the end of sentences is a polite practice.
Tones: Thai is a tonal language, so pay attention to the tones as they can change the meaning of words. Listen to how locals pronounce words and try to mimic them.
Conclusion
Learning these basic Thai phrases will help you navigate your travels with ease and make meaningful connections with locals. Don’t stress about perfect pronunciation—locals appreciate any effort to speak their language. Enjoy your journey in Thailand, and have a fantastic time in the Land of Smiles!
