ThaiPod101.com Blog
Learn Thai with Free Daily
Audio and Video Lessons!
Start Your Free Trial 6 FREE Features

Archive for the 'Thai Phrases' Category

Wan-rát-thà-tham-má-nuun: Celebrating Thai Constitution Day

In 1932, Thailand’s Constitution was created and signed into effect during a time of great change in the country. In this article, you’ll learn about what role King Prajadhipok (King Rama VII) played in its creation, an interesting law you’ll find within the Constitution, and how Thai people celebrate Thai Constitution Day.

At ThaiPod101.com, we hope to make every aspect of your language-learning journey both fun and informative. What better way than by delving into the roots of modern-day Thailand?

Are you ready? Let’s get started!

Log in to Download Your Free Cheat Sheet - Beginner Vocabulary in Thai

1. What is Constitution Day?

In Thailand, Constitution Day is the day that commemorates the promulgation of the first permanent Constitution of Thailand in 1932. The Constitution was signed by King Rama VII, who acknowledged the change from absolute monarchy to a democratic form of government with the King as Head of State under the Constitution.

Judge Holding Gavel

1- History of Thailand’s Constitution

Thailand’s Constitution originated from a political transition in 1932. The transition was a result of the First World War, which caused worldwide economic depression and also affected Thailand.

As a result, the government had to depose some government officials and legislate new laws to collect taxes, including property tax and land tax, from citizens. As this caused discontent among military officers and the general public, King Rama VII decided to promulgate a Constitution to be used as a basis for the laws in Thailand.

Consequently, on Constitution Day each year, people will make merit for King Rama VII.

2- An Interesting Law

Today, we’re going to introduce an interesting Thai law in accordance with the current Constitution.

One such law is that Thai citizens who are eighteen years or older are responsible for exercising their right to vote for their representatives in the political system.

Not voting without proper reasons may deprive the person of certain rights, depending on the law on each case. If the person hasn’t exercised their right to vote many times over, he or she may lose their right to apply as a candidate for membership in the House of Representatives election or the Senator election.

In other words, the person may lose the right to become Thailand’s Prime Minister, as a Prime Minister has to have been a previous member of the House of Representatives.

2. When is Thailand’s Constitution Day?

Thai Flag

Each year, people celebrate this public holiday in Thailand on December 10.

3. Constitution Day in Thailand: Traditions & Events

Before Constitution Day, educational institutions often hold an exhibition about the origin of the day as well as the content of the current Constitution.

Representatives from government agencies and private companies, school students, university students, and the general public will gather in front of the statue of King Rama VII and place a wreath to pay homage to the King, who changed the political system of the country. He brought about democracy in Thailand, giving more rights to citizens to take part in politics.

As Constitution Day is a public holiday, the government holds a “Thai Kids Love the Parliament” activity in which youth representatives have a chance to interview and exchange knowledge about the Constitution directly with law experts. This allows Thai youth and the general public to gain a correct understanding of the Thai Constitution. The Prime Minister is the leader of the opening ceremony.

4. How Many Thai Constitutions?

People Celebrating

To date, how many Constitutions of Thailand have there been?

The answer: There have been eighteen Constitutions of Thailand!

The current Constitution is the 2007 Constitution of Thailand. This is the first Constitution that, after the draft was completed and approved by the National Legislative Assembly, was shown to the general public and approved through a referendum. As the majority of people agreed with the Constitution, it was declared to be in effect and has been in use until now.

5. Must-Know Vocabulary for Constitution Day in Thailand

People Making Plans

Here’s some Thai vocabulary for you to memorize before Constitution Day!

  • สนับสนุน (sà-nap-sà-nǔn) — “support”
  • ประชาชน (bprà-chaa-chon) — “people”
  • เปลี่ยนแปลง (bplìian-bplaaeng) — “change”
  • รัฐศาสตร์ (rát-thà-sàat) — “politics”
  • วันรัฐธรรมนูญ (wan-rát-thà-tham-má-nuun) — “Constitution Day”
  • การปกครอง (gaan-bpòk-khraawng) — “administration”
  • อำนาจ (am-nâat) — “authority”
  • กฎหมาย (gòt-măai) — “law”
  • รัฐบาล (rát-thà-baan) — “government”
  • ประชาธิปไตย (bprà-chaa-thíp-bpà-dtai) — “democracy”
  • ภาษี (paa-sǐi) — “tax”

To hear each of these vocabulary words pronounced, and to read them alongside relevant images, be sure to visit our Thai Constitution Day vocabulary list!

Final Thoughts

What are your thoughts on Thai Constitution Day? Does your country have a Constitution as well, and if so, do you have a day of commemoration for it? Let us know in the comments!

Learning about a country’s culture and history is an exciting and enriching aspect of trying to master its language. If you’re interested in learning more about Thailand and her people, you may find the following pages on ThaiPod101.com useful:

Whatever your reasons for wanting to learn Thai, know that we have everything you need to truly master it! Language-learning doesn’t have to be a boring or overwhelming task—with ThaiPod101, it can even be fun!

If you’re serious about learning Thai, create your free lifetime account today and learn Thai like never before.

Happy Thai learning! 🙂

Log in to Download Your Free Cheat Sheet - Beginner Vocabulary in Thai

Thai Phrases to Know When Traveling

Thumbnail

Most people love to travel. It’s nice to see new things and to learn how people in other places live. It’s exciting to try new foods and traditional clothes of other nations. Simply put, there are a lot of things to learn and try while traveling. For those of you who love Thailand and get to work or learn there, traveling in Thailand is something you don’t want to miss. Before you do, though, there are some Thai phrases to know when traveling to Thailand.

For instance, once you leave the bigger cities in Thailand, you may find that most Thai people don’t speak English. So if you know basic Thai phrases for travelers, your life will be so much easier. The common Thai phrases for travelers that ThaiPod101.com will provide for you in this article will help you to get necessary information for traveling. With this list of common Thai travel phrases, you’ll be able to travel to many places in Thailand. And during the trip, you can see how Thai people live and travel.

Ready to learn Thai travel phrases? Without further ado, here’s one of our travel guides in Thailand, all about the Thai language! First, we’ll learn Thai basic words when traveling to Thailand.

Table of Contents

  1. Basic Expressions
  2. Transportation
  3. Shopping
  4. Restaurants
  5. Asking for and Giving Directions
  6. Emergencies
  7. Flattery Phrases
  8. Useful Phrases to go through Language Problems
  9. Handy Phrases During the Trip
  10. Tips
  11. Conclusion

Log

1. Basic Expressions

Preparing to Travel

Let’s start simple with basic Thai words for travelers. Below is a list of ways to greet in Thai when traveling to Thailand.

1- สวัสดี (sà-wàt-dii)

  • Meaning: “Hello; Goodbye”
  • Language breakdown: สวัสดี (sà-wàt-dii) is literally “goodness, beauty, prosperity, and safety” in Thai. And because of its positive meaning, Thai people use this word as a greeting to wish others well.
  • Cultural background/relevance: Thai people have formally used สวัสดี (sà-wàt-dii) as “hello” and “goodbye” since January 22, 1943. When Thai people say สวัสดี (sà-wàt-dii), they often do an action called ไหว้ (wâi) as well. Generally, if you want to ไหว้ (wâi), mirror the pictures below.

How to ไหว้ [wâi]

2- ขอบคุณ (khàawp-khun)

  • Meaning: “Thank you”
  • Language breakdown: As opposed to สวัสดี (sà-wàt-dii), there’s no literal meaning of this word in the Thai language. Thai people use this word to show that they appreciate what other parties do for them.
  • Cultural background/relevance: Thai people often ไหว้ (wâi) when saying ขอบคุณ (khàawp-khun) as an action to show their gratitude, as they do when greeting.

3- ขอโทษ (khǎaw-thôot)

  • Meaning: “Sorry”
  • Language breakdown: ขอโทษ (khǎaw-thôot) is literally “ask for forgiveness” in Thai. Thai people use this word to show that they’re sorry for what they did.
  • Cultural background/relevance: If you come to Thailand, you really should learn how to ไหว้ (wâi). Thai people also do this action when they say ขอโทษ (khǎaw-thôot).

4- ใช่ (châi)

  • Meaning: “Yes”
  • Cultural background: There’s a body gesture that Thai people do when saying ใช่ (châi); they sometimes nod their head a few times as a way to say ใช่ (châi).

5- ไม่ใช่ (mâi châi)

  • Meaning: “No”
  • Language breakdown: The word ไม่ (mâi) is “no” or “not” in Thai. Combined with ใช่ (châi), the word ไม่ใช่ (mâi châi), means “not yes,” which is “no.” Thai people often use ไม่ (mâi) as a word to make a sentence negative.
  • Cultural background/relevance: Many Thai people use a gesture when saying ไม่ใช่ (mâi châi) as well. They sometimes shake their head a few times as a way to say ไม่ใช่ (mâi châi).

2. Transportation

Plane Phrases

There’s no denying that transportation is a huge part of any trip. Trying to travel in a country you’re not familiar with can be hard. However, if you know some Thai phrases for travelers, it will be a bit easier.

1- ไปที่….. (bpai thîi…..)

  • Meaning: “I want to go to …..”
  • Language breakdown: ไป (bpai) means “go” in Thai and ที่ (thîi) means “at.” This may seem a little bit weird as there’s no word that means “I want to.” As a Thai learner, you should know one characteristic of the Thai language: If Thai people know that another party understands who the subject of a sentence is, they just cut it out of the sentence. In this example, Thai people automatically know that the speaker is the one who wants to go, so they only say ไปที่….. (bpai thîi…..).

2- ไปที่…..ได้มั๊ย (bpai thîi…..dâi mái)

  • Meaning: “Can you go to…..?”
  • Language breakdown: Thai people put ได้มั๊ย (dâi mái) at the end of sentences, and it means “can you?” or “can I?” in Thai. Continuing from the sentence above, when putting ได้มั๊ย (dâi mái) at the end of a sentence, it means, “Can you go to…..?” Similar to the sentence above, Thai people just cut “you” out of the sentence as they assume the taxi driver understands that he/she is the one being asked.
  • Cultural background/relevance: Taking a taxi is a convenient way of traveling in big cities. However, drivers don’t know all locations. So you should ask if the driver can get you to your destination or not.

3- ป้ายรถเมล์อยู่ที่ไหน (bpâai rót mee yùu thîi năi)

  • Meaning: “Where is the bus stop?”
  • Language breakdown: ป้ายรถเมล์ (pâi-ród-may) is “bus stop” in Thai. อยู่ (yùu) is one of the words for “be” in Thai. And ที่ไหน (thîi năi) is “where” in Thai. As opposed to English, Thai people switch the order of the sentence so it becomes ป้ายรถเมล์อยู่ที่ไหน (bpâai rót mee yùu thîi năi).
  • Cultural background/relevance: Not all cities in Thailand have taxis, so another choice for traveling in the cities is taking a bus.

4- จะไปที่….ถ้าถึงแล้วบอกหน่อยได้มั๊ย (jà bpai thîi …. thâa thǔeng láaeo bàawk nàauy dâi mái)

  • Meaning: “I’m going to ….., please tell me when we arrive.”
  • Language breakdown: The first part of this sentence is similar to the one above, so we’ll skip that part and focus on the latter half. ถ้าถึงแล้ว (thâa thǔeng láaeo) means “when arrive.” บอก (bàawk) means “tell.” And หน่อยได้มั๊ย (nàauy dâi mái) is a phrase Thai people put at the end of a sentence, and means “Can you?” or “Can I?” in Thai. But as mentioned before, since the other parties should know that he/she is being asked, people cut “you” out of the sentence.
  • Cultural background/relevance: If you plan to travel in the city by bus, it may be a bit hard and confusing. You may be able to find information in advance, such as which bus you should take and from where. However, as the names for each bus stop aren’t shown, you won’t know when you should get off. This is even a problem for Thai people.

    Sometimes, staff on a bus called กระเป๋ารถเมล์ (grà-bpǎo rót mee) will say the name of the bus stop, but you may not be familiar enough with Thai pronunciation to be sure of whether it’s the place you want to go or not. So it’s best to ask the กระเป๋ารถเมล์ (grà-bpǎo rót mee) about this when you pay for your ticket using this sentence.

  • Additional note: When you take a bus in Thai, you’ll find two staff members on the bus. One is the driver and the other is called กระเป๋ารถเมล์ (grà-bpǎo rót mee). There’s no English word for กระเป๋ารถเมล์ (grà-bpǎo rót mee), but he/she is the one who sells you the ticket. When you get on the bus, you should first find an available seat. After that, the กระเป๋ารถเมล์ (grà-bpǎo rót mee) will come to sell the ticket to you.

5- จะไปที่…..ต้องลงสถานีไหน (jà bpai thîi ….. dtâawng long sà-thăa-nii năi)

  • Meaning: “I’m going to……, which station should I get off?”
  • Language breakdown: We’ll skip the first part and focus on the latter part, like we did above, since it’s the same. สถานี (sà-thăa-nii) is “station” in Thai. ไหน (nǎi) is “which” in Thai. And ต้องลง (dtâawng long) means “should get off” in Thai. Putting all of this together, it means, “Which station should I get off?” As you can guess, Thai people just cut out the word “I” since they assume other parties know that the one who asks is the one who wants to get off.
  • Cultural background/relevance: Fortunately for BTS (which is only available in Bangkok) and the train, the names of the stations are shown. This means that you can ask the staff which station you should get off at in order to reach your destination.

6- ซื้อตั๋วที่ไหน (súue dtǔua thîi năi)

  • Meaning: “Where can I buy a ticket?”
  • Language breakdown: ซื้อ (súue) is “buy” in Thai. ตั๋ว (dtǔua) is “ticket” in Thai. And ที่ไหน (thîi năi) is “where” in Thai. Combining everything together, you get ซื้อตั๋วที่ไหน (súue dtǔua thîi năi), which means, “Where can I buy a ticket?” in Thai. You may notice that in the Thai language, the question words such as “where,” “can I?,” and “can you?” are put at the end of the sentence, which is opposite to English.
  • Cultural background/relevance: When taking a bus, as mentioned above, you can pay after you get on. But for BTS and train, you have to buy the ticket before getting on. Normally, the ticket booth is near the station.

7- ซื้อตั๋วไปที่…..สำหรับ…..คน (súue dtǔua bpai thîi…..sǎm-ràp……khon)

  • Meaning: “I want to buy ticket(s) for going to ….. for ….. persons.”
  • Language breakdown: You already know the meaning of the first part of the sentence from above, so here we’ll focus on the last part. สำหรับ (sǎm-ràp) means “for” in Thai. And คน (khon) is “unit for person” in Thai. So all together it means, “I want to buy ticket(s) for going to ….. for ….. persons.” The word “I want” is naturally cut out of the sentence.

3. Shopping

Basic Questions

Here comes many people’s favorite activity: shopping. Buying things from the local area is a must when you go on a trip. Of course, you’ll want to buy food, drinks, traditional products, as well as souvenirs. Learning Thai phrases for travel helps, particularly the Thailand travel phrases below.

1- ราคาเท่าไหร่ (raa-khaa thâo-rài)

  • Meaning: “How much is this?”
  • Language breakdown: ราคา (raa-khaa) means “price” in Thai. And เท่าไหร่ (thâo-rài) means “how much.” Since you may not know the name of the thing you want, you can point at it and say ราคาเท่าไหร่ (raa-khaa thâo-rài) in order to ask, “How much is this?”

2- มีโปรโมชั่นมั๊ย (mii bproo-moo-chân mái)

  • Meaning: “Is there any promotion?”
  • Language breakdown: มี (mii) is “have,” or in this case, “there is” in Thai. The word มั๊ย (mái) has no meaning, but Thai people put it at the end of a sentence to make it a question.
  • Cultural background/relevance: If you’re shopping from locals, this phrase may not be very useful as they normally don’t have promotions. But if you buy from a big store, don’t forget to ask. If you buy a lot, they may even give you something for free even if there’s no promotion.

3- ลดได้มั๊ย (lót dâi mái)

  • Meaning: “Can you give me a discount?”
  • Language breakdown: You’ll see that Thai people cut a lot of words out of this sentence. ลดราคา (lót raa-khaa) is “discount” in Thai. However, people shorten this word here to ลด (lót). And as mentioned before, ได้มั๊ย (dâi mái) is the word Thai people put at the end of sentences and it means “Can you?” or “Can I?” in Thai. Basically, there’s no “you” or “me” in this sentence.
  • Cultural background/relevance: For food and drink, normally, Thai people don’t ask for discounts. However, for other products, you can try asking for a discount, as some sellers already set their price a little bit higher just in case a customer does ask for a discount. Don’t forget to smile sweetly when you ask for a discount, that may help. ^^

4- ที่นี่อะไรขายดี (thîi nîi à-rai khǎai dii)

  • Meaning: “What is the best seller here?”
  • Language breakdown: ที่นี่ (thîi nîi) is “here” in Thai, อะไร (à-rai) is “what” in Thai, and ขายดี (khǎai dii) is “sell a lot” in Thai. Actually, the literal Thai meaning of this sentence is, “What is being sold a lot here?” But in English, people don’t normally ask like that, so it is equal to “What is the best seller here?”
  • Cultural background/relevance: When you go to a souvenir shop, you may have no idea what to buy since you may not know what the products are. You can ask this and see what’s popular.

5- มีอันใหม่มั๊ย (mii an mài mái)

  • Meaning: “Do you have a new one?”
  • Language breakdown: มี (mii) is “have” in Thai, อันใหม่ (an mài) is “new one,” and as you may remember, the word มั๊ย (mái) has no meaning but Thai people put it at the end of sentences to make it a question. In this sentence, Thai people cut “you” out of the sentence as they assume people should know that you’re the one asking. So by combining everything together, we get มีอันใหม่มั๊ย (mii an mài mái).
  • Cultural background/relevance: Sometimes, the product that’s shown may look a little dirty because a lot of people have touched it or tried it out. If you want to buy it, you can always ask and see if the seller has a new one or not.

6- มีสีอื่นมั๊ย (mii sǐi ùuen mái)

  • Meaning: “Do you have another color?”
  • Language breakdown: This sentence is pretty similar to the one above, so we’ll focus only on the part that’s different. สีอื่น (sǐi ùuen) means “other color” in Thai. The rest is the same.

7- มีขนาดอื่นมั๊ย (mii khà-nàat ùuen mái)

  • Meaning: “Do you have another size?”
  • Language breakdown: Again, this sentence is very similar to the one above so we’ll only focus on the part that’s different. ขนาดอื่น (khà-nàat ùuen) means “other size” in Thai. The rest is the same.
  • Cultural background/relevance: When you buy clothes in Thailand, even with no fitting room, you can try the clothes on. Most of the time, the seller has a ผ้าถุง (phâa-thǔng), which means “sarong” in Thai, for you to use. You may feel a little bit weird, but that’s how Thai people do it when they buy clothes from a small shop.

8- จ่ายด้วยบัตรเครดิตได้มั๊ย (jàai dûuai bàt khree-dìt dâi mái)

  • Meaning: “Can I pay with a credit card?”
  • Language breakdown: จ่าย (jàai) means “pay” in Thai, ด้วย (dûuai) means “with,” บัตรเครดิต (bàt khree-dìtt) means “credit card,” and lastly, ได้มั๊ย (dâi mái) is the word Thai people put at the end of sentences and it means “Can you?” or “Can I?” in Thai. Of course, Thai people also cut the subject from the sentence, which is “I” in this case.
  • Cultural background/relevance: If you go to a big department store, they normally accept credit cards with no additional charge. However, most local stores don’t allow credit cards. If they do, you should check if there’s an additional charge or not.

Can I Pay with a Credit Card?

4. Restaurants

One of the activities people do—whether they travel or not—is eating. So let’s learn some useful Thai travel phrases you can use in restaurants in Thailand.

1- ขอเมนูหน่อย (khǎaw mee-nuu nàauy)

  • Meaning: “Menu, please.”
  • Language breakdown: ขอ (khǎaw) is “ask for” in Thai. And หน่อย (nàauy) has no meaning in this case. Thai people normally put this word at the end of a sentence.
  • Cultural background/relevance: If you go to a small local restaurant, the menu is shown on the wall instead of in book form.

2- สั่งอาหารหน่อย (sàng aa-hǎan nàauy)

  • Meaning: “Order, please.”
  • Language breakdown: สั่ง (sàng) is “order” in Thai., อาหาร (aa-hǎan) is “food,” and just like above, หน่อย (nàauy) is no-meaning word Thai people put at the end of sentences.

Order, Please

3- เอา….. (ao…..)

  • Meaning: “I want…..”
  • Language breakdown: Actually, เอา (ao) means “take,” but in this case, it means “want.” Naturally, Thai people assume that the other party knows that the speaker is the one who wants food, so they cut “I” out of the sentence.

4- อันนี้เจมั๊ย (an níi jee mái)

  • Meaning: “Is this vegetarian food?”
  • Language breakdown: อันนี้ (an níi) means “this” in Thai, and อาหารเจ (aa-hǎan jee) is “vegetarian food.” But Thai people just shorten the word by cutting อาหาร (aa-hǎan) out, as when people say เจ (jee), Thai people automatically understand that it means “vegetarian food.” The word มั๊ย (mái) has no meaning, but Thai people put it at the end of a sentence to make it a question.
  • Cultural background/relevance: In Thai, there’s a certain period during each year when some people will eat a vegetarian food called เทศกาลกินเจ (thêet-sà-gaan gin jee). Still, some restaurants serve vegetarian food year-round as well. You can look for the sign indicating that vegetarian food is served, which is a yellow flag.

5- แพ้…..กินได้มั๊ย (pháae…..gin dâi mái)

  • Meaning: “I’m allergic to……, can I eat this?”
  • Language breakdown: แพ้ (pháae) can mean “lose” or “allergic” in Thai. กิน (gin) means “eat,” and as already shown above, ได้มั๊ย (dâi mái) is the word Thai people put at the end of sentences and it means “Can you?” or “Can I?” in Thai. And as usual, Thai people cut out the subject of the sentence.
  • Cultural background/relevance: Not many restaurants show the ingredients of the dishes on their menu, so if you’re not sure if you can eat it or not, you should ask to be safe.

6- เอาเผ็ดน้อย (ao phèt náauy)

  • Meaning: “Please make it less spicy.”
  • Language breakdown: As mentioned before, เอา (ao) means “take,” but in this case it means “want.” เผ็ด (phèt) means “spicy” or “hot” in Thai, and น้อย (náauy) means “little.” Literally, this sentence means “want little spicy” which is equivalent to “make it less spicy” in English.
  • Cultural background/relevance: Thai food is known to be spicy. If you’re not sure whether you can eat spicy food or not, but still want to try spicy Thai food, you can ask them to make it less spicy.

7- เอาไม่เผ็ด (ao mâi phèt)

  • Meaning: “Please make it not spicy.”
  • Language breakdown: You’ve already learned each of these three words from this article. เอา (ao) means “take” but is “want” in this case. The word ไม่ (mâi) is “no” or “not” in Thai, and เผ็ด (phèt) means “spicy” or “hot” in Thai.
  • Cultural background/relevance: For those who can’t endure spicy food, you can ask them to make it not spicy. For some recipes, if they can, they’ll do it for you.

I Can't Eat Spicy Food

8- เก็บเงินหน่อย (gèp ngooen nàauy)

  • Meaning: “Bill, please.”
  • Language breakdown: เก็บ (gèp) is “collect” in Thai, เงิน (ngooen) is “money,” and หน่อย (nàauy) has no meaning but Thai people put it at the end of sentences. So in total, it literally means, “Collect money please,” which is “Bill, please,” in English.
  • Cultural background/relevance: You can also use a body gesture for this as well. Once you get your waiter’s or waitress’ attention, you point your forefinger to the food on your table and then make a circle. They’ll understand what you mean.

5. Asking for and Giving Directions

When you go someplace you’ve never been before, you naturally need help with directions. So you should remember the following Thai phrases for travelers.

How Do I Get To…..?

1- ไป……ยังไง (bpai…..yang-ngai)

  • Meaning: “How to go to …..?”
  • Language breakdown: ยังไง (yang-ngai) is “how to” in Thai. ไป (bpai) is “go.” This one is quite simple. Combining both, it’s ไป……ยังไง (bpai…..yang-ngai).
  • Cultural background/relevance: Thai people are kind and willing to help. If you’re not sure if your pronunciation of the place is correct or not, you can show the picture or the Thai name of the place to help you communicate better.

How To Go To…..?

2- เลี้ยวซ้าย (líiao sáai)

  • Meaning: “Turn left.”
  • Language breakdown: This one is also very simple. เลี้ยว (líiao) is “turn” in Thai and ซ้าย (sáai) is “left” in Thai.

3- เลี้ยวขวา (líiao khwǎa)

  • Meaning: “Turn right.”
  • Language breakdown: From the phrase above, you already know what เลี้ยว (líiao) means. So let’s focus on the last word. ขวา (khwǎa) is “right” in Thai.

4- ตรงไป (dtrong-bpai)

  • Meaning: “Go straight.”
  • Language breakdown: This one is easy too. ตรง (dtrong) is “straight” in Thai. And as mentioned before, ไป (bpai) is “go” in Thai.

5- เดินไปได้มั๊ย (dooen bpai dâi mái)

  • Meaning: “Can I walk there?”
  • Language breakdown: เดิน (dooen) is “walk” in Thai, ไป (bpai) is “go,” and ได้มั๊ย (dâi mái) is the word Thai people put at the end of sentences and it means, “Can you?” or “Can I?” Combining everything together, its meaning isn’t like English. That’s because Thai people cut “I” and “there” out. They assume that the speaker is the one going there.
  • Cultural background/relevance: You can ask local people whether you can walk to your destination or not. Sometimes, it may seem far on the map, but there’s a shortcut. You may hear these two words in the answer: ใกล้ (glâi) which is “close” and ไกล (glai) which is “far.”

6. Emergencies

Survival Phrases

Despite wishing against them, emergency situations can happen any time. In case you find yourself in an emergency, it’ll be very useful if you can communicate in Thai a little. So let’s practice some of these basic Thai phrases for travelers.

1- ช่วยด้วย (chûuai dûuai)

  • Meaning: “Help.”
  • Language breakdown: ช่วยด้วย (chûuai dûuai) is the phrase Thai people use to ask for help in Thai. It can be used to ask for help in most emergency situations.
  • Cultural background/relevance: Thai people are very kind and willing to help. If you say ช่วยด้วย (chûuai dûuai), meaning “help,” Thai people will try to help you.

2- เรียกรถพยาบาลให้หน่อย (rîiak rót phá-yaa-baan hâi nàauy)

  • Meaning: “Please call an ambulance for me.”
  • Language breakdown: เรียก (rîiak) is “call” in Thai, รถพยาบาล (rót phá-yaa-baan) is “ambulance,” and ให้หน่อย (hâi nàauy) is the phrase Thai people put at the end of a requesting sentence.
  • Cultural background/relevance: In case you want to be more specific that you need medical assistance, you can just say this sentence. The cost for Thai medical treatment isn’t very high compared to other countries. Thai hospitals are also known to be destinations for “medical tourism,” so you don’t have to worry much.

3- ฉันรู้สึกไม่ดี (chǎn rúu-sùek mâi dii)

  • Meaning: “I don’t feel well.”
  • Language breakdown: ฉัน (chǎn) is “I” in Thai and รู้สึก (rúu-sùek) is “feel.” As mentioned before, ไม่ (mâi) is “not” in Thai. And ดี (dii) is “good” or “well” in Thai. So combining everything together, you get: “I don’t feel well.”
  • Cultural background/relevance: You can use this sentence to convey that you don’t feel alright. This is quite useful to know, as you don’t have to identify how you feel bad. This is enough for the listener to know that you need medical attention.

4- ฉันเจ็บ (chǎn jèp)

  • Meaning: “I am hurt.”
  • Language breakdown: As mentioned in the sentence above, ฉัน (chǎn) is “I” in Thai. And เจ็บ (jèp) is “hurt” in Thai.

5- สถานีตำรวจอยู่ที่ไหน (sà-thǎa-nii dtam-rùuat yùu thîi nǎi)

  • Meaning: “Where is the police station?”
  • Language breakdown: สถานี (sà-thǎa-nii) is “station” in Thai, ตำรวจ (dtam-rùuat) is “policeman”, อยู่ (yùu) is one of the words for “be” in Thai, and ที่ไหน (thîi nǎi) is “where.”
  • Cultural background/relevance: If you lose something in Thailand, the sad fact is that getting it back is unlikely. You may need a document from the police for an insurance claim, or in order to get a new passport if you lost yours.

6- โรงพยาบาลอยู่ที่ไหน (roong-pháa-yaa-baan yùu thîi nǎi)

  • Meaning: “Where is the hospital?”
  • Language breakdown: This sentence is pretty similar to the one above, and is another of the most basic Thai travel words and phrases. The only difference is โรงพยาบาล (roong-pháa-yaa-baan), which is “hospital” in Thai.
  • Cultural background/relevance: If you’re in Bangkok, it’s not too hard to find a hospital as there are plenty here. Some of these hospitals have staff members who can speak other languages, such as Japanese and Korean. But if you’re in a suburban area, there may not be many hospitals in those areas.

7- ร้านขายยาอยู่ที่ไหน (ráan khǎai yaa yùu thîi nǎi)

  • Meaning: “Where is the drug store?”
  • Language breakdown: Again, this is a similar sentence to the one above. The only difference is ร้านขายยา (ráan khǎai yaa) which is “drug store” in Thai.
  • Cultural background/relevance: In Thailand, when you go to the hospital, it’s kind of a one-stop service. You meet the doctor and get the medicine from the hospital. However, if you’re not seriously ill, you can buy some medicine from a drug store without a medical prescription.

8- ฉันทำพาสปอร์ตหาย (chǎn tham pháat-bpàawt hǎai)

  • Meaning: “I lost my passport.”
  • Language breakdown: ฉัน (chǎn) is “I” in Thai, and ทำ…หาย (tham…..hǎai) is “lost….” There’s no “my” in Thai sentences because Thai people assume that other parties know that since “I” is the speaker, it should be “my” passport that is lost.
  • Cultural background/relevance: In case you lose your passport in Thai, you need to go to the police station to get the document to use at the embassy.

7. Flattery Phrases

When you travel, you may like the food you eat, the places you see, or even start to like the people there. Here are common Thai phrases for travelers you can use to show how you feel.

1- ฉันชอบ….. (chǎn châawp…..)

  • Meaning: “I like ……”
  • Language breakdown: ฉัน (chǎn) is “I” in Thai, ชอบ (châawp) is “like.” Then, you can put anything you want to say that you like after this phrase, such as:
    • คนไทย (khon thai) is “Thai people” in Thai.
    • อาหารไทย (aa-hǎan thai) is “Thai food” in Thai.
    • ประเทศไทย (bprà-thêet thai) is “Thailand” in Thai.

2- ที่นี่สวยมาก (thîi nîi sǔuai mâak)

  • Meaning: “This place is very beautiful.”
  • Language breakdown: ที่นี่ (thîi nîi) is “this place” or “here” in Thai. สวย (sǔuai) is “beautiful” and มาก (mâak) is “very.”

3- อาหารอร่อยมาก (aa-hǎan à-ràauy mâak)

  • Meaning: “This food is very delicious.”
  • Language breakdown: อาหาร (aa-hǎan) is “food” in Thai, อร่อย (à-ràauy) is “delicious,” and as mentioned above, มาก (mâak) is “very.”

4- อันนี้กลิ่นหอมมาก (an níi glìn hǎawm mâak)

  • Meaning: “This smells very nice.”
  • Language breakdown: อันนี้ (an níi) is “this” in Thai, กลิ่นหอม (glìn hǎawm) is “smell nice,” and มาก (mâak) is “very.”

5- อันนี้น่ารักมาก (an níi nâa-rák mâak)

  • Meaning: “This is very cute.”
  • Language breakdown: This sentence is similar to the one above. The only difference is น่ารัก (nâa-rák), which is “cute” in Thai.

6- คุณใจดีมาก (khun jai-dii mâak)

  • Meaning: “You are so kind.”
  • Language breakdown: คุณ (khun) is “you” in Thai, ใจดี(jai-dii) is “kind,” and มาก (mâak) is “very.”
  • Cultural background/relevance: Thai people are known to be kind. If you get help from Thai people and you really appreciate it, you can say this to them.

8. Useful Phrases to go through Language Problems

World Map

Generally, not all Thai people can speak English, so some people decide to learn basic Thai in order to communicate better during the trip. In this case, these common Thai travel phrases will be very useful for you. Be sure to study these Thai phrases for tourists and practice often!

1- คุณพูดภาษาอังกฤษได้มั๊ย (khun phûut phaa-săa ang-grìt dâi mái)

  • Meaning: “Can you speak English?”
  • Language breakdown: คุณ (khun) is “you” in Thai, พูด (phûut) is “speak,” ภาษา (phaa-săa) is “language,” and อังกฤษ (ang-grìt) is “English.” And as mentioned before, ได้มั๊ย (dâi mái) is the word Thai people put at the end of sentences and it means “Can you?” or “Can I?” in Thai.
  • Cultural background/relevance: In case you want to ask someone something, but you’re not sure if they can speak English or not, you should ask them this. If they can’t speak English, they’ll shake their head to say “no.” But if they can speak English, they’ll reply back to you in English.

2- ฉันพูดภาษาไทยไม่ได้ (chǎn phûut phaa-săa thai mâi dâi)

  • Meaning: “I can’t speak Thai.”
  • Language breakdown: ฉัน (chǎn) is “I” in Thai, พูด (phûut) is “speak,” and ไม่ได้ (mâi dâi) is the word you put after a verb to show that you “can’t” do that action. ภาษา (phaa-săa) is “language” and ไทย (Thai) is “Thai.”
  • Cultural background/relevance: If you’re Asian, Thai people may assume that you’re Thai and try to speak Thai to you. You can use this sentence to tell them that you can’t speak Thai.

3- ฉันไม่เข้าใจ พูดอีกครั้งได้มั๊ย (chǎn mâi khâo-jai phûut ìik khráng dâi mái)

  • Meaning: “I don’t understand. Can you say that again?”
  • Language breakdown: ฉัน (chǎn) is “I” in Thai, ไม่ (mâi) is “no” or “not,” เข้าใจ (khâo-jai) is “understand,” พูด (phûut) is “speak,” and อีกครั้ง (ìik khráng) is “again.” ได้มั๊ย (dâi mái) is the word Thai people put at the end of sentences and it means “Can you?” or “Can I?” in Thai.
  • Cultural background/relevance: After you say this sentence to Thai people, they’ll either speak slower or use body language to help with communication.

4- ช่วยพูดช้า ๆ หน่อย (chûuai phûut cháa cháa nàauy)

  • Meaning: “Speak slowly please.”
  • Language breakdown: พูด (phûut) is “speak” in Thai, ช้า ๆ (cháa cháa) is “slow,” and as explained before, หน่อย (nàauy) is the word Thai people put at the end of sentences when asking for help. It has no meaning in this case.

5- เขียนให้ได้มั๊ย (khǐian hâi dâi mái)

  • Meaning: “Can you write it down?”
  • Language breakdown: เขียน (khǐian) is “write” in Thai, and ได้มั๊ย (dâi mái) is the word Thai people put at the end of sentences and it means “Can you?” or “Can I?” in Thai. The word ให้ (hâi) is the shortened version of ให้ฉัน (hâi chǎn), which means “for me” in Thai.
  • Cultural background/relevance: Thai pronunciation can be hard. If you’re not sure of something, you can ask Thai people to write it down.

6- อันนี้อ่านยังไง (an níi àan yang-ngai)

  • Meaning: “How to read this?”
  • Language breakdown: อันนี้ (an níi) is “this” in Thai, อ่าน (àan) is “read,” and ยังไง (yang-ngai) is “how.”
  • Cultural background/relevance: As mentioned before, Thai pronunciation is hard. With just a slight change of tone, the meaning of a word can become different. So if you’re not sure how to read each word, you should ask Thai people to help.

9. Handy Phrases During the Trip

Besides all of the sentences above, ThaiPod101.com thinks the following may also be handy for travelers.

1- ช่วยถ่ายรูปให้ได้มั๊ย (chûuai thàai rûup hâi dâi mái)

  • Meaning: “Can you take a picture for me?”
  • Language breakdown: ช่วย (chûuai) is “help” in Thai, ถ่ายรูป (thàai rûup) is “take picture,” and ได้มั๊ย (dâi mái) is the word Thai people put at the end of sentences and it means “Can you?” or “Can I?”
  • Cultural background/relevance: Thai people love to take pictures and selfies. So you don’t have to be shy if you want to take a picture. Thai people are willing to help if you ask them to take a picture for you.

2- ห้องน้ำอยู่ที่ไหน (hâawng-nám yùu thîi nǎi)

  • Meaning: “Where is the toilet?”
  • Language breakdown: ห้องน้ำ (hâawng-nám) is “toilet” in Thai, อยู่ (yùu) is one of the words for “be” in Thai, and ที่ไหน (thîi nǎi) is “where.”
  • Cultural background/relevance: In big cities, toilets for males and females are separated most of the time. But if you go to a rural area, in some places there may not be separate bathrooms for males and females.

Where Is the Toilet?

10. Tips

To make a sentence sound formal in Thai, Thai people put the words ครับ (khráp) and ค่ะ (khâ) at the end of sentences when speaking. ครับ (khráp) is used when the speaker is male, while ค่ะ (khâ) is used when the speaker is female. If you want to say sorry informally, there’s no need to put ครับ (khráp) or ค่ะ (khâ) at the end of a sentence.

Apart from ครับ (khráp) and ค่ะ (khâ), Thai people sometimes put นะ () at the end of informal sentences to make them sound more friendly. These words are คำลงท้าย (kham-long-tháai) in Thai.

11. Conclusion

As you can see, in the Thai language, there are a lot of travel phrases for you to learn. Continue studying the Thai travel phrases in English above, because with these travel phrases in your Thai vocabulary, your trip will be more convenient and go a lot more smoothly. We also hope that you see now why travel phrases in Thai language learning are so important and useful.

So keep practicing and don’t be shy to use them in real situations, so that you’ll soon be able to more effectively talk with Thai people, including travel guides in Thailand that you meet!

Once you can remember all of these common phrases for travelers, you can begin studying other interesting lessons such as the most common text slang or ten lines you need to know for self-introduction at ThaiPod101.com.

Log

The Best Guide to Learn Thai Numbers for Daily Usage

Thumbnail

In this world, numbers are a part of everyone’s life. You use numbers in calculation. You use numbers in communication. You use numbers to count things. This is no different for Thai people. They use numbers for many purposes in daily life.

Thus, it’s essential for Thai learners to learn how Thai people pronounce, write, and use Thai numbers. Thai numbers in language learning are of great importance.

Fortunately, Thai numbers isn’t a very hard Thai topic and you can learn everything you need to know about Thai numbers here at ThaiPod101.com.

ตัวเลข (dtuua-lêek) or เลข (lêek) is “number” in Thai. Thai people use numbers quite a lot in daily life, for example in pricing, telephone numbers, house addresses, postal codes, calculations, etc. If you want to live, study, or work in Thailand, it’s wise to learn how to use Thai numbers. This is especially important if you ever want to contact the Thai government.

Are you ready to learn Thai numbers ? If so, 3…2…1…let’s get started with our Thai numbers lists!

Table of Contents

  1. Thai Numbers 0-9
  2. Thai Language Numbers 0-9
  3. Numerical Digits in the Thai Language
  4. Numbers 10 – 9,999,999
  5. How to Say Numbers Higher than 9,999,999
  6. Decimals
  7. Fractions
  8. House Numbers
  9. Postal Codes
  10. Phone Numbers
  11. Price
  12. Conclusion

Log in to Download Your Free Cheat Sheet - Count to One Billion in Thai

1. Thai Numbers 0-9

Let’s start with Thai basic numbers. Not only will you be learning Thai numbers 1-10 or Thai numbers 1-20, but you’ll need to learn Thai numbers 0-9 first.

Most of the time, Thai people use Arabic numerals in writing. It’s important that you try to master this part as it’s the foundation for other number-related topics. Below is the list of Thai numbers with pronunciation.

  • 0 – ศูนย์ (sǔun)
  • 1 – หนึ่ง (nùeng)
  • 2 – สอง (sǎawng)
  • 3 – สาม (sǎam)
  • 4 – สี่ (sìi)
  • 5 – ห้า (hâa)
  • 6 – หก (hòk)
  • 7 – เจ็ด (jèt)
  • 8 – แปด (bpàaet)
  • 9 – เก้า (gâo)

Counting Numbers

2. Thai Language Numbers 0-9

In the Thai language, there’s another way of writing numbers as well. ตัวเลขไทย (dtuua lêek thai) is “Thai number” in Thai. If you can remember and write Thai numbers, that’s great. But if you can’t write them, don’t worry as Thai people don’t use them much in daily life. Even Thai people don’t get to write these much.

Thai language numbers are mostly used in government documents and sometimes in the house address label. So you may not see them much.

That said, here’s another Thai numbers list you should study.

  • 0 – ศูนย์ (sǔun)
  • – หนึ่ง (nùeng)
  • ๒ – สอง (sǎawng)
  • ๓ – สาม (sǎam)
  • – สี่ (sìi)
  • ๕ – ห้า (hâa)
  • ๖ – หก (hòk)
  • – เจ็ด (jèt)
  • ๘ – แปด (bpàaet)
  • ๙ – เก้า (gâo)

3. Numerical Digits in the Thai Language

To learn numbers higher than 9, you have to understand about digits in the Thai language first. หลัก (làk) is “digit” in Thai. There are seven digits in the Thai language.

  • หลักหน่วย (làk nùuai) — “unit”
  • หลักสิบ (làk sìp) — “ten”
  • หลักร้อย (làk ráauy) — “hundred”
  • หลักพัน (làk phan) — “thousand”
  • หลักหมื่น (làk mùuen) — “ten-thousand”
  • หลักแสน (làk sǎaen) — “hundred-thousand”
  • หลักล้าน (làk láan) — “million”

4. Numbers 10 – 9,999,999

Once you can remember the numbers 0-9 and the seven digits in Thai, you can pretty much say every number in Thai using the following principle. Basically, you can read the number in each digit followed by the name of that digit from left to right, except for the last digit for which you read only the number. In case 0 shows up in some numbers, you can skip that digit.

1- Special Numbers

  • For 10, Thai people read it สิบ (sìp) instead of หนึ่งสิบ (nùeng sìp)
  • For 20, Thai people read it ยี่สิบ (yîi sìp) instead of สองสิบ (sǎawng sìp)
  • For numbers higher than 10, if 1 is in the unit digit, Thai people read it เอ็ด (èt) instead of หนึ่ง (nùeng)
  • For one-hundred-something numbers (1XX), sometimes Thai people say it shortly by skipping the word หนึ่ง (nùeng) such as for 105 we read it ร้อยห้า (ráauy hâa) instead of หนึ่งร้อยห้า (nùeng ráauy hâa).

1. Example of 580

  • 580 — five is in the hundred digit spot, so we read “five” followed by the name of the hundred digit in Thai which is ห้าร้อย (hâa ráauy).
  • 580 — eight is in the ten digit spot, so we read “eight” followed by the name of the ten digit in Thai which is แปดสิบ (bpàaet sìp).
  • 580 — since the number in unit digit is 0, we can skip reading this digit.
  • 580 is ห้าร้อยแปดสิบ (hâa ráauy bpàaet sìp)

2. Example of 8,126

  • 8,126 — eight is in the thousand digit spot, so we read “eight” followed by the name of the thousand digit in Thai which is แปดพัน (bpàaet phan).
  • 8,126 — one is in the hundred digit spot, so we read “one” in Thai followed by the name of the hundred digit in Thai which is หนึ่งร้อย (nùeng ráauy).
  • 8,126 — two is in the ten digit spot, so we read “two” followed by the name of the ten digit in Thai which is ยี่สิบ (yîi sìp). (Don’t forget that for 20, Thai people read it ยี่สิบ [yîi sìp]).
  • 8,126 — six is in the unit digit spot, so we read “six” in Thai which is หก (hòk). (Don’t forget that for the unit digit, you read only the number and don’t read the name of the digit.)
  • 8,126 is แปดพันหนึ่งร้อยยี่สิบหก (bpàaet phan nùeng ráauy yîi sìp hòk).

3. Example of 300,451

  • 300,451 — three is in the hundred-thousand digit spot so we read “three” in Thai followed by the name of the hundred-thousand digit which is สามแสน (sǎam sǎaen).
  • 300,451 — since the number in the ten-thousand and thousand digit spots is 0, we can skip reading these two digits.
  • 300,451 — four is in the hundred digit spot, so we read “four” followed by the name of the hundred digit in Thai which is สี่ร้อย (sìi ráauy).
  • 300,451 — five is in the ten digit spot, so we read “five” followed by the name of the ten digit in Thai which is ห้าสิบ (hâa sìp).
  • 300,451 — one is in the unit digit spot, so we read one in Thai which is เอ็ด (èt). (Don’t forget that for numbers higher than 10, if 1 is in the unit digit spot, we read it เอ็ด [èt].)
  • 300,451 is สามแสนสี่ร้อยห้าสิบเอ็ด (sǎam sǎaen sìi ráauy hâa sìp èt).

5. How to Say Numbers Higher than 9,999,999

Now, you may notice that there’s no name for digits higher than one-million. So to read numbers higher than 9,999,999, you have to do as follows:

  1. Divide the number into parts for every six digits from right to left, as follows:
    XXX,XXX,YYY,YYY => XXX,XXX and YYY,YYY
    Note: The left part may have less than six numbers.
  2. Read the left part (XXX,XXX) first the same way you read the numbers between 10 – 999,999 followed by ล้าน (láan) which is “million digit” in Thai.
  3. Read the right part (YYY,YYY) the same way you read the numbers between 10 – 999,999.

1- Example of 21,700,098

  • 21 and 700,098 — you divide the number into parts for every six digits from right to left first, so you get 21 and 700,098.
  • 21,700,098 — you read the left part first followed by ล้าน (láan) which is ยี่สิบเอ็ดล้าน (yîi sìp èt láan).
  • 21,700,098 — you read the right part after that which is เจ็ดแสนเก้าสิบแปด (jèt sǎaen gâo sìp bpàaet).
  • 21,700,098 is ยี่สิบเอ็ดล้านเจ็ดแสนเก้าสิบแปด (yîi sìp èt láan jèt sǎaen gâo sìp bpàaet).

6. Decimals

ทศนิยม (thót-sà-ní-yom) is “decimal” in Thai. In the Thai language, you read decimals the same way you do in English. Thai people read the number before the point followed by จุด (jùt) which is “point” in Thai. And then they read each number without name of digit after the point.

Decimal

1- Example of 321.5671

  • 321.5671 — you read the number before the point first, followed by จุด (jùt) which is สามร้อยยี่สิบเอ็ดจุด (sǎam ráauy yîi sìp èt jùt).
  • 321.5671 — you read each number after the point which is ห้าหกเจ็ดหนึ่ง (hâa hòk jèt nùeng).
  • 321.5671 is สามร้อยยี่สิบเอ็ดจุดห้าหกเจ็ดหนึ่ง (sǎam ráauy yîi sìp èt jùt hâa hòk jèt nùeng).

7. Fractions

เศษส่วน (sèet-sùuan) is “fraction” in Thai. The following is how Thai people read fractions:

They read the number above the line first, followed by ส่วน (sùuan) which is “part” in Thai. And then they read the number below the line.

Fraction

1- Example of 15/120

  • 15/120— you read the number above the line, followed by ส่วน (sùuan) which is สิบห้าส่วน (sìp hâa sùuan).
  • 15/120— you read the number below the line which is หนึ่งร้อยยี่สิบ (nùeng ráauy yîi sìp).
  • 15/120 is สิบห้าส่วนหนึ่งร้อยยี่สิบ (sìp hâa sùuan nùeng ráauy yîi sìp).

8. House Numbers

บ้านเลขที่ (bâan lêek-thîi) is “house number” in Thai. There are two types of house numbers in Thai and they read differently which will be explained below.

1- Regular House Numbers

For normal house numbers with no sign, there are two ways of reading it. We can read it like we read normal numbers; for example, house no. 128 is บ้านเลขที่ 128 (bâan lêek-thîi nùeng ráauy yîi sìp bpàaet). Or we can read each number without the name of the digits, such as house no. 128 is บ้านเลขที่ 128 (bâan lêek-thîi nùeng sǎawng bpàaet).

2- House Numbers with “/” Sign

For condos or village houses, the house numbers normally have a “/” sign which is called ทับ (tháp) in Thai. The number before the “/” sign indicates the number of the village or condo as a whole, while the number after the “/” sign indicates the house number of each house in the village or each room in the condo.

This is how you read this type of house number: You read each number without the name of the digits for all the numbers. For example, house no. 71/98 is บ้านเลขที่เจ็ดหนึ่งทับเก้าแปด (bâan lêek-thîi jèt nùeng tháp gâo bpàaet).

9. Postal Codes

รหัสไปรษณีย์ (rá-hàt bprai-sà-nii) is “post code” in Thai. There are five digits in Thai postcodes. The way you read it is very easy: you read each number without the name of the digits. For example, 10500 is หนึ่งศูนย์ห้าศูนย์ศูนย์ (nùeng sǔun hâa sǔun sǔun).

10. Phone Numbers

เบอร์โทรศัพท์ (booe thoo-rá-sàp) is “phone number” in Thai. Although the country code for Thai phone numbers is +66, Thai people don’t write +66 or say +66 in their phone number when giving it. They use 0 instead of +66.

For Thai landlines, there are nine digits starting with 0 (0X-XXX-XXXX). For mobile phones, there are 10 digits starting with 0 as well (0XX-XXX-XXXX).

You may notice that Thai people sometimes put a “-” sign which is called ขีด (khìit) in Thai to make it easier to read. However, when Thai people read it, they read only the number and don’t say ขีด (khìit) despite writing the sign. They pause instead of saying ขีด (khìit).

When you tell someone your phone number, you say each number without the name of the digits. For example, 02-717-0203 is ศูนย์สอง เจ็ดหนึ่งเจ็ด ศูนย์สองศูนย์สาม (sǔun sǎawng jèt nùeng jèt sǔun sǎawng sǔun sǎam).

What is Your Phone Number?

11. Price

Thai Baht

ราคา (raa-kha) is “price” in Thai. When Thai people talk about the price, there are two currency units we use which are บาท (Bàat) and สตางค์ (Sà-dtang). 100 สตางค์ (Sà-dtang) is 1 บาท (Bàat). This is how we read price:

1- Prices with Decimals

You read the number before the point followed by บาท (Bàat) and then read the number after the point followed by สตางค์ (Sà-dtang). Please note that the way you read prices with a decimal and how you read a normal decimal is different.

For prices with a decimal, the number after the point is read normally, not reading each number without name of digit. For example, 10.25 is บาท is สิบบาท ยี่สิบห้าสตางค์ (sìp bàat yîi sìp hâa sà-dtang).

2- Prices with No Decimals

This one is easy. You just read the number followed by บาท (Bàat). For example, 9,145 บาท is เก้าพันหนึ่งร้อยสี่สิบห้าบาท (gâo phan nùeng ráauy sìi sìp hâa bàat).

12. Conclusion

If you’ve reached this part, it means you’ve learned every basic thing you should know about Thai numbers. You may feel a bit confused at this point, since some of these number rules seem to be similar yet different from what you’re used to.

Still, after reading it a few times and trying to use these numbers yourself, you should be okay. (You’ll be counting in Thai before you know it!)

So, the next thing you should do is to keep practicing so that you can use these Thai numbers fluently. After completing this topic, don’t forget to visit ThaiPod101.com to learn more interesting Thai lessons and vocabulary.

Log in to Download Your Free Cheat Sheet - Count to One Billion in Thai

How To Post In Perfect Thai on Social Media

Thumbnail

You’re learning to speak Thai, and it’s going well. Your confidence is growing! So much so that you feel ready to share your experiences on social media—in Thai.

At Learn Thai, we make this easy for you to get it right the first time. Post like a boss with these phrases and guidelines, and get to practice your Thai in the process.

Log in to Download Your Free Cheat Sheet - Beginner Vocabulary in Thai

1. Talking about Your Restaurant Visit in Thai

Eating out is fun, and often an experience you’d like to share. Take a pic, and start a conversation on social media in Thai. Your friend will be amazed by your language skills…and perhaps your taste in restaurants!

Win eats at a restaurant with his friends, posts an image of it, and leaves this comment:

POST

Let’s break down win’s post.

ไปทานอาหารญี่ปุ่นกับเพื่อนๆ (bpai thaan aa-hăan yîi-bpùn gàp phûuean phûuean)
“Having Japanese food with friends.”

1- ไปทานอาหารญี่ปุ่น (bpai thaan aa-hăan yîi-bpùn )

First is an expression meaning “Went to have Japanese food.”
In Thailand, Japanese food is very popular. Thai people are crazy about Japanese food, and because of this, it is common for new-generation Thais to eat out at Japanese restaurants in big shopping malls.

2- กับเพื่อนๆ (gàp phûuean phûuean)

Then comes the phrase – “With friends.”
The repetition of the word “friend” implies that there was more than one friend with him.

COMMENTS

In response, win’s friends leave some comments.

1- ไว้นัดกันอีกนะจ๊ะ (wái nát gan ìik ná já)

His high school friend, maai, uses an expression meaning – “Let’s meet again!”
Use this expression to show you are eager to repeat this meeting with friends.

2- วันนี้สนุกมากเลยเนอะ ^^ (wan-níi sà-nùk mâak looei nóe)

His girlfriend, fáa, uses an expression meaning – “Today was so fun.”
Use this expression to indicate you enjoyed the experience.

3- อาหารร้านนั้นอร่อยมากๆค่ะ (aa-hăan ráan nán a-ràauy mâak mâak khâ)

His neighbor, phraae, uses an expression meaning – “The food there is very good.”
Use this expression to compliment the food.

4- ขอบใจที่ชวนมานะ เพื่อน (khàawp-jai thîi chuuan maa ná phûuean)

His college friend, em, uses an expression meaning – “Thanks for asking me out, dude.”
Use this expression to show you are feeling grateful towards your friend for the invitation.

VOCABULARY

Find below the key vocabulary for this lesson:

  • อาหาร (aa-hăan): “food”
  • ญี่ปุ่น (yîi-bpùn): “Japan or Japanese”
  • นัด (nát): “make a meeting or appointment”
  • สนุก (sà-nùk): “have fun”
  • ร้าน (ráan): “shop, restaurant, store”
  • อร่อย (à-ràauy): “delicious”
  • ชวน (chuuan): “ask out or invite”
  • So, let’s practice a bit. If a friend posted something about having dinner with friends, which phrase would you use?

    Now go visit a Thai restaurant, and wow the staff with your language skills!

    2. Post about Your Mall Visit in Thai

    Another super topic for social media is shopping—everybody does it, most everybody loves it, and your friends on social media are probably curious about your shopping sprees! Share these Thai phrases in posts when you visit a mall.

    fáa shop with her sister at the mall, posts an image of it, and leaves this comment:

    POST

    Let’s break down fáa’s post.

    ชอบมาช้อปปิ้งกับพี่สาวที่สุดเลย! (châawp maa cháwp-bpîng gàp phîi-săao thîi-sùt looei)
    “I love shopping with my sister!”

    1- ชอบมาช้อปปิ้งที่สุดเลย (châawp maa cháwp-bpîng thîi-sùt looei)

    First is an expression meaning “I love to go shopping the most..”
    Thai people love shopping. Clothes and goods in Thailand are relatively cheap, while the quality and designs are quite good. Moreover, it’s normal to see people selling stuff everywhere in Thailand. For example, on the street, in a shopping mall, or at a flea market.

    2- กับพี่สาว (gàp phîi-săao)

    Then comes the phrase – “with my sister.”
    One characteristic of Thai people, especially girls, is that they love to have someone accompany them when they go out.

    COMMENTS

    In response, fáa’s friends leave some comments.

    1- อิจฉาจัง 555 (ìt-chăa jang hâa hâa hâa)

    Her high school friend, nám phŏn, uses an expression meaning – “Jealous. Lol.”
    Use this expression to indicate you’re envious of the poster’s experience, but not in a nasty way.

    2- ซื้อขนมมาฝากไอติมด้วย (súue khà-nŏm maa fàak ai-dtim dûuai)

    Her nephew, ai-dtim, uses an expression meaning – “Buy me some snacks!”
    Use this expression to make conversation by demanding something in a playful way.

    3- คนเยอะมั๊ย (khon yóe mái)

    Her college friend, em, uses an expression meaning – “Is it crowded?”
    Use this expression to show you are curious and would like to know more about the event.

    4- ตอนนี้ร้าน A ลดราคาอยู่นะจ๊ะ (dtaawn-níi ráan ee lót raa-khaa yùu ná já)

    Her neighbor, phraae, uses an expression meaning – “Check out the sale in Shop A”
    Use this expression when you have advice to give that could benefit the poster.

    VOCABULARY

    Find below the key vocabulary for this lesson:

  • พี่สาว (phîi-săao): “older sister”
  • ช้อปปิ้ง (cháwp-bpîng): “shopping”
  • อิจฉา (ìt-chăa): “envy or jealous”
  • ขนม (khà-nŏm): “snacks”
  • เยอะ (yóe): “a lot, many or much”
  • ร้าน (ráan): “shop, restaurant, store”
  • ลดราคา (lót raa-khaa): “give a discount”
  • So, if a friend posted something about going shopping, which phrase would you use?

    3. Talking about a Sport Day in Thai

    Sports events, whether you’re the spectator or the sports person, offer fantastic opportunities for great social media posts. Learn some handy phrases and vocabulary to start a sport-on-the-beach conversation in Thai.

    win plays with his friends at the beach, posts an image of it, and leaves this comment:

    POST

    Let’s break down win’s post.

    มาเตะบอลที่ทะเล ดำเลย (maa dtè baawn thîi thá-lee dam looei)
    “Playing soccer by the sea. Now, I’m dark.”

    1- มาเตะบอลที่ทะเล (maa dtè baawn thîi thá-lee )

    First is an expression meaning “Playing soccer by the sea..”
    The most popular sport among Thai men is soccer.

    2- ดำเลย (dam looei)

    Then comes the phrase – “Now, Im dark..”
    Thailand has strong sunlight. So by going to the sea, even without sun-bathing yourself, you tend to get darker.

    COMMENTS

    In response, win’s friends leave some comments.

    1- 555 (hâa hâa hâa)

    His girlfriend’s high school friend, nám phŏn, uses an expression meaning – “hahaha”
    Use this expression to show that you find the post humorous.

    2- หรอ? ;P (rǎaw)

    His college friend, em, uses an expression meaning – “Oh yeah? ;P”
    Use this expression to show you are feeling frivolous and are in a teasing mood.

    3- มาเล่นกับไอติมบ้างสิ (maa lêen gàp ai-dtim bâang sì)

    His girlfriend’s nephew, ai-dtim, uses an expression meaning – “Come and play with me too!”
    Use this expression to show you are feeling playful and inviting.

    4- ดูน่าสนุกจังเลยค่ะ (duu nâa sà-nùk jang looei khâ)

    His neighbor, phraae, uses an expression meaning – “Looks fun.”
    Use this comment when the poster’s photo looks like a fun event.

    VOCABULARY

    Find below the key vocabulary for this lesson:

  • เตะบอล (dtè baawn): “play football”
  • ทะเล (thá-lee ): “sea”
  • ดำ (dam): “dark or black”
  • กับ (gàp ): “with”
  • เล่น (lêen): “play”
  • ดู (duu ): “look like, seem or deem”
  • น่าสนุก (nâa sà-nùk): “seem fun”
  • Which phrase would you use if a friend posted something about sports?

    But sport is not the only thing you can play! Play some music, and share it on social media.

    4. Share a Song on Social Media in Thai

    Music is the language of the soul, they say. So, don’t hold back—share what touches your soul with your friends!

    fáa shares a song she just heard at a party, posts an image of the artist, and leaves this comment:

    POST

    Let’s break down fáa’s post.

    เพลงนี้โดนใจสุดๆ (phleeng níi doon-jai sùt sùt)
    “I’m so loving this song.”

    1- เพลงนี้ (phleeng níi )

    First is an expression meaning “This song.”
    Unlike in English, in Thai the word ‘this’ is placed after the noun, not in front of it.

    2- โดนใจสุดๆ (doon-jai sùt sùt)

    Then comes the phrase – “to my liking” or “super impressed”.
    This phrase literally means ‘maximum hit to the heart’. It is used when talking about things that you really like, mostly songs, movies and books. Sometimes we use it with people, but only when referring to a person of the opposite sex that you like in a romantic way.

    COMMENTS

    In response, fáa’s friends leave some comments.

    1- ชอบเหมือนกัน (châawp mǔuean gan)

    Her boyfriend, win, uses an expression meaning – “I like it too.”
    Use this expression to show you agree with the poster.

    2- ชอบคนหรือชอบเพลงจ๊ะ ;P (châawp khon rǔue châawp phleeng já)

    Her high school friend, nám phŏn, uses an expression meaning – “Do you like the person or the song? ;P”
    Use this expression to be funny.

    3- ผมก็ชอบเพลงนี้ครับ (phŏm gâaw châawp phleeng níi khráp)

    Her supervisor, non, uses an expression meaning – “I like this song too.”
    This is the same as above, meaning you say that you like something, specifically the song.

    4- เพลงอะไรอะ ป้า -“- (phleeng à-rai à bpâa)

    Her nephew, ai-dtim, uses an expression meaning – “What song is this, Aunty? -“-”
    Use this expression to show you are curious about the name of the song.

    VOCABULARY

    Find below the key vocabulary for this lesson:

  • เพลง (phleeng ): “song”
  • นี้ (níi ): “this”
  • โดนใจ (doon-jai ): “to one’s liking”
  • ชอบ (châawp ): “like”
  • เหมือนกัน (mǔuean gan): “too”
  • คน (khon): “person or people”
  • อะไร (à-rai): “what”
  • Which song would you share? And what would you say to a friend who posted something about sharing music or videos?

    Now you know how to start a conversation about a song or a video on social media!

    5. Thai Social Media Comments about a Concert

    Still on the theme of music—visiting live concerts and shows just have to be shared with your friends. Here are some handy phrases and vocab to wow your followers in Thai!

    win goes to a concert, posts an image of himself at the concert, and leaves this comment:

    POST

    Let’s break down win’s post.

    คอนเสิร์ตวันนี้มันส์มาก (khaawn-sòoet wan-níi man mâak)
    “Today’s concert was so fun.”

    1- คอนเสิร์ตวันนี้ (khaawn-sòoet wan-níi )

    First is an expression meaning “Today’s concert .”
    Going to concerts are one of the most popular activities that Thai people love to enjoy.

    2- มันส์มาก (man mâak)

    Then comes the phrase – “Was so much fun.”
    This word is often used in spoken language and on social media.

    COMMENTS

    In response, win’s friends leave some comments.

    1- คอนเสิร์ตใครน่ะ (khaawn-sòoet khrai nâ)

    His college friend, em, uses an expression meaning – “Whose concert was it?”
    Use this expression if you need more information.

    2- น่าสนุกจังเลยค่ะ 🙂 (nâa sà-nùk jang looei khâ)

    His neighbor, phraae, uses an expression meaning – “Sounds fun.”
    Use this expression if you want to comment shortly but positively.

    3- สนุกมั๊ย อยากไปบ้าง (sà-nùk mái yàak bpai bâang)

    His high school friend, maai, uses an expression meaning – “Was it fun? I wanna go too.”
    Use these phrases to show your interest in the topic, and express that you’d like to have the same experience.

    4- ไม่เคยชวนเลยนะ 🙁 (mâi khooei chuuan looei ná)

    His girlfriend’s nephew, ai-dtim, uses an expression meaning – “You never invited me!”
    Use this expression to show you feel a bit left out.

    VOCABULARY

    Find below the key vocabulary for this lesson:

  • คอนเสิร์ต (khaawn-sòoet ): “concert”
  • วันนี้ (wan-níi ): “today”
  • มันส์ (man): “so much fun”
  • ใคร (khrai): “who or whose”
  • สนุก (sà-nùk): “fun”
  • อยาก (yàak): “want”
  • ชวน (chuuan): “ask out or invite”
  • If a friend posted something about a concert , which phrase would you use?

    6. Talking about an Unfortunate Accident in Thai

    Oh dear. You broke something by accident. Use these Thai phrases to start a thread on social media. Or maybe just to let your friends know why you are not contacting them!

    fáa accidentally breaks her mobile phone, and leaves this comment:

    POST

    Let’s break down fáa’s post.

    ทำมือถือตกแตก T T (tham muue-thǔue dtòk dtàaek)
    “I dropped and broke my cell. ”

    1- มือถือ (muue-thǔue)

    First is an expression meaning “cell-phone.”
    Nowadays, everyone in Thailand has a cellphone, and they’re addicted to social networks.

    2- ทำ…ตกแตก (tham…dtòk dtàaek)

    Then comes the phrase – “drop and break it.”
    A phrase describing the action of dropping something and breaking it instantly.

    COMMENTS

    In response, fáa’s friends leave some comments.

    1- ลองเอาไปให้ที่ศูนย์โทรศัพท์ดูนะ (laawng ao bpai hâi thîi sǔun thoo-rá-sàp duu ná)

    Her boyfriend, win, uses an expression meaning – “Take it to the phone center.”
    Use this expression to show you are feeling determined.

    2- ใจเย็นๆนะคะ เดี๋ยวก็ซ่อมได้ (jai yen-yen ná khá dĭiao gâaw sâawm dâi)

    Her neighbor, phraae, uses an expression meaning – “Calm down. It’ll be fixed.”
    Use this expression to give advice and remind the poster that the issue is not such a big problem.

    3- โห สภาพน่ากลัวมาก (hŏo sà-phâap nâa-gluua mâak)

    Her college friend, em, uses an expression meaning – “OMG. It looks horrible.”
    Use this expression to show you are feeling shocked by something’s appearance. In this context, it’s also expressing a sort of sympathy.

    4- ถือว่าได้โอกาสเปลี่ยนเครื่องใหม่เลยไง (thǔue wâa dâi oo-gàat bplìian khrûueang mài looei ngai)

    Her high school friend, nám phŏn, uses an expression meaning – “Think of it as a way to switch to a new cell.”
    Use this expression to be funny and encouraging at the same time.

    VOCABULARY

    Find below the key vocabulary for this lesson:

  • มือถือ (muue-thǔue): “cellphone”
  • ตก (dtòk): “fall or drop “
  • ศูนย์โทรศัพท์ (sǔun thoo-rá-sàp): “phone center”
  • ซ่อม (sâawm): “repair or fix”
  • สภาพ (sà-phâap ): “condition”
  • น่ากลัว (nâa-gluua): “scary”
  • โอกาส (oo-gàat): “chance”
  • If a friend posted something about having broken something by accident, which phrase would you use?

    So, now you know how to describe an accident in Thai. Well done!

    7. Chat about Your Boredom on Social Media in Thai

    Sometimes, we’re just bored with how life goes. And to alleviate the boredom, we write about it on social media. Add some excitement to your posts by addressing your friends and followers in Thai!

    win gets bored at home, and leaves this comment:

    POST

    Let’s break down win’s post.

    เบื่อจัง ไม่มีอะไรทำ (bùuea jang mâi mii à-rai tham)
    “I’m bored. There’s nothing to do.”

    1- เบื่อจัง (bùuea jang )

    First is an expression meaning “I’m bored. .”
    A phrase often used by Thais to express that they are bored. It’s used in spoken language and on social media.

    2- ไม่มีอะไรทำ (mâi mii à-rai tham)

    Then comes the phrase – “There’s nothing to do..”
    Thai people normally kill time by going out to meet friends, chilling at a cafe, and/or going to a movie theatre.

    COMMENTS

    In response, win’s friends leave some comments.

    1- เบื่อด้วย (bùuea dûuai)

    His girlfriend, fáa, uses an expression meaning – “I’m bored too.”
    Use this expression to show you are feeling the same as the poster.

    2- 555 (hâa hâa hâa)

    His girlfriend’s high school friend, nám phŏn, uses an expression meaning – “lol”
    Use this expression to show that you think the post is funny. (lol stands for:”laugh out loud” )

    3- ออกไปข้างนอกกัน! (àawk bpai khâang nâawk gan)

    His college friend, em, uses an expression meaning – “Let’s hang out!”
    Use this expression to show you are feeling helpful to alleviate the poster’s boredom.

    4- ลองหาหนังสือมาอ่านดูสิ (laawng hăa năng-sǔue maa àan duu sì)

    His high school friend, maai, uses an expression meaning – “Try finding a book to read.”
    This is another solution to the poster’s problem of boredom, so you’ll post this when you feel helpful.

    VOCABULARY

    Find below the key vocabulary for this lesson:

  • เบื่อ (bùuea): “get bored”
  • ไม่มีอะไร (mâi mii à-rai): “nothing”
  • ด้วย (dûuai): “too or also”
  • ออกไป (àawk bpai ): “get out “
  • ข้างนอก (khâang nâawk): “outside”
  • หนังสือ (năng-sǔue ): “book”
  • อ่าน (àan): “read”
  • If a friend posted something about being bored, which phrase would you use?

    Still bored? Share another feeling and see if you can start a conversation!

    8. Exhausted? Share It on Social Media in Thai

    Sitting in public transport after work, feeling like chatting online? Well, converse in Thai about your mood, and let your friends join in!

    fáa feels exhausted after a long day at work, posts an image of herself looking tired, and leaves this comment:

    POST

    Let’s break down fáa’s post.

    ทำงานเหนื่อยจัง (tham ngaan nùueai jang)
    “I’m so tired from work.”

    1- ทำงาน (tham ngaan )

    First is an expression meaning “work..”
    Office workers in Bangkok normally work at least eight hours a day. Their lives are very hectic; that’s why they always feel tired from work. Moreover, women in Thailand tend to work rather than staying home and being a housewife.

    2- เหนื่อยจัง (nùueai jang)

    Then comes the phrase – “I’m so tired”.
    A frequently used expression on the Internet that people use to whine and complain about being tired.

    COMMENTS

    In response, fáa’s friends leave some comments.

    1- ดูแลตัวเองด้วยนะคะ (duu-laae dtuua-eeng dûuai ná khá)

    Her neighbor, phraae, uses an expression meaning – “Please, take care of yourself.”
    Use this expression to show you are feeling warmhearted and caring.

    2- ขอบคุณที่ตั้งใจทำงานนะครับ (khàawp-khun thîi dtâng-jai tham ngaan ná khráp)

    Her supervisor, non, uses an expression meaning – “Thank you for the hard work.”
    Use this phrase when you are feeling thankful.

    3- ไปเที่ยวกัน! (bpai thîiao gan)

    Her college friend, em, uses an expression meaning – “Let’s go out and have fun!”
    Use this expression to show you are feeling frivolous and playful. It’s an invitation to go out.

    4- สู้ๆนะ (sûu-sûu ná)

    Her boyfriend, win, uses an expression meaning – “Fighting!”
    Use this expression when you want to tell someone to hold courage and not give up the fight.

    VOCABULARY

    Find below the key vocabulary for this lesson:

  • ทำงาน (tham ngaan): “work”
  • เหนื่อย (nùueai): “be tired”
  • ดูแล (duu-laae ): “take care”
  • ตัวเอง (dtuua-eeng): “oneself”
  • ขอบคุณ (khàawp-khun): “thank you”
  • ไปเที่ยว (bpai thîiao ): “hang out, go out or travel”
  • กัน (gan): “let’s”
  • If a friend posted something about being exhausted, which phrase would you use?

    Now you know how to say you’re exhausted in Thai! Well done.

    9. Talking about an Injury in Thai

    So life happens, and you manage to hurt yourself during a soccer game. Very Tweet-worthy! Here’s how to do it in Thai.

    win suffers an injury, posts an image of himself in pain, and leaves this comment:

    POST

    Let’s break down win’s post.

    โอ๊ย จะปวดอะไรนักหนา (óoi jà bpùuat à-rai nák năa)
    “Ouch! Why is it so painful?”

    1- โอ๊ย (óoi )

    First is an expression meaning “Ouch.”
    An interjection to express physical pain.

    2- จะปวดอะไรนักหนา (jà bpùuat à-rai nák năa)

    Then comes the phrase – “Why is it so painful?.”
    In Thailand, the first thing people do when they feel pain is to take a painkiller. These are sold everywhere, even at convenience stores.

    COMMENTS

    In response, win’s friends leave some comments.

    1- เป็นอะไรมั๊ยคะ (bpen à-rai mái khá)

    His neighbor, phraae, uses an expression meaning – “Are you ok?”
    Use this expression to show you are feeling concern for the poster’s wellbeing.

    2- ปวดอะไร (bpùuat à-rai)

    His high school friend, maai, uses an expression meaning – “What pain?”
    Use this expression when you are trying to inject some humour into the situation.

    3- ปวดใจ? ;P (bpùuat jai)

    His girlfriend’s high school friend, nám phŏn, uses an expression meaning – “Love pain? ;P”
    This phrase has the same purpose as the previous one – you’re trying to lighten up the conversation.

    4- เกิดอะไรขึ้นเนี่ย (gòoet à-rai khûen nîia)

    His college friend, em, uses an expression meaning – “What’s happening here?”
    This is a question to extract more information from the poster.

    VOCABULARY

    Find below the key vocabulary for this lesson:

  • โอ๊ย (óoi ): “Ouch”
  • ปวด (bpùuat ): “feel pain”
  • อะไร (à-rai ): “what”
  • นักหนา (nák năa): “so much”
  • ปวดใจ (bpùuat jai): “love pain”
  • เกิดขึ้น (gòoet khûen ): “happen”
  • If a friend posted something about being injured, which phrase would you use?

    We love to share our fortunes and misfortunes; somehow that makes us feel connected to others.

    10. Starting a Conversation Feeling Disappointed in Thai

    Sometimes things don’t go the way we planned. Share your disappointment about this with your friends!

    fáa feels disappointed about today’s weather, posts an image of it, and leaves this comment:

    POST

    Let’s break down fáa’s post.

    เกลียดฝนตก เกลียดรถติด (glìiat fŏn dtòk glìiat rót dtìt)
    “Hate the rain. Hate traffic jams.”

    1- เกลียดฝนตก (glìiat fŏn dtòk )

    First is an expression meaning “Hate the rain. .”
    When it’s not the rainy season or an unusual occurrence, e.g. a typhoon, it seldom rains in Thailand.

    2- เกลียดรถติด (glìiat rót dtìt)

    Then comes the phrase – “Hate traffic jams..”
    When it rains, there’s a high potential for floods and massive traffic jams in big cities. That’s why Thai people always complain about the rain.

    COMMENTS

    In response, fáa’s friends leave some comments.

    1- เซ็งเหมือนกัน (seng mǔuean gan)

    Her college friend, em, uses an expression meaning – “This sucks!”
    Use this expression to show you are agreeing with the poster.

    2- มาบริษัท ขับรถระวังๆนะครับ (maa baaw-rí-sàt khàp rót rá-wang rá-wang ná khráp)

    Her supervisor, non, uses an expression meaning – “Please be careful when you drive to the office today.”
    Use this expression to show concern, almost like a parent.

    3- ดูแลตัวเองด้วยนะ (duu laae dtuua eeng dûuai ná)

    Her boyfriend, win, uses an expression meaning – “Please take care of yourself.”
    Use this expression to show you are feeling concern for the poster’s wellbeing.

    4- น่าจะตกไม่นานนะคะ (nâa jà dtòk mâi naan ná khá)

    Her boyfriend’s high school friend, maai, uses an expression meaning – “Maybe it won’t last long.”
    Use this expression to show you are feeling optimistic that there may be relief ahead.

    VOCABULARY

    Find below the key vocabulary for this lesson:

  • เกลียด (glìiat ): “hate”
  • ฝนตก (fŏn dtòk ): “rain”
  • รถติด (rót dtìt): “traffic jam”
  • เซ็ง (seng): “get bored”
  • บริษัท (baaw-rí-sàt ): “company or office”
  • ขับรถ (khàp rót): “drive”
  • ระวัง (rá-wang): “be careful”
  • How would you comment in Thai when a friend is disappointed?

    Not all posts need to be about a negative feeling, though!

    11. Talking about Your Relationship Status in Thai

    Don’t just change your relationship status in Settings, talk about it!

    win changes his status to “In a relationship”, posts an image of it, and leaves this comment:

    POST

    Let’s break down win’s post.

    ไม่โสดแล้วครับ (mâi sòot láaeo khráp)
    “I’m not single anymore.”

    1- ไม่โสดแล้ว (mâi sòot láaeo)

    First is an expression meaning “I’m not single anymore”.
    When Thai people change their relationship status from single to in-a-relationship, friends will often post to either congratulate or tease them.

    2- ครับ (khráp)

    Then comes the phrase which is a particle for guys.
    This is the ending particle for men to indicate formality. However, on social media, it is normally used in a joking manner, like ‘sir’ or ‘madam’ in English, which people sometimes use to tease others.

    COMMENTS

    In response, win’s friends leave some comments.

    1- ยินดีด้วย! (yin dii dûuai )

    His high school friend, maai, uses an expression meaning – “Congratulations!”
    Use this expression to give congratulations.

    2- ในที่สุดก็เปิดตัวนะ ;P (nai thîi sùt gâaw bpòoet-dtuua ná)

    His college friend, em, uses an expression meaning – “Finally, you go public ;P”
    Use this expression to show you are in a fun mood, and want to tease the poster a bit.

    3- ดีใจด้วยนะคะ (dii jai dûuai ná khá)

    His neighbor, phraae, uses an expression meaning – “Happy for you”
    Use this expression to show you are feeling warmhearted and happy about the event.

    4- แต่งเมื่อไหร่บอกด้วยนะ อิอิ (dtàaeng mûuea rài bàawk dûuai ná ì-ì)

    His girlfriend’s high school friend, nám phŏn, uses an expression meaning – “When you get married, please let me know. lol.”
    Use this expression to be funny and also a bit teasing.

    VOCABULARY

    Find below the key vocabulary for this lesson:

  • โสด (sòot): “single”
  • ยินดีด้วย (yin dii dûuai ): “congratulations”
  • ในที่สุด (nai thîi sùt): “eventually, finally”
  • เปิดตัว (bpòoet-dtuua): “officially go public, debut, launch”
  • ดีใจ (dii jai): “glad or happy”
  • แต่ง (dtàaeng): “get married (shortened word)”
  • เมื่อไหร่ (mûuea rài ): “when”
  • What would you say in Thai when a friend changes their relationship status?

    Being in a good relationship with someone special is good news – don’t be shy to spread it!

    12. Post about Getting Married in Thai

    Wow, so things got serious, and you’re getting married. Congratulations! Or, your friend is getting married, so talk about this in Thai.

    fáa is getting married today, so she leaves this comment:

    POST

    Let’s break down fáa’s post.

    วันที่มีความสุขที่สุดในชีวิต (wan thîi mii khwaam sùk thîi sùt nai chii-wít)
    “Happiest day of my life.”

    1- วันที่มีความสุขที่สุด (wan thîi mii khwaam sùk thîi sùt )

    First is an expression meaning “Happiest day .”
    For Thai women, weddings are very important. Some regard their wedding day as the most special day of their lives. Nowadays, weddings are usually held in big hotels, arranged in Thai-Western style, where the first half of the day, the bride and groom wear traditional Thai clothing, and the second half, the woman wears a white, Western-style bridal gown. Some aspects of Western wedding culture have been adopted in Thailand, such as bouquet tossing and cake-cutting, but many aspects of original Thai culture have been preserved as well.

    2- ในชีวิต (nai chii-wít)

    Then comes the phrase – “of my life.”
    This word is used to emphasize the importance of the wedding.

    COMMENTS

    In response, fáa’s friends leave some comments.

    1- ยินดีด้วยนะครับ (yin dii dûuai ná khráp)

    Her supervisor, non, uses an expression meaning – “Congratulations”
    This is the traditional way of congratulating someone.

    2- วันนี้สวยสุดๆเลยนะจ๊ะ (wan-níi sŭuai sùt sùt looei ná já)

    Her neighbor, phraae, uses an expression meaning – “Today, you’re very beautiful.”
    Use this expression to show you want to compliment the poster on their appearance.

    3- ดีใจกับฟ้าด้วยน้า (dii jai gàp fáa dûuai náa)

    Her high school friend, nám phŏn, uses an expression meaning – “Happy for you.”
    Use this expression to show you’re feeling pleased and happy for the poster.

    4- มีความสุขเหมือนกันครับ (mii khwaam-sùk mǔuean-gan khráp)

    Her husband, win, uses an expression meaning – “I’m also very happy.”
    Use this expression to share that you are sharing the poster’s feelings.

    VOCABULARY

    Find below the key vocabulary for this lesson:

  • วัน (wan): “day”
  • ชีวิต (chii-wít): “life”
  • ความสุข (khwaam sùk ): “happiness”
  • ที่สุด (thîi sùt): “the most”
  • สวย (sŭuai): “pretty, beautiful”
  • สุดๆ (sùt sùt): “very, extremely”
  • เหมือนกัน (mǔuean-gan): “same/too/also”
  • How would you respond in Thai to a friend’s post about getting married?

    For the next topic, fast forward about a year into the future after the marriage…

    13. Announcing Big News in Thai

    Wow, huge stuff is happening in your life! Announce it in Thai.

    win finds out he and his wife are going to have a baby, posts an image of it, and leaves this comment:

    POST

    Let’s break down win’s post.

    ครอบครัวเราจะมีสมาชิกใหม่เพิ่มแล้วนะ (khrâawp-khruua rao jà mii sà-maa-chík mài phôoem láaeo ná)
    “Our family will have a new member soon.”

    1- ครอบครัวเรา (khrâawp-khruua rao)

    First is an expression meaning “Our family .”
    Typical Thai families are large, with as many as 6 to 10 members. However, the new generation of Thais prefer to live on their own and often have smaller families.

    2- จะมีสมาชิกใหม่เพิ่มแล้วนะ (jà mii sà-maa-chík mài phôoem láaeo ná)

    Then comes the phrase – “will have a new member soon..”
    Having a new member, in this case a baby, is always a good event. Family and friends will normally visit the couple and new-born baby at the hospital, bringing gifts.

    COMMENTS

    In response, win’s friends leave some comments.

    1- จะมีน้องแล้วหรอ (jà mii náawng láaeo rǎaw)

    His high school friend, maai, uses an expression meaning – “Are you having a baby?”
    This is a rhetorical question to make conversation.

    2- เห้ย ดีใจด้วย (hôoei dii-jai dûuai)

    His college friend, em, uses an expression meaning – “OMG! Congrats!”
    Use this expression to show you are feeling happy and surprised about the good news at the same time.

    3- มีอะไรให้ช่วยบอกได้นะคะ (mii à-rai hâi chûuai bàawk dâi ná khá)

    His neighbor, phraae, uses an expression meaning – “If you need anything, please let me know.”
    Use this expression to show you are feeling supportive and want to help, if needed.

    4- อยากเล่นกับน้องแล้ว (yàak lêen gàp náawng láaeo)

    His nephew, ai-dtim, uses an expression meaning – “I wanna play with your baby!”
    Use this expression to be humorous and show your caring at the same time.

    VOCABULARY

    Find below the key vocabulary for this lesson:

  • ครอบครัว (khrâawp-khruua): “family”
  • สมาชิก ( sà-maa-chík): “members”
  • ใหม่ (mài): “new”
  • เพิ่ม (phôoem): “more, additional”
  • ช่วย (chûuai): “help”
  • เล่น (lêen): “play”
  • น้อง (náawng): “little brother or sister (in this case, it refers to the baby)”
  • Which phrase would you choose when a friend announces their pregnancy on social media?

    So, talking about a pregnancy will get you a lot of traction on social media. But wait till you see the responses to babies!

    14. Posting Thai Comments about Your Baby

    Your bundle of joy is here, and you cannot keep quiet about it! Share your thoughts in Thai.

    fáa plays with her baby, posts an image of it, and leaves this comment:

    POST

    Let’s break down fáa’s post.

    ลูกแม่น่ารักที่สุด (lûuk mâae nâa-rák thîi-sùt)
    “My baby is the cutest.”

    1- ลูกแม่ (lûuk mâae )

    First is an expression meaning “My baby.”
    Thai people love to softly pinch a baby’s cheeks if they think the baby is cute. However, if you aren’t close with the parents, you should ask them first if it is okay to touch their child.

    2- น่ารักที่สุด (nâa-rák thîi-sùt)

    Then comes the phrase – ” is the cutest..”
    In Thailand, there’s an old belief that one should not call a new-born baby ‘cute’, because a ghost will come and steal the baby away. So some people prefer to use the word ‘ugly’ or ‘malicious’ instead of the word ‘cute’ to prevent the ghost from coming after their babies. However, this belief is often associated with older generations, and is becoming more and more rare.

    COMMENTS

    In response, fáa’s friends leave some comments.

    1- น่ารักมากเลยค่ะ (nâa-rák mâak looei khâ)

    Her neighbor, phraae, uses an expression meaning – “So cute.”
    Use this expression to show you are feeling warmhearted and appreciative of the young one.

    2- อยากหยิกแก้ม (yàak yìk gâaem)

    Her high school friend, nám phŏn, uses an expression meaning – “Wanna pinch his/her cheek.”
    Use this expression to show your eagerness to meet the new baby.

    3- อยากไปเล่นด้วย (yàak bpai lêen dûuai)

    Her nephew, ai-dtim, uses an expression meaning – “I want to play with him/her.”
    Use this expression to show you feel positive about and are keen to play with the baby.

    4- น้องน่าชังมากเลยครับ (náawng nâa chang mâak looei khráp)

    Her supervisor, non, uses an expression meaning – “He/she is malicious. (which means cute in this context)”
    Use this expression to be old fashioned.

    VOCABULARY

    Find below the key vocabulary for this lesson:

  • ลูก (lûuk): “baby”
  • แม่ (mâae): “mom”
  • น่ารัก (nâa-rák): “cute”
  • หยิก (yìk): “pinch”
  • แก้ม (gâaem): “cheek”
  • อยาก (yàak): “want”
  • น่าชัง (nâa chang): “malicious”
  • If your friend is the mother or father, which phrase would you use on social media?

    Congratulations, you know the basics of chatting about a baby in Thai! But we’re not done with families yet…

    15. Thai Comments about a Family Reunion

    Family reunions – some you love, some you hate. Share about it on your feed.

    win goes to a family gathering, posts an image of the group, and leaves this comment:

    POST

    Let’s break down win’s post.

    นานๆจะพร้อมหน้าพร้อมตากัน (naan-naan jà phráawm nâa phráawm dtaa gan)
    “Been a while since everyone has been all together.”

    1- นานๆจะ (naan-naan jà )

    First is an expression meaning “Been a while that.”
    Since the new generation of Thai families don’t live with their parents anymore, for some families, it’s rare that they have a big gathering. They may only come together for very special events.

    2- พร้อมหน้าพร้อมตากัน (phráawm nâa phráawm dtaa gan)

    Then comes the phrase – “everyone has been all together.”
    When there’s a family gathering, it’s normally held in the house of the oldest people in the family, usually the grandparents. Everyone helps by either bringing food or cooking the meal together.

    COMMENTS

    In response, win’s friends leave some comments.

    1- ฝากสวัสดีคุณพ่อ คุณแม่ ด้วยนะ (fàak sà-wàt-dii khun phâaw khun mâae dûuai ná)

    His high school friend, maai, uses an expression meaning – “Please send my regards to your parents.”
    Use this expression to send greetings to the poster’s parents.

    2- ครอบครัวนายใหญ่มาก (khrâawp-khruua naai yài mâak)

    His college friend, em, uses an expression meaning – “You have a big fam.”
    Use this observation to partake in the conversation if the poster’s family is big.

    3- ครอบครัวน่ารักมากเลยค่ะ (khrâawp-khruua nâa-rák mâak looei khâ)

    His neighbor, phraae, uses an expression meaning – “Your family is very cute.”
    Use this expression to show you are feeling warmhearted.

    4- ไอติมหน้าตาตลกอ่ะ รูปนี้ (ai-dtim nâa-dtaa dtà-lòk à rûup níi)

    His nephew, ai-dtim, uses an expression meaning – “I look so weird in this pic.”
    Use this expression to comment on your own appearance.

    VOCABULARY

    Find below the key vocabulary for this lesson:

  • พร้อมหน้าพร้อมตา (phráawm nâa phráawm dtaa): “all present or all together”
  • สวัสดี (sà-wàt-dii): “hello, hi, regard”
  • คุณพ่อ (khun phâaw): “father”
  • คุุณแม่ (khun mâae): “mother”
  • ใหญ่ (yài): “big”
  • น่ารัก (nâa-rák): “cute”
  • ตลก (dtà-lòk): “funny”
  • Which phrase is your favorite to comment on a friend’s photo about a family reunion?

    16. Post about Your Travel Plans in Thai

    So, the family are going on holiday. Do you know how to post and leave comments in Thai about being at the airport, waiting for a flight?

    fáa waits at the airport for her flight, posts an image of it, and leaves this comment:

    POST

    Let’s break down fáa’s post.

    รอบินอีก 1 ชม. (raaw bin ìik nùeng chûua-moong)
    ” Waiting to fly off in 1 hour.”

    1- รอบิน (raaw bin )

    First is an expression meaning “Waiting to fly off.”
    If you’re flying out of Bangkok, there are two international airports you can use – Suvarnabhumi Airport or Don mueang Airport.

    2- อีก 1 ชม. (ìik nùeng chûua-moong)

    Then comes the phrase – ” in 1 hour”.
    Thai people love to shop in the duty-free stores while they wait for their flight.

    COMMENTS

    In response, fáa’s friends leave some comments.

    1- ไปไหนหรอ (bpai năi rǎaw)

    Her college friend, em, uses an expression meaning – “Where are you going?”
    Use this expression to show you are feeling frivolous.

    2- เดินทางดีๆนะคะ (dooen thaang dii dii ná khá)

    Her neighbor, phraae, uses an expression meaning – “Have a safe flight”.
    Use this expression to show you are feeling warmhearted.

    3- อย่าลืมของฝากนะ (yàa luuem khǎawng-fàak ná)

    Her nephew, ai-dtim, uses an expression meaning – “Don’t forget my souvenir.”
    Use this phrase to tease the poster a bit by requesting a gift.

    4- ขอไปด้วย 555 (khǎaw bpai dûuai hâa hâa hâa)

    Her high school friend, nám phŏn, uses an expression meaning – “Can I go with you? lol”
    Use this expression to be humorous.

    VOCABULARY

    Find below the key vocabulary for this lesson:

  • รอ (raaw): “wait”
  • บิน (bin ): “fly or fly off”
  • ชม. (chûua-moong): “hr (abbreviation of hour)”
  • เดินทาง (dooen thaang): “travel”
  • ลืม (luuem): “forget”
  • ของฝาก (khǎawng-fàak): “souvenir”
  • ไป (bpai): “go”
  • Choose and memorize your best airport phrase in Thai!

    Hopefully the rest of the trip is better!

    17. Posting about an Interesting Find in Thai

    So maybe you’re strolling around at your local market, and find something interesting. Here are some handy Thai phrases!

    win finds an unusual item at a local market, posts an image of it, and leaves this comment:

    POST

    Let’s break down win’s post.

    เจอของหน้าตาแปลกๆเข้าแล้ว (jooe khǎawng nâa-dtaa bplàaek bplàaek khâo láaeo)

    “Found exotic stuff.”

    1- เจอ…เข้าแล้ว (jooe…khâo láaeo)

    First is an expression meaning “found”.
    We use this verb to emphasize the thing we coincidentally found.

    2- ของหน้าตาแปลกๆ (khǎawng nâa-dtaa bplàaek bplàaek )

    Then comes the phrase – “exotic stuff!”
    Thai people love taking photos. When they find or see exotic things, they normally take photos and post them on social media.

    COMMENTS

    In response, win’s friends leave some comments.

    1- มันคืออะไรอะ (man khuue à-rai à)

    His nephew, ai-dtim, uses an expression meaning – “What is it?”
    Use this expression to show you are feeling cynical.

    2- ดูเหมือนของเก่าที่มีราคาเลยครับ (duu mǔuean khǎawng gào thîi mii raa-khaa looei khráp)

    His supervisor, non, uses an expression meaning – “Looks like a valuable antique”.
    Use this expression to share your opinion.

    3- ชอบของแปลกหรอ 555 (châawp khǎawng bplàaek rǎaw hâa hâa hâa)

    His wife’s high school friend, nám phŏn, uses an expression meaning – “So you like weird stuff? lol”
    Use this expression to be funny and teasing.

    4- แปลกแต่ดูเก๋ดีนะ (bplàaek dtàae duu gěe dii ná)

    His high school friend, maai, uses an expression meaning – “Exotic, but looks so cool.”
    Use this expression to share your opinion.

    VOCABULARY

    Find below the key vocabulary for this lesson:

  • เจอ (jooe): “found”
  • ของ (khǎawng): “thing, stuff”
  • หน้าตา (nâa dtaa): “appearance”
  • แปลก (bplàaek): “strange, weird, exotic”
  • ของเก่า (khǎawng gào): “antique”
  • มีราคา (mii raa-khaa): “valuable, marketable”
  • เก๋ (gěe): “chic, cool”
  • Which phrase would you use to comment on a friend’s interesting find?

    Perhaps you will even learn the identity of your find! Or perhaps you’re on holiday, and visiting interesting places…

    18. Post about a Sightseeing Trip in Thai

    Let your friends know what you’re up to in Thai, especially when visiting a remarkable place! Don’t forget the photo.

    fáa visits a famous landmark, posts an image of it, and leaves this comment:

    POST

    Let’s break down fáa’s post.

    มาเปิดหู เปิดตา ในที่ใหม่ๆ (maa bpòoet hǔu bpòoet dtaa nai thîi mài mài)
    “Having an eye-opening experience in a new place.”

    1- มาเปิดหู เปิดตา (maa bpòoet hǔu bpòoet dtaa )

    First is an expression meaning “Having an eye-opening experience .”
    This is a proverb, literally meaning ‘open eyes, open ears’. It’s similar to ‘eye-opening’ in English.

    2- ในที่ใหม่ๆ (nai thîi mài mài)

    Then comes the phrase – “in a new place..”
    Thai people love to take vacations and go abroad or travel to somewhere far away in order to gain new eye-opening experiences.

    COMMENTS

    In response, fáa’s friends leave some comments.

    1- โห ดูสวยมาก (hŏo duu sŭuai mâak)

    Her husband’s high school friend, maai, uses an expression meaning – “Wow, it looks so beautiful.”
    Use this expression to show you are feeling appreciative of the photo the poster has shared.

    2- ที่นี่ที่ไหนอ่ะ (thîi-nîi thîi-năi à)

    Her college friend, em, uses an expression meaning – “Where is this?”
    Use this expression if you want more information about a location.

    3- ผมเคยไปมาเมื่อปีที่แล้ว (phŏm khooei bpai maa mûuea bpii thîi láaeo)

    Her supervisor, non, uses an expression meaning – “I was there last year.”
    Use this expression to share a personal detail.

    4- อยากไปมั่งเลยค่ะ (yàak bpai mâng looei khâ)

    Her neighbor, phraae, uses an expression meaning – “I really want to go there.”
    Use this expression to share your wanting to go somewhere.

    VOCABULARY

    Find below the key vocabulary for this lesson:

  • เปิดหู เปิดตา (bpòoet hǔu bpòoet dtaa): “eye-opening”
  • ที่ (thîi): “place”
  • ใหม่ๆ (mài mài): “new”
  • ที่นี่ (thîi-nîi): “here”
  • ที่ไหน (thîi-năi): “where”
  • เคย (khooei ): “ever, used to”
  • ปีที่แล้ว (bpii thîi láaeo): “last year”
  • Which phrase would you prefer when a friend posts about a famous landmark?

    Share your special places with the world. Or simply post about your relaxing experiences.

    19. Post about Relaxing Somewhere in Thai

    So you’re doing nothing yet you enjoy that too? Tell your social media friends about it in Thai!

    win relaxes at a beautiful place, posts an image of it, and leaves this comment:

    POST

    Let’s break down win’s post.

    นอนพักผ่อนบนชายหาด (naawn phák-phàawn bon chaai-hàat)
    “Relaxing on the beach.”

    1- นอนพักผ่อน (naawn phák-phàawn )

    First is an expression meaning “Relaxing.”
    Thai people love taking vacations. When there’s a long vacation, people normally go on a trip, either abroad or to another province of Thailand.

    2- บนชายหาด (bon chaai-hàat)

    Then comes the phrase – “on the beach..”
    The beach is one of the most popular places to go during a long vacation. There are a lot of beautiful beaches in Thailand, such as Pattaya and Huahin.

    COMMENTS

    In response, win’s friends leave some comments.

    1- ชิวมากเลยนะเพื่อน (chiu mâak looei ná phûuean)

    His college friend, em, uses an expression meaning – “You look so chillax.”
    Use this expression when you’re in a playful mood.

    2- ดูเงียบสงบมากเลย (duu ngîiap sà-ngòp mâak looei)

    His neighbor, phraae, uses an expression meaning – “It looks so calm and peaceful.”
    Use this expression to show you are feeling positive about the poster’s photo.

    3- ทริปในฝันเลยนะเนี่ย (thríp nai făn looei ná nîia)

    His high school friend, maai, uses an expression meaning – “This is my dream trip.”
    Use this expression to show you are feeling very appreciative of their trip.

    4- กลับมาเร็วๆ (glàp maa reo reo)

    His nephew, ai-dtim, uses an expression meaning – “Please come back soon. ”
    Use this expression to show you are missing the poster and want them to return to you soon.

    VOCABULARY

    Find below the key vocabulary for this lesson:

  • นอน (naawn): “sleep, take a nap”
  • พักผ่อน (phák-phàawn): “relax, rest”
  • ชายหาด (chaai-hàat): “beach”
  • ชิว (chiu): “chillax, look so chill”
  • เงียบ (ngîiap): “quiet”
  • สงบ (sà-ngòp): “calm, peaceful”
  • ฝัน (făn): “dream”
  • Which phrase would you use to comment on a friend’s feed?

    The break was great, but now it’s time to return home.

    20. What to Say in Thai When You’re Home Again

    And you’re back! What will you share with friends and followers?

    fáa returns home after a vacation, posts an image of the family at home, and leaves this comment:

    POST

    Let’s break down fáa’s post.

    กลับมาแล้วจ้า (glàp maa láaeo jâa)
    “Back in town.”

    1- กลับมาแล้ว (glàp maa láaeo)

    First is an expression meaning “Back in town..”
    Thai people usually bring souvenirs back after a trip to give to their co-workers, friends and family.

    2- จ้า (jâa)

    Then comes the phrase – “(particle).”
    The most common souvenirs are food and candies, which can easily be shared with many people.

    COMMENTS

    In response, fáa’s friends leave some comments.

    1- ไปเที่ยวสนุกมั๊ย (bpai thîiao sà-nùk mái)

    Her high school friend, nám phŏn, uses an expression meaning – “Did you have fun?”
    Use this expression to show your interest in the poster’s holiday.

    2- พักผ่อนเยอะๆค่ะ (phák-phàawn yóe yóe khâ)

    Her neighbor, phraae, uses an expression meaning – “Please get a good rest.”
    Use this expression to show concern that the poster might be tired and need rest.

    3- ได้ซื้อของฝากมาให้รึเปล่า (dâai súue khǎawng-fàak maa hâi rúe bplàao)

    Her nephew, ai-dtim, uses an expression meaning – “Have you brought any souvenirs for me?”
    Use this expression when you’re in a humorous, playful mood.

    4- ยินดีต้อนรับกลับบ้านจ้า (yin-dii dtâawn-ráp glàp bâan jâa)

    Her husband’s high school friend, maai, uses an expression meaning – “Welcome back!”
    This is the traditional salutation when someone returns from somewhere.

    VOCABULARY

    Find below the key vocabulary for this lesson:

  • กลับมา (glàp maa): “come back”
  • เที่ยว (thîiao): “travel, go on a trip”
  • สนุก (sà-nùk): “enjoy”
  • พักผ่อน (phák-phàawn): “relax, rest”
  • ซื้อ (súue): “buy”
  • ยินดีต้อนรับ (yin-dii dtâawn-ráp): “welcome”
  • บ้าน (bâan): “home”
  • How would you welcome a friend back from a trip?

    What do you post on social media during a public commemoration day such as Songrkan Day?

    21. It’s Time to Celebrate in Thai

    It’s a public holiday too, and you wish to post something about it on social media. What would you say?

    win wants to celebrate Songkran Day somewhere special, so he leaves this comment:

    POST

    Let’s break down win’s post.

    ไปเล่นน้ำที่ไหนดีในวันสงกรานต์ (bpai lêen nám thîi-năi dii nai wan sŏng-graan)
    “Where should I go on Songkran Day?”

    1- ไปเล่นน้ำที่ไหนดี (bpai lêen nám thîi-năi dii)

    First is an expression meaning “Where should I go (to splash water).”
    Songkran is known in English as the water-splashing festival. During this festival, people splash water at each other all over Thailand. Hence, if you don’t want to get wet, it’s better to stay at home. There are a few famous places to enjoy this festival. One of them is Khao-saan road, where Thais and foreigners enjoy splashing water on each other throughout the day and night.

    2- ในวันสงกรานต์ (nai wan sŏng-graan)

    Then comes the phrase – “on (the) Songkran Day?.”
    Songkran is the Thai New Year, which lasts for three days between 13-15 of April. It’s a national holiday, so there is no school or work during that time.

    COMMENTS

    In response, win’s friends leave some comments.

    1- ไปข้าวสารกันเถอะ (bpai khâao-săan gan thòe)

    His college friend, em, uses an expression meaning – “Let’s go to Khao San Road.”
    Use this expression to make a suggestion for a destination.

    2- ร้อนมากอ่ะวันนี้ (ráawn mâak à wan níi)

    His wife’s high school friend, nám phŏn, uses an expression meaning – “Today’s burning hot.”
    Use this expression to comment on the weather.

    3- ถ้าออกไปข้างนอกก็ระวังตัวด้วยนะคะ (thâa àawk bpai khâang-nâawk gâaw rá-wang dtuua dûuai ná khá)

    His neighbor, phraae, uses an expression meaning – “If you’re going out, please take care.”
    Use this expression to show your concern for the poster’s wellbeing.

    4- ไปด้วย! (bpai dûuai)

    His nephew, ai-dtim, uses an expression meaning – “I wanna go too!”
    Use this expression if you want to join the poster on the outing.

    VOCABULARY

    Find below the key vocabulary for this lesson:

  • เล่น (lêen): “play”
  • น้ำ (nám): “water”
  • ร้อน (ráawn): “hot”
  • มาก (mâak): “very”
  • ออกไป (àawk bpai): “go out”
  • ข้างนอก (khâang-nâawk): “outside”
  • ระวังตัว (rá-wang dtuua): “be careful”
  • If a friend posted something about a holiday, which phrase would you use?

    Thai New Year, or Songkran Day, and other public holidays days are not the only special ones to remember!

    22. Posting about a Birthday on Social Media in Thai

    Your friend or you are celebrating your birthday in an unexpected way. Be sure to share this on social media!

    fáa goes to her birthday party, posts an image of it, and leaves this comment:

    POST

    Let’s break down fáa’s post.

    แก่ขึ้นอีกปี (gàae khûen ìik bpii)
    “A year older.”

    1- แก่ขึ้น (gàae khûen )

    First is an expression meaning “older..”
    Thai people love to celebrate their birthday with their friends and family. Some organize a small birthday party, while others go to the temple and make contributions.

    2- อีกปี (ìik bpii)

    Then comes the phrase – “A year .”
    In Thailand, it’s traditional to go to your local temple on your birthday to make a contribution and get blessed by a monk. Some people donate items and money to NGOs instead, as a way to give back and be blessed for the coming year.

    COMMENTS

    In response, fáa’s friends leave some comments.

    1- แฮปปี้เบิร์ดเดย์จ้า (hâep-bpîi-bóoet-dee jâa)

    Her husband’s high school friend, maai, uses an expression meaning – “Happy birthday (in English).”
    This is the traditional birthday wish as it would be phrased in English.

    2- สุขสันต์วันเกิดครับ (sùk-săn wan gòoet khráp)

    Her husband, win, uses an expression meaning – “Wish you a happy birthday (in Thai).”
    This is the traditional birthday phrased in Thai.

    3- ขอให้มีความสุขนะจ๊ะ (khǎaw hâi mii khwaam-sùk ná já)

    Her neighbor, phraae, uses an expression meaning – “Wish you happiness.”
    Use this expression to show you are feeling warmhearted.

    4- ขอให้สวยวันสวยคืน 555 (khǎaw hâi sŭuai wan sŭuai khuuen hâa hâa hâa)

    Her high school friend, nám phŏn, uses an expression meaning – “Wish you get prettier as time goes by. lol”
    Use this expression to wish the poster beauty with increasing age.

    VOCABULARY

    Find below the key vocabulary for this lesson:

  • แก่ขึ้น (gàae khûen): “getting older”
  • อีก (ìik): “another”
  • ปี (bpii): “year”
  • สุขสันต์วันเกิด (sùk-săn wan gòoet): “Happy birthday”
  • วันเกิด (wan gòoet): “birthday”
  • ขอให้ (khǎaw hâi): “wish or hope”
  • สวยวัน สวยคืน (sŭuai wan sŭuai khuuen): “getting prettier (proverb)”
  • If a friend posted something about birthday greetings, which phrase would you use?

    23. Talking about New Year on Social Media in Thai

    Impress your friends with your Thai New Year’s wishes this year. Learn the phrases easily!

    win celebrates the New Year, posts an image of it, and leaves this comment:

    POST

    Let’s break down win’s post.

    สุขสันต์วันปีใหม่ (sùk-săn wan bpii-mài)
    “Happy New Year.”

    1- สุขสันต์ (sùk-săn )

    First is an expression meaning “Happy .”
    Activities that people normally do on New Year include visiting family and friends and exchanging gifts and New Year’s cards. It’s believed to be a blissful day, because you can forget all of the bad things that happened over the past year and begin again in the new one!

    2- วันปีใหม่ (wan bpii-mài)

    Then comes the phrase – “New Year..”
    Thai people celebrate the New Year on the first of January, like the rest of the world. There is no school or work on New Year, but shops typically stay open.

    COMMENTS

    In response, win’s friends leave some comments.

    1- ขอให้เป็นอีกปีที่ดีของเรานะ (khǎaw hâi bpen ìik bpii thîi dii khǎawng rao ná)

    His wife, fáa, uses an expression meaning – “Wish it’s another good year for us.”
    Use this expression to wish someone a positive new year.

    2- ขอให้มีความสุขตลอดปีนะครับ (khǎaw hâi mii khwaam-sùk dtà-làawt bpii ná khráp)

    His supervisor, non, uses an expression meaning – “Wish you happiness throughout the year.”
    This is another way to wish someone well for the new year.

    3- มีของขวัญมาให้ไอติมมั๊ย (mii khǎawng-khwăn maa hâi ai-dtim mái)

    His nephew, ai-dtim, uses an expression meaning – “Do you have any presents for me?”
    Use this expression if you are feeling humorous and a bit teasing.

    4- ขอให้เป็นอีกปีที่ดีสำหรับวินนะ (khǎaw hâi bpen ìik bpii thîi dii săm-ràp win ná)

    His high school friend, maai, uses an expression meaning – “Wish you another wonderful year.”
    Yet another way to wish someone a good new year.

    VOCABULARY

    Find below the key vocabulary for this lesson:

  • สุขสันต์วันปีใหม่ (sùk-săn wan bpii-mài): “happy new year”
  • สุขสันต์ (sùk-săn): “happy”
  • วันปีใหม่ (wan bpii-mài): “New year”
  • ตลอด (dtà-làawt): “throughout”
  • ความสุข (khwaam-sùk): “happiness”
  • ของขวัญ (khǎawng-khwăn): “present or gift”
  • สำหรับ (săm-ràp): “for”
  • Which is your favorite phrase to post on social media during New Year?

    But before New Year’s Day comes another important day…

    24. What to Post on Christmas Day in Thai

    What will you say in Thai about Christmas?

    fáa celebrates Christmas with her family, posts an image of the group, and leaves this comment:

    POST

    Let’s break down fáa’s post.

    สุขสันต์วันคริสต์มาสนะทุกคน (sùk-săn wan khrít-mâat ná thúk khon)
    “Merry X’mas everyone.”

    1- สุขสันต์วันคริสต์มาสนะ (sùk-săn wan khrít-mâat ná)

    First is an expression meaning “Merry X’mas .”
    Christmas is indeed an important day for Thai Christians. Even though Buddhism is Thailand’s state religion, you will still see Christmas decorations and Christmas trees, mainly in shopping malls and hotels. These are prepared both as a commercial exercise and as part of the Thai spirit of fun.

    2- ทุกคน (thúk khon)

    Then comes the phrase – “everyone..”
    Thai people celebrate Christmas by having a Christmas party with their friends and co-workers. Activities include things like gift raffles and gift exchanges. However, note that it is not a national holiday, so people still have to go to school and work during the day.

    COMMENTS

    In response, fáa’s friends leave some comments.

    1- วันคริสต์มาส แต่ยังทำงานอยู่เลย (wan khrít-mâat dtàae yang tham ngaan yùu looei)

    Her husband, win, uses an expression meaning – “It’s Christmas day, but I’m still at work.”
    Use this expression if you have to work on Christmas day.

    2- แต่ยังร้อนอยู่เลย (dtàae yang ráawn yùu looei)

    Her high school friend, nám phŏn, uses an expression meaning – “But it’s still freaking hot.”
    Use this expression to be funny.

    3- ไปเที่ยวกันมั๊ย คืนนี้ (bpai thîiao gan mái khuuen níi)

    Her college friend, em, uses an expression meaning – “Wanna hang out tonight?”
    This is an invitation to get together in the evening.

    4- เมอร์รี่ คริสมาส นะจ๊ะ (mooe-rîi khrít-mâat ná já)

    Her neighbor, phraae, uses an expression meaning – “Merry Christmas.”
    This is the traditional Christmas wish.

    VOCABULARY

    Find below the key vocabulary for this lesson:

  • สุขสันต์วันคริสต์มาส (sùk-săn wan khrít-mâat): “Merry Christmas”
  • วันคริสต์มาส (wan khrít-mâat): “Christmas day”
  • ทุกคน (thúk khon): “everybody”
  • ทำงาน (tham-ngaan): “work”
  • ยัง (yang): “still”
  • ร้อน (ráawn): “hot”
  • คืนนี้ (khuuen-níi): “tonight”
  • If a friend posted something about Christmas greetings, which phrase would you use?

    So, the festive season is over! Yet, there will always be other days, besides a birthday, to wish someone well.

    25. Post about Your Anniversary in Thai

    Some things deserve to be celebrated, like wedding anniversaries. Learn which Thai phrases are meaningful and best suited for this purpose!

    win celebrates his wedding anniversary with his wife, posts an image of them together, and leaves this comment:

    POST

    Let’s break down win’s post.

    ครบรอบวันแต่งงาน 1 ปี (khróp-râawp wan dtàaeng-ngaan nùeng bpii)
    “1 year wedding anniversary.”

    1- ครบรอบวันแต่งงาน (khróp-râawp wan dtàaeng-ngaan)

    First is an expression meaning “wedding anniversary.”
    Recently, Thai people have begun to place more importance on their wedding anniversaries. We often see people post the celebration on social media.

    2- 1 ปี ( nùeng bpii)

    Then comes the phrase – “1 year.”
    On this day, men normally take their wives out to have a nice dinner or give them a special present.

    COMMENTS

    In response, win’s friends leave some comments.

    1- ยินดีด้วยนะคะ (yin dii dûuai ná khá)

    His neighbor, phraae, uses an expression meaning – “Congratulations!”
    This is the traditional way to offer congratulations on a special day.

    2- 1 ปีแล้วหรอเนี่ย (nùeng bpii láaeo rǎaw nîia)

    His college friend, em, uses an expression meaning – “Is it 1 year already?”
    Use this expression to show you are feeling frivolous and want to joke around a bit.

    3- ขอให้รักกันไปนานๆนะ (khǎaw hâi rák gan bpai naan naan ná)

    His high school friend, maai, uses an expression meaning – “Wishing (that) you love each other for a long time.”
    Use this phrase if you want to offer the couple a positive wish for the future of their marriage.

    4- ไปฉลองกันที่ไหนเอ่ย (bpai chà-lǎawng gan thîi năi òoei)

    His wife’s high school friend, nám phŏn, uses an expression meaning – “Where are you going to celebrate?”
    Use this question if you’d like more information about the couple’s plans for the event.

    VOCABULARY

    Find below the key vocabulary for this lesson:

  • ครบรอบ (khróp râawp): “anniversary”
  • วันแต่งงาน (wan dtàaeng-ngaan): “wedding day”
  • ปี (bpii): “year”
  • รัก (rák): “love”
  • นานๆ (naan naan): “long time”
  • ฉลอง (chà-lǎawng): “celebrate”
  • ที่ไหน (thîi-năi): “where”
  • If a friend posted something about Anniversary greetings, which phrase would you use?

    Conclusion

    Learning to speak a new language will always be easier once you know key phrases that everybody uses. These would include commonly used expressions for congratulations and best wishes, etc.

    Master these in fun ways with Learn Thai! We offer a variety of tools to individualize your learning experience, including using cell phone apps, audiobooks, iBooks and many more. Never wonder again what to say on social media!

    Log in to Download Your Free Cheat Sheet - Beginner Vocabulary in Thai

    How to Celebrate Chulalongkorn Day in Thailand

    King Chulalongkorn is a much-loved and respected figure in Thailand, so each year, Thai people celebrate Chulalongkorn Day. In this article, you’ll learn why this king is held in such high regard, all the good he did for Thailand, and how the country goes about remembering King Chulalongkorn.

    At ThaiPod101.com, we hope to make every aspect of your language-learning journey both fun and informative!

    Log in to Download Your Free Cheat Sheet - Beginner Vocabulary in Thai

    1. What is Chulalongkorn Day?

    On Chulalongkorn Day, Thailand remembers and honors King Rama V, also known as King Chulalongkorn. This king is one of the most beloved and respected figures in the history of Thailand, known for his great favors to the country.

    King Chulalongkorn & His Accomplishments for Thailand

    Chulalongkorn the Great ruled the country of Siam, now Thailand, for forty-two years during his life, from 1853 until 1910. He became king at the age of fifteen, so a regent helped him rule during the early years of his reign.

    One of King Chulalongkorn’s greatest feats for Thailand was the abolition of slavery. At the time, a slavery crisis plagued the country, where one generation of slaves would simply give birth to yet another. The only way to become free once a slave was to pay your way out. King Chulalongkorn abolished slavery in hopes to give everyone equal rights, and to avoid a Civil War-like situation, such as the one experienced in the United States. It’s worth mentioning that a European tutor by the name of Anna Leonowens greatly influenced him while teaching him about Western culture.

    This influence further led King Chulalongkorn to start implementing bits and pieces of Western culture into Thailand’s own system. Two famous examples are a privy council and the Royal Military Academy.

    All of this is only the tip of the iceberg. King Chulalongkorn did so much good for the country, it’s no wonder that on Chulalongkorn Memorial Day, Thailand honors and celebrates their “beloved king.”

    2. King Chulalongkorn Memorial Day Date

    Chulalongkorn Day Statue

    Each year, Thailand celebrates Chulalongkorn Day on October 23. This is the date on which he passed away.

    3. Chulalongkorn Day Observances & Traditions

    People Traveling

    Remembering King Chulalongkorn is the focus of this holiday. On Chulalongkorn Memorial Day, Bangkok, along with the rest of Thailand, holds various observances to remember the king.

    After the king passed away, civil servants, merchants, the rich, and the general public were all grateful of his grace. Therefore, they donated money to build a statue to represent the king. The statue was built as if the king was riding a horse, hence being called the “Equestrian Statue.”

    On King Chulalongkorn Day each year, people will bring flowers to pay respect and pay homage to the king, to remind themselves of his grace, as well as offer food to monks while devoting merit to the king. Moreover, there are exhibitions about the king’s stories and activities within several government agencies, schools, and universities to allow younger generations to continue to commemorate his grace.

    4. Saving Thailand from Colonization

    In the past, many Western countries invaded and colonized Asian countries. During his reign, King Rama V gave up some areas of Thailand in exchange for the compromise of maintaining the country’s independence. In order not to lose more land, he started to establish a relationship with Russia. He also sent his sons to study abroad to build alliances. Since then, Thailand has never lost its land to any countries.

    5. Essential Vocabulary for Chulalongkorn Memorial Day

    Man Holding Globe in Hand

    Here’s the essential vocabulary to know for Chulalongkorn Day in Thailand!

    • การไปรษณีย์ (gaan bprai-sà-nii) — “post office”
    • รถไฟ (rót-fai) — “train”
    • โทรศัพท์ (thoo-rá-sàp) — “telephone”
    • วันปิยมหาราช (wan-bpì-yá-má-hǎa-râat) — “Chulalongkorn Day”
    • รัชกาลที่ 5 (rát-chá-gaan thîi-hâa) — “King Rama V”
    • การเลิกทาส (gaan lôoek-thâat) — “abolitionism”
    • ลัทธิจักรวรรดินิยม (lát-thí jàk-grà-wàt-ní-yom) — “imperialism”
    • เสด็จสวรรคต (sà-dèt sà-wăn-khót) — “die”
    • การปกครอง (gaan-bpòk-khraawng) — “administration”
    • สภากาชาดไทย (sà-phâa-gaa-châat-thai) — “The Thai Red Cross”
    • โทรเลข (thoo-rá-lêek) — “telegraph”
    • ประพาส (bprà-phâas) — “travel”
    • การบริการของรัฐ (gaan baaw-rí-gaan khǎawng rát) — “government service”

    To hear each of these vocabulary words pronounced, alongside relevant images, check out our Chulalongkorn Day vocabulary list!

    How ThaiPod101 Can Help You Learn About Thai Culture

    We hope you enjoyed learning about Chulalongkorn Day with us, and that you learned something new. Is there a holiday in your country that celebrates a beloved figure? Tell us about it in the comments; we look forward to hearing from you!

    To continue learning about Thai culture and the language, explore ThaiPod101.com. We provide fun and effective learning tools for every learner, at every level:

    • Insightful blog posts on an array of cultural and language-related topics
    • Free vocabulary lists covering a range of topics and themes
    • Podcasts and videos and to improve your listening and pronunciation skills
    • Mobile apps to learn Thai anywhere, on your own time
    • Much, much more!

    If you really want to accelerate your Thai learning, be sure to upgrade to Premium Plus and take advantage of our MyTeacher program. Doing so will give you access to your own Thai tutor, who will help you develop a learning plan based on your needs and goals.

    At ThaiPod101, we know that you can master Thai! We care about your language-learning experience, and will be here with help and support on every step of your way there!

    Log in to Download Your Free Cheat Sheet - Beginner Vocabulary in Thai

    Best Guide on How to Say Sorry in the Thai Language

    When you do something wrong, you apologize. When you accidentally hurt someone, you say sorry. When you want to get a waitress’ attention, you say “Excuse me.” When you see someone who’s feeling sad because of a bad situation they face, you say you’re sorry for them.

    “Sorry” is one of the basic words you use in daily life and is one of the first words you learn when you start learning any language. And this article will teach you how to say sorry in Thai (because to learn sorry when living in Thailand would be tough!).

    How do I say sorry in Thai? Well, this topic is easy. In Thai, when you want to show your empathy, give your condolences, or show that you feel bad or sorry for what you did, there are a few words Thai people use which will be explained below. Also, to help you say “I’m sorry” in Thai like a native, ThaiPod101.com will also show you various phrases you can use in numerous situations you may face, including “sorry” from Thai to English. Start with a bonus, and download your FREE cheat sheet – How to Improve Your Thai Skills! (Logged-In Member Only)

    1. The Most Important Apologizing Word
    2. Phrases for Sorry in Thai
    3. Phrases for Condolences in Thai
    4. Sentences to Use with “Sorry”
    5. Reply Phrases for When Someone Says Sorry to You
    6. Tips on How to Say Sorry in Thai
    7. Conclusion

    Log in to Download Your Free Cheat Sheet - Beginner Vocabulary in Thai

    1. The Most Important Apologizing Word

    3 Ways to Say Sorry

    As mentioned above, there are only a few words used for apologies in Thai. First, Thaipod101.com will teach you the words you need to know in order to say “I’m sorry” in Thai. ขอโทษ (khǎaw-thôot) means “sorry,” “apology,” and “excuse me” in Thai. ขออภัย (khǎaw à-phai) has similar meanings, which are “sorry” and “apology” in Thai.

    The way to use these two words is slightly different; we’ll explain this below. Another word you should know is เสียใจ (sǐia-jai) which is used to show your condolences in Thai.

    1- How Do You Say Sorry in Thai?

    Now, for the most important part of this lesson: How to say “I am sorry” in Thai. Here, we’ll also show you some examples of “sorry” in Thai written in English.

    For spoken language, the main word used to say sorry, apology, or excuse me in Thai is as follows:

    ขอโทษ (khǎaw-thôot) — “Sorry” in Thai translates to this word, and this is the main word for “sorry” in Thailand. You can use this word in every situation, both formal and informal. Make sure you remember this word well.

    โทดที (thôot thii) — This is a slang word for “sorry” in Thai. It’s an informal word so you should use this with friends or other people you’re close with. Don’t use this in business situations since it’s too casual.

    ซอรี่ (saaw-rîi) — This is another slang word for “sorry” in Thai. As you can guess, this is an informal way to say sorry, so only use this word with friends or other people you’re close with. Actually, this word is “sorry” in Thai pronunciation. To put it simply, Thai people just say sorry in English when using this word.

    Examples

    • When you accidentally step on someone’s foot, you can say ขอโทษค่ะ (khǎaw-thôot khâ) meaning “sorry” to apologize.
    • When you want to go to another part of the room but your group of friends is blocking your way, you can tell them โทดที ขอเดินหน่อย (thôot thii khǎaw dooen nàauy) which means, “Excuse me, I want to get through.”
    • When your sister finds out that you ate her chocolate cake, you can say ซอรี่ (saaw-rîi) meaning “sorry” to her.

    2- How Do You Write “Sorry” in Thai?

    For written language, these are the words and phrase Thai people use:

    ขอโทษ (khǎaw-thôot) — As mentioned before, this is the main word for “sorry.” Thus, it’s used in written language as well. It can be used for both formal and informal documents.

    ขออภัย (khǎaw à-phai) — The difference between ขอโทษ (khǎaw-thôot) and ขออภัย (khǎaw à-phai) is that ขออภัย (khǎaw à-phai) is mainly used in written language and rarely used in spoken language. It’s a formal language for apologies in Thailand. Another phrase that’s used is ขออภัยเป็นอย่างสูง (khǎaw à-phai bpen yàang sǔung) which means “very sorry” in Thai written language.

    ขอโทด (khǎaw-thôot) — This is a slang word in written language. The reason Thai people use this a lot is that it’s easier to type. The pronunciation of ขอโทษ (khǎaw-thôot) and ขอโทด (khǎaw-thôot) is the same.

    โทดที (thôot thii) — This is a slang word for both written and spoken language, and gives a more informal feeling than ขอโทด (khǎaw-thôot) does.

    Example

    • You sent your report to your boss later than the deadline, so in the email you write ขอโทษครับ (khǎaw-thôot khráp) to apologize for your lateness.
    • The toilet in the department store is now being fixed. To ask customers to use the toilet on the third floor instead and apologize for inconvenience, they put a label that reads ขออภัยในความไม่สะดวก กรุณาไปใช้ห้องน้ำที่ชั้น 3 แทน (khǎaw à-phai nai kwaam mâi sà-dùuak gà-rú-naa bpai chái hâawng nám thîi chán săam thaaen).
    • You forgot to buy the book your friend asked you to buy for them today, so you text her that you’re sorry you forgot and that you’ll buy it for her tomorrow instead: โทดที เราลืมซื้อหนังสือให้ จะซื้อให้พรุ่งนี้แทนนะ (thôot thii rao luuem súue năng-sǔue hâi · jà súue hâi phrûng-níi thaaen ná). In this case, you can use ขอโทด (khǎaw-thôot) instead of โทดที (thôot thii) as well.

    3- Body Language

    Apart from spoken and written language, you should also know how Thai people act when they want to convey that they’re sorry. Here’s some body language to use when you want to convey “I’m sorry” in Thailand.

    ไหว้ (wâi) — In addition to greeting, Thai people also ไหว้ (wâi) when saying ขอโทษ (khǎaw-thôot) to older people. To ไหว้ (wâi), you put your hands together at chest level and bend down your head until the tip of your nose touches your thumb.

    Sincere and polite tone of voice — When saying sorry, Thai people use a sincere and polite tone of voice. If your tone of voice is disrespectful or too annoying, it indicates that you’re not really sorry for what you did.

    Now that you essentially understand how to say sorry in Thai language, let’s delve a little deeper and learn some useful phrases.

    2. Phrases for Sorry in Thai

    Say Sorry

    In Thai, you can use ขอโทษ (khǎaw-thôot) in every situation. However, sometimes you may want to be more specific to the situation. In that case, you should know how to say sorry to a Thai girl, how to say “Sorry I am late” in Thai, and how to say “Excuse me” in Thai language. So ThaiPod101.com presents you with sorry quotes in Thai that you can use in various situations.

    1- ขอโทษมาก ๆ

    • Thai pronunciation: khǎaw-thôot mâak mâak
    • Meaning: “I’m very sorry.”
    • Example: ขอโทษมาก ๆ ที่ทำหนังสือเธอเปียก.
      • Khǎaw-thôot mâak mâak thîi tham năng-sǔue thooe bpìiak.
      • “I’m very sorry for wetting your book.”

    2- ขอโทษจริง ๆ

    • Thai pronunciation: khǎaw-thôot jing-jing
    • Meaning: “I’m really sorry.”
    • Example: ขอโทษจริง ๆ ที่ลืมนัดของเรา.
      • Khǎaw-thôot jing jing thîi luuem nát khǎawng rao.
      • “I’m really sorry I forgot our appointment.”

    3- ขอโทษ เป็นอะไรมั๊ย / ขอโทษ เป็นอะไรรึเปล่า

    • Thai pronunciation: khǎaw-thôot bpen à-rai mái / khǎaw-thôot bpen à-rai rúe bplào
    • Meaning: “I’m sorry. Are you okay?”
    • Example: (You accidentally hit your friend’s chin.)
      • ขอโทษ เป็นอะไรมั๊ย.
      • khǎaw-thôot bpen à-rai mái.
      • “I’m sorry. Are you okay?”

    4- ขอโทษแทน…ด้วย

    • Thai pronunciation: khǎaw-thôot thaaen … dûuai
    • Meaning: “I’m sorry on … behalf.”
    • Example: ผมต้องขอโทษแทนลูกน้องของผมด้วย.
      • Phŏm dtâawng khǎaw-thôot thaaen lûuk náawng khǎawng phŏm dûuai.
      • “I’m sorry on my staff’s behalf.”

    5- ขอโทษที่มาสาย

    • Thai pronunciation: khǎaw-thôot thîi maa sǎai
    • Meaning: “I’m sorry for being late.”
    • Example: ต้องขอโทษที่มาสายด้วย วันนี้รถติดมากเพราะฝนตก.
      • Dtâawng khǎaw-thôot thîi maa sǎai dûuai wan níi rót dtìt mâak phráw fŏn dtòk.
      • “I’m sorry for being late. Today, the traffic is very bad because of the rain.”

    Sorry, I’m late

    6- ขอโทษที่ให้รอ

    • Thai pronunciation: khǎaw-thôot thîi hâi raaw
    • Meaning: “I’m sorry for keeping you waiting.”
    • Example: ขอโทษที่ให้รอนะคะ ได้ผลตรวจแล้วค่ะ.
      • Khǎaw-thôot thîi hâi raaw ná khá dâai phŏn dtrùuat láaeo khâ.
      • “I’m sorry for keeping you waiting. I already got your result.”

    7- ขอโทษที่ทำผิดพลาด

    • Thai pronunciation: khǎaw-thôot thîi tham phìt phlâat
    • Meaning: “I’m sorry for my mistake.”
    • Example: ขอโทษที่ทำผิดพลาดค่ะ จะไม่ให้เกิดเรื่องแบบนี้อีกแล้วค่ะ.
      • Khǎaw-thôot thîi tham phìt phlâat khâ jà mâi hâi gòoet rûueang bàaep níi ìik láaeo khâ.
      • “I’m sorry for my mistake. This won’t happen again.”

    8- ขออภัยในความไม่สะดวก

    • Thai pronunciation: khǎaw à-phai nai khwaam mâi sà-dùuak
    • Meaning: “I’m sorry for this inconvenience.”
    • Example: ขณะนี้เกิดเหตุขัดข้องทำให้ไม่สามารถใช้งานลิฟท์ได้ชั่วคราว ต้องขออภัยในความไม่สะดวกด้วยค่ะ.
      • Khà-nà níi gòoet hèet khàt khâawng tham hâi mâi săa-mâat chái ngaan líp dâi chûua khraao dtâawng khǎaw à-phai nai khwaam mâi sà-dùuak dûuai khâ.
      • “Elevator can’t be used now because of some issue. I’m sorry for this inconvenience.”
    • Additional note: This phrase is special. In Thai, when apologizing for an inconvenience, Thai people use ขออภัย (khǎaw à-phai) in both spoken and written language. Thai people don’t use ขอโทษ (khǎaw-thôot) in this case.

    9- ขอโทษที่แจ้งกระทันหัน

    • Thai pronunciation: khǎaw-thôot thîi jâaeng grà-than-hăn
    • Meaning: “I’m sorry for the short notice.”
    • Example: ผมต้องขอยกเลิกบริการวันพรุ่งนี้ เพราะ ติดงานกระทันหัน ต้องขอโทษด้วยที่แจ้งกระทันหัน.
      • Phŏm dtâawng khǎaw yók lôoek baaw-rí-gaan wan phrûng-níi phráw dtìt ngaan grà-than-hăn dtâawng khǎaw thôot dûuai thîi jâaeng grà-than-hăn.
      • “I have to cancel service tomorrow because of sudden word. I’m sorry for the short notice.”

    10- ขอโทษที่รบกวน

    • Thai pronunciation: khǎaw-thôot thîi róp-guuan
    • Meaning: “I’m sorry for disturbing.”
    • Example: ขอโทษที่รบกวนนะคะ ขออนุญาตเข้ามาทำความสะอาดค่ะ.
      • Khǎaw-thôot thîi róp-guuan ná khá · khǎaw à-nú-yâat khâo maa tham khwaam sà-àat khâ.
      • “I’m sorry for disturbing you. May I come in to clean?”

    11- ขอโทษที่ตอบช้า

    • Thai pronunciation: khǎaw-thôot thîi dtàawp cháa
    • Meaning: “I’m sorry for the late reply.”
    • Example: ขอโทษที่ตอบช้านะคะ ช่วงนี้งานยุ่งมากค่ะ.
      • Khǎaw-thôot thîi dtàawp cháa ná khá chûuang níi ngaan yûng mâak khâ.
      • “I’m sorry for the late reply. I’m very busy recently.”

    12- ขอโทษ ขอทางหน่อย

    • Thai pronunciation: khǎaw-thôot khǎaw thaang nàauy?
    • Meaning: “Excuse me, can I get through?”
    • Example: (There are a lot of people in the room, making it hard to walk to the other side)
      • ขอโทษค่ะ ขอทางหน่อยค่ะ?
      • Khǎaw-thôot khà khǎaw thaang nàauy khâ?
      • “Excuse me, can I get through?”

    13- ขอโทษ ขอ…หน่อย

    • Thai pronunciation: khǎaw-thôot khǎaw … nàauy
    • Meaning: “Excuse me, can I get …?”
    • Example: ขอโทษค่ะ ขอพริกน้ำปลาหน่อยค่ะ?
      • Khǎaw-thôot khâ kkhǎaw phrík nám-bplaa nàauy khâ?
      • “Excuse me, can you give me chilli in fish sauce?”
    • Additional Note: พริกน้ำปลา (phrík nám-bplaa) is a Thai-style sauce made from fish sauce, chilli, and garlic. Thai people eat พริกน้ำปลา (phrík nám-bplaa) together with fried rice and fried egg.

    Excuse Me, Can I Get พริกน้ำปลา [phrík nám-bplaa] Please?

    3. Phrases for Condolences in Thai

    Now, you may wonder how Thai people share condolences, such as how to say “Sorry for your loss,” in Thai. การแสดงความเสียใจ (gaan sà-daaeng khwaam sĭia-jai) is “condolence” in Thai. In English, you say “I’m sorry for ….” But it’s slightly different in Thai. Thai people don’t say what they’re sorry for, they just feel sorry with you. So there’s only one phrase Thai people use for this.

    1- เสียใจด้วย

    • Thai pronunciation: sĭia-jai dûuai
    • Meaning: “I’m sorry for you.”
    • Example: (Your friend knows that you just lost your beloved one)
      • เสียใจด้วยนะ.
      • sĭia-jai dûuain á.
      • “I’m sorry for you.”

    4. Sentences to Use with “Sorry”

    Sometimes, you don’t say sorry alone. You may want to say other things to convey that you’re really sorry and that you want to make up for what happened. Here’s a list of sentences you can use:

    1- ฉันไม่ได้ตั้งใจ

    • Thai pronunciation: chǎn mâi dâi dtâng-jai
    • Meaning: “I didn’t mean to do this.”
    • Example: ขอโทษที่ทำเธอเจ็บตัว ฉันไม่ได้ตั้งใจ.
      • Khǎaw-thôot thîi tham hâi thoow jèp dtuua chǎn mâi dâi dtâng-jai.
      • “I didn’t mean to hurt you. I am sorry.”

    I’m Sorry. I Didn’t Mean To

    2- ฉันไม่ได้ตั้งใจจะให้เป็นแบบนี้

    • Thai pronunciation: chăn mâi dâi dtâng jai jà hâi bpen bàaep níi
    • Meaning: “I didn’t mean for this to happen.”
    • Example: ขอโทษที่ทำให้ลำบาก ฉันไม่ได้ตั้งใจจะให้เป็นแบบนี้.
      • Khǎaw-thôot thîi tham hâi lam-bàak chăn mâi dâi dtâng jai jà hâi bpen bàaep níie.
      • “I’m sorry for causing trouble. I didn’t mean for this to happen.”

    3- ฉันจะไม่ทำแบบนี้อีกแล้ว

    • Thai pronunciation: chăn jà mâi tham bàaep níi ìik láaeo
    • Meaning: “I won’t do this again.”
    • Example: ขอโทษจริง ๆ ฉันจำไม่ทำแบบนี้อีกแล้ว.
      • Khǎaw-thôot jing jing chăn jà mâi tham bàaep níi ìik láaeo.
      • “I’m really sorry. I won’t do this again.”

    4- ดีกันนะ

    • Thai pronunciation: dii gan ná
    • Meaning: “Let’s reconcile.”
    • Example: ขอโทษ ดีกันนะ.
      • khǎaw-thôot dii gan ná.
      • “I’m sorry. Let’s reconcile.”
    • Additional note: This is an informal phrase. Thai people only say this to friends, family members, or people who they’re close with.

    5- อย่าโกรธเลยนะ

    • Thai pronunciation: yàa gròot looei ná
    • Meaning: “Please don’t be mad at me.”
    • Example: ขอโทษค่ะ อย่าโกรธหนูเลยนะ.
      • khǎaw-thôot yàa gròot nǔu looei ná.
      • “I’m sorry, please don’t be mad at me.”
    • Additional note: This is also an informal phrase. Thai people only say this to friends, family members, or people who they’re close with.

    6- ยกโทษให้ฉันเถอะ

    • Thai pronunciation: yók thôot hâi chăn thòe
    • Meaning: “Please forgive me.”
    • Example: ขอโทษ ยกโทษให้เราเถอะนะ.
      • khǎaw-thôot yók thôot hâi rao thòe ná.
      • “I’m sorry, please forgive me.”

    7- มันเป็นความผิดของฉันเอง

    • Thai pronunciation: man bpen khwaam phìt khǎawng chăn eeng
    • Meaning: “It is my fault.”
    • Example: มันเป็นความผิดของฉันเอง ขอโทษนะ.
      • man bpen khwaam phìt khǎawng chăn eeng khǎaw-thôot ná.
      • “This is my fault. I’m sorry.”

    5. Reply Phrases for When Someone Says Sorry to You

    Now that we’ve gone over various ways to say sorry, we’ll now go over what to say when someone says sorry to us. The list below shows some of the phrases you can use.

    1- ไม่เป็นไร

    • Thai pronunciation: mâi bpen rai
    • Meaning: “It is okay.” / “It is alright.”
    • How to use: This is the main way to reply when you’re okay or no longer angry. This can be used in every situation, both formal and informal.

    2- ฉันยกโทษให้

    • Thai pronunciation: chǎn yók thôot hâi
    • Meaning: “I forgive you.”
    • How to use: You say this to show that you forgive the other party or parties.

    3- ช่างมันเถอะ

    • Thai pronunciation: châng man thòe
    • Meaning: “Never mind.”
    • How to use: This is another way you can say that you’re no longer angry. However, this is quite informal. Thai people only say this to friends, family members, or people who they’re close with.

    4- ลืม ๆ มันไปเหอะ

    • Thai pronunciation: luuem luuem man bpai hòe
    • Meaning: “Just forget it.”
    • How to use: This phrase also shows that you’re no longer angry and forgive them. It’s an informal phrase, so don’t use it in a business situation.

    5- ฉันไม่ยกโทษให้

    • Thai pronunciation: chǎn mâi yók thôot hâi
    • Meaning: “I don’t forgive you.”
    • How to use: You say this to show that you’re still mad for what the other party or parties did and don’t forgive them yet.

    I’m Still Mad at You

    6. Tips on How to Say Sorry in Thai

    If you’ve reached this part of the article, you’ll find that if you want to be able to say sorry like Thai people, there’s quite a lot to practice and remember. Here are some tips that will help you make your apology sound either formal or informal. To make the sentence sound formal or informal in the Thai language, it depends on pronouns and the word you put at the end of a sentence.

    1- Pronoun

    There are many Thai pronouns you can use to call yourself. Each one can be used in a different situation depending on the level of formality and the gender of the speaker. Here’s the list of Thai pronouns you can use, ordered by level of formality from the most formal to least formal.

    • Male: ผม (phǒm); เรา (rao)
    • Female: ดิฉัน (dì-chǎn); ฉัน (chǎn); เรา (rao); หนู (nǔu) [Nǔu is only used when talking to older people.]

    Still, please note that in Thai, sometimes people cut off the subject if the speaker is the one who did the action. So, you may hear Thai people say ขอโทษนะ (khǎaw-thôot ná) instead of ฉันขอโทษนะ (chǎn khǎaw-thôot ná) when saying “I’m sorry.”

    2- Khráp and Khâ

    To make a sentence sound formal in Thai, Thai people put the word ครับ (khráp) or ค่ะ (khâ) at the end of a sentence when speaking. ครับ (khráp) is used when the speaker is male, while ค่ะ (khâ) is used when the speaker is female. If you want to say sorry informally, there’s no need to put ครับ (khráp) or ค่ะ (khâ) at the end of the sentence.

    Apart from ครับ (khráp) and ค่ะ (khâ), Thai people sometimes put นะ (ná) at the end of an informal sentence to make it sound more friendly. These words are คำลงท้าย (kham long tháai) in Thai.

    7. Conclusion

    By now, you should know some basic words for how to say sorry in Thai. We hope you now have a better idea of the importance of “sorry” in learning Thai.

    If nothing else, work on memorizing ขอโทษ (khǎaw-thôot) and ไม่เป็นไร (mâi bpen rai). You can use them in almost any situation. However, if you know many phrases, you can express your feelings better, so keep practicing. Once you know them all, don’t forget to learn other interesting and fun Thai lessons at ThaiPod101.com.

    Log in to Download Your Free Cheat Sheet - Beginner Vocabulary in Thai

    Communicate Like a Native Using Thai Hand Gestures and More

    Thumbnail

    Have you ever wondered why foreigners make weird faces or perform strange actions? Well, they may be how they communicate non-verbally with each other.

    Just as in every language, you should learn about Thai non-verbal communication, such as hand gestures and body language, so that you can completely communicate like a Thai native. Thai hand gestures, Thai hand signs, and Thai body language are part of Thai culture and represent how Thai people think in general. Knowing about nonverbal communication in Thailand will make your trip so much better.

    Thai people use body language as nonverbal communication in daily life. อวัจนภาษา (àà-wát-jà-ná-phaa-săa) is “nonverbal communication” in Thai. This article will teach you everything you need to know about nonverbal communication in Thailand, including the meanings of body or hand gestures, good Thai custom and etiquette, and what you should and shouldn’t do.

    Below is our list of everything you should know on this topic, categorized for easy understanding. These are the most important gestures to learn when having a trip to Thailand, so we’ll do our best to explain the body language meanings in Thailand for you!

    If you’re ready, let’s get started and delve into all the facets of Thailand nonverbal communication. Start with a bonus, and download your FREE cheat sheet – How to Improve Your Thai Skills! (Logged-In Member Only)

    Table of Contents

    1. Thai Greeting
    2. Thai Gestures Used to Show Your Opinion
    3. Thai Number Hand Gestures
    4. Actions
    5. Rude Gestures / Rude Manners or Etiquette
    6. Conclusion

    Log in to Download Your Free Cheat Sheet - Beginner Vocabulary in Thai

    1. Thai Greeting

    Thai Hand Gestures

    Apart from saying สวัสดี (sà-wàt-dii), there are more Thai greetings and gestures Thai people use for greeting as well. These include the following:

    1- ไหว้ (wâi)

    Meaning: A way of greeting in Thai society, and one of the most common Thailand hand gestures.

    How to do: Put your hands together in front of your chest and bend your head toward your forefinger. You can say สวัสดี (sà-wàt-dii) while doing this gesture.

    When to use: You can use this gesture when you meet someone or when you say goodbye.

    Example situation: Students should ไหว้ (wâi) their teacher after class, before she goes back home.

    Additional note: If you greet someone who’s younger, you should wait for another party to ไหว้ (wâi) you first.

    How Thai People ไหว้ [Wâi]

    2- Nod Your Head Once

    Meaning: This is a way to show that you recognize or acknowledge a greeting from another party.

    How to do: Nod your head slightly one time.

    When to do: Sometimes, when people greet you by ไหว้ (waî) or by saying สวัสดี (sà-wàt-dii), you may not be able to greet them back. So you nod your head once as a sign that you acknowledge that greeting.

    Further, in Thailand, you may be greeted by a security guard, staff member at a restaurant, or staff member at a condo. It’s not rude to simply nod your head once as a way to show that you acknowledge their greeting.

    Example situation: You drive into a parking lot and a security guard greets you. However, you’re driving and can’t greet them back, so you nod your head as an acknowledgement. Slight eye contact, in Thailand, may also come in handy in a situation like this.

    3- Wave Your Hand

    Meaning: Waving in Thailand is a hand gesture for goodbye. However, it’s not a formal action so you shouldn’t do this in or after a business meeting.

    How to do: Put your hand up near your face and wave your hand a few times. You can say บ๊ายบาย (báai-baai) which means “goodbye” in Thai when doing this hand gesture.

    When to do: Use this gesture when you want to say goodbye to someone.

    Example situation: After going out on a date, you can do this gesture when you say goodbye before going home.

    2. Thai Gestures Used to Show Your Opinion

    Once you’ve mastered the above Thai gestures and greetings, you can move on to other Thai gestures. Thai people have a lot of hand gestures and body language signals that show if they like something or don’t like something. Here are some you might see Thai people do often.

    1- Thumbs-up

    Meaning: Thumbs-up in Thailand means “This is good.”

    How to do: Make a fist and stick your thumb up.

    When to do: Use this when you want to tell another party that something is good.

    Example situation: You tried a food and it’s tasty. Since your mouth is full, you do the thumbs-up sign to show that it’s good.

    This is Good

    2- Thumbs-down

    Meaning: Thumbs-down in Thailand means “This is bad.”

    How to do: Similar to doing a thumbs-up gesture, you make a fist and stick your thumb out, but point down instead of up.

    When to do: Use this when you want to tell another party that something is bad.

    Example situation: Your friend tried on some clothes in the store, but you think it doesn’t look good on her so you do the thumbs-down sign.

    This is Bad

    3- Okay

    Meaning: This hand sign means “This is okay.” It’s another one of the most common Thai hand symbols and is so easy to do.

    How to do: Make a circle using your thumb and forefinger while pointing the rest of your fingers up.

    When to do: This sign is used to show that you’re okay with the situation or that you’re okay with something.

    Example situation: You’re checking whether the room is ready for the company event or not. You think it’s okay, so you use this sign to show other staff members this instead of shouting.

    Okay Sign in Thai

    4- Nod Your Head a Few Times

    Meaning: This Thai body gesture means “yes” or “agree.” This is considered somewhat polite body language in Thailand for showing agreement.

    How to do: Nod your head a few times.

    When to do: When you want to say “yes” or indicate that you agree with someone or something.

    Example situation: Your mother asked if you want her to cook dinner for you or not, so you nod your head a few times as a way to say “yes.”

    5- Shake Your Head a Few Times

    Meaning: This Thai gesture means “no” or is used to show disappointment.

    How to do: Shake your head a few times. If you shake your head quite fast, it means “no.” But if you shake your head slowly, it’s used to show disappointment.

    When to do: You can use this gesture when you want to answer “no” to someone, or to show that you feel disappointed with some action by doing this after seeing that action.

    Example situation: You saw your child not being careful and accidentally dropping their food and making a mess in the kitchen. You didn’t want to be mad at him as he seemed to know that what he did was wrong. So you show your disappointment by shaking your head slowly a few times.

    Additional note: When using this Thai body gesture to show disappointment, some people also sigh at the same time.

    3. Thai Number Hand Gestures

    The concept of numbers is universal. Apart from Arabic numbers, hand gestures for number are easy to understand as well. In each country, number hand gestures are slightly different. For example, the sign for “3” in some countries can be “8” in other countries.

    For this reason, you should know how Thai do number hand gestures. ภาษามือ (phaa-sǎa muue) is “hand gesture” in Thai. Thai people often use number hand gestures when going shopping, making number gestures in Thai culture extremely useful.

    1- How to Do

    • 0 — Make a fist.
    • 1 — Make a fist and point your forefinger up.
    • 2 — Make a fist; point your forefinger and middle finger up.
    • 3 — Point your forefinger, middle finger, and ring finger up while folding your thumb over your pinky finger in your palm area.
    • 4 — Point your forefinger, middle finger, ring finger, and pinky finger up while folding your thumb to your palm.
    • 5 — Open one of your hands.
    • 6 — Do the thumbs-up sign (you can do this while opening the other hand to make it clearer).
    • 7 — Make a fist; point your thumb and forefinger out. (Your thumb and forefinger should make an “L” shape.) (You can do this while opening the other hand to make it clearer.)
    • 8 — Open your hand and then fold your ring finger and pinky finger to your palm (you can do this while opening the other hand to make it clearer).
    • 9 — Open your hand then fold your pinky finger to your palm (you can do this while opening the other hand to make it clearer).
    • 10 — Open both of your hands.

    Hand Gestures for 1-10 in Thailand

    4. Actions

    There are some action-oriented gestures that Thai people use. ThaiPod101.com has prepared a list of the most useful ones for you below.

    1- Call bus/taxi

    Meaning: This gesture means you want a bus or taxi to stop so that you can get on.

    How to do: Extend your arm around 45 degrees from your body, and wave your hand a few times while looking at the bus or taxi.

    When to do: In Thai, there’s no place for you to call a taxi so if you don’t use an app, you have to do this gesture for a taxi to stop. As for a bus, sometimes the bus may not stop at a bus stop if there’s no passenger getting off, so you have to do this gesture for the bus to stop as well.

    Example situation: You want to get home by taxi, so you wait for the taxi in front of your office. Once you see a taxi coming, you do this gesture to make the taxi stop.

    2- Make a Promise or Reconcile

    Meaning: This hand gesture is used when you promise another person something or if you want to reconcile with another person.

    How to do: Make a fist and stick your pinky finger out.

    When to do: You use this gesture when making a promise. If the other party acknowledges the promise, he/she will do the same hand gesture and then link his/her pinky finger with yours. Then, you move your hands together up and down a few times.

    When doing this to reconcile with another party, you make this hand gesture and stick your hand out to the other party while saying ดีกันนะ (dii gan ná) which is “Let’s reconcile” in Thai. Similar to making a promise, if another party is no longer mad at you, he/she will do the same hand gesture and then link his/her pinky finger with you before moving your hands together up and down a few times.

    Example situation: Joy accidentally made her sister’s doll dirty, making her sister mad at her. She wanted to reconcile with her sister, so she did this hand gesture and told her sister ดีกันนะ (dii gan ná).

    I Promise

    3- Wave Your Hand Quickly

    Meaning: Waving your hand in Thai has a meaning other than “Goodbye.” If you wave your hand quickly, it can also mean “don’t have” or “not.”

    How to do: Put your hand up near your chest and wave your hand quickly a few times.

    When to do: Use this when you want to tell another party that you don’t have something they’ve asked for.

    Example situation: A friend asks if you have another eraser or not. Since you don’t have another one, you wave your hand quickly to let them know this.

    5. Rude Gestures / Rude Manners or Etiquette

    มารยาท (maa-rá-yâat) is “manner” or “etiquette” in Thai. There are many actions that Thai people consider to be bad Thai etiquette, that are perfectly fine to do in other countries. So if you live in Thailand, want to live in Thailand, or know Thai people, you should be aware of these gestures.

    1- Foot Gestures

    Feet are considered to be ของต่ำ (khǎawng dtàm) which means “things that are dirty” in Thai. Thus, it’s rude to put your feet on a table or desk that you use for work or study. Also, it’s considered bad manners in Thailand to point to things with your foot.

    2- Manners at the Dining Table

    There are certain things you shouldn’t do during the meal as they’re considered bad etiquette. To be a person with good table etiquette, please avoid doing these things:

    • Making noise by hitting the tableware. For example, when you’re listening to music, you may feel like hitting something to sound out the music’s beat. Don’t use your spoon or fork to hit the plate or bowl to make that beat. Using chopsticks as drumsticks isn’t okay either.
    • Using chopsticks, spoons, or forks to point at people. This is considered rude and you shouldn’t do it. This is definitely considered a rude hand gesture in Thailand.
    • Chewing or slurping loudly. When you eat, try not to make noise when chewing or slurping. It isn’t rude, but Thai people think that people who slurp have poor etiquette.
    • Speaking while eating. Don’t speak when you’re eating or chewing. It doesn’t look good in Thai’s view.

    3- How You Stand and Sit

    This part may sound a little bit weird. How can standing or sitting relate to manners? Well, these things are important in Thailand. Here are the things you should be aware of:

    • You shouldn’t sit with one knee up. Thai people think it doesn’t look good, especially when women do it.
    • Thai people are concerned with seniority. They believe that people who are older are higher in rank, so you should respect them and act as such. Thus, your position shouldn’t be higher than people who are older than you. For example, you shouldn’t stand while your senior is sitting.
      • In Thai, there’s a phrase called อย่ายืนค้ำหัวผู้ใหญ่ (yàa yuuen khám hŭua phûu yài) which means “standing near senior who is sitting” in Thai.

    6. Conclusion

    If you’ve reached this part, it means that you’ve learned a lot of Thai gestures, Thai hand signs, and Thailand’s body language. Some of these body language signs may be similar to what people in your country do, but some may not be. Still, if you keep practicing them, you’ll remember to do them while in Thailand. We hope you enjoyed this article on gestures to learn when having a trip to Thailand, and that you learned lots!

    Once you’re good at Thai nonverbal communication, don’t forget to practice Thai verbal communication as well. You can visit ThaiPod101.com to learn more interesting Thai lessons. Start with a bonus, and download your FREE cheat sheet – How to Improve Your Thai Skills! (Logged-In Member Only)

    Log in to Download Your Free Cheat Sheet - Beginner Vocabulary in Thai

    The Best Thai Slang Dictionary for all Thai Learners

    If you’ve been studying Thai for some time, you’ve likely found that you naturally start to understand basic words, sentences, and conversations. However, you may come across some sentences from time to time that make you ask yourself “Do I understand this correctly?” or “Is the Thai language really this weird?” For example, อย่าลำไย (yàa lam-yai) means “Don’t longan.” Doesn’t really make sense, right?

    There’s also a chance that you’ve found some words you don’t know, so you try to find their meaning in the dictionary, but can’t find anything.

    If either of these scenarios is the case, you may have come across Thai slang. Despite not being grammatically correct or accepted as real Thai words, Thai people use Thai slang words a lot in daily life. Thus, you’re likely to come across them one way or another. So to make your life easier, we’ve compiled this ultimate dictionary of popular Thai slang, where we translate Thai slang to English for you.

    Table of Contents

    1. Thai Slangs
    2. List of Thai Slangs
    3. Things You Should Know when Learning Thai Slang

    Log in to Download Your Free Cheat Sheet - Beginner Vocabulary in Thai

    1. Thai Slangs

    Slang word” is คำสแลง (kham-sà-laaeng) in Thai. Its pronunciation is pretty similar to its English counterpart. In Thai, a slang word is a word that’s used only by some groups of people in some period of time. Thai slang in Thai culture aren’t accepted as real words and aren’t grammatically correct. Some of them have different meanings from their literal meaning, and others may have no meaning at all.

    Don’t be confused. Thai slang words and Thai idioms are different, despite having a few overlapping characteristics. Neither Thai slang nor Thai idioms can be translated directly. However, idioms are accepted as real Thai phrases and are used for a long period time; slang words are not.

    Thai slang words are typically created and used by the LGBT+ community and teenagers. You’re likely to find Thai street slangs in informal conversation on social media and in text messaging, as well as in social networks where people share their stories and opinions.

    It’s important to learn Thai slang words if you want to really know the Thai language. It’ll surely increase your understanding of Thai in general, especially in conversations or on the internet. If you can use them, you’ll be able to speak like a native. Since slang words are only used for a limited time, you have to keep up with new slang words and phrases. Still, don’t be discouraged. Here’s a list of Thai slang in English for you to learn in 2018.

    2. List of Thai Slangs

    Here’s a list of Thai slang phrases and words used in daily life, categorized by type for easy usage.

    1- คำนาม (kham-naam) “Noun”

    ชาวเน็ต (chaao-nèt)

    • Literal meaning: –
    • Slang meaning: People who use or express their opinion through the internet
    • Example: ชาวเน็ตมีความเห็นที่หลากหลายเกี่ยวกับเรื่องนี้ (chaao nèt mii khwaam hĕn thîi làak lăai gìiao gàp rûueang níi) — “On the internet, people have various opinions about this topic.”
    • Background story: The word ชาว (chaao) is sometimes used to describe a group of people, and the word เน็ต (nèt) is the shortened version of the word for “internet.” So Thai people just put these two words together to refer to those who use the internet to express their opinions.

    กิ๊ก (gík)

    • Literal meaning: –
    • Slang meaning: More than a friend, but not a boyfriend/girlfriend; a bit on the side
    • Example: เขาเจ้าชู้มาก มีกิ๊กทั่วบ้านทั่วเมือง (khăo jâo chúu mâak mii gík thûa bâan thûa muueang) — “He’s a womanizer. He has a bit on the side with many women.”
    • Background story: There’s no solid evidence about this, but many people think this word comes from the word กุ๊กกิ๊ก (gúk gík) which refers to people who go out and spend some time together.

    คู่จิ้น (khûu jîn)

    • Literal meaning: –
    • Slang meaning: Imaginary couple (This word is used to describe a male and a female whom people in society want to be a couple.)
    • Example: นักแสดงชายและนักแสดงหญิงคู่นั้นเป็นคู่จิ้นคู่ใหม่ (nák sà-daaeng chaai láe nák sà-daaeng yĭng khûu nán bpen khûu jîn khûu mài) — “Those male and female actors are a new imaginary couple.”
    • Background story: This word comes from the combination of two words. One is คู่ (khûu) which means “couple.” The other is jîn (think of imaginary as Thai people pronounce “gin” of imaginary jîn).

    2- คำกริยา (kham gà-rí-yaa) “Verb”

    นก (nók)

    • Literal meaning: Bird
    • Slang meaning: Miss out; miss (It’s normally used to explain a situation in which you like someone but that person doesn’t like you.)
    • Example: น้ำเป็นคนสวย แต่นกตลอด (nám bpen khon sǔuai dtàae nók dtà-làawt) — “Despite being beautiful, when she likes someone, no one likes her back.”
    • Background story: A bird can fly away. So Thai people compare a man/woman who doesn’t like someone back as the bird that’s flying away out of reach.

    เท (thee)

    • Literal meaning: Pour
    • Slang meaning: Being dumped
    • Example: แนทเพิ่งโดนเทมา (náet phôoeng doon thee maa) — “Nat is just being dumped.”
    • Background story: It’s believed that เท (thee) is the shortened version of เททิ้ง (thee thíng) which means “throw away.”

    เผือก (phùueak)

    • Literal meaning: Taro
    • Slang meaning: Be nosy; want to know
    • Example: เขาชอบเผือกเรื่องชาวบ้านสุด ๆ (khǎo châawp phùueak rûueang chaao bân sùt sùt) — “He is a very nosy person.”
    • Background story: เสือก (sùueak) is a bad word in Thai and is used to dispraise people who are nosy. As you can imagine, this is a pretty rude Thai slang word. To make it a little softer, Thai people change the alphabet, making it เผือก (phùueak) instead.

    **Learn more about the vegetables that Thai people eat here.

    เล้าหลือ (láo-lǔue)

    • Literal meaning: –
    • Slang meaning: Importune
    • Example: อย่ามาเล้าหลือ (yàa maa láo-lǔue) — “Don’t be importune.”
    • Background story: –

    ยอมใจ (yaawm jai)

    • Literal meaning: –
    • Slang meaning: Give up (on people or things)
    • Example: ยอมใจกับวัยรุ่นจริง ๆ เก่งกันมากๆ (yaawm jai gàp wai-rûn jing jing gèng gan mâak mâak) — “I give up. Those teenagers are so smart.”
    • Background story: This is the combination of two words: ยอม (yaawm) meaning “surrender” and ใจ (jai) meaning “heart.” It basically means, “Because of his/her heart, I surrender/give up.”

    ขิง (khǐng)

    • Literal meaning: Ginger
    • Slang meaning: Show off
    • Example: นางช่างขิงได้ทุกเรื่อง (naang châang khǐng dâi thúk rûueang) — “She can show off about everything.”
    • Background story: This is the spoonerism of an old Thai phrase. In the past, there was the phrase สิงห์ขี้คุย (sǐng khîi khui) which refers to a man who likes to show off despite not actually being able to that very thing. Its spoonerism is ซุยขี้ขิง (sui khîi khǐng). And the last word is only used as slang nowadays.

    อวย (uuai)

    • Literal meaning: Give (rarely used nowadays)
    • Slang meaning: Use an exaggerated phrase on someone
    • Example: อย่าอวยนางให้มากไป (yàa uuai naang hâi mâak bpai) — “Don’t use an exaggerated phrase on her.”
    • Background story: –

    แอ๊ว (áaeo)

    • Literal meaning: –
    • Slang meaning: Allure/charming opposite sex (normally used with a female as subject)
    • Example: แมวมัวแต่แอ๊วผู้ชายจนลืมเพื่อน (maaeo muua dtàae áaeo phûu chaai jon luuem phûuean) — “Maew focused too much on the alluring man that she forgot her friend.”
    • Background story: –

    โป๊ะแตก (bpó dtàaek)

    • Literal meaning: Name of Thai spicy soup with a lot of seafood
    • Slang meaning: Secret being revealed (normally used when referring to a bad secret)
    • Example: หมิงโป๊ะแตก โดนจับได้ว่าทำศัลยกรรม (mǐng bpó dtàaek doon jàp dâi wâa tham sǎn-lá-yá-gam)
    • Background story: Thai people call spicy soup with seafood โป๊ะแตก (bpó dtàaek) because there’s a lot of seafood in the soup. It’s like the fishing stake or โป๊ะ (bpó) is broken and all the seafood is coming out of the fishing stake and into the soup. In this Thai slang, the secret is compared to the seafood that’s coming out.

    **Learn more about Thai dishes!

    มองแรง (maawng raaeng)

    • Literal meaning: Look strongly
    • Slang meaning: Look at another angrily to show dissatisfaction
    • Example: แก้มโกรธอะไรแนนเหรอ มองแนนแรงเชียว (gâaem gròot à-rai naaen rǎaw maawng naaen raaeng chiiao) — “Why is Gam angry with Nan? She looked at her angrily.”
    • Background story: When Thai people are angry, they look at another party more intensely than usual to show their anger or dissatisfaction. So the word แรง (raaeng) which means “strong” is used to describe that look.

    อิอิ (ì ì)

    • Literal meaning: –
    • Slang meaning: Laugh
    • Example: ผู้ชายคนนั้นน่ารักจัง อิอิ (phûu chaai khon nán nâa rák jaang [laugh]) — “That man is so cute (laugh).”
    • Background story: Thai people use อิอิ (ì ì) as the sound of a cute laugh, and it’s one of the commonly used Thai slang expressions. It’s used a lot on social media and in texting.

    แอ๊บ (áaep)

    • Literal meaning: –
    • Slang meaning: Pretend to
    • Example: อย่ามาแอ๊บหน่อยเลย (yàa maa áaep nàauy looei) — “Don’t pretend to do it.”
    • Background story: The word แอ๊บ (áaep) comes from “abnormal.” Thai people called women who act cute or pretend to be cute to the point that it looks abnormal แอ๊บแบ็ว (áaep báaeo). Later, Thai people started to use the word แอ๊บ (áaep) as a slang word for this.

    นอยด์ (naauy)

    • Literal meaning: –
    • Slang meaning: Overthinking; overanxious
    • Example: จะนอยด์ไปทำไม ไม่มีอะไรซักหน่อย (jà naauy bpai tham-mai mâi mii à-rai sák nàauy) — “Don’t overthink. There’s nothing to worry about.”
    • Background story: This Thai slang word comes from “noid” of “paranoid” in English. But the pronunciation and the meaning are slightly different in Thai.

    มโน (má-noo)

    • Literal meaning: Mind (it’s normally used with a religious word)
    • Slang meaning: Imagine; daydream
    • Example: อย่ามโน เค้าไม่ได้ชอบแกซักหน่อย (yàa má-noo kháo mâi dâi châawp gaae sák nàauy) — “Don’t daydream! He doesn’t like you.”
    • Background story: When you think about something and it’s not real, it’s like it only happens in your mind.

    **Learn more vocabulary about religion here.

    3- คำคุณศัพท์ (kham khun-ná-sàp) “Adjective”

    ลำไย (lam-yai)

    • Literal meaning: Longan
    • Slang meaning: Annoying
    • Example: อย่าลำไย (yàa lam-yai) — “Don’t be annoying.”
    • Background story: Some say this word comes from the combination of รำคาญ (ram-khaan), เยอะแยะ (yóe-yáe), and ร่ำไร (râm-rai). (ร and ล sound similar.) The general meaning of these three words refers to annoyance.

    **Learn vocabulary and phrases about fruit here.

    เกาเหลา (gao-lǎo)

    • Literal meaning: Noodle menu without noodle
    • Slang meaning: Don’t like each other
    • Example: เอกับบีเกาเหลากัน (ee gàp bii gao-lǎo gan) — “A and B don’t like each other.”
    • Background story: In Thai, there’s a phrase, ไม่กินเส้น (mâi gin sêen), which means “don’t like each other.” Its literal meaning is “don’t eat noodle.” So Thai people used the word เกาเหลา (gao-lǎo) to describe that phrase since there’s no noodle in เกาเหลา (gao-lǎo).

    **Check out the dishes you should try in Thailand here.

    หัวร้อน (hǔua ráawn)

    • Literal meaning: Hot-head
    • Slang meaning: Hot-tempered
    • Example: ทอมเป็นคนหัวร้อน (thaawm bpen khon hǔua ráawn) — “Tom is hot-tempered.”
    • Background story: This Thai slang word comes from the English word, “hot-headed.” The meaning is slightly different though.

    ปัง (bpang)

    • Literal meaning: No meaning. It’s the sound of a hand hitting a table.
    • Slang meaning: Outstanding; marvelous
    • Example: งานนี้ปังมาก (ngan níi bpang mâak) — “This event is so marvelous.”
    • Background story: There are two theories explaining the origin of this slang word. The first theory is that people would hit the table when they really liked something, and people tend to like things that are outstanding and marvelous. So the sound of a hand hitting a table is used as a slang word. Another theory is that this slang word comes from the combination of two words: เป๊ะ (bpé) and อลังการ (à-lang-gaan). เป๊ะ (bpé) means “exactly” or “precise” and อลังการ (à-lang-gaan) means “magnificent.” The word ปัง (bpang) gets its initial consonant from เป๊ะ (bpé) and gets its vowel from อลัง (à-lang).

    ตะมุตะมิ (dtà-mú-dtà-mí) or ตั้ลล๊าก (dtân-láak)

    • Literal meaning: –
    • Slang meaning: Cute; adorable
    • Example: ตุ๊กตาตัวนี้ตะมุตะมิมาก (dtúk-gà-dtaa dtuua níi dtà-mú-dtà-mí mâak) — “This doll is so cute.”
    • Background story: There’s no evidence of where ตะมุตะมิ (dtà-mú-dtà-mí) comes from. But ตั้ลล๊าก (dtân-láak) comes from น่าร๊าก (nâa-ráak). And น่าร๊าก (nâa-ráak) comes from น่ารัก (nâa-rák), which means “cute” or “adorable.”

    ชิว (chiu)

    • Literal meaning: –
    • Slang meaning: Chill out; relax
    • Example: เย็นนี้มานั่งชิวกัน (yen níi maa nâng chiu gan) — “Let’s relax this evening.”
    • Background story: This Thai slang word comes from “chill out” in English. But the way Thai people pronounce the word is slightly different.

    กาก (gàak)

    • Literal meaning: Leftover
    • Slang meaning: Low-quality; poor
    • Example: เสื้อตัวนี้กากมาก (sûuea dtuua níi gàak mâak) — “This shirt is so low-quality.”
      Background story: –

    งานดี (ngaan dii)

    • Literal meaning: Good job
    • Slang meaning: Very good; good looking
    • Example: ผู้ชายคนนั้นงานดีมาก (phûu chaai khon nán ngaan dii mâak) — “The man is so handsome.”
      Background story: –

    แซ่บ (sâaep)

    • Literal meaning: Spicy; delicious
    • Slang meaning: Good looking; sexy
    • Example: ผู้หญิงคนนั้นหุ่นแซ่บมาก (phûu yǐng khon nán hùn sâaep mâak) — “The woman is so sexy.”
      Background story: –

    สาย.ฝ (sǎai fǎaw)

    • Literal meaning: –
    • Slang meaning: This word is used to describe the taste of people who like foreigners (caucasoid).
    • Example: ผู้หญิงคนนั้นสายฝ. (phûu yǐng khon nán sǎai fǎaw) — “That woman likes caucasoid men.”
    • Background story: In this case, ฝ. (fǎaw) is an abbreviation of ฝรั่ง (fà-ràng), which Thai people refer to caucasoid foreigners as. สาย (sǎi) is another Thai slang word which is explained below.

    เฉียบ (chìiap)

    • Literal meaning: Very
    • Slang meaning: Cool; great
    • Example: มุกนั้นเฉียบมาก (múk nán chìiap mâak) — “That joke is so cool.”
    • Background story: This word originated from a Thai TV show, in which one of the staff members said เฉียบ (chìiap) when he saw something great or fun, and people started using it.

    เกรียน (griian)

    • Literal meaning: Very short
    • Slang meaning: Irritated; aggressive
    • Example: เด็กนั่นเกรียนมาก (dèk nân griian mâak) — “That kid is irritating.”
    • Background story: In Thai, most schools make male students cut their hair very short. And in the period that the internet started blooming, male students would sometimes act aggressively online. So Thai people use the word เกรียน (griian) to refer to people that act aggressive or irritating.

    เทพ (thêep)

    • Literal meaning: God
    • Slang meaning: Very good at something
    • Example: ตั้มเล่นบอลอย่างเทพ (dtâm lên baawn yàang thêep) — “Tum is very good at football.”
    • Background story: God is supposed to be capable of everything. So if you’re very good at something, it means you can do it like God does.

    โลกสวย (lôok-sǔuai) or ทุ่งลาเวนเดอร์ (thûng laa-ween-dôoe)

    • Literal meaning: Beautiful world; lavender field
    • Slang meaning: Optimistic
    • Example: อย่ามาโลกสวย (yàa maa lôok sǔuai) — “Don’t be too optimistic.”
    • Background story: The first meaning of this slang word exaggeratedly implies that people who are optimistic see everything in the world as beautiful in their point of view. As for the second meaning of the slang word, there’s no clear evidence as to why lavender field is chosen to compare to beauty.

    **Learn more about Thai adjectives here.

    4- คำสรรพนาม (kham sàp-phá-naam) “Pronoun”

    ชี (chii)

    • Literal meaning: Nun
    • Slang meaning: “ชี+name” is used to indicate a female
    • Example: ชีก้อยกำลังจะแต่งงาน (chii gâauy gam-lang jà dtàaeng-ngaan) — “Goi (woman) is about to get married.”
    • Background story: ชี (chii) comes from the English pronoun “she.” But this slang word is used differently than the English word.

    นาง (naang)

    • Literal meaning: Mrs.
    • Slang meaning: Pronoun that can be used with both men or women
    • Example: ภีมอยู่ไหน นางกำลังกินข้าวอยู่ตรงนู้น (phiim yùu nǎi naang gam-lang gin khâao yhù dtrong núun) — “Where is Peem? He’s eating there.”
    • Background story: Actually, the actual word is used for females only. For the slang, it was first used as a pronoun for females only, until some groups of people started using it for males too.

    สาย (sǎai) [+type of people]

    • Literal meaning: Late; line
    • Slang meaning: สาย+noun/verb refers to a group of people that likes “noun” or like to do “verb”
    • Example: แก้วเป็นสาวสายเที่ยว (gâaeo bpen sǎao sǎi thîiao) — “Kaew likes to travel.”
    • Background story: –

    ซิส (sít)

    • Literal meaning: –
    • Slang meaning: This pronoun is used to refer to a woman around the same age as the speaker (a few years older or younger).
    • Example: จะไปไหนคะ ซิส (jà bpai nǎi khá sít) — “Where are you going?” (In this case, “you” refers to a woman.)
    • Background story: This Thai slang word comes from the English word “sister,” and is a shortened version of it.

    หลัว (lǔua)

    • Literal meaning: –
    • Slang meaning: Husband
    • Example: หลัวของชมพู่งานดีมาก (lǔua khǎawng chom-phûu ngaan dii mâak) — “Chompoo’s husband looks very good.”
    • Background story: In Thai, the informal/spoken word for “husband” is ผัว (phǔua), which this slang word comes from.

    ผู้ (phûu)

    • Literal meaning: –
    • Slang meaning: Man
    • Example: ขวัญมีผู้คนใหม่แล้วนะ รู้รึยัง (khwǎn mii phûu khon mài láaeo ná rúu rúe yang) — “Do you know that Kwan has a new man now?”
    • Background story: ผู้ (phûu) is the shortened word for ผู้ชาย (phûu chaai), which means “man.”

    แม่ (mâae) or ตัวแม่ (dtuua mâae)

    • Literal meaning: Mother
    • Slang meaning: This word is used to refer to people who are the best in their field.
    • Example: แอมเป็นตัวแม่ด้านแฟชั่น (aaem bpen dtuua mâae dâan faae-chân) — “Amp is the best when it comes to fashion.”
    • Background story: –

    **Learn more about Thai pronouns here.

    5- Slangs Used in Phrases

    People Talking

    แม่ก็คือแม่ (mâae gâaw khuue mâae)

    • Literal meaning: Mother is mother.
    • Slang meaning: This slang phrase is used to emphasize that she is really the best in her field.
    • Example: แม่ก็คือแม่ ลูกเกดถ่ายแบบได้ปังมาก (mâae gâaw khuue mâae lûuk-gèet thàai bàaep dâi bpang mâak) — “Lukkade looks really good in the photoshoot. She is the best in modeling.”
    • Background story: There’s no clear evidence as to how this phrase came along, but it’s used often when referring to popular celebrities who have been working for a long time, such as Patcharapa (actress) and Metinee (model).

    งงไปอีก (ngong bpai ìik)

    • Literal meaning: –
    • Slang meaning: Really confusing/very confusing
    • Example: ได้ข่าวว่าเป็นแฟนกับซีอยู่ แล้วทำไมไปเดินจับมือกับผู้ชายคนนั้น งงไปอีก (dâi khàao wâ bpen faaen gàp sii yùu láaeo tham-mai bpai dooen jàp muue gàp phûu chaai khon nán ngong bpai ìik) — “I heard she is in a relationship with C. Why does she walk hand-in-hand with that guy? This is so confusing.”
    • Background story: –

    ดีต่อใจ (dii dtàaw jai)

    • Literal meaning: Good for your heart
    • Slang meaning: Make me feel good
    • Example: หนังเรื่องนี้ดีต่อใจ (nǎng rûueang níi dii dtàaw jai) — “This movie makes me feel good.”
    • Background story: Thai people relate feelings with their heart. If something makes you feel good, it’s good for your heart as well.

    ที่แท้ทรู (thîi tháae thruu)

    • Literal meaning: –
    • Slang meaning: Truly; really
    • Example: อาหารจานนี้เป็นของดีที่แท้ทรู (aa-hǎan jaan níi bpen khǎawng dii thîi tháae thruu) — “This dish is really good.”
    • Background story: In Thai, the phrase ที่แท้จริง (thîi tháae jing) means “truly” or “really.” And the word จริง (jing) in English is “true,” so Thai people just put the English word instead of the Thai word.

    ถามใจดู (thǎam jai duu)

    • Literal meaning: Ask your heart
    • Slang meaning: Think about it (What do you feel about it?)
    • Example: งานเยอะขนาดนี้จะทำไหวไหม ถามใจดู (ngaan yóe khà-nàat níi jà tham wǎi mái thǎam jai duu) — “There’s a lot of work. Can you do it? Think about it.”
    • Background story: As mentioned above, Thai people relate feelings with their heart. So when someone asks what you think or feel, it’s like asking your heart.

    เอาที่สบายใจ (ao thîi sà-baai jai)

    • Literal meaning: Whatever makes you happy; not stressful
    • Slang meaning: You can do whatever you want (used when the speaker agrees sarcastically/reluctantly)
    • Example: จะไปก็ไป เอาที่สบายใจเลย (jà bpai gâaw bpai ao thîi sà-baai jai looei) — “You can go as you want.” (The speaker doesn’t really want you to go.)
    • Background story: Somehow, people just started using this phrase in a sarcastic way. You can use the tone of the speaker to decide whether he/she really means it or is saying it sarcastically.

    6- Thai Text Slang

    Phone Texting

    There are two types of Thai text slang. Thai people create text slang either to make the word sound cuter or to make it easier to type. The same goes for Thai online or internet slang.

    จุงเบย (jung booei)

    • Real word: จังเลย (jang looei)
    • Meaning: This word has no English meaning. It’s put after an adjective as an intensifier.
    • Example: แพงจังเลย (phaaeng jang looei) — “so expensive”
    • Background story: Some say that this word comes from a typing mistake. For example, -ั and -ุ are close to each other on the keyboard, as are ล and บ. Teenagers seem to think the sound of the slang word is cuter, so they’ve started using it.

    ตะเอง (dtà-eeng)

    • Real word: ตัวเอง (dtuua-eeng)
    • Meaning: You (This word is used as a pronoun to refer to another party, which can be male or female. The tone is informal and cute.)
    • Example: ตะเองอยากกินอันนั้นมั๊ย (dtà-eeng yàak gin an nán mái) — “Do you want to eat that?”
    • Background story: The first syllable is shortened by the vowel changing to make it sound cuter.

    อัลไล (an-lai)

    • Real word: อะไร (à-rai)
    • Meaning: What (It can be used as both an answer when someone calls you or as a question.)
    • Example: อัลไลอยู่ในกล่อง (an-lai yùu nai glàawng) — “What is in the box?”
    • Background story: Teenagers changed the pronunciation to make it sound cuter.

    ฝุดฝุด (fùt fùt)

    • Real word: สุดสุด (sùt sùt)
    • Meaning: This word has no English meaning. It’s put after an adjective as an intensifier.
    • Example: แพงฝุดฝุด (phaeng fùt fùt) — “very expensive”
    • Background story: Teenagers changed the pronunciation to make it sound cuter.

    ชิมิ (chí-mí)

    • Real word: ใช่มั๊ย (châi mái)
    • Meaning: Is this correct? Right?
    • Example: อันนี้กินได้ชิมิ (an níi gin dâi chí-mí) — “I can eat this, right?”
    • Background story: Both syllables are shortened by changing the vowel to make it sound cuter.

    จร้า (jrâa)

    • Real word: จ้า (jâa)
    • Meaning: This word means “bright.” But it can be used as an answer when someone calls you or it can be put at the end of a sentence to make the tone of conversation soft and casual. For the slang, we use it for the last two purposes.
    • Example: เธอเอาอันนี้ไปกินได้จร้า (thooe ao an níi bpai gin dâi jrâa) — “You can eat this.” (casual speaking)
    • Background story: Teenagers changed the spelling to make it cuter.

    บุย (bui)

    • Real word: บาย (baai)
    • Meaning: Goodbye
    • Example: ไปแล้วนะ บุย (bpai láaeo ná bui) — “I’ll get going now. Goodbye.”
    • Background story: The word บาย (baai), as you can guess, comes from the English word “bye.” And then teenagers changed the pronunciation to make it cuter.

    นาจา (naa-jaa)

    • Real word: นะจ๊ะ (ná-já)
    • Meaning: This word is put at the end of an affirmative sentence to make the tone of conversation soft and casual.
    • Example: แอบมองเธออยู่นาจา (àaep maawng thooe yùu naa jaa) — “I’m peeking at you.”
    • Background story: Both syllables are lengthened by the vowel changing to make it sound cuter.

    ขุ่นแม่ (khùn mâae)

    • Real word: คุณแม่ (khun mâae)
    • Meaning: The literal meaning is “mother.” But in this case, we use this word for women who are old enough to be our mother. The meaning of this Thai slang word is similar to that of แม่ (mâae) or ตัวแม่ (dtuua mâae). You only use it with women you feel are at the top in their field or a woman you consider your role model.
    • Example: คอนเสิร์ตของขุ่นแม่ปังมาก (khaaw-sòoet khǎawng khùn mâae bpang mâak) — “Her concert is really good.”
    • Background story: The first syllable is stressed so it sounds like ข instead of ค. This is to stress this word in a sentence.

    555 (hâa hâa hâa)

    • Real word: ฮ่า ฮ่า ฮ่า (hâa hâa hâa)
    • Meaning: Laughing (This is a Thai slang expression. The sound of laughter in Thai is the same as the pronunciation of the number five in Thai.)
    • Example: มุกเมื่อกี้ตลกมาก 555 (múk mûuea gíi dtà-lòk mâak hâa hâa hâa) — “That joke is very funny (laughing).”
    • Background story: Thai people use it in text messages or on the internet a lot since it’s easier to type.

    เหน (hěen)

    • Real word: เห็น (hěn)
    • Meaning: See
    • Example: เธอเหนหนังสือชั้นป่าว (thooe hěen nǎng-sǔue chán bpàao) — “Do you see my book?”
    • Background story: To type -็, you have to use the Shift button. To make it easier, some people just cut -็ out.

    เสด (sèet)

    • Real word: เสร็จ (sèt)
    • Meaning: Finish
    • Example: เสดแล้ว (sèet láaeo) — “already finish”
    • Background story: As mentioned before, to type -็, you have to use the Shift button. To make it easier, some people just cut -็ out. And to simplify the word even more, instead of using จ as the final alphabet, Thai people use ด, which is the direct sound of จ, as the final alphabet instead.

    คับ (kháp)

    • Real word: ครับ (khráp)
    • Meaning: Males use this slang word as an answer when someone calls them. Another usage is to put it at the end of a sentence to show that the speaker is male and make the sentence formal. (The literal meaning of คับ [kub] is “tight” or “too fit.”)
    • Example: ผมกำลังไปคับ (phǒm gam-lang bpai kháp) — “I’m going now.”
    • Background story: In Thai, some words have two initial alphabets. To make it easier to type, Thai people cut one initial alphabet—which is ร—out.

    ป่าว (bpàao) or ป่ะ (bpà)

    • Real word: รึเปล่า (rúe bplàao)
    • Meaning: This word is put at the end of a sentence to make it a question.
    • Example: ไปเที่ยวกันป่ะ (bpai thîiao gan bpà) — “Want to travel together?”
    • Background story: People shortened the word to make it easier to speak and to type.

    จิง (jing)

    • Real word: จริง (jing)
    • Meaning: True
    • Example: ข่าวลือนั่นเป็นเรื่องจิงป่ะ (khàao luue nân bpen rûueang jing bpà) — “Is that rumor true?”
    • Background story: In Thai, some words have two initial alphabets. To make it easier to type, Thai people cut one initial alphabet—which is ร—out.

    พิม (phim)

    • Real word: พิมพ์ (phim)
    • Meaning: Type
    • Example: ฉันกำลังพิมรายงานอยู่ (chǎn gam-lang phim raai ngaan yùu) — “I’m typing the report.”
    • Background story: In Thai, -์ is the symbol that indicates you don’t have to pronounce the sound of the alphabet that -์ is on. Since there will be no sound of พ anyway, Thai people cut it out to make it easier to type.

    เด่ว (děo)

    • Real word: เดี๋ยว (dǐiao)
    • Meaning: A moment
    • Example: รอเด่ว (raaw děo) — “wait a moment”
    • Background story: เดี๋ยว (dǐiao) and เด่ว (děo) sound similar in Thai. Since เด่ว (děo) is easier to type, Thai people use it as text slang.

    7. 3 Things You Should Know when Learning Thai Slang

    • Slang is sometimes confusing for Thai people as well, especially for people who are older than middle age. And they have the advantage of being native. So Thai slang, for a foreigner, is not an easy topic. If you can understand it well, great. But if you don’t, don’t be discouraged by it. You need a lot of time to study if you’re not in the environment to use them.
    • Thai slang comes and goes. It’s like fashion. People only use it for a short period. Thus, there’s no need to remember all of them seriously, especially for text slang, as it may make you even more confused about how to spell or pronounce the word correctly.
    • Be reminded that you may confuse both pronunciation and spelling of slang words with the real words. So be careful of this when using them.

    Knowing Thai slang for language learners helps you understand the Thai language better. Still, you have to be careful in what you remember. You can use slang words, and that will surely impress Thai natives, but don’t use them in formal communication, especially in writing. Also, you have to remember that Thai people won’t use slang words forever. So if you can’t remember them all, don’t worry. It isn’t necessary to remember every slang word.

    Once you finish this lesson, you may want to learn even more about the Thai language and culture. Don’t forget to visit ThaiPod101.com for other interesting Thai language lessons such as basic Thai vocabulary, how to introduce yourself in Thai, or how to travel in Thai. Enjoy learning! ^^

    Log in to Download Your Free Cheat Sheet - Beginner Vocabulary in Thai

    Thailand Language Day: Celebrating the Thai Language

    If we were to ask you, “What language is spoken in Thailand?” you would, of course, answer “Thai!” But did you know Thailand has a day set aside to celebrate the Thai language and encourage its use?

    Thailand Language Day is a unique facet of Thai culture, and you’ll see why once you’ve read up on its history. What could make your Thai language-learning more meaningful than discovering its history and significance in Thailand today?

    In this article, we’ll be going over some information on the history of modern Thai written language and its journey as the national language of Thailand, as well as celebrations that take place on Thai Language Day (including learning how to make Thai desserts!).

    At ThaiPod101.com, we hope to make this learning adventure both fun and informative!

    Log in to Download Your Free Cheat Sheet - Beginner Vocabulary in Thai

    1. What is National Thai Language Day?

    King Rama IX created Thai Language Day to promote and raise awareness among Thai people of the value and importance of the national language, and to help preserve it in Thailand forever.

    In the past, the Thai language was adapted from the Cambodian language. But in 1283, King Ramkhamhaeng decided this was not good enough because the Thai language is tonal. He had an initiative to modify Thai characters for easier writing and to add high and low tone symbols to match with pronunciation in the language. These new characters are adapted from Balinese and Sanskrit languages and have contributed immensely toward the success of the Thai language.

    Note that Thai is a language that incorporates new slang from time to time. Currently, there’s popular slang such as “The Vance Kids” which refers to teenagers who like to race motorcycles at night. This term is derived from the sound a motorcycle makes when accelerating.

    2. When is Thai Language Day?

    Many Hoisted Flags

    Each year, Thailand celebrates its national language day on July 29.

    3. Reading Practice: National Thai Language Day Celebrations

    People Holding Speech Bubbles

    Do you know how Thailand celebrates its language day? Read the Thai text below to find out, and check your reading skills against the English translation directly below it.

    เนื่องในวันภาษาไทยแห่งชาติ เพื่อเป็นการอนุรักษ์ภาษาไทยและให้เยาวชนสามารถใช้ภาษาไทยได้อย่างถูกต้อง กิจกรรมยอดนิยมตามสถานศึกษาคือ การจัดประกวดการเขียนเรียงความพร้อมกับการอ่านออกเสียง เพื่อชิงทุนการศึกษา เพื่อเป็นการกระตุ้นให้เยาวชนหันมาใช้รูปประโยคที่ถูกต้อง รวมไปถึงการอ่านออกเสียงที่ถูกต้อง โดยเฉพาะการออกเสียง ร และเสียงควบกล้ำ

    ไม่เพียงแต่การใช้ภาษาไทยเท่านั้น ตามหน่วยราชการต่างๆก็จะอนุญาตให้ข้าราชการสามารถแต่งกายชุดไทยมาทำงานได้ มีการจัดกิจกรรมเพื่ออนุรักษ์วัฒนธรรมไทยขึ้นในหลายรูปแบบ ทั้งการสาธิตการทำขนมไทยโบราณ การร่วมกิจกรรมการละเล่นพื้นบ้าน รวมไปถึงการแสดงนาฏศิลป์ไทย

    On National Thai Language Day, to preserve the usage of Thai language and promote proper usage to young people, popular activities held in educational institutes include competitions on essay writing and oral reading competitions to win the scholarships. This is to encourage young people to use the correct forms of sentences and correct pronunciation, especially on the ‘r’ sound and diphthongs.

    Today, not only the usage of Thai language is encouraged, but some government officials are also allowed to wear Thai costumes to work. There are also activities to preserve Thai culture, such as an ancient dessert cooking demonstration, Thai folk plays, and Thai dance shows.

    4. Composition of the Thai Alphabet

    Do you know the composition of the Thai alphabet?

    There are forty-four letters, twenty-one vowels, and four consonants. Thai characters are arranged from left to right, with vowels placed in front, above, below, and at the back. Each word is formed by mixing letters like in English, but there are symbols to control the tone of each word in Thai.

    You can learn more about the Thai alphabet and how it works by reading some of our relevant content.

    5. Useful Vocabulary for National Thai Language Day

    Thai Alphabet

    Here’s some vocabulary you should know for National Thai Language Day!

    • ภาษา (phaa-sǎa) — “language”
    • คำ (kham) — “word”
    • ตัวอักษร (dtuua àk-sǎawn) — “alphabet”
    • ภาษาราชการ (phaa-săa râat-chá-gaan) — “official language”
    • เสียงสูงต่ำ (sĭiang sǔung dtàm) — “intonation”
    • พยัญชนะ (phá-yan-chá-ná) — “consonant”
    • สระ (sà-rà) — “vowel”
    • วรรณยุกต์ (wan-ná-yúk) — “intonation marks”
    • คำศัพท์ (kham sàp) — “vocabulary”
    • ภาษาถิ่น (phaa-săa thìn) — “dialect”
    • สำเนียง (săm-niiang) — “accent”

    To hear each vocabulary word pronounced, check out our National Thai Language Day vocabulary list!

    Conclusion

    We hope you enjoyed learning about National Thai Language Day, and that you’re more excited than ever to continue in your Thai studies. At ThaiPod101.com, we provide an array of fun and practical learning tools, including more insightful blog posts like this one and free Thai vocabulary lists. You can also discuss lessons with fellow students or reach out for help on our community forums!

    While Thai isn’t an easy language to learn, know that your hard work and determination will pay off. You’ll be speaking, writing, and reading Thai like a native before you know it, and ThaiPod101 will be here with you each step of the way.

    Before you go, let us know in the comments if your country has a day to celebrate its national language. We’re curious. 😉

    Log in to Download Your Free Cheat Sheet - Beginner Vocabulary in Thai

    Your Guide to Thai Words with no English Equivalent

    Thumbnail

    Like every other language in the world, the Thai language has unique Thai words with no English translation. These untranslatable terms in Thai are naturally not very easy to learn. The reason is that you, as a foreigner, are learning something that you’re not familiar with at all, since the term doesn’t exist in your language. But don’t worry, ThaiPod101.com will help you master untranslatable Thai words in no time.

    Among Thai untranslatable words, the ones that are most often used in daily life (and confuse foreigners the most) are untranslatable words about feelings. Of course, seeing as these are feeling untranslatable words, Thai people understand them and use them regularly, but if you ask them to explain or describe each word, they may find it difficult.

    Untranslatable Thai words represent Thainess, a uniqueness in Thai which you’ll be able to see from the list of untranslatable Thai words that ThaiPod101.com has prepared for you. This is especially true of those feeling untranslatable Thai words, as they reflect how Thai people feel and behave. So apart from communication, this topic will also give you a fresh point of view about Thai culture.

    We hope you can now see why the untranslatable word in Thai language-learning is such an essential aspect to go over and understand. Let’s get started with our list. Start with a bonus, and download the Must-Know Beginner Vocabulary PDF for FREE! (Logged-In Member Only)

    Table of Contents

    1. List of Untranslatable Thai Words
    2. Conclusion: How ThaiPod101 Can Help You Learn More Thai

    Log in to Download Your Free Cheat Sheet - Beginner Vocabulary in Thai

    1. List of Untranslatable Thai Words

    Best Ways to Learn

    As mentioned above, there are many untranslatable words in Thai. Here’s the list of words you’re likely to see and use, put into three categories.

    Our goal here is to help you learn what each untranslatable word literally means in Thai. From there, we’ll introduce you to each untranslatable Thai word’s meaning in English, so that you have a better idea of how to use them. Finally, we’ll show you each untranslatable word in Thai phrases and tell you when to use it.

    Are you ready? Let’s get started.

    1- Thai Untranslatable Words about Feelings

    There are many Thai words with no English equivalent in this category. If you interact with Thai people a lot, whether in work or a relationship, you should learn these words so that you understand more about Thai people.

    1. งอน (ngaawn)

    • Type of word: Verb
    • Meaning: งอน (ngaawn) is “a sulky feeling toward someone because of their action” in Thai. This word represents a negative feeling, but it’s not quite as strong as being angry or upset. The feeling ngaawn happens only between people who are close to each other, such as a couple, family members, or friends. There are many actions that indicate if someone feels ngaawn toward you, for example:
      • Someone talks to you sarcastically.
      • Someone has stopped talking to you, or isn’t willing to talk to you.
      • Someone doesn’t want to meet you.
      • Someone doesn’t act well toward you as they used to.
      • Someone will tell you how they feel directly.
    • Example situation:
      เมื่อวานตอนไปเที่ยวกัน เธอเอาแต่สนใจโทรศัพท์มือถือ เราเลยงอนเธอแล้ว
      mûuea waan dtaawn bpai thîiao gan thooe ao dtàae sŏn jai thoo-rá-sàp muue-thǔue rao looei ngaawn thooe láaeo
      “When we went to travel yesterday, you paid attention to nothing but your phone. I ngaawn you.”
    • Usage in sentence:
      Name of person 1 (+rúu-sùek) + ngaawn + name of person 2 = person 1 feels ngaawn toward person 2.

    A Woman Ngaawn Her Friend

    2. น้อยใจ (náauy-jai)

    • Type of word: Adverb
    • Meaning: น้อยใจ (náauy-jai) is the hurt or sad feeling you feel from not getting attention from people you care for. This word can also be used when those people don’t behave toward you like they should. Being noíjai or náauy-jai can lead to feeling ngaawn. People only feel noíjai toward the people they care for or are close with, such as a couple, family members, or friends. It’s one of the untranslatable sad Thai words, as noíjai is used to show unhappiness.
    • Example situation:
      เธอรู้สึกน้อยใจที่แม่สนใจแต่น้องสาว
      thooe rúu-sùek náauy-jai thîi mâae sŏn-jai dtàae náawng-săao
      “She feels noíjai that her mother only pays attention to her younger sister.”
    • Usage in sentence:
      Name of person 1 (+rúu-sùek) + náauy-jai + name of person 2 = person 1 feels náauy-jai toward person 2.

    3. ไม่เป็นไร (mâi bpen rai)

    • Type of word: Phrase
    • Meaning: ไม่เป็นไร (mâi bpen rai) is a phrase that shows you feel okay with the current situation, and there’s no need to do anything more for you. The phrase mâipenrai can be used in many situations, listed as follows:
      • As a reply when someone says thank you. It’s like “you’re welcome” in English.
      • As a reply when someone says sorry to you and you don’t feel angry toward them.
      • As a reply when someone asks if you’re okay or not, and you are okay.
    • Example situation:

      Situation 1
      เอ: ขอบคุณที่ช่วยฉันเรื่องงาน
      A: khàawp-khun thîi chûuai chăn rûueang ngaan
      A: “Thank you for helping with my work.”

      บี: ไม่เป็นไร
      B: mâi bpen rai
      B: “You’re welcome.”

      Situation 2: B accidentally stepped on A’s foot.
      เอ: โอ๊ย
      A: óoi
      A: “Ouch.”

      บี: ขอโทษด้วยค่ะ เป็นอะไรมั๊ยคะ
      B: khǎaw-thôot dûuai khâ bpen à-rai mái khá
      B: “Sorry, are you okay?”

      A: ไม่เป็นไรค่ะ
      A: mâi bpen rai khâ
      A: “I’m okay.”

    • Usage in sentence:
      You can use this phrase alone.

    4. หมั่นไส้ (màn-sâi)

    • Type of word: Adverb
    • Meaning: Naturally, when you see that someone else has a good life or is happy, you may feel happy for them, feel indifferent, feel jealous, or feel หมั่นไส้ (màn-sâi).This untranslatable word means in Thai a feeling toward someone who acts over-the-top or shows off too much about something. This feeling isn’t quite jealousy, dislike, annoyance, or anger.
    • Example situation:
      เห็นรูปบนเฟสบุ๊คของแป้งมั๊ย อวดว่าไปเที่ยวญี่ปุ่นมา ช่างน่าหมั่นไส้
      hĕn rûup bon féet-búk khǎawng bpâaeng mái ùuat wâa bpai thîiao yîi-bpùn maa châang nâa màn-sâi
      “Have you see photo on Bpaaeng’s facebook,showing off that she has been to Japan. So
      nâa-màn-sâi”
    • Usage in sentence:
      Name of person 1 (+rúu-sùek) + màn-sâi + name of person 2 = person 1 feels màn-sâi toward person 2.

    5. เกรงใจ (greeng-jai)

    • Type of word: Adverb
    • Meaning: เกรงใจ (greeng-jai) is the feeling of being afraid to disturb other people, or afraid to have other people do something for you (even if the other parties are willing to do it for you).
    • Example situation:
      ไปเที่ยวให้สนุกนะ ไม่ต้องซื้อของฝากมาก็ได้ เกรงใจ
      bpai thîiao hâi sà-nùk ná mâi dtâawng súue khǎawng fàak maa gâaw dâi greeng jai
      “Have a fun trip!! And no need for a souvenir, greeng-jai.”
    • Usage in sentence:
      Name of person 1 (+rúu-sùek) + greeng-jai + name of person 2 = person 1 feels greeng-jai toward person 2.
    • Additional note: In Thai, there’s a term, which is ความเกรงใจเป็นสมบัติของผู้ดี (khwaam greeng jai bpen sŏm-bàt khǎawng phûu dii). Its literal meaning is “greeng-jai is a characteristic of noble people.” But to put it simply, it means “greeng-jai is a good manner.” This shows that Thai people are considerate.

    6. เสียดาย (sǐia-daai)

    • Type of word: Adverb
    • Meaning: This feeling isn’t quite the same as regret. เสียดาย (sǐia-daai) is the sorry or negative feeling you feel when you’re in the following situations:
      • You’ve lost someone or something that used to be yours.
      • You don’t get someone or something you want.
    • Example situation:
      เสียดายที่เราไม่ได้รางวัลที่หนึ่ง
      sǐia-daai thîi rao mâi dâi raang-wan thîi nùeng
      “I feel sǐia-daai that we didn’t win the first prize.”
    • Usage in sentence:
      Name of person 1 (+rúu-sùek) + sǐia-daai + thîi (the situation you feel sorry about) = person 1 feels sǐia-daai that (the situation you feel sorry about).
    • Additional note: This untranslatable Thai word is used in an idiom as well: รักพี่เสียดายน้อง (rák phîi sĭia-daai náawng). Its literal meaning is “love older sister/brother, but sǐia-daai little sister/brother.” Thai people use it to explain the situation where you can’t choose between two choices because you want both.

    2- Untranslatable Thai Action Words

    Reasons to Study

    Thai people have unique actions that only we do. Here are two examples:

    1. ไหว้ (Wâi)

    • Type of word: Verb
    • Meaning: ไหว้ (wâi) is an action that Thai people use to pay respect, politely greet each other, or worship God.
    • Example situation:
      เมื่อนักเรียนเจอครูควรทำความเคารพโดยการไหว้และกล่าวสวัสดี
      mûuea nák-riian jooe khruu khuuan tham khwaam khao-róp dooi gaan wâi láe glàao sà-wàt-dii
      “When students meet a teacher, they should pay respect by wai and saying hello.”
    • Usage in sentence:
      Name of person 1 + wâi + name of person 2 = person 1 greets/pay respect to person 2 by wâi.

    Thai People Wai As A Way of Greeting

    2. บน (bon)

    • Type of word: Verb
    • Meaning: บน (bon) is to ask God for help and promise something (such as doing a certain action) in return if your wish is fulfilled later on. Thai people can ask God for help with anything from love, to work, to studying, to asking for a child. The things or actions people promise in return can be anything as well. The famous ones are: offering a boiled pig head, a boiled egg or a flower; to be vegetarian; to do a Thai dance; and the list goes on.
    • Example situation:
      เธอบนไว้ว่า ถ้าเธอคลอดลูกอย่างปลอดภัย เธอจะกินมังสวิรัติ 1 เดือน
      thooe bon wái wâa thâa thooe khlâawt lûuk yàang bplâawt phai thooe jà gin mang-sà-wí-rát nùeng duuean
      “She bon to God that if she delivers her child safely, she will be vegetarian for one month.”
    • Usage in sentence:
      Subject + bon + wâa + (thâa……) = Subject bon that if…… (It is normally used with “if”).
    • Additional note:
      If you come to Thailand, you’ll see temples and shrines almost everywhere. There are many gods that Thai people respect, and Thai people still have much spiritual belief. Some gods Thai people like to bon are listed below:

    King Rama V

    3- Untranslatable Words about Cooking

    Thailand is famous for its cuisine and desserts. So ThaiPod101.com would like to introduce some interesting untranslatable words about cooking.

    1. รวน (ruan)

    • Type of word: Verb
    • Meaning: รวน (ruuan) is to cook meat (of any type) until it’s almost cooked by stir frying it in a pan or pot. The meat will normally be cooked again at a later stage. This is one of the methods Thai people use in cooking.
    • Example situation:
      แนนกำลังรวนหมูสับเพื่อเอาไปทำยำ
      naaen gam-lang ruuan mûu sàp phûuea ao bpai tham yam
      “Nan is ruuan ground pork for spicy salad.”
    • Usage in sentence:
      Subject + ruuan + type of meat.
    • Additional note:
      Some examples of dishes that use the ruan method of cooking are ยำ (yam) which is spicy salad and ลาบ (lâap).

    2. หัวกะทิ (hǔua gà-thí) and หางกะทิ (hǎang gà-thí)

    • Type of word: Noun
    • Meaning: หัวกะทิ (hǔua gà-thí) and หางกะทิ (hǎang gà-thí) are types of coconut milk. The process of making coconut milk is to add water to the shredded coconut meat, and then squeeze it until the water becomes coconut milk. The first part of coconut milk we get from this process is called hǔua gà-thí, while the coconut milk we get at the later stage is called hǎang gà-thí. Hǔua gà-thí is richer in taste than hǎang gà-thí.
    • Example situation:
      เวลาทำแกง ต้องใส่หัวกะทิไปผัดกับเครื่องแกงก่อน แล้วเติมหางกะทิทีหลัง
      wee-laa tham gaaeng dtâawng sài hŭua gà-thí bpai phàt gàp khrûueang gaaeng gàawn láaeo dtooem hăang gà-thí thii-lăng
      “When making curry, you have to stir fry hǔua gà-thí with curry paste first before adding hăang gà-thí later.”
    • Usage in sentence: There’s no specific way to use this word, and sentences can vary.
    • Additional note: In Thai cuisine and desserts, coconut milk or gà-thí is an important ingredient. If you like cooking, you should know the difference between hǔua gà-thí and hăang gà-thí, as it really matters in how the dish tastes.

    Thai Curry with Coconut Milk as Ingredient

    Conclusion: How ThaiPod101 Can Help You Learn More Thai

    Thai words with no English equivalent isn’t an easy topic, so it may take some time for you to understand. The hardest ones are those related to feelings, which you may not really understand at first.

    Here’s a tip for you: It will help you to understand better if you imagine yourself as the person in the given example situations throughout this article. It will be easier for you to imagine the feeling that Thais feel in various situations. Once you understand this topic, you can visit ThaiPod101.com for more Thai lessons to master your Thai!

    Before you go, let us know in the comments which untranslatable word in Thai vocabulary is your favorite! Was our untranslatable words in Thai lesson helpful to you? We look forward to hearing from you.

    Log in to Download Your Free Cheat Sheet - Beginner Vocabulary in Thai