Thai food ranks among the most popular cuisines worldwide. Why?
Well, authentic Thai food is very appealing in terms of taste, smell, and appearance. In fact, most dishes are colorful and presented with an artistic flair. And if you come to Thailand, you might be surprised to learn that you can find food, snacks, and drinks 24/7—and not just in convenience stores!
Because a country’s food is a major component of its culture, trying Thai food is a special experience for foreigners who visit Thailand.
In this article, we’ll present you with tons of practical Thai cuisine information. This includes…
…the top five Thai foods to try in restaurants
…several unique Thai foods only found in-country
…a few foods you may question are actually Thai
…practical food-related vocabulary
As a bonus, ThaiPod101.com will also give you some easy Thai food recipes you can make at home.
If you want more information on Thai cuisine, you can check out the following lessons on ThaiPod101.com:
When visiting a Thai restaurant—whether in-country or abroad—it can be hard to know what Thai food to order. To help you out, we’ve handpicked five of the best Thai dishes you should definitely try!
ส้มตำไทย (sôm-dtam-thai) – Papaya Salad
Ingredients:
มะละกอ (má-lá-gaaw) = papaya
ถั่วฝักยาว (thùua-fàk-yaao) = cowpea
มะเขือเทศ (má-khǔuea-thêet) = tomato
ถั่วลิสง (thùua-lí-sǒng) = peanut
กุ้งแห้ง (gûng-hâaeng) = dried shrimp
พริก (phrík) = chili
กระเทียม (grà-thiiam) = garlic
น้ำตาลปี๊บ (nám-dtaan-bpiíp) = palm sugar
มะนาว (má-naao) = lime
น้ำปลา (nám-bplaa) = fish sauce
ส้มตำ (sôm-dtam) is an iconic Thai food, making it perfect for you to try as a language learner.
ส้มตำไทย (sôm-dtam-thai) is just one type of ส้มตำ (sôm-dtam), and we recommend you try this one first if you’ve never had this before. There are other types that contain small raw crab and pickled fish sauce, but that may be a bit much for your first time.
Basically, ส้มตำ (sôm-dtam) is raw vegetables mixed together with peanuts and dried shrimp. The vegetables offer a fresh taste and the dish has sweet, sour, and salty flavors.
ผัดไทย (phàt-thai) – Thai-Style Fried Noodles
Ingredients:
เส้นจันทน์ (sên-jan) = a type of noodle
เต้าหู้เหลือง (dtâo-hûu-lùueang) = yellow tofu
กุยช่าย (gui-châai) = Chinese chive
ถั่วงอก (thùua-ngâawk) = bean sprout
หอมแดง (hǎawm-daaeng) = shallot
กุ้งแห้ง (gûng-hâaeng) = dried shrimp
ไช้โป๊ว (chái-bpóo) = salted turnip
ถั่วลิสงบด (thùua-lí-sǒng-bòt) = crushed peanut
ไข่ (khài) = egg
น้ำมัน (nám-man) = cooking oil
พริกป่น (phrík-bpòn) = chili powder
กระเทียม (grà-thiiam) = garlic
น้ำตาลปี๊บ (nám-dtaan-bpiíp) = palm sugar
น้ำมะขามเปียก (nám-má-khǎam-bpìiak) = tamarind juice
น้ำปลา (nám-bplaa) = fish sauce
If you were to speak of a noodle dish in Japan, it would be Ramen. But Thailand’s famous noodle dish is ผัดไทย (phàt-thai).
Here’s some Thai food history for you: During World War II, the Thai leader Plaek Phibunsongkhram wanted to create a sense of nationalism in the country. He did this by encouraging people to create a unique Thai dish, which turned out to be ผัดไทย (phàt-thai).
This has become one of the most popular Thai cuisine dishes among native Thai people and foreigners alike. It tastes sweet and sour, and the noodle itself is pretty chewy.
แกงเขียวหวาน (gaaeng-khǐiao-wǎan) – Green Curry
Ingredients:
พริกแกงเขียวหวาน (phrík-gaaeng-khǐiao-wǎan) = green curry paste
ไก่ (gài) = chicken
มะเขือเปราะ (má-khǔuea-bpràw) = green brinjal
มะเขือพวง (má-khǔuea-phuuang) = turkey berry
พริกชี้ฟ้า (phrík-chíi-fáa) = cayenne pepper
ใบมะกรูด (bai-má-grùut) = leaf of kaffir lime
ใบโหระพา (bai-hǒo-rá-phaa) = basil
กะทิ (gà-thí) = coconut milk
น้ำตาลปี๊บ (nám-dtaan-bpiíp) = palm sugar
น้ำปลา (nám-bplaa) = fish sauce
There are various types of curry in Thailand, and แกงเขียวหวาน (gaaeng-khǐiao-wǎan) is one of the most popular.
It’s a main dish often served with rice or rice noodles. In some recipes, chicken is substituted with other protein sources such as fish or beef. Despite having the word หวาน (wǎan), or “sweet,” in its name, แกงเขียวหวาน (gaaeng-khǐiao-wǎan) does not taste sweet. It’s also not as spicy as other curries, which is why we recommend it to foreigners.
ต้มข่าไก่ (dtôm-khàa-gài) – Chicken in Coconut Milk Soup
Ingredients:
พริกแกงเขียวหวาน (phrík-gaaeng-khǐiao-wǎan) = green curry paste
ไก่ (gài) = chicken
เห็ดฟาง (hèd-faang) = straw mushroom
พริกชี้ฟ้า (phrík-chíi-fáa) = cayenne pepper
ข่า (khàa) = galangal
ตะไคร้ (dtà-khrái) = lemon grass
ใบมะกรูด (bai-má-grùut) = leaf of kaffir lime
น้ำซุปไก่ (nám-súp-gài) = chicken broth
กะทิ (gà-thí) = coconut milk
มะนาว (má-naao) = lime
น้ำปลา (nám-bplaa) = fish sauce
Another great choice for foreigners is ต้มข่าไก่ (dtôm-khàa-gài). It’s similar to ต้มยำ (dtôm-yam) but has a smoother taste and is less spicy, making it perfect for those who can’t handle spicy foods. It also tastes lighter and healthier than curry. During the vegetarian season, you can find a vegan version of this dish as well.
หมูสะเต๊ะ (mǔu-sà-dté) – Grilled Pork Stick with Turmeric
Ingredients:
พริกแกงเขียวหวาน (phrík-gaaeng-khǐiao-wǎan) = green curry paste
หมู (mǔu) = pork
กระเทียม (grà-thiiam) = garlic
ผงขมิ้น (phǒng-khà-mîn) = turmeric powder
ผงยี่หร่า (phǒng-yîi-hràa) = cumin powder
ผงกะหรี่ (phǒng-gà-hrìi) = curry powder
เมล็ดผักชี (mà-lét-phàk-chii) = coriander seeds
น้ำตาลทราย (nám-dtaan-sai) = sugar
กะทิ (gà-thí) = coconut milk
นมสด (nom-sòt) = milk
One of the most popular Thai street foods you should try is หมูสะเต๊ะ (mǔu-sà-dté).
This is a chewy, salty appetizer served with a savory, nutty dipping sauce. The most common protein for this snack is pork, but you can sometimes find chicken or lamb as well. Thai people eat หมูสะเต๊ะ (mǔu-sà-dté) with toast.
2. Unique Thai Foods
In this section, we’ll present you with some unique Thai foods and desserts. You may find some of the food combinations weird, but they taste really good!
The weather in Thailand is hot all year. Some people even joke that Thailand has three seasons: hot, hotter, and hottest. To cope with the weather in summer, Thai people created ข้าวแช่ (khâao-châae).
This dish consists of cooked rice soaked in flower-scented water. It’s eaten with various side dishes, such as shredded pork, salted turnip fried with egg, or stuffed bell peppers. It tastes very fresh and has a nice fragrance. You can find this cuisine item in Thai restaurants during the summer.
น้ำจิ้มซีฟู้ด
น้ำจิ้มซีฟู้ด (nám-jîm-sii-fúut) is a special dipping sauce. There are various recipes for this dipping sauce, but it’s typically made with chili, garlic, coriander root, fish sauce, lime juice, and salt. Originally, Thai people dipped seafood in it. But today, it’s currently served with various foods, such as hot pot, crab fried rice, and steamed fish ball.
ข้าวเหนียวมะม่วง
ข้าวเหนียวมะม่วง (khâao-nǐiao-má-mûuang) is a famous Thai dessert. Thai people eat this sweet and salty rice with ripe mango (and sometimes durian) topped with coconut milk. You can find this Thai dessert in summer, which is mango season.
Some foreigners may find it weird to eat rice with fruit, but the flavor of sticky rice goes well with ripe mango and coconut milk. However, we have to warn you that this isn’t a very healthy Thai food, so you shouldn’t eat it too often.
3. Are These Food and Snack Items Thai?
Thai people are very open-minded when it comes to food. If you visit Thailand, you’ll see that there are various dishes, snacks, and desserts influenced by foreign food. Some of them have been adapted to suit Thai tastes and preferences.
If you were to find these Thai food names on a menu, you might wonder if they’re really Thai! Let’s take a closer look.
ขนมโตเกียว (khà-nǒm-dtoo-giiao) is a popular Thai snack. It’s a pancake roll with various savory and sweet fillings, such as ham, sausage, egg, taro paste, and custard.
The name of this snack breaks down into two words:
ขนม (khà-nǒm) – snack
โตเกียว (dtoo-giiao) – the name of a city in Japan
Because of its name, many people mistakenly think that this snack was influenced by Japanese cuisine.
The origin of ขนมโตเกียว (khà-nǒm-dtoo-giiao) is unclear. Some say it was influenced by a Japanese dessert called Dorayaki, while most people believe this snack was first sold in the first Japanese department store in Thailand: Daimaru. However, it was created by Thai people and named ขนมโตเกียว (khà-nǒm-dtoo-giiao) to make it sound Japanese.
ลอดช่องสิงคโปร์
ลอดช่องสิงคโปร์ (lâawt-châawng-sǐng-khà-bphoo) is a Thai snack made with tapioca flour and sweet coconut milk.
This is another food item with a rather confusing name. Its two parts break down as:
ลอดช่อง (lâawt-châawng) – the name of a similar Thai dessert
สิงคโปร์ (sǐng-khà-bphoo) – Singapore
ลอดช่องสิงคโปร์ (lâawt-châawng-sǐng-khà-bphoo) is not a dessert imported from Singapore. It was created by a restaurant called สิงคโปร์โภชนา (sǐng-khà-bphoo-phoo-chá-na), which is located in เยาวราช (yao-wá-râat), the famous Chinatown in Bangkok.
Are you seeing a trend here? Let’s break down the name of this confusing Thai dish:
ข้าวผัด (khâao-phàat) – fried rice
อเมริกัน (a-mee-rí-gan) – American
Despite having ‘American’ in its name, ข้าวผัดอเมริกัน (khâao-phàat-a-mee-rí-gan) was created by Thai people. ข้าวผัดอเมริกัน (khâao-phàat-a-mee-rí-gan) is rice fried with ketchup, ham, sausage, fried egg, and salad. The dish is said to have been influenced by the American-style breakfast: toast, fried egg, ham, and sausage eaten with ketchup.
กล้วยแขก (glûuai-khàaek) is fried banana, and this snack dates back to the Ayutthaya Period.
The name of this dish breaks down to:
กล้วย (glûuai) – banana
แขก (khàaek) – Indian
Apart from referring to Indian people, แขก (khàaek) was traditionally used to mean “strange” or “foreign” as well. Fried banana is quite different from the other snacks of that time, so it was called กล้วยแขก to imply that it was a ‘strange’ dessert made from banana.
The name of our last confusing food item breaks down as:
ขนม (khà-nǒm) – snack
จีน (jiin) – China
Despite its name, ขนมจีน (khà-nǒm-jiin) is not a snack and it was not imported from or influenced by China. It’s actually “rice noodle,” a food influenced from Mon food called kha-naawm-jin.
Thai people eat ขนมจีน (khà-nǒm-jiin) with various savory foods, such as curry, ส้มตำ (sôm-dtam), noodles, and spicy salad.
4. Vocabulary for Food and the Restaurant
Now you know all about the most popular Thai food dishes. That means you’re ready to learn some practical Thai vocabulary for talking about (and ordering) food. Let’s go!
A- Food-Related Vocabulary
We’ll start with some useful words about Thai food for beginners.
Taste
อร่อย (a-ràauy) = delicious
จืด (jùuet) = plain
เค็ม (khem) = salty
หวาน (wǎan) = sweet
เปรี้ยว (bprîiao) = sour
ขม (khǒm) = bitter
น่ากิน (nâa-gin) = looks tasty
กลิ่นหอม (glìn-hǎawm) = smells good
To make any of these words negative, just put ไม่ (mâi) in front.
Thai sentence: เอา + food name
Thai pronunciation:ao-___
Additional information: If the menu has a picture by the item you want, you can say เอาอันนี้, which means “I want this one,” while pointing to the picture.
For those who are interested in cooking Thai food, we’ve prepared a couple of easy Thai cuisine recipes you can make at home. The ingredients are quite simple and you won’t need any special equipment.
A- Thai-Style Omelet
Egg dishes are fairly simple to make, so we’ll start with a recipe for ไข่เจียว (khài-jiiao), or “omelet.” ไข่เจียว (khài-jiiao) is fried egg beaten into a round flat shape. The ingredients are simple and you can make it unique by adding your favorite ingredients.
Ingredients
ไข่ (khài) = egg
น้ำปลา (nám-bplaa) = fish sauce
น้ำมัน (nám-man) = cooking oil
There are only three ingredients you need to make this Thai-style omelet, though you can also add other ingredients. For extra protein, you can add minced pork or crab, for example. Sometimes, Thai people also add vegetables such as onion, tomato, chilis, or spring onion to make it sweet and colorful.
How to Make
1. Beat 2 eggs and mix them with 1 tablespoon of fish sauce. If you want to add protein or vegetables, do so in this step.
2. Heat the oil in a pan until there is light smoke coming up. This is the secret to making the ไข่เจียว (khài-jiiao) a bit crispy and not too oily.
3. Pour the egg mixture into the pan.
4. Fry the egg until the bottom is set and has become golden brown. Once this happens, flip it.
5. Fry the other side of the ไข่เจียว (khài-jiiao) until it becomes golden brown. Then, it’s ready to be served with rice.
B- Hainanese Chicken Rice
This recipe is a little bit more advanced. There are more ingredients and steps, but people will be impressed if you can make it. To help you out, our recipe below is for Hainanese Chicken Rice cooked with the rice cooker.
Ingredients
ข้าว (khâao) = rice
สะโพกไก่ (sà-phôok-gài) = chicken thigh
น้ำมัน (nám-man) = cooking oil
กระเทียม (grà-thiiam) = garlic
ขิง (khǐng) = ginger
เกลือ (gluuea) = salt
น้ำตาล (nám-thaan) = sugar
น้ำซุปไก่ (nám-súp-gài) = chicken broth
How to Make
1. Heat oil in the pan. Once hot, stir-fry 2 tablespoons of chopped garlic and 5 slices of ginger until they are aromatic.
2. After that, add 2 cups of rice and stir-fry until the rice becomes a little yellow.
3. Then, put everything from the pan into the rice cooker and add 1 tablespoon of sugar, 1 tablespoon of salt, and 2.5 cups of chicken broth. Stir everything together.
4. Put the chicken into the rice cooker on top of the rice mixture, then push the “cook” button.
5. Wait until the rice cooker is done and then slice the chicken and put it on top of the rice, served with the dipping sauce.
Ingredients for Dipping Sauce
เต้าเจี้ยว (dtâo-jîiao) = salt soybean
ขิง (khǐng) = ginger
พริก (phrík) = chili
น้ำตาล (nám-dtaan) = sugar
น้ำส้มสายชู (nám-sôm-sǎai-chuu) = vinegar
ซิอิ้วหวาน (sì-íu-wǎan) = sweet dark soy sauce
น้ำมะนาว (nám-má-naao) = lime juice
How to Make Dipping Sauce
1. Chop 4 tablespoons of ginger and 2 tablespoons of chili.
2. Mix 6 tablespoons of salt soybean, chopped ginger, chopped chili, 1 tablespoon of sugar, 2 tablespoons of vinegar, 1 tablespoon of sweet dark soy sauce, and 1 tablespoon of lime juice. And it’s done!
6. Conclusion
Are you hungry and already searching for your nearest Thai food restaurant? Please let us know what your favorite Thai food is, and which ones are totally new to you!
We hope you learned a lot in this lesson and that we’ve inspired you to keep learning Thai. If you enjoyed this lesson, keep in mind that ThaiPod101.com has many more resources available to you. For example, you can check out our lesson on the Thai floating market or sneak a peek at our free vocabulary lists.
When learning a language, you’re bound to come across a word or phrase that truly impresses you. Language learning is about so much more than figuring out how to communicate; it’s also about discovering a culture that’s different from yours and becoming immersed in a new way of thinking.
Since you’re learning Thai, it makes sense to study Thai quotes. In addition to picking up some of the language, you can gain insight about Thai values and beliefs from these words of wit and wisdom. In particular, you’ll find that many Thai quotes are influenced by Buddhism, the country’s main religion.
In this lesson, ThaiPod101.com will present you with a list of Thai quotes in English that you should know. From Thai motivational quotes to popular proverbs, you’ll have a ton of inspiring words to reflect on by the time you get to the end!
Let’s start with Thai quotes about success and work. As work is an important part of our lives, understanding Thai views on the topic will be immensely helpful to you as a learner.
This quote aims to teach people that all jobs are honorable, as long as they are legal and not immoral. You shouldn’t be ashamed of your job, for example, if it doesn’t pay well or is a labor job—at least you’re working!
This quote teaches the importance of time management and health. Some people work too much to earn a lot of money. As a result, they fail to take care of their health and end up spending all of their savings on hospital bills when they’re older and not as healthy as they used to be.
2. Thai Quotes About Life
Are you feeling stuck or dissatisfied with your life? There are a number of Thai quotes about life that teach valuable lessons you can apply to your situation right away. (These are also Instagram-friendly!)
→ Learn how to talk about Life Events in our relevant lesson, and be prepared for any major occasion in Thailand.
People can be irrational and act cruel when they’re angry, and end up hurting someone or having regrets about what they said. Just one action controlled by anger can ruin your life.
Buddhism teaches that one should never become attached to things—whether it be money, assets, one’s reputation or honor, etc.—because you can lose everything in a moment. Stability in life is another thing that one can lose; it’s impossible for one’s life to always be stable.
3. Thai Quotes About Time
Time is precious. Study these Thai quotes about time to gain insight into how Thai people view this phenomenon.
→ Want to increase your vocabulary? See our lesson What Time Is It In Thailand? to learn some useful time-related phrases.
Are you madly in love with someone? Or perhaps you’re a hopeless romantic? Either way, we think you’ll enjoy reading through these Thai love quotes with English translations!
→ If you want more, make sure to visit our vocabulary list of the Top 10 Thai Love Quotes! → Are you recovering after ending a relationship? Then see our list of Thai Breakup Quotes.
Meaning: Don’t chase someone to the point where you no longer see value in yourself.
Author: Napaporn Traiwitwareegul (DJ)
When you love someone, you try hard to make him or her love you back. Sometimes, you try so hard to be the person they want that you no longer see good things in yourself.
5. Thai Quotes About Friends and Family
If you want to learn how friendship and family are perceived in Thai culture, these Thai quotes about family and friends are a great place to start.
Meaning: A friend who doesn’t or cannot give you criticism is no longer your friend.
Author: Phuthathatphiku (famous Thai monk)
To be friends with someone, you must have good intentions toward them. Thus, friends must be able to tell each other if they do wrong and keep each other accountable for their actions.
Meaning: Don’t try to achieve things you don’t have to the point you fail to be happy with what you have.
Author: Saithip Montrigul Na Ayudhya (DJ)
Sometimes, you only see the things that you don’t have and try hard to get them. In doing so, you fail to enjoy the things you already have. For example, you want to be the most successful businessman, so you work so hard that you no longer have time for your family.
Meaning: Language is about communication. As long as it’s understandable, that’s great.
Author: Khanatip Sunthornrak (famous English teacher)
This quote teaches that when you learn a new language, you shouldn’t worry too much about all of the details (such as grammar or accents) as it discourages you from speaking. Instead, do your best to communicate; as long as the other parties understand, that is already a success.
Meaning: Learning is not hard if you know the obstacle and how to overcome it.
Author: Somsri Thammasansophon (famous English teacher)
When you learn a new language, there will be areas that you excel in and others you’re not as good at. All you need to do is focus on your weaknesses and find a good learning method to help you overcome them.
8. Conclusion
Do you feel inspired and motivated after reading all of these Thai quotes and proverbs? Does your native language have similar quotes? Share with us in the comments below.
Learning Thai quotes can be a little difficult if you don’t know much vocabulary. That said, it is a good way to familiarize yourself with the Thai language and culture. Keep practicing!
One of the most common reasons people learn the language is that they’re doing business in Thailand or with Thai people. This makes a lot of sense, because knowing at least the most common business phrases in Thai is an advantage in the workplace.
In this lesson, you’ll learn all of the Thai business phrases you need to get started, as well as the grammar behind them. In addition, we’ll provide you with a list of business terms you should know, categorized by what kind of situation you’d hear them in.
Before we get into Thai business words and their meanings in English, you should know how to speak formally with others in a business setting.
1- Formal Thai Pronouns
Below is a list of Thai pronouns you’re likely to use in Thailand business settings, so we advise you to memorize them before you try learning any other Thai business words or phrases.
To make a sentence sound formal in Thai, put the word ครับ (khráp) or ค่ะ (khà) 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.
2. Thai Business Phrases for a Job Interview
The first step in beginning your career is the job interview. As such, it’s to your advantage that you leave a nice first impression on your interviewer. Here are some common Thai business phrases you should know before your interview.
An interviewer will normally ask you to turn off your phone. If your phone rings during the interview, it may leave a bad impression on your interviewer, so it is proper Thai business etiquette to turn it off right away.
However, if there’s any reason you can’t turn it off, you can tell the interviewer: ไม่สะดวกปิดโทรศัพท์ เพราะ___ ต้องขอโทษด้วย (mâi-sà-dùuak-bpìt-thoo-rá-sàp práw–___ dtâawng-khǎaw-thôot-dûuai), which means “I can’t turn off the phone because ___, I’m sorry.”
In the first blank, put the name of your university; in the second blank, put the name of the faculty; and in the third blank, put the name of your major.
I have experience in ___ for ___ years.
In Thai: ผม / ดิฉันมีประสบการณ์ในสายงาน ___ ทั้งหมด ___ ปี
When doing business with Thai people, knowing business Thai vocabulary isn’t enough. You should also know how to communicate with your coworkers at both the business level and the social level. Here are some phrases you may find helpful.
Let’s go over some important phrases for Thai business meetings. If you’ve spent any time in the business world, you know that meetings are an essential aspect of any job. Knowing the most common phrases and implementing proper Thai business meeting etiquette will give you a huge advantage.
5. Thai Business Phrases for Phone Calls and Emails
If you’re doing business in Thailand, being able to communicate via phone and email is pretty important. Below are some words and phrases you’ll find useful.
This is another phrase you can use when calling someone. This one is a little more formal than the one above. It’s often used when the party you’re calling doesn’t know you.
How do you feel after going over all of these Thai business phrases? Are you more confident in your business communication skills? Let us know in the comments below.
If you want to learn more-specific terms, words, or phrases than the ones we covered here, check out our other lessons on ThaiPod101.com. Here are some lessons you may be interested in:
We think it’s safe to say that everyone has been guilty of spending hours upon hours on YouTube, going from one video to the next. Video is the most popular content format nowadays, and it’s so easy to become addicted…
So why not learn the Thai language on YouTube? If you’re like many people, you simply don’t know where to start—or if it’s even possible.
We’re here to tell you that you can actually learn Thai online for free on YouTube. In this article, we’ll introduce you to the top Thai YouTube channels for learners, so you’ll know exactly where to start. We’ve provided some great channels in a variety of categories, so that you’ll definitely be able to find something you’re interested in.
One of the best options is the ThaiPod101 YouTube channel, and we’ll give you more details about this later. But first, here are our top Thai YouTube picks!
Pailin is a Thai woman living in Canada and working as a professional chef. On her Thai cooking YouTube channel, she shares a lot of videos on how to cook a variety of traditional dishes. She speaks mostly in English, but she also teaches Thai vocabulary about food. Her videos make it easy for new learners to pick up simple vocabulary, as well as learn about Thai food and culture.
Our only warning: Don’t watch her channel late at night, because you’ll get hungry!
For the foodies and culture vultures, here’s another wonderful channel on YouTube. Thai food, travel, and cultural insight all make an appearance in Mark’s videos. To give you some context, Mark Wiens is an American who loves Thai food, and eventually married a Thai woman and moved to Thailand.
His vlog videos are recorded in English, and they show his journey of trying Thai street food and exploring Thai culture. This channel is a good place for beginners to learn the Thai language, as you’ll hear some Thai conversations between Mark and local Thai people.
ดนตรีไม่มีพรมแดน (don-dtrii-mâi-mii-phrom-daaen) is a Thai saying that means: “You can enjoy the music without really understanding the language.”
While this is true, we think that you’ll enjoy Thai music more if you understand what the lyrics mean. This is why we recommend checking out GMM Grammy, one of the biggest Thai record labels. Currently, it has a special channel for international fans.
On its Thai YouTube music channel, there are many music videos with subtitles available in English, Japanese, and Chinese. Of course, Thai learners can take advantage of this and use the channel to learn Thai while enjoying some great music. Songs can be especially helpful for learning new vocabulary and becoming familiar with Thai pronunciation.
This is another great channel for Thai music lovers.
VoBrain aims to teach English to Thai people through songs and educational videos, so it uploads many Thai songs with English subtitles.
Despite not being made directly for Thai language learners, these Thai YouTube videos contain great content that you can use to learn Thai as well. However, the downside of this channel is that you can only learn the meaning of Thai words, and not their pronunciation.
This is one of the most popular channels among Thai teenagers.
Peachii is a Thai business woman who lives in London and married a British man, known as Stephen Oppa. She is one of the owners of the Gouni business, which helps Thai people study abroad. She does vlogging and posts videos to capture the different moments of her life, teach English to Thai people, and promote her business.
Her videos are recorded using a mix of Thai and English. This means that, while her videos are aimed at teaching English, you can still watch this channel to pick up some new Thai words. Because Peachii is a native Thai, you’ll also be able to familiarize yourself with the Thai accent and culture.
One of the strengths of learning Thai online with her YouTube channel is the interesting content. Her videos are so varied that you’ll never get bored!
If you were to ask Thai students about the most popular English teachers, Loukgolf would absolutely come up a lot. He is a passionate teacher who understands and gets along with students and teenagers well.
Apart from owning an English school, he also did educational TV shows. He would invite Thai celebrities and talk to them in English, as a way to encourage young Thai people to learn and speak English. The show is done in about 70% English and 30% Thai with English subtitles.
Despite being geared toward English learners, Thai learners can also benefit from these shows. You can learn new vocabulary and get familiar with how Thai people speak in daily life. Moreover, this show is very fun—if you love Thai celebrities, don’t miss this channel!
This channel is perfect for Thai learners who love traveling.
This show features both Thai and English speech, as well as subtitles in both languages. Actually, this channel aims to teach English to Thai people through videos about trips to various places. The host speaks in English and then translates what he just said into Thai.
If you’ve been learning Thai for a while and understand at least the basics, you can practice your Thai listening skills by watching these videos.
If you want to enjoy watching a good TV drama, not understanding the language can be a problem. In order to completely understand what’s being said in a Thai TV drama, your Thai skills have to be pretty good.
But if your Thai isn’t at that level yet, you can still enjoy Thai TV dramas and learn the language at the same time. GMM TV uploads many TV dramas with English subtitles, so you can improve your Thai skills with little to no effort. 😉
ครูโอ๋ (khruu-ǒo) is a Thai teacher who uploads many educational videos for Thai children. His channel name means “Teacher Oh – education media.”
He believes that good and fun video content helps children learn better, and his channel mainly targets young Thai children. All of the lessons are in Thai, but Thai learners can still benefit from these Thai language lessons. For example, you can learn how to read and write the Thai alphabet.
There are many channels you can visit if you want to learn Thai through YouTube videos. But you probably noticed that many of them aren’t actually designed to teach Thai to foreigners.
If you want to learn Thai online in the most effective way possible, visit the ThaiPod101 YouTube channel today. We provide all kinds of good Thai language lessons for you, from the Thai alphabet to Thai pronunciation and grammar. In addition, you’ll find plenty of native Thai dialogues and language-learning tips. Plus, ThaiPod101 uploads videos regularly to ensure you always have tons of videos to choose from. We hope to see you around!
I learn Thai at ThaiPod channel.
11. Conclusion
There are many different channels that can serve as effective supplements to your normal language learning routine, but ThaiPod101 is the best! See for yourself, and start speaking real Thai today.
Are there any other YouTube channels you use to learn Thai? Please share with us in the comments! ^^
After spending some time on your favorite Thai learning YouTube channels, visit ThaiPod101.com and explore all that we have to boost your studies. For example:
Teachers are valued in every country around the world, but few nations show teachers their due respect like Thailand does. This is reflected in Thai Teachers’ Day, celebrated each year to encourage the humility of students before their teachers.
In this article, you’ll learn all about Teachers’ Day in Thailand, from its recent beginnings to how it’s celebrated. Let’s get started!
1. What is Teachers’ Day?
National Teachers’ Day is a Thai holiday celebrated each year on January 16. On this day, students go out of their way to show their teachers ความเคารพ (khwaam khao-róp), or “respect.”
It was General Phiboonsongkram who first suggested the creation of Teachers’ Day in Thailand. He spoke on the topic with teachers, the mass media got involved in promoting the holiday’s implementation, and the National Cabinet made it an official holiday in 1956. The first celebration took place the next year in 1957.
This holiday is rooted in the belief that teachers are some of the most valuable contributors to society, and as such, deserve to be recognized and appreciated for their devotion. This extends not only to school teachers, but to teachers in any field of life.
Thai people often associate the profession of teaching with that of the taxi-boat profession. The taxi-boat service was once a crucial element of Thai society because Thai people traveled largely by river in the past. Just as a taxi-boat driver takes passengers to their destination and goes back for more passengers, so do teachers bring students to their destinations and continue to do so for students over the years. Teachers are seen as a path to the future.
In Thailand, Teachers’ Day celebrations begin the day before.
Every โรงเรียน (roong-riian), or “school,” in the nation hosts special events honoring teachers. The first activity is for teachers and students to make merit by offering food to the monks. Afterward, students honor their teachers by bringing them a พานไหว้ครู (phaan wâai khruu), or “flower tray with candles and incense,” and bowing at their feet. In addition, there are competitions to see which student can create the best Teachers’ Day slogan; the winner receives a small scholarship.
In some high schools, students may give speeches on this day to reflect on the influence of teachers in their lives. Teachers themselves are encouraged to think back on their own teachers.
Teachers’ Day celebrations in Thailand involve a lot of symbolism. There are four symbols that are particularly important:
ดอกเข็ม (dàawk khĕm), or “Ixora,” flowers.
Ixora flowers have sharp petals, which represent a sharp mind.
Eggplant flowers.
Eggplant flowers grow downward, which represents the humility of students toward their teachers and their willingness to เรียน (riian), or “study.”
Cynodon grass.
Cynodon grass grows easily, which represents the growth of students’ knowledge.
Tok rice.
Tok rice is a white rice that has been roasted and popped, representing the ability of students to flourish and shine brightly with enough discipline.
Visit our ‘Plants’ Culture Class lesson to learn about five other plants that are common in Thailand.
3. The Wai Kru Ceremony
การศึกษา (gaan sùek-sǎa), or “education,” is taken very seriously in Thailand, as is the art of teaching. So it should come as no surprise that there is another special day for teachers in Thailand: Wai Kru, or Teacher Appreciation Day. This ceremony takes place near the beginning of the Thai school year (normally mid-May), and involves students showing respect and humility toward their new teachers.
The most important activities for this day include saying a Buddhist prayer, reciting a chant, offering gifts to teachers, and engaging in special performances. Sometimes, the head teacher of a school will give a speech and present awards to certain students.
Wai Kru in Thailand is also performed outside of the formal education system. For example, it is popular in the arts.
4. Essential Vocabulary for Teachers’ Day in Thailand
Now let’s review some of the words from this article, plus a few more!
สอน (sǎawn) – “teach” [v]
โรงเรียน (roong-riian) – “school” [n]
การศึกษา (gaan sùek-sǎa) – “education” [n]
ครู (khrŭu) – “teacher” [n]
นักเรียน (nák-riian) – “student” [n]
เรียน (riian) – “study” [v]
กตัญญู (gà-dtan-yuu) – “grateful” [adj.]
ดอกเข็ม (dàawk khĕm) – “Ixora” [pr. n]
เรียนรู้ (riian rúu) – “learn” [v]
ความเคารพ (khwaam khao-róp) – “respect” [n]
พานไหว้ครู (phaan wâai khruu) – “flower tray with candles and incense” [n]
Remember that you can hear the pronunciation of each word on our Teachers’ Day vocabulary list!
Final Thoughts
We hope you enjoyed learning about this popular Thai holiday with us, and that you’re feeling inspired to keep studying. Is there a Teachers’ Day celebration in your country? Or maybe a particular teacher you are กตัญญู (gà-dtan-yuu), or “grateful,” to have had in your life? Let us know in the comments!
To learn even more about Thai culture and holidays, you can read the following blog posts from ThaiPod101.com:
And this is only a sample of what we have in store for you! Create your free lifetime account today to gain access to numerous learning resources, themed vocabulary lists, and fun audio and video lessons. We make learning Thai easy and enjoyable, so what are you waiting for?
In Thailand, there’s a saying we apply to our daily interactions with others: ไปมาลาไหว้ (bpai-maa-laa-wâi). In English, this means: “You should say hello and goodbye when you meet and part from each other.”
By using these popular Thai goodbye phrases, you’ll sound more like a native speaker and will more easily form long-lasting relationships with natives. As you study them, you’ll also gain more cultural insight about Thailand and her people!
What are you waiting for? Start with a bonus, and download the Must-Know Beginner Vocabulary PDF for FREE!(Logged-In Member Only)
Keep in mind that the second word, ลาก่อน (laa-gàawn), is rarely used in day-to-day life.
Instead, the most common way to say goodbye in Thai is สวัสดี(sà-wàt-dii), which means “goodness,” “beauty,” “prosperity,” and “safety.” Due to its positive meanings, Thai people use this word for both greetings and farewells.
If you happen to be in Thailand (or meet Thai people elsewhere), and want to impress them, you can always end your conversation with สวัสดี (sà-wàt-dii) and do an action called ไหว้ (wâi).
2. Specific Ways to Say Goodbye in the Thai Language
Apart from saying สวัสดี (sà-wàt-dii), there are a couple of other phrases you can use to say goodbye.
1 – บ๊าย บาย
Thai pronunciation: báai-baai English translation: “Bye”
Explanation:
This Thai word for goodbye actually comes from English. Thai people often use this in casual situations, usually among friends or family. However, keep in mind that Thai people don’t ไหว้ (wâi) when saying this; instead, they just wave goodbye.
Example:
หนูไปหาเพื่อนก่อนนะแม่ บ๊ายบาย
nǔu-bpai-hǎa-phûuean-gàawn-ná-mâae báai-baai “I am going to meet my friend now. Bye.” [Talking to your mother]
I am going to meet my friend now. Bye.
2 – แค่นี้นะ
Thai pronunciation: khâae-níi-ná English translation: “Bye”
Example:
เดี๋ยวพรุ่งนี้เจอกัน แค่นี้นะ
dǐiao-phrûng-níi-jooe-gan khâae-níi-ná “See you tomorrow. Bye.”
3. Phrases to Accompany Your Goodbye
There are various phrases that Thai people say together with สวัสดี (sà-wàt-dii). Some of these phrases are similar to their English counterparts, which should give you a healthy head-start!
1 – ขอตัวก่อน
Thai pronunciation: khǎaw-dtuua-gàawn English translation: “I have to go.”
Explanation:
You can use this phrase in formal situations, such as in business meetings or when you speak to elders. You should say this phrase before saying สวัสดี (sà-wàt-dii).
Example:
หลังจากนี้ ผมมีนัดลูกค้าอีกท่านไว้ ต้องขอตัวก่อนครับ สวัสดีครับ
lǎng-jàak-níi phǒm-mii-nát-lûuk-kháa-ìik-thâan-wái dtâawng-khǎaw-dtuua-gàawn-khráp sà-wàt-dii- khráp “I have an appointment with another customer after this. I have to go now. Goodbye.”
I have an appointment with another customer after this. I have to go now. Goodbye.
2 – ขอตัวกลับก่อน / กลับแล้ว
Thai pronunciation: khǎaw-dtuua-glàp-gàawn / glàp-láaeo English translation: “I’m heading home.”
Explanation:
This phrase is suitable for specific situations, namely when you’re about to leave for home. You should say it before สวัสดี (sà-wàt-dii) or บ๊าย บาย (báai-baai). The difference between the two phrases is that ขอตัวกลับก่อน (khǎaw-dtuua-glàp-gàawn) is used in formal situations, while กลับแล้ว (glàp-láaeo) is used in casual situations.
Example 1:
วันนี้ฉันรู้สึกไม่ค่อยดี ต้องขอตัวกลับก่อน สวัสดีค่ะ
wan-níi-chǎn-rúu-sùk-mâi-khâauy-dii dtâawng-khǎaw-dtuua-glàp-gâawn sà-wàt-dii-khà “I’m not feeling well today. I’m heading home. Goodbye.”
Example 2:
กลับแล้วนะ จะรีบไปดูละคร บ๊าย บาย
glàp-láaeo-ná jà-rîip-bpai-duu-lá-khaawn báai-baai “I’m heading home now, as I want to get back in time for the TV drama. Bye.”
3 – ขอตัวไปก่อน / ไปแล้ว
Thai pronunciation: khǎaw-dtuua-bpai-gàawn / bpai-láaeo English translation: “I have to go.”
Explanation:
Despite having the same meaning as ขอตัวก่อน (khǎaw-dtuua-gàawn), these phrases are used in different situations. You should say them before สวัสดี (sà-wàt-dii) when you’re leaving to go somewhere (but not to your place). The difference between the two phrases is that ขอตัวไปก่อน (khǎaw-dtuua-bpai-gàawn) is used in formal situations, while ไปแล้ว (bpai-láaeo) is used in casual situations.
Example 1:
ครูคะ หนูขอตัวไปก่อนนะคะ สวัสดีค่ะ
khruu-khá nǔu-khǎaw-dtuua-bpai-gâawn-ná-khá sà-wàt-dii-khà “I have to go. Goodbye.” [Talking to your teacher]
Example 2:
ไปแล้วนะ เดี๋ยวออกสายแล้วรถติด บ๊าย บาย
bpai-láaeo-ná dǐiao-àawk-sǎai-láaeo-rót-dtìt báai-baai “I have to go now or else the traffic will be really bad. Bye.”
4 – แล้วเจอกัน
Thai pronunciation: láaeo-jooe-gan English translation: “See you.”
Explanation:
You say this phrase before saying สวัสดี (sà-wàt-dii) or บ๊าย บาย (báai-baai).
Example:
ต้องไปแล้วนะ แล้วเจอกันพรุ่งนี้ บ๊าย บาย
dtâawng-bpai-láaeo-ná láaeo-jooe-gan-phrûng-níi báai-baai “I have to go now. See you tomorrow. Bye.”
5 – แล้วจะมาใหม่
Thai pronunciation: láaeo-jà-maa-mài English translation: “I will come back again.”
Explanation:
You say this phrase before saying สวัสดี (sà-wàt-dii) or บ๊าย บาย (báai-baai).
Example:
ยายขา หนูกลับแล้วนะคะ แล้วจะมาเยี่ยมใหม่ค่ะ สวัสดีค่ะ
yaai-khǎa nǔu-glap-láaeo-ná-khá láaeo-jà-maa-yîiam-mâi sà-wàt-dii-khà “I am going home now, but I will come back to visit you again. Goodbye.” [Talking to your grandmother]
6 – ขอลาไปก่อน / ขอลาไปแต่เพียงเท่านี้
Thai pronunciation: khǎaw-laa-bpai-gàawn / khǎaw-laa-bpai-dtàae-phiiang-thâo-níi English translation: “This is the end of the show.” (Not literal translation)
Explanation:
This phrase is used only in TV shows or news channels before the words สวัสดี (sà-wàt-dii).
Example 1:
ช่วงนี้ฝนตก ท่านผู้ชมระวังรักษาสุขภาพด้วย ต้องขอลาไปแต่เพียงเท่านี้ สวัสดีครับ
chûuang-níi-fǒn-dtòk thâan-phûu-chom-rá-wang-rák-sǎa-sùk-khà-phâap-dûuai dtâawng-khǎaw-laa- bpai-dtàae-phiiang-thâo-níi sà-wàt-dii-khráp “It has been raining a lot recently, so please take care of your health. This is the end of the show. Goodbye.”
Example 2:
ขอขอบคุณแขกรับเชิญทุกท่าน ขอลาไปก่อน สวัสดีค่ะ
khǎaw-khàawp-khun-khàaek-ráp-chooen-thúk-thâan khǎaw-laa-bpai-gàawn sà-wàt-dii-khà “Thank you to all the guests today. This is the end of the show. Goodbye.”
Thank you to all the guests today. This is the end of the show. Goodbye.
7 – เดินทางปลอดภัย / เดินทางดี ๆ นะ
Thai pronunciation: dooen-thaang-bplàawt-phai / dooen-thaang-dii-dii-ná English translation: “Have a safe trip.”
Explanation:
Thai people often wish or bless other parties to have a safe trip when saying goodbye. The difference between the two phrases is that เดินทางปลอดภัย (dooen-thaang-bplàawt-phai) is used in formal situations, while เดินทางดี ๆ นะ (dooen-thaang-dii-dii-ná) is used in casual situations.
Example 1:
ดึกแล้ว เดินทางดี ๆ นะ บ๊าย บาย
dùek-láaeo dooen-thaang-dii-dii-ná báai-baai “It is late at night now, so I hope you have a safe trip. Bye.”
Example 2:
ขอบคุณที่ใช้บริการ ขอให้ทุกท่านเดินทางปลอดภัย สวัสดีค่ะ
khàawp-khun-thîi-chái-baaw-rí-gaan khǎaw-hâi-thúk-thâan-dooen-thanng-bplàawt-phai sà-wàt-dii- khà “Thank you for using our service. We hope you have a safe trip. Goodbye.”
8 – ขอบคุณสำหรับ…
Thai pronunciation: khàawp-khun-sǎm-ràp-wan-níi English translation: “Thanks for ___.”
Explanation:
Thai people say this phrase to show that they’re thankful for something the other party did or offered to do.
Example:
ขอบคุณสำหรับอาหารเย็นวันนี้ อร่อยมากค่ะ ตอนนี้ต้องขอตัวกลับก่อน สวัสดีค่ะ
khàawp-khun-sǎm-ràp-aa-hǎan-yen-wan-níi a-ràauy-mâak-khà dtaawn-níi-dtâawng-khǎaw-dtuua- glàp-gàawn sà-wàt-dii-khà “Thanks for the dinner today. It was delicious. Now, I have to go back home. Goodbye.”
9 – ดูแลตัวเองดี ๆ นะ
Thai pronunciation: duu-laae-dtuua-eeng-dii-dii-ná English translation: “Take good care of yourself.”
Explanation:
This is what Thai people say to show that they care about the other party.
Example:
พรุ่งนี้เดินทางไปญี่ปุ่นคนเดียว ดูแลตัวเองดี ๆ นะ บ๊าย บาย
phrûng-níi-dooen-thaang-bpai-yîi-bphùn-khon-diiao duu-laae-dtuua-eeng-dii-dii-ná báai-baai “Tomorrow, you have to go to Japan alone, so take good care of yourself. Bye.”
10 – ดูแลสุขภาพด้วย / รักษาสุขภาพด้วย
Thai pronunciation: duu-laae-sùk-khà-phâap-dûuai / rák-sǎa-sùk-khà-phâap-dûuai English translation: “Take good care of your health.”
Explanation:
Thai people use these two phrases with people they care about. There’s no difference between these two phrases, and they’re completely interchangeable.
Example 1:
ตอนนี้ไข้หวัดกำลังระบาด คุณตาดูแลสุขภาพด้วยนะคะ สวัสดีค่ะ
dtaawn-níi-khâi-whàt-gam-lang-rá-bàat khun-dtaa-duu-laae-sùk-khà-phâap-dûuai-ná-khá sà-wàt-dii- khà “This is the flu season, so you have to take good care of your health. Goodbye.” [Talking to your grandfather]
Example 2:
หน้าฝนแล้ว รักษาสุขภาพด้วย สวัสดีค่ะ
nâa-fǒn-láaeo rák-sǎa-sùk-khà-phâap-dûuai sà-wàt-dii-khà “It is the rainy season now, so take care of your health. Goodbye.”
11 – โชคดีนะ
Thai pronunciation: chôok-dii-ná English translation: “Good luck.”
Explanation:
This is another phrase to show you care.
Example:
ขอให้โชคดีในการสอบนะ บ๊าย บาย
khǎaw-hâi-chôok-dii-nai-gaan-sàawp-ná báai-baai “Good luck on your test. Bye.”
12 – หายเร็ว ๆ นะ
Thai pronunciation: hǎai-reo-reo-ná English translation: “Get well soon.”
Explanation:
Thai people usually say this phrase after visiting someone they know in the hospital.
Example:
ขอให้คุณน้าหายเร็ว ๆ นะคะ หนูขอตัวก่อน สวัสดีค่ะ
khǎaw-hâi-khun-náa-hǎai-reo-reo-ná-khá nǔu-khǎaw-dtuua-gàawn sà-wat-dii-khà “I hope you get well soon. I have to go now. Goodbye.”
4. Actions Thai People Do When Saying Goodbye
There are a few specific actions Thai people do when saying goodbye to someone. Here are the most popular ones:
1 – ไหว้ (wâi)
As mentioned earlier, a common action that Thai people normally do when saying goodbye is ไหว้ (wâi). This action can be done when saying hello or goodbye in a formal environment. If you’re going to live in Thailand, it’s good to learn how to ไหว้ (wâi), as you’ll want to use it pretty often.
สวัสดี [sà-wàt-dii]
2 – Hug
Thai people who are close to each other may also hug before saying goodbye.
3 – Wave
In informal situations, such as among friends, Thai people also wave while saying บ๊าย บาย (báai-baai).
See you tomorrow.
5. Conclusion
Now you know how to say goodbye in Thai! After reading this article, you should never be at a loss for words when it’s time to part ways.
How do you say goodbye in your country? Is there much difference? Let us know in the comments below.
And as usual, if you’re not sure where to go next on ThaiPod101.com, we have some suggestions:
Ann is learning Thai. Ann wants to be able to speak Thai fluently. So Ann reads Thai books everyday.
Does this sound weird? That’s because these sentences lack pronouns. Yes, you guessed it correctly, this lesson will teach you about pronouns in the Thai language and how to use them.
The pronoun is another basic component of grammar you have to learn if you want to master any language. Thus, if you’re learning Thai, you’ll need to know Thai pronouns in order to speak like a native.
Before we start learning Thai pronouns, you should know what a pronoun is in the Thai language first. คำสรรพนาม (kham-sàp-phá-naam) is “pronoun” in Thai. Grammatically, Thai has six types of pronouns. Some of these have English equivalents, while some are totally different. Of course, we’ll be covering all of these Thai language pronouns.
In this article, you’ll get to learn Thai pronouns inside and out. We’ll cover everything you should know about Thai pronouns in each category. These include:
Thai personal pronouns
Thai possessive pronouns
Thai demonstrative pronouns
Thai interrogative pronouns
Thai indefinite pronouns
Thai relative pronouns
We’ve prepared a list of these Thai pronouns with examples, and will also cover the Thai pronoun system.
Let’s start with Thai personal pronouns, which are called บุรุษสรรพนาม (bù-rùt sàp-phá-naam) in Thai. This part isn’t very hard as the words here are very similar to those in English. The only difference is that in Thai, there are levels of formality, meaning that each English pronoun may have many equivalents in Thai.
1- Basic information about Thai personal pronouns
Thai subject pronouns and Thai object pronouns are the same. You must remember all of these as they’re part of the possessive and reflexive pronouns.
Unlike in the English language, there are some subject and object pronouns for “I” and “you” that are gender-specific.
For Thai possessive pronouns, the way to remember is: “ของ (khǎawng) + subject/object pronouns.” The usage of this is: “noun + possessive pronoun.”
For Thai reflexive pronouns, the way to remember is: “ตัว (dtuua) + subject/object pronouns.” The usage of this is: “ด้วย (dûuai) + reflexive pronoun + เอง (eeng).”
The table below shows the personal pronouns in English and Thai.
* The pronouns in the table above are listed by level of formality. The first/top pronoun in each list is the most formal one, while the last/lowest one is the most informal.
** The pronouns in orange are feminine pronouns in Thai.
*** The pronouns in green are masculine pronouns in Thai.
2- I / Me / My / Myself
ข้าพเจ้า (khâa-phá-jâo)
ข้าพเจ้า (khâa-phá-jâo) is the most formal singular pronoun that means “I” in Thai. It can be used for both males and females. For speaking, Thai people only use this word in very formal situations, such as taking an oath in an important ceremony. However, you can find it a lot in writing, especially in autobiographies.
Once you put ของ (khǎawng) in front of ข้าพเจ้า (khâa-phá-jâo), you get a possessive pronoun. And once you put ตัว (dtuua) in front of ข้าพเจ้า (khâa-phá-jâo), you get a reflexive pronoun.
Example 1:
เมื่อข้าพเจ้ายังเป็นเด็ก ข้าพเจ้าพูดอย่างเด็ก
mûuea khâa-phá-jâo yang bpen dèk khâa-phá-jâo phûut yàang dèk
ดิฉัน (dì-chǎn) is another formal pronoun in Thai. However, it’s not as formal as ข้าพเจ้า (khâa-phá-jâo), and is only used for females. Thai people use this pronoun in formal daily conversations, such as in business-related situations.
Once you put ของ (khǎawng) in front of ดิฉัน (dì-chǎn), you get a possessive pronoun. And once you put ตัว (dtuua) in front of ดิฉัน (dì-chǎn), you get a reflexive pronoun.
ฉัน (chǎn) is probably the pronoun that females use the most. It can be used in casual and not very formal daily conversations.
Once you put ของ (khǎawng) in front of ฉัน (chǎn), you get a possessive pronoun. And once you put ตัว (dtuua) in front of ฉัน (chǎn), you get a reflexive pronoun.
chǎn tham khà-nǒm wǎan dûuai dtuua khǎawng chǎn eeng
“I made this dessert by myself.”
ผม (phǒm)
ผม (phǒm) is a masculine pronoun, and it can be used in both formal situations and casual situations.
Once you put ของ (khǎawng) in front of ผม (phǒm), you get a possessive pronoun. And once you put ตัว (dtuua) in front of ผม (phǒm), you get a reflexive pronoun.
Example 1:
ผมจะไปชะอำพรุ่งนี้
phǒm jà bpai chá-am phrûng-níi
“I will go to Chaam tomorrow.”
Example 2:
ทีวีของผมเพิ่งเสียไป
thii-wii khǎawng phǒm phôoeng sǐia bpai
“My TV just broke.”
Example 3:
ผมจะทำด้วยตัวผมเอง
phǒm jà tham dûuai dtuua phǒm eeng
“I will do it by myself.”
กู (guu)
กู (guu) is considered a rude pronoun to use, and you mustn’t use it in formal conversations. Close friends often use this pronoun when talking to each other. It can be used for both males and females.
Once you put ของ (khǎawng) in front of กู (guu), you get a possessive pronoun. And once you put ตัว (dtuua) in front of กู (guu), you get a reflexive pronoun.
Example 1:
กูไม่ไป
guu mâi bpai
“I won’t go.”
Example 2:
นี่มันเรื่องของกู อย่ามายุ่ง
nîi man rûueang khǎawng guu yàa maa yûng
“This is my business. Don’t stick your nose in.”
Example 3:
รูปนั้นกูวาดด้วยตัวกูเอง สวยมั๊ย
rûup nán guu wâat dûuai dtuua guu eeng sǔuai mái
“I drew that picture by myself. Is it beautiful?”
3- You / Your / Yourself
ท่าน (thâan)
ท่าน (thâan) is used with people you respect. Thai people don’t use this pronoun very much in daily life.
Once you put ของ (khǎawng) in front of ท่าน (thâan),you get a possessive pronoun. And once you put ตัว (dtuua) in front of ท่าน (thâan), you get a reflexive pronoun.
คุณ (khun) is used often in daily life. Thai people use this pronoun in formal situations, especially those related to business.
Once you put ของ (khǎawng) in front of คุณ (khun),you get a possessive pronoun. And once you put ตัว (dtuua) in front of คุณ (khun), you get a reflexive pronoun.
เธอ (thooe) is used as a feminine pronoun only. It’s often used in casual conversations, or when older people are referring to a woman who’s younger than them.
Once you put ของ (khǎawng) in front of เธอ (thooe),you get a possessive pronoun. And once you put ตัว (dtuua) in front of เธอ (thooe), you get a reflexive pronoun.
thooe dtâawng tham gaan-baan dûuai dtuua thooe eeng ná
“You have to do homework by yourself.”
นาย (naai)
นาย (naai) is used as a masculine pronoun only. It’s often used in casual conversations, or when older people are referring to a man who’s younger than them.
Once you put ของ (khǎawng) in front of นาย (naai),you get a possessive pronoun. And once you put ตัว (dtuua) in front of นาย (naai), you get a reflexive pronoun.
มึง (mueng) is considered a rude pronoun to use, and you mustn’t use it in formal conversations. Close friends often use this pronoun when talking to each other. It can be used with both males and females.
Once you put ของ (khǎawng) in front of มึง (mueng),you get a possessive pronoun. And once you put ตัว (dtuua) in front of มึง (mueng), you get a reflexive pronoun.
เรา (rao) and พวกเรา (phûuak rao) are pronouns used to refer to a group of people. They can be used in both formal and informal situations. เรา (rao) and พวกเรา (phûuak rao) are pretty much the same and are completely interchangeable.
Once you put ของ (khǎawng) in front of เรา (rao) or พวกเรา (phûuak rao),you get a possessive pronoun. And once you put ตัว (dtuua) in front of เรา (rao) or พวกเรา (phûuak rao), you get a reflexive pronoun.
พวกกู (phûuak guu) is another pronoun that’s used to refer to a group of people. However, it’s considered to be impolite, and you mustn’t use this pronoun in formal situations.
Once you put ของ (khǎawng) in front of พวกกู (phûuak guu),you get a possessive pronoun. And once you put ตัว (dtuua) in front of พวกกู (phûuak guu), you get a reflexive pronoun.
พวกท่าน (phûuak thâan) is a pronoun that’s used to refer to a group of people whom you respect. Thai people normally use this pronoun in formal situations.
Once you put ของ (khǎawng) in front of พวกกู (phûuak thâan),you get a possessive pronoun. And once you put ตัว (dtuua) in front of พวกกู (phûuak thâan), you get a reflexive pronoun.
พวกเขา (phûuak khǎo) is a pronoun that can be used in situations that are casual or not very formal.
Once you put ของ (khǎawng) in front of พวกเขา (phûuak khǎo),you get a possessive pronoun. And once you put ตัว (dtuua) in front of พวกเขา (phûuak khǎo), you get a reflexive pronoun.
พวกมัน (phûuak man) is a pronoun that’s used to refer to animals and plants in Thai.
Once you put ของ (khǎawng) in front of พวกมัน (phûuak man),you get a possessive pronoun. And once you put ตัว (dtuua) in front of พวกมัน (phûuak man), you get a reflexive pronoun.
phûuak man hǎa aa-hǎan gin dûuai dtuua khǎawng man eeng mâi dâi
“They can’t find food by themselves.”
6- He / Him / His / Himself
เขา (khǎo)
เขา (khǎo) is a masculine Thai language pronoun. It can be used in both formal and informal situations.
Once you put ของ (khǎawng) in front of เขา (khǎo),you get a possessive pronoun. And once you put ตัว (dtuua) in front of เขา (khǎo), you get a reflexive pronoun.
Example 1:
เขาทำอาหารอร่อยมาก
khǎo tham aa-hǎan à-ràauy mâak
“He is very good at cooking.”
Example 2:
อาหารของเขามักมีสีสันสวยงาม
aa-hǎan khǎawng khǎo mák mii sǐi-sǎn sǔuai ngaam
“Their food is in that box.”
Example 3:
เขาสามารถทำอาหารด้วยตัวเขาเองภายใน 10 นาที
khǎo sǎa-mâat tham aa-hǎan dûuai dtuua eeng phaai nai sìp naa-thii
“He can cook by himself within ten minutes.”
7- She / Her / Herself
เธอ (thooe)
เธอ (thooe) is a common feminine pronoun, and it can be used in both formal and informal situations.
Once you put ของ (khǎawng) in front of เธอ (thooe),you get a possessive pronoun. And once you put ตัว (dtuua) in front of เธอ (thooe), you get a reflexive pronoun.
หล่อน (làawn) is another feminine pronoun in Thai. However, Thai people don’t use this word much nowadays; you’re more likely to hear this word in period dramas. Compared to เธอ (thooe), หล่อน (làawn) is more casual. Thus, this pronoun is used in informal situations.
Once you put ของ (khǎawng) in front of หล่อน (làawn),you get a possessive pronoun. And once you put ตัว (dtuua) in front of หล่อน (làawn), you get a reflexive pronoun.
“She raises her baby by herself with no help from others.”
8- It / Its / Itself
มัน (man)
มัน (man) is a pronoun that’s used to refer to animals or plants in Thai.
Once you put ของ (khǎawng) in front of มัน (man),you get a possessive pronoun. And once you put ตัว (dtuua) in front of มัน (man), you get a reflexive pronoun.
phráw man gàae mâak láaeo man looei tham à-rai dûuai dtuua man eeng mâi dâi
“Because it is very old, it can’t do much by itself.”
2. Thai Demonstrative Pronouns
Another type of pronoun in Thai is the demonstrative pronoun, which is called นิยมสรรพนาม (ní-yá-má-sàp-phá-naam). Demonstrative pronouns are especially helpful for those just starting to learn Thai. Understanding this aspect of Thai grammar will help you communicate effectively, even if you don’t know the names of certain objects.
1- This
Thai pronoun: นี่ (nîi)
Explanation: This pronoun is used to refer to a single noun that’s near the speaker.
Example:
นี่คือสินค้าตัวใหม่
nîi khuue sǐn-kháa dtuua mài
“This is a new product.”
2- That
Thai pronoun: นั่น (nân) / โน่น (nôon)
Explanation: นั่น (nan) is used to refer to a single noun that’s far from the speaker, but close to the listener. โน่น (nôon) is used to refer to a single noun that’s far from both the speaker and the listener.
Example 1:
นั่นคืออะไร
nân khuue à-rai
“What is that?”
Example 2:
โน่นคือเสื้อผ้าของแม่
nôon khuue sûuea-phâa khǎawng mâae
“That is Mother’s clothing.”
3- These
Thai pronoun: พวกนี้ (phûuak níi)
Explanation: This pronoun is used to refer to a plural noun that’s near the speaker.
Explanation: พวกนั้น (phûuak nán) is used to refer to a plural noun that’s far from the speaker, but close to the listener. พวกโน้น (phûuak nóon) is used to refer to a plural noun that’s far from both the speaker and the listener.
Explanation: ตรงนั้น (dtrong nán) is used to refer to an area that’s far from the speaker, but close to the listener. ตรงโน้น (dtrong nóon) is used to refer to an area that’s far from both the speaker and the listener.
Example 1:
ตรงนั้นเกิดอะไรขึ้น
dtrong nán gòoet à-rai khûen
“What is happening there?”
Example 2:
เธอกำลังซักผ้าอยู่ตรงโน้น
thooe gam-lang sák phâa yhùu dtrong nóon
“She is washing clothes over there.”
3. Thai Interrogative Pronouns
Thai interrogative pronouns, called ปฤจฉาสรรพนาม (phrùt-chǎa-sàp-phá-naam), are another pronoun type you have to learn about. These are also known as “question words” because they’re most often used when asking questions.
1- Who and Whom
Thai pronoun: ใคร (khrai)
Explanation: ใคร (khrai) is a pronoun that’s used to inquire about a person (or people). ใคร (khrai) can be both a subject and object pronoun.
Example:
ใครเป็นคนวาดรูปนี้
khrai bpen khon wâat rûup níi
“Who drew this picture?”
2- Whose
Thai pronoun: ของใคร (khǎawng khrai)
Explanation: ของใคร (khǎawng khrai) is a pronoun that inquires about the ownership of a certain noun.
Example:
กระเป๋าใบนี้เป็นของใคร
grà-bpǎo bai níi bpen khǎawng khrai
“Whose bag is this?”
3- What
Thai pronoun: อะไร (à-rai)
Explanation: อะไร (à-rai) is a pronoun that inquires about the name, definition, or description of an object.
Example:
นี่คืออะไร
nîi khuue à-rai
“What is this?”
4- Which
Thai pronoun: อันไหน (an nǎi) / คนไหน (khon nǎi)
Explanation: อันไหน (an nǎi) is a pronoun that’s used to ask another party to choose one object out of two or more available ones. คนไหน (khon nǎi) is a pronoun that’s used to ask another party to choose one person out of two or more people.
Example 1:
เธอจะเอาอันไหน
thooe jà ao an nǎi
“Which one do you want?”
Example 2:
คนไหนจะเป็นคนถูบ้าน เอหรือบี
khon nǎi jà bpen khon thǔu bâan ee rǔue bii
“Which person will mop the house? A or B?”
5- Where
Thai pronoun: ที่ไหน (thîi nǎi)
Explanation: ที่ไหน (thîi nǎi) is a pronoun that inquires about place or location.
Example:
บ้านของเธออยู่ที่ไหน
bâan khǎawng thooe yùu thîi nǎi
“Where is your house?”
6- When
Thai pronoun: เมื่อไหร่ (mûuea-rài)
Explanation: เมื่อไหร่ (mûuea-rài) is a pronoun that inquires about time.
Example:
เธอจะมาถึงเมื่อไหร่
thooe jà maa thǔeng mûuea-rài
“When will you arrive?”
7- Why
Thai pronoun: ทำไม (tham-mai)
Explanation: ทำไม (tham-mai) is a pronoun that’s used to inquire about a reason something happened.
“Why did you buy a new TV? Your old one is still fine.”
4. Thai Indefinite Pronouns
อนิยมสรรพนาม (à-ní-yá-má-sàp-phá-naam) is “indefinite pronoun” in Thai. You may notice that some of these pronouns are the same as Thai interrogative pronouns; however, the way to use them is different. These Thai indefinite pronouns are used in declarative sentences, not in questions.
1- Anyone and Anybody
Thai pronoun: ใคร (khrai)
Explanation: You can use this as both a subject and object pronoun. It’s used to refer to an unspecified person in a declarative sentence.
Example:
ใครก็ทำได้ ง่ายแค่นี้เอง
khrai gâaw tham dâi ngâai khâae níi eeng
“Anyone and anybody can do this, it is this easy.”
2- Anything
Thai pronoun: อะไร (à-rai)
Explanation: This pronoun is used to refer to an unspecified object in a declarative sentence.
Example:
ฉันกินอะไรก็ได้
chǎn gin à-rai gâaw dâi
“I can eat anything.”
3- Anywhere
Thai pronoun: ที่ไหน (thîi nǎi)
Explanation: It’s used to refer to an unspecified place in a declarative sentence.
ประพันธสรรพนาม (phra-phan-tha-sap-pha-naam) is “relative pronoun” in Thai. This type of pronoun is used to do two things in a sentence: 1) Replace the noun in the first sentence, and 2) Link two sentences together.
In English, relative pronouns are “which,” “where,” “who,” “whom,” and “whose,” depending on the noun. However, in the Thai language, ที่ (thîi) can be used for all types of nouns. Below are some examples:
ลูกน้องขยัน (lûuk-náawng khà-yǎn) = “Staff (members) are hardworking.”
Example 4:
น้องชอบนักร้องที่ฉันชอบเหมือนกัน
náawng châawp nák-ráawng thîi chǎn châawp mǔuean gan
“My sister likes a singer whom I also like.”
น้องชอบนักร้อง (náawng châawp nák-ráawng) = “My sister likes a singer.”
ฉันชอบนักร้อง (chǎn châawp nák-ráawng) = “I like a singer.”
Example 5:
เจ้านายเลือกผู้หญิงที่ลายมือสวยมาเป็นเลขา
jâo-naai lûueak phûu-yǐng thîi laai-muue sǔuai maa bpen lee-khǎa
“The boss chose a woman whose handwriting is good to be his secretary.”
เจ้านายเลือกผู้หญิงมาเป็นเลขา (jâao-naai lûueak phûu-yǐng maa bpen lee-khǎa) = “The boss chose a woman to be his secretary.”
ผู้หญิงลายมือสวย (phûu-yǐng laai-muue sǔuai) = “Woman has good handwriting.”
Actually, there are two other pronouns in this group, which are ซึ่ง (sûeng) and อัน (an). However, Thai people rarely use these words nowadays.
6. วิภาคสรรพนาม
วิภาคสรรพนาม (ví-phâak-sàp-phá-naam) is the last type of pronoun in Thai, and is actually unique to the Thai language. These pronouns are used to show that the individual components of one noun group do the same (or different) things as each other. This may sound a bit confusing now, but the explanations and examples below should clarify this for you.
1- ต่าง
Thai pronunciation: dtàang
How to use: This pronoun is used when people in the same group do different things. To use it, put ต่าง (dtàang) after the subject.
Example:
นักเรียนต่างทำงานในส่วนของตนเองอย่างขยัน
nák-riian dtàang tham ngaan nai sùuan khǎawng dton eeng yàang khà-yǎn
“Each of the students does their part of the work diligently.”
2- บ้าง
Thai pronunciation: bâang
How to use: This pronoun is used when people in the same group do a few different activities. To use it, put บ้าง (bâang) after the subject of the first sentence; for the following sentence, you use บ้าง (bâang) instead of the subject.
Congratulations on reaching the conclusion. That means you’ve already learned everything about Thai pronouns.
Did you find it hard, or are Thai pronouns similar to those in your language? What do you think about this lesson? Please leave a comment below to let us know!
You may find it difficult to remember everything in this Thai pronouns list. Still, since you’ve learned about these pronouns with their Thai pronunciation, you should go back and try to pronounce them throughout the lesson. Saying the words out loud often will help you remember them better. Anyway, we encourage you to keep practicing this lesson. Pronouns are a basic and important part of the Thai language, so you need to know them. Learning Thai pronouns can be hard, but don’t give up.
What should you learn next? Visit ThaiPod101.com to choose your next lesson. There are various lessons on interesting topics you can choose to explore. Since you’ve already learned about pronouns in this lesson, you may want to try 100 Adjectives and 100 Nouns.
Is Thai an SVO language like English? Or maybe an SOV language?
Yes, you guessed it correctly. This lesson is about sentence structure in Thai.
As a Thai learner, it’s important to know how to use proper Thai word order in sentences so that you can communicate like a native. Whether you’re a beginner or have been learning Thai for some time now, this is the perfect beginner guide to Thai sentence structure.
In this lesson, you’ll learn about word order in Thai and how to form sentences. We’ll start with basic information about how words are ordered, followed by four types of sentence structures in Thai grammar. You’ll also get to learn about Thai language word order with modifiers and how to transform sentences into yes-or-no questions. And at the end of this lesson, to ensure that you understand everything, we’ve included some word order practice for you.
Let’s start the lesson by learning about the very basics of Thai language word order. Basically, the pattern is subject + verb + object. However, there are also exceptions, and it would be easier to learn the four types of sentences.
1. ประโยคประธาน (bprà-yòok-bprà-thaan) — sentence that starts with the subject
2. ประโยคกริยา (bprà-yòok-gà-rí-yaa) — sentence that starts with the verb
3. ประโยคกรรม (bprà-yòok-gam) — sentence that starts with the object
4. ประโยคการิต (bprà-yòok-gaa-rít) — sentence with relative clause of the object
We’ll explain these Thai language sentence structure variations in more detail a little bit later.
2 – Difference Between Thai Word Order and English Word Order
Now we’ll discuss the difference between Thai language word order and that of English. There are a few key differences that you should know.
Word order in questions: For questions, you have to change the order of the subject and verb in English. However, the sentence structure for Thai questions is pretty much the same as that of affirmative sentences.
Auxiliary verb: In English sentence structure, an auxiliary verb is always put in front of the verb. But in Thai, the auxiliary verb can be put either before or after the verb.
Modifier: Modifiers in Thai are often put after the noun that’s modified.
Because of these differences, you can’t directly translate Thai to English or vice-versa.
2. ประโยคประธาน
Explanation: ประโยคประธาน (bprà-yòok-bprà-thaan) is the type of sentence that starts with the subject.
Compared to English: This type of sentence is the same as the active form of sentences in English.
Example 1:
น้องสาวของฉันเล่นเปียโนทุกวัน
náawng-sǎao-khǎawng-chǎn-lên-bpiia-noo-thúk-wan“My younger sister plays piano everyday.”
Subject
Verb
Object
พี่สาวของฉัน (phîi-sǎao-khǎawng-chǎn) My older sister
เล่น (lên) plays
เปียโน (bpiia-noo) piano
Example 2:
นักฟุตบอลคนนั้นวิ่งเร็วมาก
nák-fút-baawn-khon-nán-wîng-reo-mâak“That football player runs very fast.”
Subject
Verb
Object
นักฟุตบอล (nák-fút-baawn) Football player
วิ่ง (wîng) runs
–
Example 3:
คุณครูไม่ตรวจการบ้านตอนเช้า
khun-khruu-mâi-dtrùuat-gaan-bâan-dtaawn-cháo“The teacher doesn’t check the homework in the morning.”
Subject
Verb
Object
คุณครู (khun-khruu) Teacher
ไม่ตรวจ (mâi-dtrùuat) doesn’t check
การบ้าน (gaan-bâan) homework
3. ประโยคกริยา
Explanation: ประโยคกริยา (bprà-yòok-gà-rí-yaa) is the type of sentence that starts with the verb. In Thai, there are only three verbs that can be used to start a sentence. Those verbs are มี (mii), เกิด (gòoet), and ปรากฏ (bpraa-gòt), which mean “there is” or “there are” in Thai. However, nowadays, Thai people rarely use ปรากฎ (bpraa-gòt), and you’re likely to only see it in literature.
Compared to English: This type of sentence is the same as the passive form of sentences in English.
Example 1:
แก้วถูกดุที่ไม่อ่านหนังสือก่อนสอบ
kâaeo-thùuk-dù-thîi-mâi-àan-nǎng-sǔue-gàawn-sâawp“Kaew is scolded for not reading the book before the exam.”
Object
ถูก (thùuk)
Subject
Verb
แก้ว (kâaeo) Kaew
–
ดุ (dù) is scolded
Example 2:
ตฤณเกือบถูกรถชน
dtrin-gùueap-thùuk-rót-chon“Trin is almost hit by the car.”
Object
ถูก (thùuk)
Subject
Verb
ตฤณ (dtrin) Trin
รถ (rót) car
ชน (chon) is hit
Example 3:
เมื่อวานมีโจรขึ้นบ้าน แต่เงินไม่ถูกขโมยไป
mûuea-waan-mii-joon-khûen-bâan dtàae-ngooen-mâi-thùuk-khà-mooi“There is a thief who broke into my house yesterday, but my money was not stolen.”
Object
ไม่ถูก (mâi-thùuk)
Subject
Verb
เงิน (ngooen) money
–
ขโมย (khà-mooi) is not stolen
5. ประโยคการิต
Explanation: ประโยคการิต (bprà-yòok-gaa-rít) is the type of sentence with a relative clause of the object. It represents the word order in a complex Thai sentence. Basically, it’s like combining two ประโยคประธาน (bprà-yòok-bprà- thaan), where the object of the first sentence is the subject of the second sentence.
Thai affirmative sentence structure: subject + verb + object A + verb of object A + object (if any)
Thai negative sentence structure: subject + ไม่ (mâi) + verb + object A + verb of object A + object (if any)
Compared to English: This type of sentence is the same as sentences with relative clauses of an object in English.
Example 1:
แม่บอกให้พ่อหยิบหนังสือให้หน่อย
mâae-bàawk-hâi-phâaw-yìp-nǎng-sǔue-hâi-nhòi“Mom asked Dad to bring her a book.”
Subject
Verb
Object
แม่ (mâae) Mom
บอก (bàawk) asked
พ่อ (phâaw) dad
พ่อ (phâaw) dad
หยิบ (yìp) bring
หนังสือ (nǎng-sǔue) book
Example 2:
ฉันไม่ขอให้เธอช่วยฉัน
chǎn-mâi-khǎaw-hâi-thooe-chûuai-chǎn“I didn’t ask you to help me.”
Subject
Verb
Object
ฉัน (chǎn) I
ไม่ขอ (mâi-khǎaw) didn’t ask
เธอ (thooe) you
เธอ (thooe) you
ช่วย (chûuai) help
ฉัน (chǎn) I (me)
Example 3:
ย่าชวนฉันให้ไปตลาดเป็นเพื่อน
yâa-chuuan-chǎn-hâi-bpai-dtà-làat-bpen-phûuean“My grandma asked me to go to the market with her.”
Subject
Verb
Object
ย่า (yâa) Grandma
ชวน (chuuan) ask
ฉัน (chǎn) I
ฉัน (chǎn) I
ไป (bpai) go
ตลาด (dtà-làat) market
6. Word Order with Modifiers
To be able to communicate in more detail, you should learn about sentence structure with modifiers. ส่วนขยาย (sùuan-khà-yǎai) is “modifiers” in Thai.
So how do you form sentences in Thai using modifiers? Look at the examples below:
In Thai, if you want to change an affirmative sentence into a yes-no question, there’s no need to change the word order or anything. Keep reading to learn more.
1 – Changing Affirmative Sentences into Yes-No Questions
This is the easiest part of the lesson. To make a yes-no question, all you have to do is put ไหม (mǎi) or มั้ย (mái) at the end of a sentence (before ครับ [khráp] and ค่ะ [khà] if these words are present). ไหม (mǎi) and มั้ย (mái) have pretty much the same meaning and can substitute one another. However, ไหม (mǎi) sounds a little bit more formal, while มั้ย (mái) is used more in spoken language.
2 – Answering Yes-No Questions
There are two ways to answer yes-no questions, which we’ll explain below.
1. Long answer
To give a long answer, Thai people answer the question with an affirmative sentence for yes, and a negative sentence for no.
If you want to answer yes, you just cut ไหม (mǎi) or มั้ย (mái) out to turn the question into an affirmative answer.
If you want to answer no, you just cut ไหม (mǎi) or มั้ย (mái) out and then put ไม่ (mài) before the verb, adjective, or adverb that’s being asked to make a negative sentence.
2. Short answer
To give a short answer, Thai people answer yes-no questions with the verb, adjective, or adverb that’s being asked in the question.
If you want to answer yes, you just reply with the verb, adjective, or adverb that’s being asked about.
If you want to answer no, you just reply with ไม่ (mài) + the verb, adjective, or adverb that’s being asked.
Example 1:
Affirmative sentence:
ชนันต์ชอบว่ายน้ำ
chá-nan-châawp-wâai-nám
“Chanan likes to swim.”
Question:
ชนันต์ชอบว่ายน้ำมั้ย
chá-nan-châawp-wâai-nám-mái
“Does Chanan like to swim?”
Answer:
ชอบ
châawp
“Yes.”
Example 2:
Affirmative sentence:
จักรยานคันนี้ราคาแพง
jàk-grà-yaan-khan-níi-raa-khaa-phaaeng
“This bicycle is expensive.”
Question:
จักรยานคันนี้ราคาแพงไหม
jàk-grà-yaan-khan-níi-raa-khaa-phaaeng-mǎi
“Is this bicycle expensive?”
Answer:
จักรยานคันนี้ราคาไม่แพง
jàk-grà-yaan-khan-níi-raa-khaa-mâi-paaeng
“No, this bicycle is not expensive.”
8. Sentence Structure in Thai Tutorial
To finish learning about word order in Thai, we’ll give you a chance to practice. Let’s translate these sentences into Thai.
1 – Aunt buys fruits.
Aunt buys fruits.
Aunt buys fruits at the market.
Aunt didn’t buy fruits at the market.
Aunt will buy fruits at the market tomorrow.
Aunt is buying fruits at the market.
Will Aunt buy fruits at the market?
Can you translate all of the sentences above? Please try your best. And then, you can check whether you’re doing it correctly or not with the answers and explanations below.
English 1: Aunt buys fruits.
Thai 1: ป้าซื้อผลไม้ (bpâa-súue-phǒn-lá-mái)
Explanation 1: This is a ประโยคประธาน (bprà-yòok-bprà-thaan), the type of sentence that Thai people use often in daily life. This Thai sentence structure is “subject + verb + object (if any).”
Explanation 3: This is the negative sentence of ประโยคประธาน (bprà-yòok-bprà-thaan). To change an affirmative sentence into a negative sentence, you add ไม่ (mâi) in front of the verb.
English 4: Aunt will buy fruits at the market tomorrow.
Explanation 4: This is a sentence with a modifier. You simply add the modifier in front of the verb. จะ (jà) is “will” in Thai. In case you want to add time, you can add it either at the beginning or end of the sentence.
Explanation 6: This is a question with a modifier. You add the modifier in front of the verb, and then put มั้ย (mái) at the end of the sentence to make it a question.
2 – Prim plants flowers.
Prim plants flowers.
Prim plants orange flowers in the garden.
Prim can plant orange flowers in the garden.
There are no purple flowers in the garden.
Mom asks Prim to plant purple flowers in the garden.
Purple flowers are planted in the garden.
Like in the prior exercise, try to translate all of the sentences above. And then, you can check whether you’re doing it correctly or not with the answers and explanations below.
English 1: Prim grows flowers.
Thai 1: ปริมปลูกดอกไม้ (bprim-bplùuk-dàawk-mái)
Explanation 1: This is a ประโยคประธาน (bprà-yòok-bprà-thaan), the type of sentence that Thai people use often in daily life. This Thai sentence structure is “subject + verb + object (if any).”
English 2: Prim grows orange flowers in the garden.
Explanation 2: To convey more detail, you can add the place where the action happened after the object. In case you want to add adjectives, you put them after the noun you want to modify.
Explanation 5: This is a ประโยคการิต (bprà-yòok-gaa-rít). The structure of this Thai sentence is “subject + verb + object A + verb of object A + object (if any).”
English 6: Purple flowers are planted in the garden.
Explanation 6: This is a ประโยคกรรม (bprà-yòok-gam). The structure of this Thai sentence is “object + ถูก (thùuk) + subject (if any) + verb.”
9. Conclusion
And finally, you’ve finished our Thai word order lesson. Your Thai language skills will certainly be better for it!
Is this topic hard for you? Is Thai word order different from that in your native language? If so, how? Please let us know in the comments below.
This may be a little confusing, as word order in Thai may be different from that in your native language. However, if you keep practicing, you’ll become better at it. Reading a lot of Thai articles, stories, or books may also help, as you’ll become more familiar with Thai word order this way. Once you feel like you understand this lesson, don’t forget to check out other fun and interesting Thai lessons at ThaiPod101.com. Saving the earth seems to be in trend, so you should check out our lesson on this!
Everyone loves compliments. A compliment can make someone feel good, boost self-confidence, and improve the quality of relationships. So as a Thai learner, you should know a few basic Thai compliments to brighten someone’s day. In this lesson, you’ll learn about compliments in the Thai language and how to use them.
We’ll begin by covering the vocabulary aspect of common Thai compliments for beginners, and then we’ll show you how to apply them in various situations.
Before you learn how to compliment a Thai girl or how to compliment men in Thai, you should know the Thai etiquette for giving and receiving compliments.
First, some basic vocabulary. คำชมเชย (kham-chom-chooei) or คำชม (kham-chom) are the noun form of “compliment” in Thai, while ชม (chom) is the verb form of “compliment” or “praise.” There’s no difference in meaning between คำชมเชย (kham-chom-chooei) and คำชม (kham-chom), and คำชม (kham-chom) is just a shortened word for คำชมเชย (kham-chom-chooei).
1 – Give Sincere Compliments in Thai
How do Thai people give compliments? Like in most cultures, a compliment in Thai needs to be sincere. Here are a few tips for how to add sincerity to your compliment:
Use a sincere tone of voice. Thai people often speak sarcastically. So in conversation, it’s important to pay attention to both the message and the speaker’s tone of voice. To give sincere compliments in Thai, make sure that your tone of voice shows sincerity.
Smile. As you know, Thailand is the Land of Smiles. Smiling can add sincerity and depth to your words, and send positive feelings to the person you’re complimenting.
2 – What Thai People Do When Receiving Compliments
What can you expect after offering someone a compliment? How should you respond to compliments while in Thailand? Here are a few tips:
Wai. If the person who gave you the compliment is older than you, you should ไหว้ (wâi). This action is used to show that you’re thankful to the other party.
Give credit where it’s due. Some people aren’t used to receiving compliments or feel shy. If you fall into this category, in addition to saying “thank you,” you can also give credit to another party. For example, if someone compliments you for organizing a good event, you can thank them and give credit to your good team.
3 – Adverbs You Should Know
Now, let’s learn a little bit about grammar. When you give compliments in Thai, you can add the following adverbs to emphasize your compliments.
มาก (mâak) is “very” in Thai. You can add มาก (mâak) after a compliment in both formal and informal conversations.
เวอร์ (wôoe) is also “very” in Thai. However, you can only add เวอร์ (wôoe) after a compliment in informal conversations.
At this point, you should have basic knowledge about Thai compliments. In the following sections, you’ll learn some of the most common Thai compliments, important vocabulary, and more.
2. Thai Compliments on Someone’s Look
These may be the top Thai compliments that many people want to learn, especially those who want to know how to compliment a Thai girl. For easy understanding, we’ll teach you how to give compliments on someone’s look in formal situations first, and then informal situations. But the first thing you have to learn is the sentence structure:
subject / body part / look + adj = subject / body part / look is adj.
1 – Formal
To compliment someone’s look formally, here’s a list of adjectives and phrases you can use, with example sentences:
1. Look good
Thai compliment: ดูดี (duu-dii)
Example:
ชุดนี้ทำให้เธอดูดีมากเลย chút-níi-tham-hâi-thooe-duu-dii-mâak-looei
“This outfit makes you look really good.”
2. Beautiful
Thai compliment: สวย (sǔuai)
Example:
นางแบบคนนั้นขาสวย naang-bàaep-khon-nán-khǎa-sǔuai
“That model has beautiful legs.”
3. Handsome
Thai compliment: หล่อ (làaw)
Example:
ตอนหนุ่ม ๆ คุณพ่อของฉันหล่อมาก dtaawn-nùm-nùm-khun-phâaw-khǎawng-chǎn-làaw-mâak
“When he was young, my father was very handsome.”
4. Cute
Thai compliment: น่ารัก (nâa-rák)
Example:
ลูกชายของเธอน่ารักและมารยาทดี lûuk-chai-khǎawng-thooe-nâa-rák-láe-maa-rá-yâat-dii
“Your son is cute and has good manners.”
5. Smart
Thai compliment: ภูมิฐาน (phuum-thǎan)
Example:
คุณใส่สูทตัวนี้แล้วดูภูมิฐาน khun-sài-sùut-dtuua-níi-láaeo-duu-phuum-thǎan
“Wearing this suit makes you look smart.”
Example:
เขาไม่ได้หล่อ แต่บุคลิกดี khǎo-mâi-dâi-làaw dtàae-bùk-khà-lík-dii
“He isn’t handsome but has a good personality.”
2 – Informal
When you want to compliment someone in Thai in an informal situation, here are adjectives and phrases you can use, with example sentences.
1. Look good
Thai compliment: งานดี (ngaan-dii)
Literal meaning: “good work”
Example:
ดูหุ่นนักแสดงคนนั้นสิ งานดีมาก duu-hùn-nák-sà-daaeng-khon-nán-sì ngaan-dii-mâak
“Look at that actor’s body, it looks really good.”
2. Sexy / Hot
Thai compliment: แซบ (sâaep)
Literal meaning: “delicious” (Northeast dialect)
Example:
ตาลใส่ชุดเดรสสีแดงตัวนั้นแล้วแซบมาก dtaan-sài-chút-dréet-sǐi-daaeng-dtuua-nán-láaeo-sâaep-mâak
“Tarn looks really sexy, wearing that red dress.”
3. Classy
Thai compliment: ดูแพง (duu-phaaeng)
Literal meaning: “look expensive”
Example:
แป้งบุคลิกและหน้าตาดี ใส่อะไรก็ดูแพงไปหมด bpaaeng-bùk-khà-lík-láae-nâa-dtaa-dii sài-à-rai-gâaw-duu-phaaeng-bpai-mòt
“Pang has a good personality and pretty face. She looks classy regardless of her dress.”
4. Light skin tone
Thai compliment: ขาววิ้ง (khǎao-wíng)
Literal meaning: “sparkling white”
Example:
แนทผิวขาววิ้งมาก ใส่เสื้อผ้าสีสดใสแล้วดูดี náaet-phǐu-khǎao-wíng-mâk sài-sûuea-phâa-sǐi-sòt-sǎi-láaeo-duu-dii
“Nat has a really light skin tone. She looks really good when wearing colorful clothes.”
Additional note: Thai people think that a light skin tone is beautiful.
5. Look stunning
Thai compliment: มีออร่า (mii-aaw-râa)
Literal meaning: “has aura”
Example:
เมื่อคืนพินมีออร่ามาก เป็นเจ้าสาวที่สวยเวอร์ mûuea-khuuen-phin-mii-aaw-râa-mâak bpen-jâo-sǎao-thîi-sǔuai-wôoe
“Phin looked really stunning last night. She was a very beautiful bride.”
3. Thai Compliments on Someone’s Work
Compliments in the workplace are really important as they boost positive energy in the office and create a good working atmosphere. Thus, if you work with Thai people, you should know a few compliment words and phrases in Thai for the workplace.
1 – Good job
Thai compliment: ทำงานดี (tham-ngaan-dii)
Example:
ลูกค้าชอบพรีเซนท์ของคุณ ทำงานดีมาก lûk-kháa-châawp-phrii-sént-khǎawng-khun tham-ngaan-dii-mâak
“Customers like your presentation. Good job!”
2 – Neat
Thai compliment: เรียบร้อยดี (rîiap-ráauy-dii)
Example:
งบกระแสเงินสดเดือนนี้เรียบร้อยดี ดีมาก ngóp-grà-sǎae-ngen-sòt-duuan-níi-rîiap-ráauy-dii dii-mâak
“The cash flow report for this month is really neat. Well done.”
Additional note: This may sound a bit weird, but Thai people really do comment when the work is done in an organized manner and looks presentable.
3 – Good idea
Thai compliment: ไอเดียดี (ai-diia-dii)
Example:
ฉันชอบคอนเซปการตลาดอันนี้ ไอเดียดีมาก chǎn-châawp-khaawn-sèp-gaan-dtà-làat-an-níi ai-diia-dii-mâak
“I like this marketing concept, very good idea.”
Example:
คุณทำงานดีและมีความรับผิดชอบ ผมจะเลื่อนตำแหน่งให้ khun-tham-ngaan-dii-láae-mii-khwaam-ráp-phìt-châawp phǒm-jà-lûuean-dtam-nàaeng-hâi
“You work well and are responsible. I will promote you.”
Example:
เมื่อวานคุณแก้ปัญหาได้ดีมาก mûuea-waan-khun-gâae-bpan-hǎa-dâi-dii-mâak
“You solved the problem very well yesterday.”
6 – Awesome
Thai compliment: ยอดเยี่ยม (yâawt-yîiam)
Example:
การออกแบบของคุณยอดเยี่ยมมาก gaan-àawk-bàap-khǎawng-khun-yâawt-yîiam-mâak
“Your design is awesome.”
4. Thai Compliments on Someone’s Skill
In addition to compliments for looks and work, another type of compliment you should know are those about someone’s skill. Below are some compliments you can use in various situations.
Example:
น้ำเดินทางเก่งมาก ให้ไปไหนก็ไปได้ nám-dooen-thaang-gèeng-mâak hâi-bpai-nǎi-gâaw-bpai-dâi
“Nam is very good at traveling. She can go anywhere.”
Additional note: This compliment is used to praise someone who can travel to various places without many problems. Some people can’t do this because they tire quickly, get lost easily, etc.
Example:
ทรายร้องเพลงเพราะเหมือนนักร้อง saai-ráawng-pleeng-phráw-mǔuean-nák-ráawng
“Sai sings well like a singer.”
6 – Good at speaking
Thai compliment: พูดเก่ง (phûut-gèeng)
Example:
ถึงจะอายุยังน้อย แต่มินท์เป็นเด็กที่พูดเก่งมาก thǔng-jà-aa-yú-yang-náauy dtàae-mín-bpen-dèk-thîi-phûut-gèeng-mâak
“Despite her young age, Mint is good at speaking.”
7 – Draws pictures beautifully
Thai compliment: วาดรูปสวย (wâat-rûup-sǔuai)
Example:
แนนวาดรูปสวยมาก เหมือนจิตรกรเลย naaen-wâat-rûup-sǔuai-mâak-mǔuean-jìt-dtrà-khaawn-looei
“Nan draws pictures beautifully like an artist.”
8 – Dances well
Thai compliment: เต้นเก่ง (dtên-gèeng)
Example:
นอกจากจะร้องเพลงเก่งแล้ว เบิร์ดยังเต้นเก่งด้วย nâawk-jàak-jà-ráawng-phleeng-gèeng-láaeo bóoet-yang-dtên-gèeng-dûuai
“Apart from singing well, Bird also dances well.”
Example:
นักเรียนทุกคนชอบครูฝัน เพราะ ครูใจดีและสอนหนังสือดี nák-riian-thúk-khon-châawp-khruu-fǎn phráw-khruu-sǎawn-nǎng-sǔue-dii
“Every student likes Teacher Fhun because she is kind and good at teaching.”
12 – Good at ___
Thai compliment: … เก่ง (…-gèeng)
Explanation: Put a verb before เก่ง (gèeng) to show that someone is good at that action.
Example 1:
ยิ้มออกแบบเสื้อผ้าเก่ง Yím-àawk-bàap-sûuea-phâa-gèeng
“Yim is good at designing clothes.”
Example 2:
อนันต์พรีเซ็นต์งานเก่งมาก ลูกค้าประทับใจ à-nan-phrii-sént-ngaan-gèeng-mâak lûuk-kháa-bprà-tháp-jai
“Anan is very good at presentations. Customers like it.”
5. Conclusion
At this point, you should be able to give basic compliments in Thai. As mentioned before, learning how to give compliments is very important and can be very useful. So keep practicing.
Also, we would like to know whether you found this lesson hard or easy. Is giving compliments in Thai different from how it’s done in your native language? Leave us a comment below to let us know!
And don’t forget to check out our other fun lessons at ThaiPod101.com. We recommend our lessons on Loy Krathong Day and Thai Sweets if you want to learn more about Thai culture.
Imagine that you’re pissed. The anger fills up your body. You’re annoyed, and you just feel like hitting something. Naturally, you want to let your anger out, and one way to do so is through words. In this lesson, you’ll learn about how to express that you’re angry in Thai.
Learning the most common angry Thai phrases is not only a great way to learn new sentence patterns and see Thai grammar at work, but it will also help you understand more about Thai people’s behavior when angry. Throughout this lesson, you’ll see that the way Thai people convey their anger through words is different from how people in other cultures do so.
In this lesson, we’ll first teach you basic Thai words for anger that you should know, and how Thai people express their anger. You’ll get to learn how to use the word “angry” in Thai sentences and study more anger-related vocabulary. In addition, we’ll provide the English translations of each phrase so you can know exactly what you’re saying!
Let’s start by learning how to say “anger” in Thai. Thai people often convey their emotions, especially anger, through their tone of voice. The sentences and phrases in the following sections are commonly used by native Thai speakers when angry, but keep in mind that they also use them when they’re not angry. It’s the tone, not the words, that really implies anger.
Another point you should know is that, naturally, when people are angry, they sometimes let emotions cloud their judgment and end up saying some rude words. If you’re in Thailand, don’t be surprised if you hear some of these rude Thai words from time to time.
Please note that just like people in some other countries, Thai people have a negative attitude toward people who swear or speak rudely. So you have to be careful in this regard. Still, as a language-learner, you need to understand not only the polite Thai words but also the not-so-polite ones. Thai people don’t always speak nicely and it would be weird if you only understood the nicer words.
1- Rude Thai Words
When Thai people become angry, they sometimes use different pronouns to refer to themselves or other parties:
กู (guu) is a rude version of the pronoun “I” in Thai. It can be used by both male and female speakers.
มึง (mueng) is a rude version of the pronoun “you” in Thai. It can be used for both males and females.
If you’ve been learning Thai for some time, you may recognize ค่ะ (khâ) and ครับ (khráap), which Thai people put at the end of sentences to make them sound polite. However, when Thai people become angry, they put วะ (wá) at the end of sentences instead. This word makes sentences sound impolite and can convey angry emotions in Thai.
Now that you know how Thai people express their anger, let’s see some anger-related Thai vocabulary. Below are some basic words and phrases you can use to express your anger.
Now that you’ve learned some Thai words for “angry,” let’s learn a few angry Thai phrases that you can use during a heated conversation.
1- Shut up.
Thai: เงียบ (ngîiap); หุบปาก (hùp-bpàak)
Example 1:
ช่วยเงียบ ๆ หน่อยได้มั้ย ประสาทจะกินแล้ว chûuay-ngîiap-ngîiap-nhòi-dâi-mái bprà-sàat-jà-gin-láaeo
“Would you shut up? I’m going crazy (because of your voice).”
Example 2:
หุบปาก อย่าพูดมาก น่ารำคาญ hùp-bpàak yhàa-phûut-mâak nâa-ram-khaan
“Shut up! Don’t talk, because it is annoying.”
Additional note: Despite conveying the same meaning, เงียบ (ngîiap) is more polite than หุบปาก (hùp-bpàak). Actually, the word เงียบ (ngîiap) itself doesn’t convey anger. So if you hear this word, you can judge whether the speaker is angry or not by the tone.
2- Stop.
Thai: หยุด (yhùt)
Example:
จะทำอะไรหนะ หยุดตรงนั้นเลยนะ jà-tham-à-rai-nà yhùt-dtrong-nán-looei-ná
“What are you doing? Stop right there!”
Additional note: Similar to เงียบ (ngîiap), the word หยุด (yhùt) itself doesn’t convey anger. So if you hear this word, you can judge whether the speaker is angry or not by the tone.
3- Cut it out.
Thai: หยุดเดี๋ยวนี้ (yhùt-dǐiao-níi)
Example:
หยุดเดี๋ยวนี้เลยนะ เธอกล้ารื้อของส่วนตัวฉันได้ยังไง yhùt-dǐiao-níi-looei-ná thooe-glâa-rúue-khǎawng-sùuan-dtuua-chǎn-dâi-yang-ngai
“Cut it out now. How dare you go through my personal things?”
4- Leave me alone.
Thai: อย่ามายุ่ง (yhàa-maa-yûng)
Example:
อย่ามายุ่ง เธอสร้างปัญหามากพอแล้ว yhàa-maa-yûng thooe-sâang-bpan-hǎa-mâak-phaaw-láaeo
“Leave me alone, you already caused me a lot of trouble.”
Additional note: ปล่อยฉันไว้คนเดียว (bplàauy-chǎn-wái-khon-diiao) literally means “leave me alone” in Thai. However, its literal meaning conveys sadness rather than anger, so using อย่ามายุ่ง (yhàa-maa-yûng) is better.
Example 1:
ไปให้พ้น ฉันไม่อยากเห็นหน้าเธออีก bpai-hâi-phón chǎn-mâi-yàak-hěn-nhâa-thooe-ìik
“Get lost! I don’t want to see your face again.”
Example 2:
วัน ๆ สร้างแต่เรื่อง ไสหัวไปให้ไกล ๆ เลยนะ wan-wan-sâang-dtàae-rûueang sǎi-hǔua-bpai-hâi-glai-glai-looei-ná
“You cause nothing but trouble, just get lost!”
Additional note: Despite conveying the same meaning, ไปให้พ้น (bpai-hâi-phón) is more polite than ไสหัวไปไกล ๆ (sǎi-hǔua-bpai-glai-glai).
3. Angry Warnings
Let’s learn angry Thai phrases that are used as a warning. Use these Thai sentences to warn someone that you’re getting angry.
Example 1:
ทำงานตามที่บอกไป อย่ามาลองดีนะ tham-ngaan-dtaam-thîi-bàawk-bpai yhàa-maa-laawng-dii-ná
“Just do what you are told to do, don’t mess with me.”
Example 2:
ถอยไปไกล ๆ เลย อย่ามาแหยมนะ thǎauy-bpai-glai-glai-looei yhàa-maa-yhǎaem-ná
“Back off, don’t mess with me.”
Additional note: Despite conveying the same meaning, อย่ามาลองดีนะ (yhàa-maa-laawng-dii-ná) is more formal than อย่ามาแหยมนะ (yhàa-maa-yhǎaem-ná). อย่ามาแหยมนะ (yhàa-maa-yhǎaem-ná) is used in spoken language.
Example 1:
ทำตัวดี ๆ อย่าหาเรื่องนะ tham-dtuua-dii-dii yhàa-hǎa-rûueang-ná
“Behave, you are asking for trouble now.”
Example 2:
ใช่เรื่องนายรึเปล่า ถ้าไม่ใช่ก็อย่าแส่หาเรื่อง châi-rûueang-khǎawng-naai-rúe-bplào thâa-mâi-châi-gâaw-yhàa-sàae-hǎa-rûueang
“If it is not your business, then just back off. You’re asking for trouble now.”
Additional note: Actually, เธอกำลังหาปัญหาใส่ตัวอยู่ (thooe-gam-lang-hǎa-bpan-hǎa-sài-dtuaa-yhùu) is the literal meaning of “You’re asking for trouble.” However, Thai people don’t say that. We use อย่าหาเรื่องนะ (yhàa-hǎa-rûueang-ná) or อย่าแส่หาเรือง (yhàa-sàae-hǎa-rûueang), which literally mean “Don’t ask for trouble.” Comparing อย่าหาเรื่องนะ (yhàa-hǎa-rûueang-ná) and อย่าแส่หาเรื่อง (yhàa-sàae-hǎa-rûueang), the first one is more polite than the second one.
Example:
รู้ใช่มั้ยว่าถ้าผลการเรียนไม่ดีจะเป็นยังไง ทำตัวดี ๆ อย่าให้ต้องเตือนอีกนะ Rúu-châi-mái-wâa-thâa-phǒn-gaan-riian-mâi-dii-jà-bpen-yang-ngai tham-dtuua-dii-dii yhàa-hâi- dtâawng-dtuuean-ìik-ná
“You do know what would happen if your school report remains bad, right? So be a good student. Don’t make me say it again.”
Example:
เตือนครั้งสุดท้ายนะ ถ้ายังสอบตกอีกจะไม่ให้เล่นเกมส์แล้ว dtuuean-khráng-sùt-tháai-ná thâa-yang-sàawp-dtòk-ìik-jà-mâi-hâi-lên-geem-láaeo
“This is my last warning. If you fail another test, you will no longer be allowed to play games.”
Example:
ถ้ายืนยันจะทำแบบนี้ิ ก็อย่ามาให้เห็นหน้าอีกนะ thâa-yuuen-yan-jà-tham-bàaep-níi gâaw-yhàa-maa-hâi-hěn-nhâa-ìik-ná
“I don’t want to see you again if you insist on doing that.”
6- Don’t be silly.
Thai: อย่างี่เง่า (yhàa-ngîi-ngâo)
Example:
อย่างี่เง่านะ จะไม่โกรธอะไรกับเรื่องไม่เป็นเรื่อง yhàa-ngîi-ngâo-ná jà-maa-gròot-à-rai-gàp-rûueang-mâi-bpen-rûueang
“Don’t be silly, you are making a problem out of nothing.”
Example 1:
เหลือทนแล้วนะ วัน ๆ ไม่ทำอะไรให้มีประโยชน์เลย lǔuea-thon-láaeo-ná wan-wan-mâi-tham-à-rai-hâi-mii-bprà-yòot-looei
“I will not tolerate this. You don’t do anything useful at all.”
Example 2:
ทำไมเธอถึงซกมกได้ขนาดนี้ ฉันทนไม่ไหวแล้ว tham-mai-thooe-thǔng-sók-mók-dâi-khà-nàat-níi chǎn-thon-mâi-wǎi-láaeo
“How can you be this messy? I will no longer tolerate this.”
8- It is none of your business.
Thai: อย่าเสือก (yhàa-sùueak)
Example:
นี่มันเรื่องในครอบครัวของฉัน อย่าเสือก nîi-man-rûueang-nai-khrâawp-khruua-khǎawng-chǎn yhàa-sùueak
“This is my family’s issue. It is none of your business.”
Additional note: This word is viewed as a bit rude.
4. Angry Blames
This section will teach you another type of angry phrase in Thai: the angry blame. Below is a list of phrases you can use.
1- What were you thinking?
Thai: คิดบ้าอะไรอยู่ (khít-bâa-à-rai-yhùu)
Example:
ซื้อของแพงขนาดนี้มาได้ยังไง คิดบ้าอะไรอยู่ súue-khǎawng-phaaeng-khà-nàat-níi-maa-dâi-yang-ngai khít-bâa-à-rai-yhùu
“How could you buy such an expensive thing? What were you thinking?”
Example:
อยู่ ๆ จะมาสั่งนู่นสั่งนี่ได้ยังไง คิดว่าตัวเองเป็นใครกัน yhùu-yhùu-ja-maa-sàng-nûun-sàng-nîi-dâi-yang-ngai khít-wâa-dtuaa-eeng-bpen-khrai-gan
“How can you go bossing people around? Who do you think you are?”
3- Are you out of your mind?
Thai: บ้าไปแล้วรึไง (bâa-bpai-láaeo-rúe-ngai)
Example:
บ้าไปแล้วรึไง เราแทบจะไม่มีอะไรกินอยู่แล้วยังเอาเงินไปเล่นพนันอีก bâa-bpai-láaeo-rúe-ngai rao-thâaep-jà-mâi-mii-à-rai-gin-yhùu-láaew-yang-ao-ngooen-bpai-lên-phá-nan-ìik
“Are you out of your mind? We almost have nothing to eat, but you still use our money for gambling.”
4- What’s wrong with you?
Thai: เป็นบ้าอะไรเนี่ย (bpen-bâa-à-rai-nîia)
Example:
เป็นบ้าอะไรเนี่ย มาถึงก็โวยวายเสียงดัง bpen-bâa-à-rai-nîia maa-thǔeng-gâaw-wooi-waai-sǐiang-dang
“What’s wrong with you? You were frantic as soon as you arrived.”
Example:
ความผิดเธอนั่นแหละที่คืนนี้พวกเราไม่มีที่ซุกหัวนอน khwaam-phìt-thooe-nân-lhàae-thîi-khuuen-níi-rao-mâi-mii-thîi-súk-hǔa-naawn
“It’s all your fault we have no place to sleep tonight.”
Additional note: You use เธอ (thooe) if the other party is female, and นาย (naai) if the other party is male.
Example:
เธอช่างเรื่องเยอะ ใครทำอะไรก็ไม่ถูกใจ thooe-chaang-ruueang-yóe khrai-tham-à-rai-gaaw-mai-thuuk-jai
“You’re impossible. No one can please you.”
Additional note: You use เธอ (thooe) if the other party is female, and นาย (naai) if the other party is male.
Another way you can express your anger is to tell others how you feel. For example, knowing how to say “I am angry” in Thai will be immensely helpful. You can use the sentences below to convey your anger, or other negative emotions, in Thai.
Example:
เธอไม่ฟังที่ฉันบอกเลย ฉันอารมณ์เสียแล้วนะ thooe-mâi-fang-thîi-chǎn-bàawk-looei chǎn-aa-rom-sǐia-láaeo-ná
“You’re not even listening to what I’m saying. I’m very upset.”
Additional note: Female speakers use ฉัน (chǎn) and male speakers use ผม (phǒm).
2- I’m fed up with it.
Thai: เหลือจะทนแล้วนะ (lǔuea-jà-thon-láaeo-ná)
Example:
เธอพูดจาดูถูกฉันมาตลอด เหลือจะทนแล้วนะ thooe-phûut-jaa-duu-thùuk-chǎn-maa-dtà-làawt lǔuea-jà-thon-láaeo-ná
“You always insult me. I’m fed up with it.”
3- I hate it.
Thai: ฉัน / ผมเกลียดมัน (chǎn / phǒm-glìiat-man)
Example:
เพื่อนคนนั้นแกล้งผมบ่อยมาก ผมเกลียดมัน phûuean-khon-nán-glâaeng-phǒm-bàauy-mâak phǒm-glìiat-man
“That friend bullies me very often. I hate it.”
Additional note: Female speakers use ฉัน (chǎn) and male speakers use ผม (phǒm). Normally, มัน (man) refers to “it” in Thai. However, sometimes, Thai people impolitely use this word to refer to people they don’t like.
Example:
พอรู้ว่าทีมของเราแพ้ ผมโคตรผิดหวังเลย phaaw-rúu-wâa-thiim-khǎawng-phûuak-rao-pháae phǒm-khôot-phìt-wǎng-looei
“I have never been so disappointed to learn that our team lost.”
Additional note: Female speakers use ฉัน (chǎn) and male speakers use ผม (phǒm). โคตร (khôot) means “very” in Thai. However, it’s not polite to use this word, so don’t ever use it in formal situations.
In addition to phrases and sentences, another way you can express your anger in Thai is through angry exclamations. There are three angry exclamations you should know.
1- หน็อย
Thai pronunciation:nhǎauy
How to use: Thai people use this exclamation when they’re angry and feel like doing something to the cause of their anger.
Example:
หน็อย ถ้าเจออีกนะ จะเตะแม่งเลย nhǎauy thâa-jooe-ìik-ná jà-dtè-mâaeng-looei
“Nhǎauy, if I see him again, I will kick his ass.”
2- โธ่เว้ย
Thai pronunciation:thôo-wóoei
How to use: Thai people use this exclamation when they’re angry and disappointed due to a failure on their part.
Example:
โธ่เว้ย ถูกหวยกินอีกแล้ว thôo-wóoei thùuk-hǔuai-gin-ìik-láaeo
“Thôo-wóoei, I lost my money to the lottery again.”
3- แม่งเอ๊ย
Thai pronunciation:mâaeng-óoei
How to use: Thai people use this exclamation when they’re angry because things didn’t go as they wished.
Example:
แม่งเอ๊ย จะเอาอะไรนักหนาวะ mâaeng-óoei jà-ao-à-rai-nák-nhǎa-wá
“Mâaeng-óoei, what more do you want from me?”
7. How to Calm Yourself Down
Now that you’ve learned sentences and phrases you can use to express your anger in Thai, we’ll now teach you some tips on how to calm yourself down.
1- Take a deep breath.
Thai: หายใจลึก ๆ (hǎai-jai-lúek-lúek)
Example:
หายใจลึก ๆ อย่าวู่วาม hǎai-jai-lúek-lúek yhàa-wûu-waam
“Take a deep breath; don’t act hastily.”
2- Count 1-10.
Thai: นับหนึ่งถึงสิบ (náp-nùeng-thǔeng-sìp)
Example:
ใจเย็น ๆ นะ นับหนึ่งถึงสิบก่อน เดี๋ยวจะพลาดทำอะไรโง่ ๆ ไป jai-yen-yen-ná náp-nùeng-thǔeng-sìp-gàawn dǐiao-jà-phlâat-tham-à-rai-ngôo-ngôo-bpai
“Calm down and count 1-10, or else you may do stupid things.”
Example 1:
หน้าบึงเชียว บ่นมา จะได้อารมณ์ดีข้ึน nhâa-bûeng-chiiao bòn-maa jà-dai-aa-rom-dii-khûen
“You are scowling. Talk it out; it will make your mood better.”
Example 2:
ไปโกรธอะไรมา ระบายออกมากจะได้สบายใจ bpai-gròot-a-rai-maa rá-baai-àawk-maa-jà-dai-sà-baai-jai
“Why are you angry? Talk it out, you’ll feel better.”
Additional note: Talking may not solve the problem, but it can make you feel better.
8. Conclusion
You’ve just finished another lesson. Congratulations! How do you feel after learning Thai angry phrases? Does the way Thai people express anger differ from how you do? Please comment below to let us know.
We would also like to remind you that despite sometimes speaking rudely when angry, Thai people have a negative attitude toward people who speak impolitely. So you should refrain from speaking rudely, even when you’re angry.
And now that you’ve finished this lesson, there’s so much more for you to explore on ThaiPod101.com. We have a variety of fun and interesting lessons waiting for you. Maybe after reading this article about getting angry in Thai, you should try 15 happy words or the top 20 words for positive emotions to lighten up your mood.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
