Learning even a few basic Thai words can show respect for the local culture and help you connect with people during your visit. In popular tourist destinations, many locals speak some English, so communication is usually not a major issue. However, if you do encounter language barriers, simply smile and embrace it as part of the adventure.
Politeness in Thai
In Thai, politeness is key. Women add ‘ka‘ at the end of a sentence, while men use ‘khap‘ (‘krap‘ is also used, but in everyday speech, khap is more common). Although Thai has a word for ‘please’ (karunaa), it is not used as frequently as in English. Instead, adding ‘ka‘ or ‘khap‘ naturally makes your speech more polite. So, a male speaker saying ‘thank you’ in Thai would say ‘khop khun khap’. A female speaker would say ‘khop khun ka.’
Thai pronunciation and transliteration
Thai is a tonal language, and various methods exist for writing Thai words in English. For instance, the common Thai greeting may appear as sawatdee, sawasdee, or sa-wa-dee, depending on the transliteration system.
To help you prepare for your trip, here are some essential Thai phrases categorised for convenience.
Basic phrases
- Thank you – Khop khun
- Hello/Goodbye – Sawatdee
- How are you? – Sabai dee mai?
- I’m fine, thank you – Sabai dee
- What is your name? – Khun cheu arai?
- My name is… – Phom cheu… (for males) | Dichan/Chan cheu… (for females)
- Nice to meet you – Yindee thii dai ruujak
- You’re welcome – Yindee
- Good luck – Chok dee
Common expressions
- No problem / It’s okay – Mai pen rai
- Fun / Enjoyable – Sanuk
- I’m having fun – Sanuk dee
- Comfortable – Sabai
- Very relaxed – Sabai sabai
- Excuse me / Sorry – Khaw thawt
- Pardon? – Arai na?
Useful travel phrases
- Where is the toilet? – Hong nam yuu thi nai?
- I understand – Khao jai
- I don’t understand – Mai khao jai
Numbers in Thai
- 0 – Suun
- 1 – Neung
- 2 – Sawng
- 3 – Saam
- 4 – Sii
- 5 – Haa
- 6 – Hok
- 7 – Jet
- 8 – Paet
- 9 – Gao
- 10 – Sip
- 20 – Yee-sip
- 50 – Haa-sip
- 100 – Neung roy
- 500 – Haa roy
- 1,000 – Neung phan
Food & drink phrases
- Have you eaten yet? – Kin khao reu yang? / Thaan khao laew reu yang?
- Do you have any special dishes? – Mii arai pii-set?
- I’m vegetarian (male) – Phom kin jeh
- I’m vegetarian (female) – Dichan/Chan kin jeh
- Normal portion – Thammada
- Large portion – Pii-set
- Takeaway / To go – Sai-tung / Klap baan
- Menu – Meh-nuu
- Can I have the bill? – Check bin / Kep tang
Describing food
- Delicious – Aroy
- Very delicious – Aroy mak
- Spicy – Phet
- Not spicy – Mai phet
- A little bit spicy – Phet nit noy
Common ingredients
- Beef – Nua
- Chicken – Gai
- Duck – Bped
- Pork – Moo
- Vegetables – Pak
Dining essentials
- Big noodles – Sen yai
- Small noodles – Sen lek
- Fruit – Ponlamai
- Water – Nam plao
- Ice – Nam keng
Utensils
- Bowl – Chaam
- Plate – Jaan
- Spoon – Chawn
- Fork – Sawm
- Chopsticks – Takiap
Shopping phrases
- How much? – Tao rai?
- How much is this? – An-nee tao rai?
- Can I try it on? – Lawng sai dai mai?
- Can you lower the price? – Lot noy dai mai?
Learning more Thai
The best way to improve your Thai is through practice and listening to native speakers. Hotel staff or locals may be happy to help with pronunciation, while online resources such as YouTube offer excellent tutorials.
Final tip: Always smile — it’s the best universal language in Thailand! Chok dee khap!
