Thailand is a nice place to live.  The cost of living isn’t high.  People are kind and friendly as reflected by the name land of smiles.  Thus, in each year, many people come to Thailand to study as well as to be a teacher.  You may get to teach or learn using English but it would be nice if you know some Thai words and phrases for class.  Apart from making the communication easier, knowing how students and teachers communicate in Thai gives you an insight of some culture and beliefs of Thai people as well.  Obviously, knowing only Thai educational information isn’t enough.

So in this lesson, we have prepared Thai classroom phrases for teachers as well as students.  You can use these Thai classroom phrases in various situations such as greetings, making requests, asking questions, etc.  So, let’s learn classroom phrases in Thai language.

Learn Thai classroom phrases in English

Table of Contents

1. Thai classroom greetings
2. Thai classroom command phrases
3. Thai classroom phrases for students
4. Thai classroom phrases used to explain absence and tardiness
5. Thai conversation phrases in the classroom
6. Conclusion

1. Thai classroom greetings

Thai culture as well as social hierarchy influence the relationship between teachers and students.  Since children are taught to be respectful toward adults, the relationship between teachers and students in Thailand is pretty formal.  For example, Thai students always add titles in front of teachers/professor names when they address them.  And as you can guess, the way Thai students greet their teachers is quite formal.  

Actually, in Thai schools, Thai students have to greet the teachers when the class begins and its process is pretty much the same in almost every school.  So you have to practice these greeting phrases to speak Thai in the classroom like native.  Below are Thai phrases that students use in the classroom for the greeting. 

1- Student, salute

Thai phrase:  นักเรียน ทำความเคารพ

Thai pronunciation:  nák-riian tham-kwaam-khao-róp

Explanation:  When teacher comes into the classroom, class leader will ask everyone to get ready by saying นักเรียน (nák-riian).  Then, the leader continue the order with ทำความเคารพ (tham-kwaam-khao-róp) which literally means “paying respect” in Thai. 

At some schools, all the students stand up and then ไหว้ (wâi) their teacher as a greeting.  While at some schools, all the students remain seated and prostrate themselves on the table as a greeting.

Apart from using this for greeting at the beginning of the class, it can also be used with greeting (thank) after the class finishes as well.  

2- Hello, teacher/professor

Thai phrase:  สวัสดี คุณครู/อาจารย์

Thai pronunciation:  sà-wàt-dii khun-khruu/aa-jaan

Explanation:  The greeting word for the teacher is pretty simple.  Thai students just say สวัสดี (sà-wàt-dii).  You may notice that both คุณครู (khun-khruu) and อาจารย์ (aa-jaan) can be used in this case.  Which one should you use?  The answer depends on which school you are in now.  Some schools use คุณครู (khun-khruu) while some schools use อาจารย์ (aa-jaan) to refer to educator.

Apart from being Thai phrases in classrooms used in greeting, Thai students also use them to greet teachers when they meet outside of classrooms as well.  If you are learning Thai or currently studying in Thai school, you will definitely get to use this phrase.

3- Thank you, teacher/professor

Thai phrase:  ขอบคุณ คุณครู/อาจารย์

Thai pronunciation:  khàawp-khun khun-khruu/aa-jaan

Explanation:  As mentioned above, Thai students also thank their teacher after the class as well.  But instead of สวัสดี (sà-wàt-dii), they say ขอบคุณ (khàawp-khun) to thank their teacher instead.  

4- See you on …

Thai phrase:  เจอกัน + day/date

Thai pronunciation:  jooe-gan + day/date

Explanation:  Once the students finish thanking their teacher after class, some teacher may tell the student “see you on…”.

Example 1: Teacher walks into the classroom.

หัวหน้าห้อง:  นักเรียน ทำความเคารพ
hǔua-nâa-hâawng: nák-riian tham-kwaam-khao-róp
Class leader:  Student, salute

นักเรียน:  สวัสดีค่ะ คุณครู
nák-riian: sà-wàt-dii-khâ khun-khruu
Student:  Hello, teacher.

Example 2: When the class finishes

หัวหน้าห้อง:  นักเรียน ทำความเคารพ
hǔua-nâa-hâawng: nák-riian tham-kwaam-khao-róp
Class leader:  Student, salute

นักเรียน:  ขอบคุณครับ อาจารย์
nák-riian: khàawp-khun-khráp aa-jaan
Student:  Thank you, professor.

Example 3: Meeting the teacher outside the class, before going back home.

นักเรียน:  อาจารย์คะ สวัสดีค่ะ
nák-riian: aa-jaan-khá sà-wàt-dii-khâ
Student:  Hello, teacher.

อาจารย์:  สวัสดีค่ะ กลับบ้านกันดี ๆ นะคะ เจอกันวันอังคารหน้าค่ะ
aa-jaan: sà-wàt-dii-khâ glàp-bâan-gan-dii-dii-ná-khá jooe-gan-wan-ang-khaan-nâa-khâ
Professor:  Hi, go back home safely.

นักเรียน:  ขอบคุณค่ะ อาจารย์
nák-riian: khàawp-khun-khâ aa-jaan
Student:  Thank you, professor.

2. Thai classroom command phrases

Another type of useful Thai classroom phrases is the instructions from the teachers.  Here are the common classroom phrases for teachers in Thai that you should know.

1- Listen carefully

Thai phrase:  ตั้งใจฟังนะ

Thai pronunciation:  dtâng-jai-fang-ná

Explanation:  Thai teachers often say this Thai class phrase before explaining a complicated topic or some order that is hard to understand.  When a Thai teacher says this phrase to all students in the room, there is no need to answer him/her.

Example:  เอาล่ะ เดี๋ยวครูจะอธิบายวิธีการแก้สมการนี้ ตั้งใจฟังดี ๆ นะคะ

• ao-là dǐiao-khruu-jà-à-thí-baai-wí-thii-gaan-gâae-sà-má-gaan-níi dtâng-jai-fang-dii-dii-ná-khá
• Okay, I will explain how to solve this equation.  Listen carefully.

2- Any questions?

Thai phrase:  มีคำถามมั้ย

Thai pronunciation:  mii-kham-thǎam-mái

Explanation:  In Thai classrooms, most of the time, the teacher is the one who explains or talks about each topic.  There is not much discussion in class.  Students normally get the chance to ask the questions after the teacher finishes some part or all the lesson.  

Example:  ก่อนเราจะเริ่มบทถัดไป มีคำถามอะไรมั้ยครับ

• gàawn-rao-jà-rôoem-bòt-thàt-bpai mii-kham-thǎam-mái-khráp
• Before we start the next lesson, do you have any questions?

Do you have any questions?

3- Be quite

Thai phrase:  เงียบหน่อย

Thai pronunciation:  ngîiap-nàauy

Explanation:  When students start talking too much or too loud, teachers often use this phrase to make the class quiet.

Example:  เงียบหน่อยค่ะ อย่าคุยกันเสียงดังเกินไป เสียสมาธิคนอื่นค่ะ

• ngîiap-nàauy-khâ yàa-khui-gan-sǐiang-dang-gooen-bpai sǐia-sà-maa-thí-khon-ùuen-khâ
• Quiet please, don’t talk to each other too loud.  You are disturbing others.

4- Do you understand?

Thai phrase:  เข้าใจมั้ย

Thai pronunciation:  khâo-jai-mái

Explanation:  When teachers explain something, they sometimes ask if students understand their explanation or not.  It is another Thai classroom phrase apart from มีคำถามมั้ย (mii-kham-thǎam-mái) teacher can use to check if student can keep up with the lesson or not.

Example:  จบส่วนของประวัติศาสตร์สมัยอยุธยาแล้ว เข้าใจมั้ย

• jòp-sùuan-khǎawng-bprà-wàt-sàat-sà-mǎi-à-yút-thá-yaa-láaeo khâo-jai-mái
• We have already finished the history of the Ayutthaya era.  Do you understand?

5- Go to the page…

Thai phrase:  เปิดหนังสือไปที่หน้า…

Thai pronunciation:  bpòoet-nǎng-sǔue-bpai-thîi-nâa-…

Explanation:  This basic classroom phrase is used to guide the students to find information in the right pages.

Example:  สำหรับรูปส่วนประกอบของเซลล์ นักเรียนสามารถเปิดหนังสือไปที่หน้า 102 ได้ค่ะ

• sǎm-ràp-rûup-sǔuan-bprà-gàawp-khǎawng-seo nák-riaan-sǎa-mâat-bpòoet-nǎng-sǔue-bpai-thîi-nâa -nùueng-ráauy-sǎawng-dâi-khâ
• For the composition of the cell, go to page 102.

6- Does anyone know the meaning of…?

Thai phrase:  มีใครรู้ความหมายของ…บ้าง

Thai pronunciation:  mii-khrai-rúu-kwaam-mǎai-khǎawng-…-bâang

Explanation:  This is another good phrase a teacher can use for language class.  When Thai teachers encourage students to answer the question, they often use this kind of question.  There is a high chance you may hear this in Thai language class.

Example:  มีใครรู้ความหมายของคำว่า “พูดลอย ๆ” บ้างครับ

• mii-khrai-rúu-kwaam-mǎai-khǎawng-kham-wâa-phûut-laauy-laauy-bâang-khráp
• Does anyone know the meaning of “พูดลอย ๆ” in Thai?

3. Thai classroom phrases for students

Now that you know Thai class words and phrases for the teacher, let’s learn Thai important phrases in the classroom that students normally use.  Apart from learning how to read and write Thai, it is important to know how to communicate in the classroom as well.

1- I don’t understand

Thai phrase:  ผม/หนูไม่เข้าใจ

Thai pronunciation:  phǒm/nǔu-mâi-khâo-jai

Explanation:  This sentence can be used as it is to show that the subject doesn’t understand something or you can be more specific and add the topic that the subject doesn’t understand afterward.

Example:  หนูไม่เข้าใจวิธีการคำนวณมวลของวัตถุค่ะ ช่วยยกตัวอย่างหน่อยได้มั้ยคะ

• nǔu-mâi-khâo-jai-wí-thii-gaan-kham-nuuan-muuan-khǎawng-wát-thù-khâ chûuai-yók-dtuua-yàang-nàauy-dâi-mái-khá
• I don’t understand how to calculate an object’s mass.  Could you please give some examples?

Additional information:  In Thai, when young people talk with older people, a female call herself หนู (nǔu). 

I don’t understand.  Can you give me some examples?

2- I have a question.

Thai phrase:  ผม/หนูมีคำถาม

Thai pronunciation:  phǒm/nǔu-mii-kham-thǎam

Example:  หนูมีคำถามค่ะ คำที่อาจารย์เขียนบนกระดานออกเสียงยังไงคะ

• nǔu-mii-kham-thǎam-khâ kham-thîi-khruu-khǐian-bon-grà-daan-àawk-sǐiang-yang-ngai-khá
• I have a question.  How to pronounce the word you wrote on the board?

3- I can’t hear what you are saying.

Thai phrase:  ผม/หนูไม่ได้ยินที่ครู/อาจารย์พูด

Thai pronunciation:  phǒm/nǔu-mâi-dâi-yin-thîi-khruu/aa-jaan-phûut

Example:  ผมไม่ได้ยินที่ครูพูด ครูช่วยพูดเสียงดังหน่อยได้มั้ยครับ

• phǒm-mâi-dâi-yin-thîi-khruu-phûut chûuai-phûut-sǐiang-dang-nàauy-dâi-mái-khráp
• I can’t hear what you are saying.  Could you speak louder?

Additional information:  When Thai students let the teacher know about a situation like this, they often raise their hand and wait until the teacher sees them before saying anything. 

4- Can you explain it again?

Thai phrase:  ครู/อาจารย์ช่วยอธิบายอีกครั้งได้มั้ย

Thai pronunciation:  khruu/aa-jaan-chûuai-à-thí-baai-ìik-khráng-dâi-mái

Example:  อาจารย์ช่วยอธิบายอีกครั้งได้มั้ยครับ ผมยังไม่ค่อยเข้าใจครับ

• aa-jaan-chûuai-à-thí-baai-ìik-khráng-dâi-mái-khráp phǒm-yang-mâi-khâauy-khâo-jai-khráp
• Can you explain it again?  I still don’t really understand.

5- Can you repeat it again?

Thai phrase:  ครู/อาจารย์ช่วยพูดอีกครั้งได้มั้ย

Thai pronunciation:  khruu/aa-jaan-chûuai-phûut-ìik-khráng-dâi-mái

Example:  ครูช่วยพูดอีกครั้งได้มั้ยคะ หนูได้ยินไม่ชัดค่ะ

• khruu-chûuai-phûut-ìik-khráng-dâi-mái-khá nǔu-dâi-yin-mâi-chát-khâ
• Can you repeat it again?  I didn’t hear you well.

6- Can you speak louder?

Thai phrase:  ครู/อาจารย์ช่วยพูดดังหน่อยได้มั้ย

Thai pronunciation:  khruu/aa-jaan-chûuai-phûut-dang-nàauy-dâi-mái

Example:  ครูช่วยพูดดังหน่อยได้มั้ยคะ ข้างหลังไม่ได้ยินค่ะ

• khruu-chûuai-phûut-dang-nàauy-dâi-mái-khá khâang-lǎng-mâi-dâi-yin-khâ
• Can you speak louder?  We, the students who sit at the back, can’t hear you.

7- Can you give some examples?

Thai phrase:  ครู/อาจารย์ช่วยยกตัวอย่างหน่อยได้มั้ย

Thai pronunciation:  khruu/aa-jaan-chûuai-yók-dtuua-yàang-nàauy-dâi-mái

Example:  ผมไม่ค่อยเข้าใจเรื่องประเภทของคำนามครับ อาจารย์ช่วยยกตัวอย่างหน่อยได้มั้ยครับ

• phǒm-mâi-khâauy-khâo-jai-rûueang-bprà-phêet-khǎawng-kham-naam-khráp aa-jaan-chûuai-yók- dtuua-yàang-nàauy-dâi-mái-khráp

4. Thai classroom phrases used to explain absence and tardiness

1- I’m not feeling well.  I can’t go to school today.

Thai phrase:  ผม/หนูรู้สึกไม่ค่อยดีเลย วันนี้ไปโรงเรียนไม่ไหว

Thai pronunciation:  phǒm/nǔu-rúu-sùek-mâi-khâauy-dii-looei wan-níi-bpai-roong-riian-mâi-wǎi

Explanation:  This sentence can be used as it is to tell that you are not well or you can be more specific and give more information on how you are not feeling well.

Example:  ผมรู้สึกไม่ค่อยดีเลย ปวดท้องมาก วันนี้ไปโรงเรียนไม่ไหว

• phǒm-rúu-sùek-mâi-khâauy-dii-looei bpùuat-tháawng-mâak wan-níi-bpai-roong-riian-mâi-wǎi
• I’m not feeling well.  I have a bad stomach ache.  I can’t go to school today.

2- I’m not feeling well.  May I be excused?

Thai phrase:  ผม/หนูรู้สึกไม่ค่อยดีเลย ขอกลับบ้านก่อนได้มั้ย

Thai pronunciation:  phǒm/nǔu-rúu-sùek-mâi-khâauy-dii-looei khǎaw-glàp-bâan-gàawn-dâi-mái

Explanation:  Similar to the sentence above, this sentence can be used as it is to tell that you are not well or you can be more specific and give more information on how you are not feeling well.

Example:  หนูรู้สึกไม่ค่อยดีเลย ขอกลับบ้านก่อนได้มั้ยคะ

• nǔu-rúu-sùek-mâi-khâauy-dii-looei khǎaw-glàp-bâan-gàawn-dâi-mái-khá
• I’m not feeling well.  May I be excused?

I’m not feeling well.

3- Sorry, I’m late….

Thai phrase:  ขอโทษที่มาสาย + reason

Thai pronunciation:  khǎaw-thôot-thîi-maa-sǎai + reason

Explanation:  If you are late, you should start your sentence by apologizing and then tell the reason why you are late.  The popular reasons are traffic jams, the rain and waking up late.

Example1:  ขอโทษที่มาสายค่ะ วันนี้รถติดมากเลยค่ะ

• khǎaw-thôot-thîi-maa-sǎai-khâ wan-níi-rót-dtìt-mâak-looei-khâ
• Sorry, I’m late.  The traffic is very bad today.

Example2:  ขอโทษที่มาสายค่ะ ฝนตกหนักมากเลยค่ะ รถก็เลยติด

• khǎaw-thôot-thîi-maa-sǎai-khâ fǒn-dtòk-nàk-mâak-looei-khâ rót-gâaw-looei-dtìt
• Sorry, I’m late.  It rains heavily so the traffic is bad.

Example3:  ขอโทษที่มาสายครับ ผมไม่ได้ยินเสียงนาฬิกาปลุกเลยตื่นสายครับ

• khǎaw-thôot-thîi-maa-sǎai-khráp phǒm-mâi-dâi-yin-sǐiang-naa-lí-gaa-bplùk-looei-dtùuen-sǎai-khráp
• Sorry, I’m late.  I didn’t hear my alarm so I woke up late.

The traffic is very bad today.

4- Sorry, I can’t submit the homework today…

Thai phrase:  ขอโทษที่ไม่ได้เอาการบ้านมาส่ง + reason

Thai pronunciation:  khǎaw-thôot-thîi-mâi-dâi-ao-gaan-bâan-maa-sòng + reason

Explanation:  Similar to the situation above, if you can’t submit your homework within time, you should start your sentence by apologizing and then tell the reason.  The popular reasons are unfinished homework, broken computer, or forgetting it at home.

Example1:  ขอโทษที่ไม่ได้เอาการบ้านมาส่งครับ ผมยังทำไม่เสร็จ จำวันส่งผิดครับ

• khǎaw-thôot-thîi-mâi-dâi-ao-gaan-bâan-maa-sòng-khráp phǒm-yang-tham-mâi-sèt jam-wan-sòng- phìt-khráp
• Sorry, I can’t submit the homework today.  I’m still not finishing it.  I remembered the wrong deadline.

Example2:  ขอโทษที่ไม่ได้เอาการบ้านมาส่งค่ะ คอมพิวเตอร์หนูพัง การบ้านที่ทำไว้เลยหายหมดเลยค่ะ

• khǎaw-thôot-thîi-mâi-dâi-ao-gaan-bâan-maa-sòng-khâ khaawm-phiu-dtôoe-nǔu-phang gaan-bâan- thîi-tham-wái-looei-hǎai-mòt-looei-khâ
• Sorry, I can’t submit the homework today.   My computer is broken so all the homework is gone.

Example3:  ขอโทษที่ไม่ได้เอาการบ้านมาส่งครับ ผมลืมการบ้านไว้ที่บ้านครับ

• khǎaw-thôot-thîi-mâi-dâi-ao-gaan-bâan-maa-sòng-khráp phǒm-luuem-gaan-bâan-wái-thîi-bâan-khráp
• Sorry, I can’t submit the homework today.  I forget it at home.

5. Thai conversation phrases in the classroom

The last section of this Thai school phrases lesson is about the favorite subject.  Below shows how you can express your preference about the subject.  

1- I like…

Thai phrase:  ผม/หนูชอบ + name of subject

Thai pronunciation:  phǒm/nǔu-châawp + name of subject

Explanation:  To tell the subject you like, you can use the basic structure of “I like something” in Thai followed by the name of the subject.  To give you the idea, this is the name of the school subjects, one of the classroom vocabulary in Thai you should know.

• วิชา… (wí-chaa) = subject
• คณิตศาสตร์ (khá-nít-sàat) = mathematics (formal)
• เลข (lêek) = math (informal)
• ภาษาไทย (phaa-sǎa-thai) = Thai language
• ภาษาอังกฤษ (phaa-sǎa-ang-grìt) = English
• วิทยาศาสตร์ (wít-thá-yaa-sàat) = Science
• ฟิสิกส์ (fí-sìk) = physic
• เคมี (khee-mii) = chemistry
• ชีววิทยา (chii-wá-wít-thá-yaa) = biology
• สังคมศึกษา (sǎng-khom-sùek-sǎa) = social study
• ประวัติศาสตร์ (bprà-wàt-dtì-sàat) = history
• บัญชี (ban-chii) = account
• เศรษฐศาสตร์ (sèet-thà-sàat) = Economics
• ศิลปะ (sǐn-lá-bpà) = arts
• พลศึกษา (phá-lá-sùek-sǎa) = physical education

Example:  ฉันชอบวิชาศิลปะ แต่ว่าวาดรูปไม่สวยนะ

• chǎn-châawp-wí-chaa-sǐn-lá-bpà dtàae-wâat-rûup-mâi-sǔuai-ná
• I like art but I can’t draw well.

I like art but I can’t draw well.

2- I don’t like…

Thai phrase:  ผม/หนูไม่ชอบ + name of subject

Thai pronunciation:  phǒm/nǔu-mâi-châawp + name of subject

Explanation:  Similar to the previous sentence, you can use the basic structure of “I don’t like something” in Thai followed by the name of the subject. 

Example:  ฉันชอบวิชาศิลปะ แต่ไม่ชอบวิชาพลศึกษา ฉันเล่นกีฬาไม่เก่ง

• chǎn-châawp-wí-chaa-sǐn-lá-bpà dtàae-mâi-châawp-wí-cha-phá-lá-sùek-sǎa chǎn-lên-gii-laa-mâi-gèng
• I like art but I don’t like physical education.  I’m not good at sports.

3- I’m good at…

Thai phrase:  ผม/หนูเก่ง + name of subject

Thai pronunciation:  phǒm/nǔu-gèng + name of subject

Example:  แอนเก่งวิชาภาษาไทยมาก เธอแต่งกลอนได้ดี

• aaen-gèng-wí-chaa-phaa-sǎa-thai-mâak thooe-dtàaeng-glaawn-dâi-dii
• Ann is very good at Thai.  She can write poetry well.

4- I’m not good at…

Thai phrase:  ผม/หนูไม่เก่ง + name of subject

Thai pronunciation:  phǒm/nǔu-mâi-gèng + name of subject

Example:  ตั้มไม่เก่งวิชาเคมี แต่เรียนฟิสิกส์ได้ดีมาก

• dtâm-mâi-gèng-wí-chaa-khee-mii dtàae-riian-fí-sìk-dâi-dii-mâak
• Tum isn’t good at Chemistry but he is very good at Physics.

6. Conclusion

This is the end of the lesson.  Hopefully, you now understand and can remember all the Thai classroom phrases as well as common words in Thai language we prepared for you.  What do you think about the ways Thai people communicate in class?  Is it different from yours?  Let us know in the comment below.

Since we just finished the lesson about communication in class, do  you want to learn more about the related topics?  At ThaiPod101.com, we also have lessons about school supplies, phrases for bad students, teacher’s day in Thailand and much more!!

When a baby starts learning their native language, animal names are one of the first word categories their parents teach them. As a Thai learner, you’ll find it beneficial to learn the names of animals in Thai early on—this is a natural way to expand your vocabulary, and doing so will help you start conversations with native speakers. After all, who doesn’t love talking about their pets or favorite animals? 

In this article, we’ll teach you the names of common animals in Thai. This includes:

• Pets
• Farm animals
• Wild animals
• Marine animals
• Bugs and insects
• Birds
• Reptiles and amphibians

In addition, we’ll teach you what to call the different body parts of animals and what sounds animals make according to Thai onomatopoeia. Make sure to stick around until the end, where we’ll introduce you to frequently used idioms that mention animals; this will help familiarize you with Thai culture and give you an idea of how these words might be used in a sentence.  

Let’s get started!

Table of Contents

1. Pets
2. Farm Animals
3. Wild Animals
4. Marine Animals
5. Bugs & Insects
6. Birds
7. Reptiles & Amphibians
8. Animal Body Parts
9. Animal Sounds in Thai
10. Animal-Related Idioms in Thai
11. Conclusion

1. Pets

The most popular pets among Thai people are dogs and cats, though some people own smaller mammals or even birds and fish. Here’s a list of common pets in Thailand:

• สุนัข (sù-nák) = “dog” (formal)
• หมา (mǎa) = “dog” (informal)
• แมว (maaeo) = “cat”
• กระต่าย (grà-dtàai) = “rabbit”
• แฮมสเตอร์ (haaem-sà-dtôoe) = “hamster”
• ปลาทอง (bplaa-thaawng) = “goldfish”
• นก (nók) = “bird”

Dogs are a popular pet in Thailand.

2. Farm Animals

Do you know which farm animals are most common in Thailand? Most of them are the same animals you’d expect to find on a farm in other countries. Take a look: 

• โค (khoo) = “ox” / “cow” (formal) 
• วัว (wuua) = “ox” / “cow” (informal) 
• กระบือ (grà-buue) = “buffalo” (formal)
• ควาย (khwaai) = “buffalo” (informal)
• สุกร (sù-gaawn) = “pig” (formal)
• หมู (mǔu) = “pig” (informal)
• เป็ด (bpèt) = “duck”
• ไก่ (gài) = “chicken”
• ห่าน (hàan) = “goose”
• ม้า (máa) = “horse”
• ล่อ (lâaw) = “mule”
• ลา (laa) = “donkey”

3. Wild Animals

Below, you’ll find the names of different wild animals in the Thai language. Many of these animals can only be found in zoos and national parks, and some of them are currently endangered or extinct. 

• สิงโต (sǐng-dtoo) = “lion”
• เสือโคร่ง (sǔuea-khrôong) = “tiger”
• เสือดาว (sǔuea-daao) = “leopard”
• จิ้งจอก (jîng-jàawk) = “fox”
• กวาง (gwaang) = “deer”
• ละมั่ง (lá-mâng) = “antelope” (endangered species)
• สมัน (sà-mǎn) = “Schomburgk’s deer” (deer with the most beautiful antlers in the world)
• เก้ง (gêeng) = “barking deer” (endangered species)
• แรด (râaet) = “rhinoceros”
• กระทิง (grà-thing) = “gaur”
• แกะ (gàe) = “sheep”
• แพะ (pháe) = “goat”
• ลิง (ling) = “monkey”
• ชะนี (chá-nii) = “gibbon”
• ลิงกอริลล่า (ling-gaaw-rín-lâa) = “gorilla” 
• ลิงชิมแปนซี (ling-chim-bpaaen-sii) = “chimpanzee”
• ยีราฟ (yii-ráap) = “giraffe”
• จิงโจ้ (jing-jôo) = “kangaroo”
• ช้าง (cháang) = “elephant”
• แพนด้า (phaaen-dâa) = “panda” 
• หมี (mhǐi) = “bear”
• หมีโคอาล่า (mhǐi-khoo-aa-lâa) = “koala” 
• ฮิปโป (híp-bpoo) = “hippopotamus”

Let’s go see a tiger at the zoo!

4. Marine Animals

As with wild animals, Thai people most often get to see marine life in zoos or aquariums. Here are the names of common sea animals in the Thai language: 

• สัตว์น้ำ (sàt-nám) = “aquatic animals”
• กุ้ง (gûng) = “shrimp”
• กั้ง (gâng) = “mantis shrimp”
• หอย (hǎauy) = “shellfish”
• ปู (bpuu) = “crab”
• ปลา (bplaa) = “fish”
• หมึก (mùek) = “squid” / “octopus”
• วาฬ (waan) = “whale”
• ฉลาม (chà-lǎam) = “shark”
• โลมา (loo-maa) = “dolphin”
• ม้าน้ำ (máa-nám) = “seahorse”
• เต่า (dtào) = “turtle”
• แมงกะพรุน (maaeng-gà-phrun) = “jellyfish”
• พะยูน (phá-yuun) = “sea cow”
• ม้าน้ำ (máa-nám) = “seal”
• ปลิงทะเล (bpling-thá-lee) = “sea cucumber”
• ดาวทะเล (daao-thá-lee) = “starfish”
• ปะการัง (bpà-gaa-rang) = “coral”

I saw a shark at the aquarium.

5. Bugs & Insects

In Thailand, it’s not uncommon to eat certain insects as food. Worms, grasshoppers, and crickets are especially popular! 

Here are the names of common insects and other bugs in Thailand: 

• แมลง (má-laaeng) = “insect”
• แมลงสาบ (má-laaeng-sàap) = “cockroach”
• แมลงวัน (má-laaeng-wan) = “fly”
• แมลงปอ (má-laaeng-bpaaw) = “dragonfly”
• แมลงเต่าทอง (má-laaeng-dtào-thaawng) = “ladybug”
• แมงมุม (maaeng-mum) = “spider”
• แมงป่อง (maaeng-bpàawng) = “scorpion”
• มด (mód) = “ant”
• ยุง (yung) = “mosquito”
• ผึ้ง (phûeng) = “bee”
• ต่อ (dtàaw) = “wasp”
• ตั๊กแตน (dták-gà-dtaaen) = “grasshopper”
• จั๊กจั่น (ják-gà-jàn) = “cicada”
• หิ่งห้อย (hìng-hâauy) = “firefly”
• หนอน (nǎawn) = “worm”
• ผีเสื้อ (phǐi-sûuea) = “butterfly”

These ladybugs are so cute.

6. Birds

Below, you’ll find the names of common birds in Thailand and abroad. While Thai people can encounter some of these species in their daily lives, others can only be seen in zoos. 

• นกพิราบ (nók-phí-râap) = “pigeon”
• นกกระจอก (nók-grà-jàawk) = “sparrow”
• นกแก้ว (nók-gâaeo) = “parrot”
• นกกระจอกเทศ (nók-grà-jàawk-thêet) = “ostrich”
• นกยูง (nók-yuung) = “peacock”
• นกอินทรี (nók-in-sii) = “eagle”
• นกกะเรียน (nók-gà-riian) = “flamingo”
• นกฮูก (nók-hûuk) = “owl”
• นกนางนวล (nók-naang-nuan) = “seagull”
• หงส์ (hǒng) = “swan”
• แร้ง (ráaeng) = “griffon”
• อีกา (ii-gaa) = “crow”
• เหยี่ยว (yìiao) = “hawk”
• เพนกวิน (phen-gwîn) = “penguin”

7. Reptiles & Amphibians

In Thailand, there is a famous crocodile show held at the Samutprakarn Crocodile Farm and Zoo. If you plan on visiting the country anytime soon, make sure to check it out! 

Here are the names of common reptiles and amphibians in Thailand: 

• กบ (gòp) = “frog”
• เขียด (khìiat) = “green frog”
• อึ่งอ่าง (ùeng-àang) = “bullfrog”
• จระเข้ (jà-rá-khêe) = “crocodile”
• งู (nguu) = “snake”
• ตัวเงินตัวทอง (dtua-ngoen-dtua-thaawng) = “water monitor” (formal)
• เหี้ย (hîia) = “water monitor” (informal)
• กิ้งก่า (gîng-gàa) = “chameleon”
• จิ้งจก (jîng-jòk) = “lizard”
• ตุ๊กแก (dtúk-gaae) = “gecko”
• จิ้งเหลน (jîng-lěen) = “skink”
• อิกัวนา (i-gua-nâa) = “iguana”
• ตะขาบ (dtà-khàap) = “centipede”
• หอยทาก (hǎauy-thâak) = “snail”
• กิ้งกือ (gîng-guue) = “millipede”

I hate lizards.

8. Animal Body Parts

Now that you’ve learned the names of several animals in Thai, it’s time to learn what their body parts are called! 

• จะงอยปาก (jà-ngaauy-bpàak) = “beak”
• ปีก (bpìik) = “wing”
• หาง (hǎang) = “tail”
• ขน (khǒn) = “feather”
• เขา (khǎo) = “horn” / “antler”
• งา (ngaa) = “ivory”
• นอ (naaw) = “rhinoceros’s horn”
• กระดอง (grà-daawng) = “shell”
• ครีบ (khrîip) = “fin”
• กรงเล็บ (grong-lép) = “claw”

9. Animal Sounds in Thai

In each country, people associate animals with different onomatopoeic sounds. If you live in the United States, for example, you likely say that dogs go “woof” and cats go “meow.” But do you know their sounds in Thai? 

Notice that most of the sounds below are doubled, as this is how they’re represented in the Thai language. 

• โฮ่ง ๆ (hôong-hôong) = dog’s sound
• เหมียว ๆ (mǐiao-mǐiao) = cat’s sound
• อู๊ด ๆ (úut-úut) = pig’s sound
• มอ ๆ (maaw-maaw) = ox’s sound
• ฮี่ ๆ (hîi-hîi) = horse’s sound
• เอ้กอีเอ้ก ๆ (êek-ii-êek-êek) = cock’s sound
• จิ๊บ ๆ (jíp-jíp) = bird’s sound
• ก้าบ ๆ (gâap-gâap) = duck’s sound
• เจี๊ยบ ๆ (jíiap-jíiap) = chick’s sound
• เจี๊ยก ๆ (jíiak-jíiak) = monkey’s sound
• แปร๋น ๆ (brǎaen-brǎaen) = elephant’s sound
• อ๊บ ๆ (óp-óp) = frog’s sound

10. Animal-Related Idioms in Thai

There are many idioms in Thai that mention animals. Learning them will give you a better idea of how we view animals in Thai culture, and using them yourself will help you sound more like a native speaker. Below, we’ve listed and explained the ten most common animal idioms. 

1 – กระต่ายหมายจันทร์ 

Pronunciation: grà-dtàai mǎai jan

Literal translation: Rabbit wants the moon.

Idiom meaning: This idiom comes from a children’s story, and it refers to a man who loves a woman of higher social or financial status. It compares a man to a rabbit and a woman to the moon. Despite how much the rabbit wants the moon, it can do nothing but stare. There are two ways to use this idiom: to say that a man is like a rabbit or to compare a man’s actions to those of a rabbit.

Example:
เมฆชอบดาวมาก แต่เขาก็เป็นได้แค่กระต่ายหมายจันทร์
mêek-châawp-daao-mâak dtàae-khǎo-gâaw-bpen-dâi-khâae-grà-dtàai-mǎai-jan
“Mek likes Dow a lot, but there is nothing he can do (because Dow is richer or has a much higher social status).”

2 – หนูตกถังข้าวสาร 

Pronunciation: nǔu-dtòk-thǎng-khâao-sǎan

Literal translation: A rat falls into a bucket of rice.

Idiom meaning: When a rat falls into a bucket of rice, it suddenly has a lot of food without needing to do anything. In the same way, a man who marries a richer woman gets more money without having to work for it. This idiom is typically used as an insult directed toward men who marry women of higher financial status. 

Example:
วินแต่งงานกับคนรวย เลยถูกดูถูกว่าเป็นหนูตกถังข้าวสาร
win-dtàaeng-ngaan-gàp-khon-ruuay looei-thùuk-duu-thùuk-wâa-bpen-nǔu-dtòk-thǎng-khâao-sǎan
“Win married a rich woman, so others look down on him.”

3 – วัวแก่กินหญ้าอ่อน 

Pronunciation: wuua-gàae-gin-yâa-àawn

Literal translation: Old ox eats young grass.

Idiom meaning: This idiom refers to a man who marries (or is in a relationship with) a much younger woman. The saying stems from the eating habits of oxen; young oxen only eat young grass, but old oxen can choose to eat either old or young grass. Older men who marry younger women are like an old ox that chooses to eat only young grass. We normally use this idiom in a negative way, as this type of relationship is quite improper in Thailand. 

Example:
ลุงเป็นวัวแก่กินหญ้าอ่อน เมียของลุงอายุน้อยกว่าลุงตั้ง 15 ปี
lung-bpen-wuua-gàae-gin-yâa-àawn miia-khǎawng-lung-aa-yú-náauy-gwàa-lung-dtâng-sìp-hâa-bpii
“Uncle is in a relationship with a young woman. His wife is 15 years younger than him.”

4 – รีดเลือดกับปู 

Pronunciation: rîit-lûueat-gàp-bpuu

Literal translation: Squeeze blood from crab

Idiom meaning: This idiom refers to a situation where someone tries to benefit or receive financial gain from those who have nothing to give. Crabs have little blood, so trying to get blood from them is next to impossible. 

Example:
เขารู้ว่าคนที่เช่าที่เขาไม่มีเงิน แต่ก็จะขึ้นค่าเช่า รีดเลือดกับปูชัด ๆ
Khǎo-rúu-wâa-khon-thîi-châo-thîi-khǎo-mâi-mii-ngoen dtàae-gâaw-jà-khûen-khâa-châo rîit-lûueat-gàp-bpuu-chát-chát
“The landlord knows that his tenant has no money. Still, he increases the rent. He threatens to get benefits from those who have nothing to give.”

5 – ขี่ช้างจับตั๊กแตน 

Pronunciation: khìi-cháang-jàp-dták-gà-dtaaen

Literal translation: Ride an elephant to catch grasshoppers

Idiom meaning: This Thai idiom refers to investing a lot only to get a little in return. Traditionally, elephants were used in big events such as war or long-distance travel; it wouldn’t make sense to use such a large animal for something small or insignificant (like catching grasshoppers). Likewise, one should not invest heavily in something that does not promise a high yield. 

Example:
ถ้าจะเปิดร้านขายขนม แล้วต้องใช้เงินเยอะขนาดนี้ ดูยังไงก็ขี่ช้างจับตั๊กแตนนะ
thâa-jà-bpòoet-ráan-khǎai-khà-nǒm láaeo-dtâawng-chái-ngoen-yóe-khà-nàat-níi duu-yang-ngai-gâaw-khìi-cháang-jàp-dták-gà-dtaaen-ná
“If you invest this much money to open a bakery shop, it is like investing a lot to get a little in return.”

6 – นกน้อยทำรังแต่พอตัว

Pronunciation: nók-náauy-tham-rang-dtàae-phaaw-dtuua

Literal translation: Small bird builds its nest big enough for itself.

Idiom meaning: You should adjust your spending patterns based on how much money you have, and never buy what you can’t afford. Just like a bird can build its nest with the basic materials it finds, so can we build our homes and our lives with however much money we have. 

Example:
แม่ว่ากระเป๋าใบนั้นราคาแพงไปหน่อยนะ นกน้อยต้องทำรังแต่พอตัวนะจ๊ะ
mâae-wâa-grà-bpǎo-bai-nán-raa-khaa-phaaeng-bpai-nàuuy-ná nók-náauy-dtâawng-tham-rang-dtàae-phaaw-dtuua-ná-já
(Mother talking to daughter) “I think that bag is too expensive. You should buy things based on the amount of money you have.”

7 – หมากัดอย่ากัดตอบ

Pronunciation: mǎa-gàt-yàa-gàt-dtàawp 

Literal translation: Dog bites, don’t bite back.

Idiom meaning: This Thai proverb means that we should not lower ourselves to the level of those who hurt us or do bad things. In Thailand, we view those who do bad things or act inappropriately as lower-class people. By doing the same actions in order to get back at them, one is no better than they are. It’s okay to be angry, but we should never stoop down to their level. 

Example:
ถึงเขาจะทำตัวหยาบคายใส่เรา แต่เราต้องไม่ทำแบบนั้น หมากัดอย่ากัดตอบ
thǔeng-khǎo-jà-tham-dtuua-yàap-khaai-sài-rao dtàae-rao-dtâawng-mâi-tham-bàaep-nán mǎa-gàt- yàa-gàt-dtàawp
“Although he acted rudely, we must not act rudely back. Don’t do bad things in order to get back at bad people.”

8 – จับปลาสองมือ

Pronunciation: jàp-bplaa-sǎawng-muue

Literal translation: Catch fish with two hands

Idiom meaning: This idiom refers to doing two difficult tasks at the same time, which will render your efforts unsuccessful. Think about trying to catch one fish in your right hand and another fish in your left hand at the same time; it would be very difficult! It’s better to do one thing at a time. 

Example:
เธอจะขับรถหรือจะโทรศัพท์ ทำทีละอย่าง อย่าจับปลาสองมือ
thooe-jà-khàp-rót-rǔue-jà-thoo-rá-sàp tham-tii-lá-yàang yàa-jàp-bplaa-sǎawng-muue
“Are you going to drive or use your mobile phone? Do one thing at a time. Do not do two things at the same time.”

9 – ชี้โพรงให้กระรอก

Pronunciation: chíi-phroong-hâi-grà-râawk

Literal translation: Point to a hollow for a squirrel

Idiom meaning: This Thai proverb warns people to be careful when speaking, because our words can encourage others to do bad things (even if that was not our intention). For example, imagine that a woman is telling a friend that her window is broken and that she’s afraid a thief will come in that way. If someone in need of money happens to overhear, they may decide to break into that woman’s house to steal. A saying with a similar meaning in English might be, “Keep honest people honest.” 

Example:
เธอพูดแบบนี้ ชี้โพรงให้กระรอกชัด ๆ
thooe-phûut-bàaep-níi chíi-proong-hâi-grà-râawk-chát-chát
“Your saying this is like encouraging someone to do a bad thing.”

10 – สอนจระเข้ให้ว่ายน้ำ

Pronunciation: sǎawn-jà-rá-khêe-hâi-wâi-nám

Literal translation: Teach a crocodile to swim

Idiom meaning: This idiom refers to teaching something to someone who can already do that thing well. Because crocodiles can already swim, there’s no need to teach them how. 

Example:
เธอจะไปสอนแนนทำอาหารทำไม สอนจระเข้ให้ว่ายน้ำชัด ๆ
thooe-jà-bpai-sǎawn-naaen-tham-aa-hǎan-tham-mai sǎawn-jà-rá-khêe-hâi-wâi-nám-chát-chát
Why will you teach Nan how to cook? She already cooks well.

11. Conclusion

In this article, you learned several Thai animal names and some other relevant vocabulary. We also introduced you to the ten most common Thai idioms and proverbs that mention animals. It will take some time to memorize all of the words and phrases in this article, but you’re sure to get there if you practice often. Having these Thai words for animals up your sleeve will help you converse with native speakers about pets, favorite animals, and even nature in general! 

If you would like to continue learning Thai in the fastest, easiest, and most fun way possible, make sure to create your free lifetime account on ThaiPod101.com today. We offer our students a variety of audio and video lessons, vocabulary lists, and other free resources to help them make the most of their study time. 

Not sure where to start? We recommend you check out these fun articles:

• Talking About Hobbies in Thai
• Is That a Thai Mini Monk?
• Traditional Culture

Happy learning!

As a new Thai language-learner, do you find it hard to make conversation with native speakers? Because speaking Thai as often as possible is a great way to acquire the language, knowing the most common questions and answers in Thai conversations will be very helpful for you.  

In this lesson, you’ll learn about asking questions in Thai and how you can answer them yourself. Knowing these common Thai questions and answers will give you the confidence you need to practice speaking more often! 

However, before we start our list of the top ten questions in Thai, there are a few things you need to know first.

Table of Contents

1. An Overview of Asking Questions in Thai
2. Our Thai Questions and Answers List
3. Conclusion

1. An Overview of Asking Questions in Thai

First things first! We’ll answer some common Thai grammar questions that learners have, and introduce you to the basic vocabulary you should know.   

• คำถาม (kham-thǎam) is “question” in Thai.
• คำตอบ (kham-dtàawp) is “answer” in Thai.

1 – Thai Question Marks 

When going over the topic of Thai questions, many learners wonder “Are there question marks in Thai?” The answer is yes, there are question marks in the Thai language.  

In Thai, question marks are called ปรัศนี (bpràt-sà-nii) and เครื่องหมายคำถาม (khrùueng-mǎai-kham-thǎam). In normal conversations, people usually use เครื่องหมายคำถาม (khrùueng-mǎai-kham-thǎam). ปรัศนี (bpràt-sà-nii) is rarely used in daily conversation; it’s only used in academic contexts.  

That said, there’s no rule about asking questions in Thai grammar that requires you to put a question mark after your question. Thai people really only put question marks after a question to show that they’re really in doubt and want to know the answer.

2 – Pronouns Used in Thai Questions and Answers

When you ask or answer questions in Thai, you can use both names and pronouns, so you’ll find it easier if you know some Thai pronouns. Below are some examples of pronouns often used in Thai questions and answers.

Thai pronouns for “you“:

• คุณ (khun) is used in formal or business situations. It can be used with both males and females.
• นาย (naai) is used in casual situations. It can be used with males only.
• เธอ (thooe) is used in casual situations. It can be used with females only.

Thai pronouns for “I“:

• ฉัน (chǎn) is used when the speaker is female.
• ผม (phǒm) is used when the speaker is male.

You’ll find throughout this lesson that Thai people often omit the subject from the sentence, so don’t be surprised if you don’t hear any name or pronoun when speaking with natives.

3 – Making Questions and Answers Formal

To make a sentence formal in Thai, put the word ครับ (khráp) or ค่ะ (khâ) at the end of a sentence when speaking. ครับ (khráp) is used when the speaker is male, while ค่ะ (khâ) is used when the speaker is female. 

Keep in mind that there’s a special rule when it comes to questions: for females, instead of using ค่ะ (khâ), you put คะ (khá) after questions.

Now, let’s start learning ten common Thai phrases and questions.

2. Our Thai Questions and Answers List

1. What’s your name? 

The first question you should learn is how to ask for someone’s name. This is an easy question to ask in Thai, and it’s a great way to start a conversation with someone you don’t know.

1 – Thai question

Question pattern:
pronoun for “you” / noun + ชื่ออะไร
pronoun for “you” / noun + chûue-à-rai
“What is your name?”

2 – Thai answers

Answer pattern 1:
pronoun for “I” + ชื่อ + ___
pronoun for “I” + chûue + ___
“My name is ___.”

Answer pattern 2:
ชื่อ + ___
chûue + ___
“My name is ___.”

Answer pattern 3:
Just say your name.

Additional Note:  
Patterns 2 and 3 are short versions of pattern 1, which is the full answer. Of the three patterns, pattern 1 is the most formal, followed by pattern 2, with pattern 3 being the most casual.

3 – Examples

Example 1

Thai question:  
ลูกค้าชื่ออะไรคะ
lûuk-khaa-chûue-à-rai-khá
“What is the customer’s name?” (You are talking to the customer.)

Thai answer:  
ผมชื่อป้องศักดิ์ครับ
phǒm-chûue-bpâawng-sàk-khráp
“My name is Pongsak.”

Example 2

Thai question:  
เธอชื่ออะไร
thooe-chûue-à-rai
“What is your name?”

Thai answer:  
กิ๊ฟ
gíp
“Gip.”

2. Where are you from? 

To learn more about someone, one of the best Thai language questions to ask is “Where are you from?” There are a few ways to ask this question, shown below.

1 – Thai questions

Question pattern 1:  
pronoun for “you” / noun / name + มาจากที่ไหน
pronoun for “you” / noun / name + maa-jàak-thîi-nǎi
“Where are you from?”

Question pattern 2:  
pronoun for “you” / noun / name + เป็นคนจังหวัดอะไร
pronoun for “you” / noun / name + bpen-khon-jang-wàt-à-rai
“Which province are you from?”

Question pattern 3:  
pronoun for “you” / noun / name + เป็นคนประเทศอะไร
pronoun for “you” / noun / name + bpen-khon-bprà-thêet-à-rai
“Which country are you from?”

Additional Note:  
When Thai people are asked where they come from, they often answer with the name of the province they grew up in. Thus, you can use pattern 2 specifically with a Thai person. Pattern 3, as you can guess, is used with foreigners.

2 – Thai answers

Answer pattern 1:  
pronoun for “I” + มาจาก + ___
pronoun for “I” + maa-jàak + ___
“I come from ___.”

Answer pattern 2: 
มาจาก + ___
maa-jàak + ___
“I come from ___.”

Answer pattern 3:  
Just say the name of your hometown or country.

Additional Note:  
Patterns 1 through 3 can be used to answer all of the questions above. Patterns 2 and 3 are the short versions of pattern 1, which is the full answer. Pattern 1 is the most formal, followed by pattern 2, with pattern 3 being the most casual.

Answer pattern 4:  
pronoun for “I” + เป็นคน + name of province or country
pronoun for “I” + bpen-khon + ___
“I come from ___.”

Answer pattern 5:  
คน + name of province or country
khon + ___
“I am ___.”

Additional Note:  
Patterns 4 and 5 are used to answer question patterns 2 and 3 only. As you can see, pattern 5 is the short version of pattern 4.

3 – Examples

Example 1

Thai question:  
เดวิดมาจากที่ไหน
dee-vìt-maa-jàak-thîi-nǎi
“Where are you from?” (You are talking to David.)

Thai answer:  
มาจากออสเตเรียครับ
maa-jàak-áawt-dtee-riia
“I come from Australia.”

Example 2

Thai question:  
นักเรียนเป็นคนจังหวัดอะไร
nák-riian-bpen-khon-jang-wàt-à-rai
“Which province are you from?” (You are talking to a student.)

Thai answer:  
คนลพบุรีค่ะ
khon lóp-bù-rii khà
“I come from Lopburi.”

3. Do you speak ___? 

This is one of the best Thai questions for foreigners. Knowing the language skills of other parties makes it easier to communicate, in case you can speak the same language. ^^

1 – Thai question

Question pattern:  
pronoun for “you” / noun / name + พูดภาษา___ได้มั้ย
pronoun for “you” / noun / name + phûut-phaa-sǎa-___-dâi-mái
“Do you speak ___?”

2 – Thai answers

Answer pattern 1:  
ได้
dâi
“Yes.”

Answer pattern 2:  
ได้นิดหน่อย
dâi-nit-nàauy
“Yes, a little bit.”

Answer pattern 3:  
ไม่ได้
mâi-dâi
“No.”

3 – Examples

Example 1

Thai question:  
ลดาพูดภาษาจีนได้มั้ย
lá-daa-phûut-phaa-sǎa-jiin-dâi-mái
“Does Lada speak Chinese?”

Thai answer:  
ได้นิดหน่อย
dâi-nit-nàauy
“Yes, a little bit.”

Example 2

Thai question:  
น้ำตาลพูดภาษาอังกฤษได้มั้ย
nám-dtaan-phûut-phaa-sǎa-ang-grìt-dâi-mái
“Does Namtarn speak English?”

Thai answer:  
ได้ หนูเคยไปเรียนที่อเมริกา 3 ปี
dai nǔu-khooei-bpai-riian-thii-a-mee-ri-gaa-saam-bpii
“Yes, I do. I have studied in the United States for three years.”

4. How long have you been studying ___? 

To continue the conversation, you can ask this question in Thai.

1 – Thai questions

Question pattern 1:  
pronoun for “you” / noun / name + เรียนภาษา___มานานเท่าไหร่แล้ว
pronoun for “you” / noun / name + riian-phaa-sǎa-___-maa-naan-thâo-rài-láaeo
“How long have you been studying ___?”

Question pattern 2:  
pronoun for “you” / noun / name + เรียนภาษา___มากี่ปีแล้ว
pronoun for “you” / noun / name + riian-phaa-sǎa-___-maa-gìi-bpii-láaeo
“How many years have you been studying ___?”

2 – Thai answers

Answer pattern 1:  
pronoun for “I” + เรียนมา ___ ปี / เดือน
pronoun for “I” + riian-maa-___-bpii / duuean
“I have studied for ___ years / months.”

Answer pattern 2:  
เรียนมา ___ ปี / เดือน
riian-maa-___-bpii / duuean
“I have studied for ___ years / months.”

Answer pattern 3:  
pronoun for “I” + เรียนมาตั้งแต่อายุ ___ ปีแล้ว
pronoun for “I” + riian-maa-dtâng-dtàae-aa-yú-___-bpii-lâaeo
“I have studied since I was ___ years old.”

Answer pattern 4:  
เรียนมาตั้งแต่อายุ ___ ขวบ / ปีแล้ว
Riian-maa-dtâng-dtàae-aa-yú-___-khùuap / bpii-lâaeo
“I have studied since I was ___ years old.”

Pattern 2 is the short version of pattern 1, and pattern 4 is the short version of pattern 3. The subject of the sentence is omitted as Thai people assume you already know who you’re talking about.

ขวบ (khùuap) and ปี (bpii) are both numeric classifiers of age. ขวบ (khùuap) is used for ages under thirteen years old, while ปี (bpii) is used for ages thirteen years old and above.

3 – Examples

Example 1

Thai question:  
มิกิเรียนภาษาไทยมานานกี่ปีแล้วคะ
mí-gì-riian-phaa-sǎa-thai-maa-naan-gìi-bpii-láaeo-khá
“How many years has Miki studied the Thai language?” (You are talking to Miki.)

Thai answer:  
เรียนมา 2 ปีแล้ว
riian-maa-sǎawng-bpii-láaeo-khà
“I have studied Thai for two years now.”

Example 2

Thai question:  
คุณเรียนภาษาอังกฤษมานานเท่าไหร่แล้วครับ
khun-riian-phaa-sǎa-ang-grìt-maa-naan-thâo-rài-láaeo-khráp
“How long have you studied English?”

Thai answer:  
ฉันเรียนภาษาอังกฤษมาตั้งแต่อายุ 3 ขวบค่ะ
chǎn-riian-phaa-sǎa-ang-grìt-maa-dtâng-dtàae-aa-yú-sǎam-khûuap-khà
“I have studied English since I was three years old.”

5. Have you been to ___? 

This is another conversational Thai question you should know, and you’re likely to hear it from travel enthusiasts! 

1 – Thai question

Question pattern:  
pronoun for “you” / noun / name + เคยไปประเทศ___มั้ย
pronoun for “you” / noun / name + khooei-bpai-bprà-thêet-___-mái
“Have you been to ___?”

2 – Thai answers

Answer pattern 1: 
เคย
khooei
“Yes, I have.”

Answer pattern 2:  
ไม่เคย
mâi-khooei
“No, I haven’t.”

3 – Examples

Example 1

Thai question:  
คุณป้าเคยไปประเทศญี่ปุ่นมั้ยคะ
khun-bpâa-khooei-bpai-bprà-thêet-yîi-bpùn-mái-khá
“Have you been to Japan?” (You are talking to your aunt.)

Thai answer:  
เคยจ๊ะ ปีที่แล้วป้าไปเที่ยวที่โตเกียวมา
khooei-já pbii-thîi-láaeo-bpâa-bpai-thîiao-thîi-dtoo-giiao-maa
“Yes, I have. I traveled to Tokyo last year.”

Example 2

Thai question:  
เธอเคยไปอยุธยามั้ย
thooe-khooei-bpai-à-yút-thá-yaa-mái
“Have you been to Ayutthaya?”

Thai answer:  
ไม่เคย แต่อยากไปมากนะ
mâi-khooei dtàae-yàak-bpai-mâak-ná
“No, I haven’t. But I really want to go there.”

6. What do you do for work? 

If you’re asking questions in Thai to get to know more about someone, asking about their occupation is a must.  Good news: This conversational question in Thai is very easy.

1 – Thai question

Question pattern:  
pronoun for “you” / name + ทำอาชีพอะไร
pronoun for “you” / name + tham-aa-chîip-à-rai
“What do you do for work?”

2 – Thai answer

Answer pattern: 
pronoun for “I” + เป็น ___
pronoun for “I” + bpen ___
“I am a(n) ___.”

3 – Examples

Example 1

Thai question:  
คุณธัญญ์ทำอาชีพอะไรคะ
khun-than-tham-aa-chîip-à-rai-khá
“What does Than do for work?” (You are talking to Than.)

Thai answer:  
ผมเป็นวิศวกรครับ
khun-than-tham-aa-chîip-à-rai-khá
“I am an engineer.”

Example 2

Thai question:  
นายทำอาชีพอะไร
naai-tham-aa-chîip-à-rai
“What do you do for work?”

Thai answer:  
ผมเป็นครู
phǒm-bpen-khruu
“I am a teacher.”

7. Do you like ___ food? 

Asking someone about their food preferences is a fantastic way to get to know someone, and to find common ground.  

1 – Thai question

Question pattern:  
pronoun for “you” / noun / name + ชอบอาหาร___มั้ย
pronoun for “you” / noun / name + châawp-aa-hǎan-___-mái
“Do you like ___ food?”

2 – Thai answers

Answer pattern 1: 
ชอบ
châawp
“Yes, I do.”

Answer pattern 2:  
ไม่ชอบ
mâi-châawp
“No, I don’t.”

Answer pattern 3:  
เฉย ๆ
chǒoei-chǒoei
“Indifferent.”

3 – Examples

Example 1

Thai question:  
คุณครูชอบอาหารอินเดียมั้ยคะ
khun-khruu-châawp-aa-hǎan-in-diia-mái-khá
“Do you like Indian food?” (You are talking to a teacher.)

Thai answer:  
ชอบครับ หอมกลิ่นเครื่องเทศดี
châawp-khráp hǎawm-glìn-khrûueng-thêet-dii
“Yes, I do. The spices smell nice.”

Example 2

Thai question:  
โคลอี้ชอบอาหารไทยมั้ย
khloo-îi-châawp-aa-hǎan-thai-mái
“Do you like Thai food?” (You are talking to Chole.)

Thai answer:  
เฉย ๆ เพราะฉันทานเผ็ดไม่ได้
chǒoei-chǒoei phráw-chǎn-thaan-phèt-mâi-dâi
“I’m indifferent because I can’t eat spicy food.”

8. What are you doing?

This question can be used to start a conversation with someone, and to show that you’re interested in their life. 

1 – Thai question

Question pattern:  
pronoun for “you” / noun + ทำอะไรอยู่
pronoun for “you” / noun + tham-à-rai-yùu
“What are you doing?”

2 – Thai answers

Answer pattern 1: 
pronoun for “I” + กำลัง + verb + อยู่
pronoun for “I” + gam-lang + verb + yùu
“I am ___ now.”

Answer pattern 2: 
verb + อยู่
verb + yùu
“I am ___ now.”

Additional note:  
Pattern 2 is the short version of pattern 1. The subject of the sentence is omitted as Thai people assume you already know who you’re talking about.

3 – Examples

Example 1

Thai question:  
นักเรียนทำอะไรอยู่คะ
nák-riian-tham-à-rai-yùu-kha
“What are you doing?” (You are talking to a student.)

Thai answer:  
หนูกำลังทำการบ้านอยู่ค่ะ
nǔu-gam-lang-tham-gaan-bâan-yùu-khà
“I am doing homework now.”

Example 2

Thai question:  
แม่ทำอะไรอยู่
mâae-tham-à-rai-yùu
“Mom, what are you doing?”

Thai answer:  
อาบน้ำอยู่
àap-nám-yùu
“I’m taking a shower.”

9. What is wrong? 

To ask someone what’s wrong, there are a few different questions in Thai that you can use. 

1 – Thai questions

Question pattern 1:  
เกิดอะไรขึ้น
gòoet-à-rai-khûen
“What’s happened? What’s wrong?”

The literal meaning of this pattern is “What’s happened?” You ask this when you sense that something bad has happened and you want to know what it is.

Question pattern 2:  
มีปัญหาอะไรรึเปล่า
mii-bpan-hǎa-à-rai-rúe-bplào
“Is there any problem?”

This is another way to ask “What’s wrong?” when you sense that something bad happened.

2 – Thai answers

Answer pattern 1: 
Explain your problem or issues.

Answer pattern 2: 
ไม่มีอะไร
mâi-mii-à-rai
“Nothing wrong, no problem.”

3 – Examples

Example 1

Thai question:  
เสียงดังอะไรกัน มีปัญหาอะไรรึเปล่า
sǐiang-dang-à-rai-gan mii-bpan-hǎa-à-rai-rúe-bplào
“What is that loud noise? Is there any problem?”

Thai answer:  
ไม่มีอะไร ของตกเฉย ๆ
mâi-mii-à-rai khǎawng-dtok-chǒoei-chǒoei
“No problem. Something just fell.”

Example 2

Thai question:  
เกิดอะไรขึ้น ทำไมเธอถึงร้องไห้
gòoet-à-rai-khûen tham-mai-thooe-thǔeng-ráawng-hâi
“What’s wrong? Why are you crying?”

Thai answer:  
มีคนบอกว่าแฟนนอกใจฉัน
mii-khon-bàawk-wâa-faaen-nâawk-jai-chǎn
“Someone told me my boyfriend cheated on me.”

10. How much is ___? 

Asking for the price of products and services is an important conversational skill to have in any country. Here are the Thai questions and answers you can use! 

1 – Thai questions

Question pattern 1:  
noun / pronoun + ราคาเท่าไหร่
noun / pronoun + raa-khaa-thâo-rài
“How much is noun/pronoun?”

Question pattern 2:  
noun / pronoun + ราคากี่บาท
noun / pronoun + raa-khaa-gìi-bàat
“How much is noun/pronoun?”

Despite having the same meaning, pattern 1 is more formal than pattern 2.

2 – Thai answers

Answer pattern 1: 
noun / pronoun + ราคา ___ บาท
noun / pronoun + raa-khaa-___-bàat
“Noun / pronoun is ___ Baht.”

Answer pattern 2: 
___ บาท
___-bàat
“___ Baht.”

Pattern 2 is the short version of pattern 1.

3 – Examples

Example 1

Thai question:  
กะหล่ำปลีราคากี่บาท
gà-làm-bplii-raa-khaa-gìi-bàat
“How much is the cabbage?”

Thai answer:  
30 บาท
sǎam-sìp-bàat
“30 Baht.”

Example 2

Thai question:  
รถคันนี้ราคาเท่าไหร่ครับ
rót-khan-níi-raa-khaa-thâo-rài-khráp
“How much is this car?”

Thai answer:  
รถคันนั้นราคา 500,000 บาทค่ะ
rót-khan-nán-raa-khaa-hâa-sǎaen-bàat-khà
“That car costs 500,000 Baht.”

11. Conclusion

You’ve just finished learning the basics about how to ask questions in Thai. If you can remember all of these common questions and answers, you have all you need to practice your Thai speaking and listening skills through conversations with Thai people. We hope this article has been very helpful for you! 

Now that you’ve finished this lesson, you may be curious about related topics such as question words in Thai,  which you can learn on ThaiPod101.com as well. Of course, there are other interesting lessons for you to study, such as Thai Girl’s Dream Job and Thai Jokes. Don’t forget to visit ThaiPod101.com and check out new lessons as they become available. 

Before you go, practice writing some of these Thai questions and answers in the comments section, and answer the questions about yourself. We look forward to hearing from you!

When you’re learning something, a test is considered a part of the learning process. Taking a test shows your current skills and improvements you’ve made in that topic; at the same time, it reveals areas that still need improvement. For Thai learners, taking a Thai competency test is a good idea.  

The most popular Thai language proficiency test is the CU-TFL. Thus, in this lesson, we’ll give you practical information about this Thai language competency test, including details about each part and when, where, and how to register to take the test. Of course, we’ll also provide you with some tips on how to pass this Thai exam.  

Let’s get started.

Table of Contents

1. General Information About the CU-TFL
2. A Breakdown of Each Section
3. Tips on Preparing for a Thai Proficiency Exam
4. Conclusion

1. General Information About the CU-TFL

If you want to work in Thailand, you’re in luck! Aside from some professional jobs, most of the jobs available for foreigners don’t require many Thai language skills. Jobs for foreigners in Thailand are normally in environments where workers can speak English. Still, you have a life outside of work, which inevitably requires you to have basic knowledge of the Thai language. As mentioned above, testing your Thai skills enables you to see how much you know so you can continue improving.  

The most common Thai language exam for foreigners is the CU-TFL, which stands for “The Chulalongkorn University Proficiency Test of Thai as a Foreign Language.” It’s the most popular Thai language assessment test. For your information, Chulalongkorn University is one of the top three universities in Thailand. In a way, the university’s high status makes the test more reputable.

The test is taken at The Sirindhorn Thai Language Institute. Applicants must contact the institute to schedule the test date (at least two weeks in advance) before filling out the online application. Then, the applicant will receive the bill payment slip, and must make a payment at least three days prior to the test date. The CU-TFL test has four sections: listening, reading, writing, and speaking. This test classifies the examinee into one of five groups: distinguished, superior, advanced, intermediate, and novice. 

In the following sections, we’ll provide you with a complete guide on this Thai language proficiency exam. 

2. A Breakdown of Each Section

1- Listening Section 

Duration: 60 minutes

Number of questions: 

• 50 multiple-choice questions
• Part 1: 1-3 announcements and short articles
• Part 2: 2-3 announcements and medium-length articles
• Part 3: 2-3 news excerpts, event descriptions, and documentaries
• Part 4: 1-2 medium-length conversations about opinion expression or an interview of two people
• Part 5: 1 long conversation about opinion expression or an interview of three people

Skills and competencies needed: 

• Be able to understand short conversations, announcements, interviews, or advertisements
• Be able to comprehend and summarize a story
• Be able to analyze a story

Instructions:  

• You’ll get three sets of paper: the test, a sheet to mark your answers, and paper for note-taking.
• Before the test begins, you’ll hear the explanation, instructions, and be given a sample question. 
• Once the test begins, you’ll hear a conversation or story, followed by questions and four choices. You’ll hear the story/conversation, questions, and choices only once.

2- Reading Section 

Duration: 60 minutes

Number of questions: 

• 50 multiple-choice questions
• Part 1: 1-3 signs and short announcements
• Part 2: 2-3 medium-length announcements 
• Part 3: 2-3 news excerpts, event descriptions, medium-length documentaries, or academic articles
• Part 4: 1-2 conversations about opinion expression 
• Part 5: 1 news critique, editorial, or academic article

Skills and competencies needed:  

• Be able to understand a story, as well as punctuation and numbers used in daily life
• Be able to understand the reference in a story
• Be able to comprehend and summarize a story
• Be able to analyze a story
• Be able to understand the story and analyze it based on knowledge of Thai society and culture

Instructions:  

• You’ll get two sets of paper: the test and the answer sheet.
• There’s no time limit for each part, so you can allocate time for the five parts yourself.

3- Writing Section 

Duration: 60 minutes

Number of questions: Write one essay to express your opinion on a given topic.

Skills and competencies needed: 

• Be able to understand a story, as well as punctuation and numbers used in daily life
• Be able to write as requested 
• Be able to spell and punctuate, use vocabulary and sentence structure, and choose the appropriate language level
• Know the types of articles and their structures
• Be able to use proper written Thai with the audience in mind
• Be able to use daily-life idioms

Instructions: You’ll get two sets of paper: the test and the answer sheet.

4- Speaking Section 

Duration: 40 minutes

Number of questions:  

• An unknown number of questions, divided into three parts
• Part 1: Have conversations with the tester
• Part 2: Report and express your opinion (speak alone) 
• Part 3: Interview the tester and summarize information

Skills and competencies needed:  

• Be able to pronounce correctly, choose the proper words, idioms, and sentence structures, and respond to the examiner
• Be able to use the right language level for the situation and audience
• Be able to have a fluent conversation 
• Be able to express your opinion on various topics
• Be able to ask for information about the assigned topic
• Be able to summarize information

Instructions:  

• You will be recorded during the test.
• There will be only one applicant per test.
• The tester is an educated Thai person who uses Thai as their native language.

3. Tips on Preparing for a Thai Proficiency Exam

To do well on any Thai language exam, you need to practice a lot! Below, we’ve outlined a few ways you can do this effectively. 

1 – Read signs, announcements, news excerpts, and articles in Thai.

If you live in Thailand, pay attention to the signs, announcements, snippets of news, and articles around you.  These are a part of everyday life in Thailand, so they’ll definitely be included on the test. We suggest that whenever you see a sign, you learn what it means and think about where else you might find it. This will significantly help you in the reading and listening sections.

 2 – Watch a variety of shows and dramas in Thai.

To improve your listening and speaking skills, you need to be able to understand how Thais speak in daily life. One of the best ways to do so is to watch a variety of Thai shows and dramas. This is a fun activity that allows you to watch media that fits your interests! 

You’ll be able to hear the accent of native Thai speakers and become more familiar with Thai sentence structure. This will, in turn, help you improve your own speaking skills. 

You’ll also get to know more about Thai society and culture, which will indirectly help you understand more about Thai people, leading to a better test score. Nowadays, you can watch a variety of shows and dramas online on YouTube, on live TV, on Thai Netflix, and more. 

3 – Study the basic Thai social norms, and learn about the society and culture.

To do well on your Thai competency test, you need to understand some of the Thai social norms, as well as the society and culture. You can learn about these topics in various ways, such as watching shows (like we mentioned above), talking to Thai people, and reading related books.

4 -Talk to Thai people about various topics.

As mentioned above, talking to Thai people can help you learn about Thai social norms, society, and culture.  But the benefits don’t end there! Talking to Thai people will help you learn how to express your opinions more fluently; this will give you a huge advantage when it comes time for the speaking portion of the test. Also, the more you make conversation, the better your speaking and listening skills will become.

5 – Practice writing about different topics in Thai.

To do well in the writing section, you have to practice a lot. On the test, you’ll be asked to write one article that expresses your opinion on a given topic, so you need to practice writing about various topics. In addition, you’ll need to learn related vocabulary and sentence structures to write a good essay.

6 – Do a lot of test exercises.

Last but not least, you need to do a lot of test exercises. Like with every other test, practicing helps you do better. By doing a CU-TFL test sample, you’ll become more familiar with the questions, work on allocating your time better, and finish the real test more efficiently. You can buy a CU-TFL book to do Thai language practice tests, or download the test example from the manual.

4. Conclusion

We hope that after reading this complete guide to the CU-TFL Thai language proficiency test, you have a better idea of how to pass it with flying colors. Please let us know your thoughts about the CU-TFL in the comments, and let us know if you have any questions. 

And don’t forget to check out other interesting lessons on ThaiPod101.com. We have tons of lessons on the Thai language, culture, and traditions that you should take a look at! We recommend our lessons about the New Year resolutions of Thai people and talking about family in Thai. 

When you learn any language, knowing its basic sentence patterns helps you get a grip of the language as a whole, and allows you to communicate more effectively. So if you’re a Thai learner and don’t know how to form sentences in Thai yet, knowing certain Thai sentence structures and patterns is like a shortcut to creating your own sentences.  

In this lesson, we’ll teach you common Thai sentence patterns that you can use in daily life. While there are various types of sentence patterns in the Thai language, we’ll focus on just ten patterns with examples. Also keep in mind that we won’t be focusing on the tenses today. 

Let’s get started!

Table of Contents

1. Linking Two Nouns: A is B
2. Describing Nouns: A is [Adjective]
3. [Subject] Wants / Needs
4. [Subject] has to [Verb]
5. [Subject] Likes [Noun/Verb]
6. Please…
7. May I? / Can I?
8. What is…?
9. When is…?
10. Where is…?
11. Conclusion

1. Linking Two Nouns: A is B

Before we give you our list of Thai sentence patterns, we think you should know some basic vocabulary:  

• รูปแบบประโยค (rûup-bàaep-bprà-yòok) is “sentence pattern”
• รูปแบบ (rûup-bàaep) is “pattern” 
• ประโยค (bprà-yòok) is “sentence” 

The first simple Thai sentence pattern you should know is “A is B,” which is used for linking two nouns. Below are some examples of this Thai sentence structure.

Sentence structure: 
A + เป็น (bpen) + B
A + คือ (khuue) + B

Explanation:  

เป็น (bpen), อยู่ (yùu), and คือ (khuue) are used for the verb “to be” in Thai. While they all refer to the same verb, เป็น (bpen), อยู่ (yùu), and คือ (khuue) have different meanings, are used in different situations, and can’t substitute one another.  

• เป็น (bpen) is used to explain what A is. The information used to explain A can include things such as a person’s job or marital status.
• อยู่ (yùu) is used to explain where A is. So in this case, B is the place.
• คือ (khuue) is used to explain what A is. The information used to explain A is either a fact/status that doesn’t change, or information that other parties don’t know.

Because เป็น (bpen) and คือ (khuue) seem pretty similar, it can be difficult to decide which one to use in a given scenario. Even Thai people find this hard; they can use it correctly, but can’t explain why. Let’s look at some Thai example sentences to help you understand better.  

Example 1:  
แม่เป็นครู
mâae-bpen-khruu
“Mom is a teacher.”

Mom is a teacher.

Example 2:  
แก้วเป็นสาวโสด
gâaew-bpen-sǎao-sòot
“Kaew is a single lady.”

Example 3:  
ฤทธิเป็นคนที่ไม่เก่งเลขเลย
rít-bpen-khon-thîi-mâi-gèng-lêek-looei
“Rit is a person who is not good at math.”

Example 4:  
ตอนนี้รัตน์อยู่ที่นี่
dtaawn-níi-rát-yùu-thîi-nîi
“Rat is here now.”

Example 5:  
กระเป๋าอยู่บนโต๊ะทานอาหาร
grà-bpǎo-yùu-bon-dtó-thaan-aa-hǎan
“The bag is on the dining table.”

Example 6:  
หมีแพนด้าอยู่ในสวนสัตว์ที่เชียงใหม่
mǐi-phaaen-dâa-yùu-nai-sǔuan-sàt-thîi-chiiang-mài
“Pandas are in the zoo at Chaingmai.”

Example 7:  
ที่นี่คือโรงพยาบาลที่ใหญ่ที่สุดในจังหวัด
thîi-nîi-khuue-roong-phá-yaa-baan-thîi-yài-thîi-sùt-nai-jang-wàt
“Here is the largest hospital in the province.”

Here is the largest hospital in the province.

Example 8:  
ลัดดาคือเพื่อนที่ดีที่สุดของฉัน
lát-daa-khuue-phûuean-thîi-dii-thîi-sùt-khǎawng-chǎn
“Ladda is my best friend.”

Example 9:  
ผลไม้ที่พ่อชอบกินที่สุดคือแตงโม
phǒn-lá-mái-thîi-phâaw-châawp-gin-thîi-sùt-khuue-dtaaeng-moo
“Dad’s favorite fruit is watermelon.”

2. Describing Nouns: A is [Adjective]

Another Thai sentence construction you should know is “A is [Adjective].” This is a very easy Thai sentence pattern, used to describe nouns with adjectives. Let’s take a look.

Sentence structure:  

Noun + Adjective

Explanation:  

If you want to describe a noun, all you have to do is put the adjective after that noun.

Example 1:  
กานดาสูงและผอม
gaan-daa-sǔung-láe-phǎawm
“Ganda is tall and slim.”

Example 2:  
เก้าอี้ไม้ตัวนั้นราคาแพงมาก
gâo-îi-mái-dtuua-nán-raa-khaa-phaaeng-mâak
“That wooden chair is very expensive.”

Example 3:  
มะระสีเขียวและมีรสขม
má-rá-mii-sǐi-khǐiao-láe-mii-rót-khǒm
“Bitter melon is green and bitter.”

Additional note:  

มะระ (má-rá) is “bitter melon” in Thai. It’s one of the fruits that Thai people like to eat.

3. [Subject] Wants / Needs

Some of the most useful Thai phrases are those for expressing “want” and “need.” There are a few different Thai sentence patterns you should remember for this.

Sentence structure:  
subject + ต้องการ (dtâawng-gaan) + noun / verb
subject + อยาก (yàak) + verb
subject + อยากได้ (yàak-dâi) + noun 

Explanation:  

ต้องการ (dtâawng-gaan), อยาก (yàak), and อยากได้ (yàak-dâi) mean both “want” and “need” in Thai, and can substitute one another.

However, ต้องการ (dtâawng-gaan) sounds more formal than อยาก (yàak) and อยากได้ (yàak-dâi). Thai people often use ต้องการ (dtâawng-gaan) in formal situations, and อยาก (yàak) and อยากได้ (yàak-dâi) in casual conversations.  

To express your wants and needs, you can use any of the structures above. Here are a few Thai sentence examples for you.

Example 1:  
คุณครูต้องการคอมพิวเตอร์เครื่องใหม่
khun-khruu-dtâawng-gaan-khaawm-phíu-dtôoe-khrûueng-mài
“The teachers want a new computer.”

Example 2:  
โรงพยาบาลต้องการจ้างนางพยาบาลเพิ่ม
roong-phá-yaa-baan-dtâawng-gaan-jâang-naang-phá-yaa-baan-phôoem
“The hospital wants to hire more nurses.”

Example 3:  
เธอต้องการอะไรเพิ่มมั๊ย
thooe-dtâawng-gaan-à-rai-phôoem-mái
“Do you want anything more?”

Example 4:  
น้ำตาลอยากไปเที่ยวหัวหิน
nám-dtaan-yàak-bpai-thîiao-hǔua-hǐn
“Namtan wants to go to Huahin.”

Example 5:  
แม่อยากลองทำเค้กสูตรใหม่
mâae-yàak-laawng-tham-khéek-sùut-mài
“Mom wants to try a new cake recipe.”

Mom wants to try a new cake recipe.

Example 6:  
มินท์อยากแต่งงานก่อนอายุ 30 ปี
mín-yàak-dtàaeng-ngaan-gàawn-aa-yú-sǎam-sìp
“Mint wants to get married before she is 30 years old.”

Example 7:  
ฉันอยากได้รองเท้าคู่ใหม่
chǎn-yàak-dâi-raawng-tháo-khûu-mài
“I want a new pair of shoes.”

Example 8:  
รพีไม่อยากได้งานเพิ่ม
rá-phii-mâi-yàak-dâi-ngaan-phôoem
“Rapee doesn’t want more jobs.”

Example 9:  
มีใครอยากได้ชาเพิ่มมั๊ย
mii-khrai-yàak-dâi-chaa-phôoem-mái
“Anyone want more tea?”

4. [Subject] has to [Verb] 

Another basic Thai sentence pattern you should know is “I have …”.  You can use this Thai sentence pattern to express what you have to do.

Sentence structure:  

Subject + ต้อง (dtâawng) + Verb

Explanation:  

This type of sentence in Thai is pretty easy and straightforward. You just put the subject, followed by ต้อง (dtâawng), which means “must” or “have to” in Thai, and then the verb.

Example 1:  
เธอต้องออกจากบ้านเดี๋ยวนี้ ไม่งั้นจะสาย
thooe-dtâawng-àawk-jàak-bâan-dǐiao-níi mâi-ngán-jà-sǎai
“You have to leave now or else you will be late.”

Example 2:  
ยายต้องกินยาก่อนนอนทุกวัน
yaai-dtâawng-gin-yaa-gàawn-naawn-thúuk-wan
“Grandma has to take medicine before bed every day.”

Example 3:  
วรรณาต้องไปเชียงรายพรุ่งนี้
wan-naa-dtâawng-bpai-chiiang-raai-phrûng-níi
“Wanna has to go to Chiangrai tomorrow.”

5. [Subject] Likes [Noun/Verb] 

Another common Thai language sentence structure is that for expressing likes and preferences. It’s one of the most basic Thai sentence patterns you can use to talk about your favorite things and activities.

Sentence structure:  

Subject + ชอบ (châawp) + Noun / Verb

Explanation:  

ชอบ (châawp) is “like” in Thai. To use this sentence pattern, you put the subject, followed by ชอบ (châawp), and then the noun or verb.

Example 1:  
แม่ชอบกินแก้วมังกร
mâae-châawp-gin-gâaeo-mang-gaawn
“Mom likes to eat dragon fruits.”

Example 2:  
นภาชอบสีชมพู
ná-phaa-châawp-sǐi-chom-phuu
“Napa likes pink.”

Napa likes pink.

Example 3:  
ตุ้มไม่ชอบดูหนังผี
dtûm-mâi-châawp-duu-nǎng-phǐi
“Tum doesn’t like scary movies.”

6. Please… 

The next basic Thai sentence structure we’ll show you is used to politely ask someone to do something. There are two Thai sentence patterns you need to know.

Sentence structure:  
กรุณา (gà-rú-naa) + Verb 
ช่วย (chûuai) + Verb 

Explanation:  

Thai people use กรุณา (gà-rú-naa) and ช่วย (chûuai) when they want to ask others to do something. กรุณา (gà-rú-naa) and ช่วย (chûuai) are pretty much the same, except กรุณา (gà-rú-naa) is used in formal situations while ช่วย (chûuai) is more often used in casual conversations.

Example 1:  
กรุณาถอดรองเท้าก่อนเข้าห้อง
gà-rú-naa-thàawt-raawng-tháo-gàawn-khâo-hâawng
“Please take off your shoes before entering the room.”

Example 2:  
กรุณาอย่าส่งเสียงดัง
gà-rú-naa-yàa-sòng-sǐiang-dang
“Please don’t make loud noises.”

Example 3:  
กรุณาให้ความร่วมมือกับเจ้าหน้าที่
gà-rú-naa-hâi-khwaam-rûuam-muue-gàp-jâo-nâa-thîi
“Please cooperate with our staff.”

Example 4:  
ช่วยฉันทำความสะอาดห้องหน่อย
chûuai-chǎn-tham-khaawm-sà-àat-hâawng-nàauy
“Please help me clean the room.”

Example 5:  
ช่วยเงียบหน่อย
chûuai-ngîiap-nàauy
“Please be quiet.”

Please be quiet.

Example 6:  
ช่วยเดินเร็ว ๆ หน่อย
chûuai-dooen-reo-reo-nòi
“Please walk faster.”

7. May I? / Can I?

This sentence pattern in Thai is used to ask for permission. However, this is considered an imperfect sentence because Thai people leave the word “may” or “can” out.

Sentence structure:  

ขอ (khǎaw) + Verb + ได้มั้ย (dâi-mái)

Explanation:  

This Thai sentence pattern is quite different from its  English counterpart. This is because there is no ฉัน (chǎn), which is “I” in Thai, in the sentence.    

You start the sentence with ขอ (khǎaw), which means “ask.” Next, you put the verb, followed by ได้มั้ย (dâi-mái), which is used to make a permission question in Thai.

Example 1:  
ขอเข้าไปได้มั้ย
khǎaw-khâo-bpai-dâi-mái
“May I come in?”

Example 2:  
ขอยืมหนังสือเล่มนั้นได้มั้ย
khǎaw-yuuem-nǎng-sǔue-lêm-nán-dâi-mái
“Can I borrow that book?”

Can I borrow that book?

Example 3:  
ขอไปดูหนังกับเพื่อนวันเสาร์นี้ได้มั้ย
khǎaw-bpai-duu-nǎng-gàp-phûuen-wan-sǎo-níi-dâi-mái
“Can I go see the movie with my friend this Saturday?”

8. What is…? 

Another useful Thai sentence pattern you should learn is “What is…?” You can use this sentence pattern in Thai to ask for information about something.

Sentence structure:  

… + คือ (khuue) + อะไร (à-rai) 

Explanation:  

As mentioned earlier, คือ (khuue) is one of the words for the verb “to be” in Thai. Also note that อะไร (à-rai) is “what.”  

You may notice that Thai people use คือ (khuue), not เป็น (bpen), in this sentence structure. This is because you’re asking for information you don’t know.

Example 1:  
นี่คืออะไร
nîi-khuue-à-rai
“What is this?”

Example 2:  
อาหารที่เราสั่งครั้งที่แล้วคืออะไร
aa-hǎan-thîi-rao-sàng-khráng-thîi-láaeo-khuue-à-rai
“What is the food we ordered last time?”

Example 3:  
เครื่องดื่มที่คุณชอบคืออะไร
khrûueng-dùuem-thîi-khun-châawp-khuue-à-rai
“What is your favorite drink?”

9. When is…? 

Now that you’ve learned the “What is …?” sentence structure, it makes sense to learn the “When is…?” structure as well. With this structure, you can make Thai phrases for asking about the time.

Sentence structure:  

… + เมื่อไหร่ (mûuea-rài)

Explanation:  

เมื่อไหร่ (mûuea-rài) is “when” in Thai. You put the event that you want to know the time of, followed by เมื่อไหร่ (mûue-rài).

Example 1:  
ประชุมเมื่อไหร่
bprà-chum-mûuea-rài
“When is the meeting?”

Example 2:  
เธอจะเริ่มทำงานเมื่อไหร่
thooe-jà-rôoem-tham-ngan-mûuea-rài
“When will you start working?”

Example 3:  
ตาลจะมาถึงเมื่อไหร่
dtaan-jà-ma-thǔeng-mûuea-rài
“When will Tarn arrive?”

10. Where is…? 

You can now ask for more information and about the time. In this section, we’ll also teach you how to ask about location. This is one of those basic Thai phrases you’ll use all the time! 

Sentence structure:  
Place + อยู่ที่ไหน (yùu-thîi-nǎi)
Place + ไปทางไหน (bpai-thaang-nǎi)

Explanation:  

Both of the structures above are pretty similar to each other, and are used to ask about location. The first one is the Thai translation sentence pattern of “Where is …?”  The other is closer to: “How to go to …?”

Example 1:  
ห้องน้ำอยู่ที่ไหน
hâawng-nám-yùu-thîi-nǎi
“Where is the toilet?”

Where is the toilet?

Example 2:  
บ้านของเธออยู่ที่ไหน
bâan-khǎawng-thooe-yùu-thîi-nǎi
“Where is your house?”

Example 3:  
ภูเขาที่สูงที่สุดในไทยอยู่ที่ไหน
phuu-khǎo-thîi-sǔung-thîi-sùt-nai-thai-yùu-thîi-nǎi
“Where is the highest mountain in Thailand?”

Example 4:  
จุดชมวิวไปทางไหน
jùt-chom-wiu-bpai-thaang-nǎi
“How to go to the viewpoint?”

Example 5:  
สถานีตำรวจที่ใกล้ที่สุดไปทางไหน
sà-thǎa-nii-dtam-rùuat-thîi-glâi-thîi-sùt-bpai-thaang-nǎi
“How to go to the nearest police station?”

Example 6:  
ประชาสัมพันธ์ไปทางไหน
bprà-chaa-sǎm-phan-bpai-thaang-nǎi
“How to go to the information center?”

11. Conclusion

The lesson has finally come to an end, and you’ve already learned ten useful Thai sentence patterns for everyday use! We hope they’re not too hard for you, but remember that it may take a while to memorize all of them. Using a variety of Thai sentence patterns in daily conversations will help you get familiar with them; eventually, you’ll be able to use them with great fluency.  

Are there any specific topics you want to learn about in future articles? Leave us a comment to let us know! If you have no clue what you want to learn next, we have a list of fun lessons for you at ThaiPod101.com, so don’t forget to check it out.  

If you want to know more about sentence structure in Thai, our word order article is a great place to expand your knowledge. However, if that’s too serious a lesson for you, what about listening to a conversation about Thai tea and a date? Our lesson about ordering food at restaurants is also an interesting choice.

Happy learning!

You asked, so we provided—easy-to-follow instructions on how to set up your electronic devices to write in Thai! We’ll also give you a few excellent tips on how to use this keyboard, as well as some online and app alternatives if you prefer not to set up a Thai keyboard.

Table of Contents

1. Why it’s Important to Learn to Type in Thai
2. Setting up Your Computer and Mobile Devices for Thai
3. How to Activate an Onscreen Keyboard on Your Computer
4. How to Change the Language Settings to Thai on Your Computer
5. Activating the Thai Keyboard on Your Mobile Phone and Tablet
6. Thai Keyboard Typing Tips
7. How to Practice Typing Thai

1. Why it’s Important to Learn to Type in Thai

Learning a new language is made so much easier when you’re able to read and write/type it. This way, you will:

• Get the most out of any dictionary and Thai language apps on your devices
• Expand your ability to find Thai websites and use the various search engines
• Be able to communicate much better online with your Thai teachers and friends, and look super cool in the process! 

2. Setting up Your Computer and Mobile Devices for Thai

It takes only a few steps to set up any of your devices to read and type in Thai. It’s super-easy on your mobile phone and tablet, and a simple process on your computer.

On your computer, you’ll first activate the onscreen keyboard to work with. You’ll only be using your mouse or touchpad/pointer for this keyboard. Then, you’ll need to change the language setting to Thai, so all text will appear in Thai. You could also opt to use online keyboards instead. Read on for the links!

On your mobile devices, it’s even easier—you only have to change the keyboard. We also provide a few alternatives in the form of online keyboards and downloadable apps.

3. How to Activate an Onscreen Keyboard on Your Computer

1- Mac

1. Go to System Preferences > Keyboard.

2. Check the option “Show Keyboard & Character Viewers in Menu Bar.”

3. You’ll see a new icon on the right side of the main bar; click on it and select “Show Keyboard Viewer.”

2- Windows

1. Go to Start > Settings > Easy Access > Keyboard.

2. Turn on the option for “Onscreen Keyboard.”

3- Online Keyboards

If you don’t want to activate your computer’s onscreen keyboard, you also have the option to use online keyboards. Here are some good options:

• Branah
• Gate2Home
• Thai-Kedmanee online keyboard

4- Add-ons of Extensions for Browsers

Instead of an online keyboard, you could also choose to download a Google extension to your browser for a language input tool. The Google Input Tools extension allows users to use input tools in Chrome web pages, for example.

4. How to Change the Language Settings to Thai on Your Computer

Now that you’re all set to work with an onscreen keyboard on your computer, it’s time to download the Thai language pack for your operating system of choice:

• Windows 8 (and higher)
• Windows 7
• Mac (OS X and higher)

1- Windows 8 (and higher)

1. Go to “Settings” > “Change PC Settings” > “Time & Language” > “Region & Language.”
2. Click on “Add a Language” and select “Thai.” This will add it to your list of languages. It will appear as ไทย with the note “language pack available.”
3. Click on “ไทย” > “Options” > “Download.” It’ll take a few minutes to download and install the language pack.
4. As a keyboard layout, you’ll only need the one marked as “Thai – ไทย.” You can ignore other keyboard layouts.

2- Windows 7

1. Go to Start > Control Panel > Clock, Language, and Region.

2. On the “Region and Language” option, click on “Change Keyboards or Other Input Methods.”

3. On the “Keyboards and Languages” tab, click on “Change Keyboards” > “Add” > “Thai.”

4. Expand the option of “Thai” and then expand the option “Keyboard.” Select the keyboard layout marked as “Thai.” You can ignore other keyboard layouts. Click “OK” and then “Apply.”

3- Mac (OS X and higher)

If you can’t see the language listed, please make sure to select the right option from System Preferences > Language and Region

1. From the Apple Menu (top left corner of the screen) go to System Preferences > Keyboard.

2. Click the Input Sources tab and a list of available keyboards and input methods will appear.

3. Click on the plus button, select “Thai,” and add the “Thai” keyboard.

5. Activating the Thai Keyboard on Your Mobile Phone and Tablet

Texting and searching in Thai will greatly help you master the language! Adding a Thai keyboard on your mobile phone and/or tablet is super-easy.

You could also opt to download an app instead of adding a keyboard. Read on for our suggestions.

Below are the instructions for both iOS and Android mobile phones and tablets.

1- iOS

1. Go to Settings > General > Keyboard.

2. Tap “Keyboards” and then “Add New Keyboard.”

3. Select “Thai” from the list.

4. When typing, you can switch between languages by tapping and holding on the icon to reveal the keyboard language menu.

2- Android

1. Go to Settings > General Management > Language and Input > On-screen Keyboard (or “Virtual Keyboard” on some devices) > Samsung Keyboard.

2. Tap “Language and Types” or “ + Select Input Languages” depending on the device and then “MANAGE INPUT LANGUAGES” if available.

3. Select “ไทย” from the list.

4. When typing, you can switch between languages by swiping the space bar.

3- Applications for Mobile Phones

If you don’t want to add a keyboard on your mobile phone or tablet, these are a few good apps to consider:

• 9420 Thai Keyboard
• Keyboard ManMan
• Gboard

6. Thai Keyboard Typing Tips

Typing in Thai can be very challenging at first! Therefore, we added here a few useful tips to make it easier to use your Thai keyboard.

1- Computer

• Thai keyboards are quite simple because Thai’s consonants, vowels, and tone marks are all included on the keyboard (with Shift and without Shift). To increase typing speed, it’s suggested to remember the location of each Thai letter on the keyboard.
• There are two layouts of the Thai keyboard called “Ketmanee” and “Pattachote.” However, in 1988, TISI (Thai Industrial Standards Institute) announced that the Ketmanee layout is the standard layout for computers.

2- Mobile Phones

• There are two types of keyboard layouts for mobile: the QWERTY keyboard and the 3×4 keyboard. People mostly use the QWERTY layout as it’s similar to a PC keyboard.

7. How to Practice Typing Thai

As you probably know by now, learning Thai is all about practice, practice, and more practice! Strengthen your Thai typing skills by writing comments on any of our lesson pages, and our teacher will answer. If you’re a ThaiPod101 Premium PLUS member, you can directly text our teacher via the My Teacher app—use your Thai keyboard to do this!

How many actions do you think you do in a day? That number reflects the importance of knowing a language’s verbs for effective communication. 

In this article, you’ll learn 100 Thai verbs that every beginner needs to know. Further, we’ll teach you a little bit about the grammar and usage of these verbs through examples. We believe you’ll be very happy to hear that this is a simple and easy topic!

Is there subject-verb agreement in Thai? What about Thai verb conjugation? The answer to both is a resounding “No!” Thai people use the same form of verbs regardless of the subject.  

Are there Thai verb tenses for present, future, and past? The answer is no. Thai people use the same verb forms regardless of the time.  

So you can see now that this lesson will mainly focus on vocabulary. Basically all you need to worry about is memorizing our Thai verbs list! 
We’ll start this lesson with basic information about Thai verbs, followed by our list of the most useful Thai verbs for beginners. Then, you’ll also get to learn about auxiliary verbs in Thai, and other verbs that are important to know for easy communication.

Table of Contents

1. Basic Information About Thai Verbs
2. Intransitive Verbs
3. Transitive Verbs
4. The Verb “To Be”
5. Helping Verbs
6. Conclusion

1. Basic Information About Thai Verbs

คำกริยา (kham-gà-rí-yaa) is “verb” in Thai. Before we present to you our list of Thai verbs, we thought it would be nice to give you an explanation about verb types in the Thai language, as well as how to use verbs in a sentence.

1- Verb Types 

There are four types of verbs in the Thai language, listed below. A detailed explanation of each type will be explained in the following sections.

• อกรรมกริยา (à-gam-gà-rí-yaa) is “intransitive verbs” in Thai.
• สกรรมกริยา (sà-gam-gà-rí-yaa) is “transitive verbs” in Thai.
• วิกตรรถกริยา (ví-gà-dtàt-thà-gà-rí-yaa) is “verb to be” in Thai.
• กริยานุเคราะห์ (gà-rí-yaa-nú-khráw) is “helping verb” or “auxiliary verb” in Thai.

2- Thai Verbs in a Sentence

As mentioned above, there’s no change in Thai verb form, so you don’t have to learn about Thai verb conjugation. Still, we’ll give you a basic idea of how verbs are used in Thai sentence structure.

• Affirmative sentence: subject + verb + object (if any)
• Negative sentence: subject + ไม่ (mâi) which is “no” in Thai + verb + object (if any)
• Question: Add a question word to the sentence; no change in verb.

In the following sections, we present to you the most essential Thai verbs with examples. 

2. Intransitive Verbs

อกรรมกริยา (à-gam-gà-rí-yaa) is “intransitive verbs” in Thai. These are verbs that are able to make a sentence complete without the use of an object. Below is a list of Thai intransitive verbs that are often used in daily life.

1- Walk

เดิน (dooen) 

Example:  

ยายเดินไปตลาดทุกเช้า

yaai-dooen-bpai-dtà-làat-thúk-cháo

“My grandmother walks to the market every morning.”

2- Run 

วิ่ง (wîng) 

Example:  

เธอวิ่งเพื่อลดความอ้วนทุกวัน

thooe-wîng-phûuea-lót-khwaam-ûuan-thúk-wan

“She runs everyday to lose weight.”

3- Stand 

ยืน (yuuen) 

Example:  

ฉันยืนรอเธอนานมาก

chǎn-yuuen-raaw-thooe-naan-mâak

“I have been standing here, waiting for you for ages.”

4- Sit 

นั่ง (nâng) 

Example:  

ตาอายุมากแล้ว พอนั่งนาน ๆ ก็ปวดหลัง

dtaa-aa-yú-mâak-láaew phaaw-nâng-naan-naan-gâaw-bpùuat-lǎng

“My grandpa is quite old. If he sits for a long time, his back hurts.”

5- Jump 

กระโดด (gra-doot) 

Example:  

พี่ชายฉันขายาว เลยกระโดดได้ไกล

phîi-chaai-chǎn-khǎa-yaao looei-grà-dòot-dâi-glai

“My older brother can jump far because of his long legs.”

6- Fly 

บิน (bin) 

Example:  

ทำไมนกตัวนั้นบินไม่ได้

tham-mai-nók-dtuua-nán-bin-mâi-dâi

“Why can’t that bird fly?”

7- Kneel

คุกเข่า (khúk-khào) 

Example:  

เขาคุกเข่าขอแฟนแต่งงาน

Khǎo-khúk-khào-khǎaw-faaen-dtàaeng-ngaan

“He kneeled, then asked his girlfriend to marry him.”

8- Wake up

ตื่นนอน (dtùuen-naawn);  ตื่น (dtùuen)

Example 1:  

วันนี้เธอตื่นนอนกี่โมง

wan-níi-thooe-dtùuen-naawn-gìi-moong

“What time did you wake up today?”

Example 2:  

วันนี้ฉันตื่นสาย

wan-níi-chǎn-dtùuen-sǎai

“Today, I woke up late.”

Additional Note: ตื่นนอน (dtùuen-naawn) and ตื่น (dtùuen) have exactly the same meaning. However, ตื่นนอน (dtùuen-naawn) is a bit more formal than ตื่น (dtùuen).

9- Sleep 

นอน (naawn) 

Example: 

เมื่อคืนแม่นอนไม่หลับ

mûuea-khuuen-mâae-naawn-mâi-làp

“Mom couldn’t sleep last night.”

10- Nap 

งีบ (ngîip) 

Example: 

ถ้าง่วง ก็งีบสัก 15 นาทีสิ

thâa-ngûuang gâaw-ngîip-sák-sìp-hâa-naa-thii-sì

“If you are sleepy, take a nap for 15 minutes.”

11- Yawn 

หาว (hǎao) 

Example: 

ดูท่าทางน้องจะง่วงแล้วนะ หาวไม่หยุดเลย

duu-thâa-thaang-náawng-jà-ngûuang-láaew-ná hǎao-mâi-yhùt-looei

“Looks like she is sleepy; she has been yawning many times for a while now.”

12- Snore 

กรน (gron) 

Example: 

พ่อนอนกรนเสียงดัง

phâaw-naawn-gron-sǐiang-dang

“Dad snores loudly.”

13- Sleepwalking 

ละเมอ (lá-mooe) 

Example: 

หลานชายของฉันนอนละเมอบ่อย ๆ 

lǎan-chaai-khǎawng-chǎn-naawn-lá-mooe-bàauy-bàauy

“My nephew sleepwalks often.”

14- Dream 

ฝัน (fǎn) 

Example: 

เมื่อคืนฉันฝันดีมาก 

mûuea-khuuen-chǎn-fǎn-dii-mâak

“I dreamed very well (had a good dream) last night.”

15- Speak 

พูด (phûut) 

Example: 

ช่วยพูดเสียงดัง ๆ หน่อย ฉันไม่ได้ยิน

chûuai-phûut-sǐiang-dang-dang-nàauy chǎn-mâi-dâi-yin

“Please speak loudly, I can’t hear you.”

16- Smile

ยิ้ม (yím) 

Example: 

พอยิ้มแล้ว เธอดูน่ารักมาก

phaaw-yím-láaew thooe-duu-nâa-rák-mâak

“You look very pretty when you smile.”

17- Laugh

หัวเราะ (hǔa-ráw) 

Example: 

หัวเราะอะไรกันอยู่

hǔa-ráw-à-rai-gan-yhùu

“What are you laughing at?”

18- Cry 

ร้องไห้ (ráawng-hâi) 

Example: 

เด็กคนนั้นร้องไห้เสียงดังเพราะตุ๊กตาหาย

dèk-khon-nán-ráawng-hâi-sǐiang-dang-phráw-dtúk-gà-dtaa-hǎai

“That child cried loudly because she lost her doll.”

19- Hiccup

สะอึก (sà-ùek) 

Example: 

ต้องทำยังไงถึงจะหยุดสะอึก

dtâawng-tham-yang-ngai-thǔng-jà-yhùt-sà-ùek

“What should I do to stop hiccuping?”

20- Sneeze

จาม (jaam) 

Example: 

เธอจามไม่หยุดเลย ไม่สบายเหรอ

thooe-jaam-mâi-yhùt-looei mâi-sà-baai-rǒoe

“You have been sneezing, are you sick?”

21- Lie 

โกหก (goo-hok) 

Example: 

อย่าโกหกฉันนะ

yhàa-goo-hòk-chǎn-ná

“Don’t lie to me.”

22- Work 

ทำงาน (tham-ngaan) 

Example: 

พนักงานใหม่คนนั้นทำงานดีมาก

phá-nák-ngaan-mài-khon-nán-tham-ngaan-dii-mâak

“That new employee works very well.”

23- Take a bath 

อาบน้ำ (àap-nám) 

Example:  

พออาบน้ำแล้วฉันก็รู้สึกสดชื่น

phaaw-àap-nám-láaew-chǎn-gâaw-rúu-sùek-sòt-chûuen

“I feel fresh after taking a bath.”

24- Shampoo

สระผม (sà-phǒm) 

Example:  

พ่อสระผมทุกวัน

phâaw-sà-phǒm-thúk-wan

“Dad shampoos his hair everyday.”

25- Fall 

ตก (dtòk) 

Example:  

แมวตกจากต้นไม้

maaeo-dtòk-jàak-dtôn-mái

“The cat fell from the tree.”

26- Float 

ลอย (laauy) 

Example:  

ทำไมเรือถึงลอยอยู่กลางน้ำได้

tham-mai-ruuea-thǔeng-laauy-yhùu-glaang-nám-dâi

“Why do ships float on the water?”

27- Swim 

ว่ายน้ำ (wâai-nám) 

Example:  

เด็ก ๆ ชอบว่ายน้ำ

dèk-dèk-châawp-wâai-nám

“Children like to swim.”

28- Go 

ไป (bpai) 

Example:  

ลุงออกไปไหนเมื่อเช้านี้

lung-àawk-bpai-nǎi-mûuea-cháo-níi

“Where did Uncle go this morning?”

29- Come

มา (maa) 

Example:  

มานี่หน่อย  ฉันอยากได้คนช่วย

maa-nîi-nàauy chǎn-yàak-dâi-khon-chûuai

“Come here, I need help.”

30- (Get) Sick

ป่วย (bpùuai) 

Example:  

อย่าตากฝน เดี๋ยวป่วย

yhàa-dtàak-fǒn dǐiao-bpùuai

“Don’t stay in the rain or you will get sick.”

31- Dance

เต้น (dtên) 

Example:  

นักร้องคนนั้นเต้นเก่งมาก

nák-ráawng-khon-nán-dtên-gèng-mâak

“That singer dances very well.”

32- Sing

ร้องเพลง (ráawng-pleeng) 

Example:  

แม่ร้องเพลงไปด้วย ขับรถไปด้วย

mâae-ráawng-pleeng-bpai-dûuai khàp-rót-bpai-dûuai

“Mom sings while driving.”

33- Pay respect

ไหว้ (wâai) 

Example:  

นักเรียนไหว้คุณครู

nák-riian-wâai-khun-khruu

“The student pays respect to the teacher.”

34- Born

เกิด (gooet) 

Example:  

เธอเกิดวันอังคาร

thooe-gòoet-wan-ang-khaan

“She was born on Tuesday.”

35- Die

ตาย (dtaai) 

Example:  

ตาของเขาตายเพราะอุบัติเหตุรถยนต์

dtaa-khǎawng-khǎo-dtaai-phráw-ù-bàt-thì-hèet-rót-yon

“His grandpa died because of a car accident.”

36- Swear 

สาบาน (sǎa-baan) 

Example:  

เขาสาบานว่าจะไม่โกหกอีก

khǎo-sǎa-baan-wâa-jà-mâi-gaaw-hòk-ìik

“He swears to never lie again.”

37- Greet

ทักทาย (thák-thaai) 

Example:  

คนไทยทักทายกันโดยการกล่าวสวัสดี

khon-thai-thák-thaai-gan-dooi-gaan-glàao-sà-wàt-dii

“Thai people greet each other by saying ‘hello.’”

38- Understand 

เข้าใจ (khâo-jai) 

Example:  

เธอเข้าใจที่ฉันพูดมั๊ย

thooe-khâo-jai-thîi-chǎn-phûut-mái

“Do you understand what I said?”

39- Breathe 

หายใจ (hǎai-jai) 

Example:  

กบหายใจใต้น้ำได้มั๊ย

gòp-hǎai-jai-dtâi-nám-dâi-mái

“Can frogs breathe underwater?”

40- Regret 

เสียใจ (sǐia-jai) 

Example:  

ฉันเสียใจที่ไม่ตั้งใจเรียนภาษาอังกฤษ

chǎn-sǐia-jai-thîi-mâi-dtâng-jai-riian-phaa-sǎa-ang-grìt

“I regret not paying attention in English class.”

41- Bark 

เห่า (hào) 

Example:  

หมาเห่าเสียงดัง

mhǎa-hào-sǐiang-dang

“The dog barks loudly.”

42- Agree 

เห็นด้วย (hěn-dûuai) 

Example:  

ฉันเห็นด้วยกับมติการประชุม

chǎn-hěn-dûuai-gàp-má-thì-gaan-bprà-chum

“I agree with the resolution.”

43- Exercise

ออกกำลังกาย (àawk-gam-lang-gaai) 

Example:  

ปู่ออกกำลังกายทุกวัน เลยสุขภาพดี

bpùu-àawk-gam-lang-gaai-thúk-wan looei-sùk-gà-phâap-dii

“My grandpa exercises everyday, so he is healthy.”

3. Transitive Verbs

สกรรมกริยา (sà-gam-gà-rí-yaa) is “transitive verbs” in Thai. These are verbs that can’t complete a sentence with their meaning alone; the sentence will require an object to be complete. Below is a list of Thai transitive verbs that are often used in everyday life.

44- Eat 

กิน (gin); ทาน (thaan); รับประทาน (ráp-bprà-thaan) 

Example 1:  

ฉันชอบกินก๋วยเตี๋ยว

chǎn-châawp-gin-gǔuai-dtǐiao

“I like to eat noodles.”

Example 2:  

เธอจะทานอะไร

thooe-jà-thaan-à-rai

“What do you want to eat?”

Example 3:  

เมื่อวานนี้ คุณแม่รับประทานอาหารไทยตอนเย็น

mûuea-waan-níi khun-mâae-ráp-bprà-thaan-aa-hǎan-thai-dtaawn-yen

“Yesterday, my mother ate Thai food in the evening.”

Additional Note: These three words have exactly the same meaning. However, among these three words, รับประทาน (ráp-bprà-thaan) is the most formal one, followed by ทาน (thaan) and กิน (gin), respectively.

45- Drink 

ดื่ม (dùuem) 

Example:  

ฉันชอบดื่มนมช็อคโกแลต

chǎn-châawp-dùuem-nom-cháawk-goo-láaet

“I like to drink chocolate milk.”

46- Boil 

ต้ม (dtôm) 

Example:  

เธอกำลังต้มไข่

thooe-gam-lang-dtôm-khài

“She is boiling the egg.”

47- Fry 

ทอด (thâawt) 

Example:  

เธอต้องรอให้น้ำมันร้อนก่อนทอดไก่

thooe-dtâawng-raaw-hâi-nám-man-ráawn-gàawn-thôot-gài

“You have to wait for the oil to be hot before frying chicken.”

48- Stir fry

ผัด (phàt) 

Example:  

ผัดผักอย่างไร

phàt-phàk-yàang-rai

“How do you stir fry vegetables?”

49- Heat up 

อุ่น (ùn) 

Example:  

ช่วยอุ่นนมให้หน่อย

chûuai-ùn-nom-hâi-nàauy

“Could you please heat up the milk?”

50- Chop 

สับ (sàp) 

Example:  

สับช็อคโกแลตให้เป็นชิ้นเล็ก ๆ

sàp-cháawk-goo-láaet-hâi-bpen-chín-lék-lék

“Chop the chocolate into small pieces.”

51- Slice 

หั่น (hàn) 

Example:  

แม่หั่นหมูได้บางมาก

mâae-hàn-mǔu-dâi-baang-mâak

“Mom slices pork very thinly.”

52- Peel 

ปอก (bpàawk) 

Example:  

ช่วยปอกเปลือกแอปเปิ้ลให้หน่อยได้มั๊ย

chûui-bpàawk-plùueak-áap-bpôoen-hâi-nàauy-dâi-mái

“Can you peel the apple for me?”

53- Wash (dishes)

ล้าง (láang) 

Example:  

วันนี้ใครจะล้างจาน

wan-níi-khrai-jà-láang-jaan

“Who will wash the dishes today?”

54- Wash (cloth) 

ซัก (sák) 

Example:  

แม่ซักผ้าปูเตียงเมื่อวาน

mâae-sák-phâa-bpuu-dtiiang-mûuea-waan

“Mom washed the bed sheet yesterday.”

55- Hang 

ตาก (dtáak) 

Example:  

พ่อกำลังตากผ้า

phâaw-gam-lang-dtàak-phâa

“Dad is hanging clothes to dry now.”

56- Iron 

รีด (riit) 

Example:  

เธอรีดผ้าเก่งมั๊ย

thooe-rîit-phâa-gèng-mái

“Are you good at ironing?”

57- Look 

ดู (duu) 

Example:  

ดูนี่สิ สวยจัง

duu-nîi-sì sǔuai-jang

“Look at this, so beautiful.”

58- Read

อ่าน (àan) 

Example:  

พ่ออ่านหนังสือเร็วมาก

phâaw-àan-nǎng-sǔue-reo-mâak

“Dad reads books very fast.”

59- Write

เขียน (khǐian) 

Example:  

ครูเขียนภาษาญี่ปุ่นเก่ง

khruu-khǐian-phaa-sǎa-yîi-bpùn-khèng

“My teacher is good at writing Japanese.”

60- Type 

พิมพ์ (phim) 

Example:  

ใครเป็นคนพิมพ์รายงานนี้

khrai-bpen-khon-phim-raai-ngaan-níi

“Who typed this report?”

61- Listen 

ฟัง (fang) 

Example:  

มุกดาชอบฟังเพลงแจ็ส

múk-daa-châawp-fang-pleeng-jáaet

“Mukda likes listening to jazz music.”

62- Hit 

ตี (dtii) 

Example:  

ครูไม่ควรตีนักเรียน

khruu-mâi-khuuan-dtii-nák-riian

“Teachers shouldn’t hit students.”

63- Kick 

เตะ (dtè) 

Example:  

เขาเตะลูกบอลแรงมาก

khǎo-dte-lûuk-baawn-raaeng-mâak

“He hit the ball very hard.”

64- Shave 

โกน (goon) 

Example:  

พระต้องโกนผม

phrá-dtâawng-goon-phǒm

“Monks have to shave their head.”

65- Blow 

เป่า (bpào) 

Example:  

ซุปร้อนมาก ต้องเป่าก่อนกิน

súp-ráawn-mâak dtâawng-bpào-gàawn-gin

“The soup is very hot, so blow it before eating.”

66- Do 

ทำ (tham) 

Example:  

อย่าลืมทำการบ้าน

yhàa-luuem-tham-gaan-bâan

“Don’t forget to do homework.”

67- Wear (clothing) 

ใส่ (sài) 

Example:  

พรุ่งนี้เธอจะใส่อะไร

phrûng-níi-jà-sài-à-rai

“What do you want to wear tomorrow?”

68- Take off 

ถอด (thàawt) 

Example:  

อย่าลืมถอดผ้ากันเปื้อนออก

yhàa-luuem-thàawt-phâa-gan-bpûuean-àawk

“Don’t forget to take off your apron.”

69- Ride 

ขี่ (khìi) 

Example:  

ฉันขี่จักรยานไม่เป็น

chǎn-khìi-jàk-gà-yaan-mâi-bpen

“I can’t ride bicycles.”

70- Learn 

เรียน (riian) 

Example:  

พี่เรียนภาษาจีนทุกวันอาทิตย์

phîi-riian-phaa-sǎa-jiin-thúk-wan-aa-thít

“My older sister learns Chinese every Sunday.”

71- Play 

เล่น (lên) 

Example:  

ไปเล่นเกมส์กันเถอะ

bpai-lên-geem-gan-thòe

“Let’s play games.”

72- Buy 

ซื้อ (súue) 

Example:  

แม่ซื้อผักจากตลาดเยอะมาก

mâae-súue-phàk-jàak-dtà-làat-yóe-mâak

“Mom bought a lot of vegetables from the market.”

73- Sell

ขาย (khǎai) 

Example:  

ฉันเพิ่งขายรถคันเก่าทิ้งไป

chǎn-phôoeng-khǎai-rót-khan-gào-thíng-bpai

“I just sold my old car.”

74- Teach

สอน (sǎawn) 

Example:  

เธอสอนฉันทำบราวนี่ได้มั๊ย

thooe-sǎawn-chǎn-tham-braao-nîi-dâi-mái

“Can you teach me how to make brownies?”

75- Open 

เปิด (bpòoet) 

Example:  

เปิดหน้าต่างให้หน่อย

bpòoet-nâa-dtàang-hâi-nàauy

“Please open the window.”

76- Close

ปิด (bpìt) 

Example:  

อย่าลืมปิดประตู

yhàa-luuem-bpìt-bprà-dtuu

“Don’t forget to close the door.”

77- Turn on 

เปิด (bpòoet) 

Example:  

เงียบจังเลย เปิดทีวีหน่อยได้มั๊ย

ngîiap-jang-looei bpòot-thii-vii-nàauy-dâi-mái

“It is so quiet. Can you please turn on the TV?”

78- Turn off

ปิด (bpìt) 

Example:  

หนาวจัง ปิดแอร์ได้มั๊ย

nǎao-jang bpìt-aae-dâi-mái

“I’m cold. Can I turn off the air conditioner?”

79- Send

ส่ง (sòng) 

Example:  

ฉันจะส่งเอกสารให้ทางอีเมลนะ

chǎn-jà-sòng-èek-gà-sǎan-hâi-thaang-ii-meeo-ná

“I will send documents to you via email.”

80- Receive

รับ (ráp) 

Example:  

เธอได้รับอีเมลจากฉันรึเปล่า

thooe-dâi-ráp-ii-meeo-jàak-chǎn-rúe-bplào

“Did you receive my email?”

81- Produce

ผลิต (phà-lìt) 

Example:  

บริษัทนี้ผลิตรถยนต์

baaw-rí-sàt-níi-phà-lìt-rót-yon

“This company produces cars.”

82- Cut 

ตัด (dtàt) 

Example:  

ตัดกระดาษให้หน่อยได้มั๊ย

dtàt-grà-dàat-hâi-nàauy-dâi-mái

“Can you cut that paper for me?”

83- Kill 

ฆ่า (khâa) 

Example:  

ใครฆ่าเด็กคนนั้น

khrai-khâa-dèk-khon-nán

“Who killed that child?”

84- Build

สร้าง (sâang) 

Example:  

ใครสร้างบ้านหลังนี้

khrai-sâang-bâan-lǎang-níi

“Who built this house?”

85- Lean 

พิง (phing) 

Example:  

กรุณาอย่ายืนพิงกระจก

gà-rú-naa-yhàa-yuuen-phing-grà-jòk

“Please do not lean on this glass.”

86- Fold 

พับ (pháp) 

Example:  

พับเสื้อแบบนั้นยังไง

pháp-sûuea-bàaep-nán-yang-ngai

“How do you fold a shirt like that?”

87- Choose 

เลือก (lûueak) 

Example:  

เธอจะเลือกอันไหน

thooe-jà-lûueak-an-nǎi

“Which one will you choose?”

4. The Verb “To Be” 

วิกตรรถกริยา (ví-gà-dtàt-thà-gà-rí-yaa) is the verb “to be” in Thai. To be more specific, it refers to verbs that convey the concept that A is B. Below is a list of Thai “to be” verbs and other verbs that are considered วิกตรรถกริยา (ví-gà-dtàt-thà-gà-rí-yaa).

88-90 – To be

Similar to English, there are three verbs for “to be” in Thai: เป็น (bpen), อยู่ (yhùu), and คือ (kuue).  

• เป็น (bpen) is used to explain the state or status of the subject, or what the subject is.
• อยู่ (yhùu) is used to tell the location of the subject.
• คือ (khuue) is used to explain the state or status of the subject. This is information that the listeners didn’t know before.

Example 1:  

เธอเป็นหมอ

thooe-bpen-mhǎaw

“She is a doctor.”

Example 2:  

ไมโลเป็นหมาพันธุ์ชิวาว่า

mai-loo-bpen-mhǎa-phan-shí-waa-wâa

“Milo is a Chihuahua dog.”

Example 3:  

ของขวัญอยู่บนโต๊ะ

Khǎawng-khwǎn-yhùu-bon-dtóe

“The gift is on the table.”

Example 4:  

ยายอยู่จังหวัดลพบุรี

yaai-yhùu-jang-wàt-lóp-bù-rii

“My grandma is at Lopburi.”

Example 5:  

นี่คืออะไร

nîi-khuue-à-rai

“What is this?”

Example 6:  

นี่คือเครื่องดื่มใหม่ของเรา

nîi-khuue-khrûueang-dùuem-mài-khǎawng-rao

“This is our new drink.”

91- Same as 

เหมือน (mhǔuean) 

Example:  

สีเสื้อของแม่เหมือนสีเสื้อของฉัน

sǐi-sûuea-khǎawng-mâae-mhǔuean-sǐi-sûuea-khǎawng-chǎn

“The colors of my mother’s t-shirt are the same as mine.”

92- Similar to

คล้าย (kláai) 

Example:  

ล่อมีลักษณะคล้ายลา แต่ตัวเล็กกว่า

lâaw-mii-lák-sà-nà-khláai-laa dtàae-dtuua-lék-gwàa

“A mule is similar to a donkey, but is smaller.”

93- Equal to

เท่า (thâo) 

Example:  

หนูตัวนั้นตัวใหญ่มาก ขนาดเกือบเท่าลูกหมา

nǔu-dtuua-nán-dtuua-yhài-mâak khà-nàat-gùueap-thâo-lûuk-mhǎa

“That rat is so big, its size is almost equal to that of a puppy.”

94- As if 

ราวกับ (raao-gàp) 

Example:  

เธอสวยราวกับนางฟ้า

thooe-sǔuay-raao-gàp-naang-fáa

“She is so beautiful, as if being an angel.”

5. Helping Verbs

กริยานุเคราะห์ (gà-rí-yaa-nú-kráw) is “helping verbs” or “auxiliary verbs” in Thai. Using these is very easy! To put a helping verb in a sentence, you don’t have to change the form of the verb or anything. You just put the helping verb in the right place and that’s it.  Below is a list of Thai auxiliary verbs you should know.

95- Will 

Thai word: จะ (jà) 

How to use: จะ (jà) + verb for affirmative sentence; จะ (jà) + ไม่ (mâi) + verb for negative sentence

Example 1:  

ฉันจะไปตลาดน้ำพรุ่งนี้

chǎn-jà-bpai-dtà-làat-nám-phrûng-níi

“I will go to the floating market tomorrow.”

Example 2:  

ฉันจะไม่มาที่นี่อีก

chǎn-jà-mâi-maa-thîi-nîi-ìik

“I will not come back here again.”

96- Must

Thai word: ต้อง (dtâawng) 

How to use: ต้อง (dtâawng) + verb for affirmative sentence; ต้อง (dtâawng) + ไม่ (mâi) + verb for negative sentence

Example 1:  

เธอต้องทำงานให้เสร็จวันนี้

thooe-dtâawng-tham-ngaan-hâi-sèt-wan-níi

“You must finish work today.”

Example 2:  

เด็ก ๆ ต้องไม่พูดคำหยาบ

dèk-dèk-dtâawng-mâi-phûut-kham-yhàap

“Children must not speak rude words.”

97- Should 

Thai word: ควร (khuuan) 

How to use: ควร (khuuan) + verb for affirmative sentence; ไม่ (mâi) + ควร (khuuan) + verb for negative sentence

Example 1:  

เธอควรใส่กางเกงสีเข้ม ๆ พรุ่งนี้

thooe-khuuan-sài-gaang-geeng-sǐi-khêm-khêm-phrûng-níi

“You should wear dark-colored pants tomorrow.”

Example 2:  

นักเรียนไม่ควรไปโรงเรียนสาย

nák-riian-mâi-khuan-bpai-roong-riian-sǎai

“Students shouldn’t go to school late.”

98- Used to 

Thai word: เคย (khooei)

How to use: เคย (khooei) + verb for affirmative sentence; ไม่ (mâi) + เคย (khooei) + verb for negative sentence

Example 1:  

ฉันเคยขึ้นรถเมล์ไปโรงเรียนด้วยตัวเองทุกวัน

chǎn-khooei-khûn-rót-mee-bpai-roong-riian-dûuai-dtua-eeng-thúk-wan

“I used to go to school by bus everyday by myself.”

Example 2:  

เธอไม่เคยกินอาหารรสเผ็ด

thooe-mâi-khooei-gin-aa-hǎan-rót-phèt

“She isn’t used to spicy food.”

Additional Note: เคย (khooei) can also mean “marine shrimp” in Thai.

99- X-ing 

Thai word: กำลัง (gam-lang)

How to use: กำลัง (gam-lang) + verb for affirmative sentence

Explanation: When you put กำลัง (gam-lang) in front of verbs, it’s like you’re changing the sentence from present simple tense to present continuous tense.

Example:  

คุณครูกำลังตรวจการบ้านอยู่

khun-khruu-gam-lang-dtrùuat-gaan-bâan-yhùu

“The teacher is now grading homework.”

Additional Notes: 

• Thai people don’t use this helping verb in negative sentences.
• กำลัง (gam-lang) can also mean “power” in Thai.

100- Passive form of a verb

Thai word: ถูก (thùuk)

How to use: ถูก (thùuk) + verb for affirmative sentence; ไม่ (mâi) + ถูก (thùuk) + verb for negative sentence

Example 1:  

ลุงของฉันถูกหมากัดเมื่อวานนี้

lung-khǎawng-chǎn-thùuk-mhǎa-gàt-mûuea-waan-níi

“My uncle was bitten by a dog yesterday.”

Example 2:  

น้องไม่ถูกแม่ทำโทษ แม้จะทำตัวไม่ดี

náawng-mâi-thùuk-mâae-tham-thôot máae-jà-tham-dtuua-mâi-dii

“My younger sister isn’t punished despite not behaving.”

Additional Note: In addition to being a helping verb, ถูก (thùuk) can also mean “correct” and “cheap” in Thai.

101- Already + verb 

Thai word: แล้ว (láaeo)

How to use: verb + แล้ว (láaeo) for affirmative sentence

Example:  

แม่ทำยำเสร็จแล้ว

mâae-tham-yam-sèt-láaeo

“Mom already finished making spicy salad.”

Additional Note: Thai people don’t use this helping verb in negative sentences.

6. Conclusion

We’re happy to tell you that at this point, you’ve already learned all about basic Thai verbs. What do you think about learning Thai verbs? Was this an easy topic as we told you at the beginning of the lesson, or harder than you expected? Tell us what you think in the comments section!

If you’re in Thailand or becoming more familiar with the Thai language, you’ll be able to memorize and start using these Thai verbs pretty quickly. There are a lot of lessons at ThaiPod101.com to help you master this lesson even faster, such as our Thai verbs page with audio.

And of course, don’t forget to start another new fun Thai lesson at ThaiPod101.com after you finish this one. If you want more information on the parts of speech in Thai, our Thai Nouns, Thai Adjectives, or Thai Pronouns articles may be a good place to start.

Happy Thai learning! 

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. 

Are you ready? Let’s get started.

Table of Contents

1. Thai Personal Pronouns
2. Thai Demonstrative Pronouns
3. Thai Interrogative Pronouns
4. Thai Indefinite Pronouns
5. Thai Relative Pronouns
6. วิภาคสรรพนาม
7. Conclusion

1. Thai Personal Pronouns

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.

Thai subject pronouns Thai object pronouns	Thai possessive pronouns	Thai reflexive pronouns
	Noun + ของ (khǎawng) + subject/object pronouns	ด้วย (dûuai) + ตัว (dtuua) + subject/object pronouns + เอง (eeng)
I / Me / My / Myself
ข้าพเจ้า (khâa-phá-jâo) ดิฉัน (dì-chǎn) ฉัน (chǎn), ผม (phǒm) กู (guu)	ของข้าพเจ้า (khǎawng khâa-phá-jâo) ของดิฉัน (khǎawng dì-chǎn) ของฉัน (khǎawng chǎn) ของผม (khǎawng phǒm) ของกู (khǎawng guu)	ตัวข้าพเจ้า (dtuua khâa-phá-jâo) ตัวดิฉัน (dtuua dì-chǎn) ตัวฉัน (dtuua chǎn) ตัวผม (dtuua phǒm) ตัวกู (dtuua guu)
You / Your / Yourself
ท่าน (thâan) คุณ (khun) เธอ (thooe), นาย (naai) มึง (mueng)	ของท่าน (khǎawng thâan) ของคุณ (khǎawng khun) ของเธอ (khǎawng thooe) ของนาย (khǎawng naai) ของมึง (khǎawng mueng)	ของท่าน (khǎawng thâan) ของคุณ (khǎawng khun) ของเธอ (khǎawng thooe) ของนาย (khǎawng naai) ของมึง (khǎawng mueng)
We / Us / Our / Ourselves
เรา (rao) พวกเรา (phûuak rao) พวกกู (phûuak guu)	ของเรา (khǎawng rao) ของพวกเรา (khǎawngphûuak rao) ของพวกกู (khǎawngphûuak guu)	ตัวเรา (dtuua rao) ตัวพวกเรา (dtuuaphûuak rao) ตัวพวกกู (dtuuaphûuak guu)
They / Them / Their / Themselves
พวกท่าน (phûuak thâan) พวกเขา (phûuak khǎo) พวกมัน (phûuak man)	ของพวกท่าน (khǎawngphûuak thâan) ของพวกเขา (khǎawngphûuak khǎo) ของพวกมัน (khǎawngphûuak man)	ตัวพวกท่าน (dtuuaphûuak thâan) ตัวพวกเขา (dtuuaphûuak khǎo) ตัวพวกมัน (dtuuaphûuak man)
He / Him / His / Himself
เขา (khǎo)	ของเขา (khǎawng khǎo)	ตัวเขา (dtuua khǎo)
She / Her / Herself
เธอ (thooe) หล่อน (lhàawn)	ของเธอ (khǎawng thooe) ของหล่อน (khǎawng làawn)	ตัวเธอ (dtuua thooe) ตัวหล่อน (dtuua làawn)
It / Its / Itself
มัน (man)	ของมัน (khǎawng man)	ตัวมัน (dtuua man)ดิฉัน (dì-chǎn) ฉัน (chǎn

* 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

“When I was a child, I spoke like a child.”

Example 2:  

นั่นคือหนังสือของข้าพเจ้า

nân khuue nǎang-sǔue khǎawng khâa-phá-jâo

“That is my book.”

Example 3:  

ข้าพเจ้าเขียนหนังสือทั้งเล่มนี้ด้วยตัวของข้าพเจ้าเอง

khâa-phá-jâo khǐian nǎng-sǔue tháng lêm níi dûuai dtuua khâawng khâa-phá-jâo eeng

“I wrote the entire book on my own.”

ดิฉัน (dì-chǎn)

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.

Example 1:  

ดิฉันไม่รับข้อเสนอนี้ค่ะ

dì-chǎn mâi ráp khâaw sà-nǒoe níi khâ

“I decline this offer.”

Example 2:  

คุณแม่เพิ่งซักเสื้อของดิฉันไปค่ะ

khun mâae phôoeng sák sûuea khǎawng dì-chan bpai khâ

“My mother just washed my shirt.”

Example 3:  

เดี๋ยวดิฉันจะตรวจสัญญาด้วยตัวดิฉันเองอีกทีค่ะ

dǐiao dì-chǎn jà dtrùuat sǎn-yaa dûuai dtua eeng ìik thii khâ

“I will check the contract by myself again.”

ฉัน (chǎn)

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.

Example 1:  

ฉันชอบสีเแดงมาก

chǎn châawp sǐi daaeng mâak

“I like the color red a lot.”

Example 2:  

ห้ามจับรูปของฉัน

hâam jàp rûup khǎawng chǎn

“Don’t touch my picture.”

Example 3:  

ฉันทำขนมหวานด้วยตัวฉันเอง

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.

Example 1:  

ท่านต้องการอะไร

thâan dtâawng-gaan à-rai

“What do you want?”

Example 2:  

รถของท่านราคาแพงมากมั๊ย

rót khǎawng thâan raa-khaa phaaeng mâak mái

“Is your car very expensive?”

Example 3:  

ท่านทำอาหารให้หลานด้วยตัวท่านเองรึเปล่า

thâan tham aa-hǎan hâi lǎan dûuai dtuua thâan eeng rúe bplào

“Do you cook for your grandchild by yourself?”

คุณ (khun)

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.

Example 1:  

คุณอายุเท่าไหร่แล้ว

khun aa-yú thâo-rài láaeo

“How old are you?“

Example 2:  

ขอดูกระเป๋าของคุณหน่อยค่ะ

khǎaw duu grà-bpǎo khǎawng khun nàauy khâ

“Let me check your bag.”

Example 3:  

คุณหิ้วกล่องนี้ด้วยตัวคุณเองได้มั๊ย

khun hîu glàawng níi dûuai dtuua khun eeng dâi mái

“Can you carry this box by yourself?”

เธอ (thooe)

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.

Example 1:  

เธอจะกินข้าวเที่ยงด้วยกันมั๊ย

thooe jà gin khâao thîiang dûuai gan mái

“Do you want to have lunch with me?”

Example 2:  

ฉันว่าเสื้อของเธอไม่สวยเลย

chǎn wâa sûuea khǎawng thooe mâi sǔuai looei

“I think your shirt is not beautiful.”

Example 3:  

เธอต้องทำการบ้านด้วยตัวเธอเองนะ

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.

Example 1:  

นายดูเหนื่อย ๆ นะ

naai duu nùueai nùueai ná

“You look tired.”

Example 2:  

การบ้านของนายทำเสร็จรึยัง

gaan-bâan khǎawng naai tham sèt rúe yang

“Have you finished your homework?”

Example 3:  

นายทำรายงานเล่มนี้ด้วยตัวนายเองรึเปล่า

naai tham raai-ngaan lêm níi dûuai dtuua naai eeng rúe bplào

“Did you write this report by yourself?”

มึง (mueng) 

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.

Example 1:  

มึงเดินระวังนะ

mueng dooen rá-wang ná

“You should walk carefully.”

Example 2:  

อันนั้นรถของมึงใช่มั๊ย

an nán rót khǎawng mueng châi mái

“Is that your car?”

Example 3:  

ไหนมึงบอกว่ามึงทำด้วยตัวมึงเองไง

nǎi mueng bàawk wâa mueng tham dûuai dtuua mueng eeng ngai

“You told me you did this by yourself.”

4- We / Us / Our / Ourselves 

เรา (rao) / พวกเรา (phûuak rao) 

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.

Example 1:  

เรา (พวกเรา)ไม่ต้องการความช่วยเหลือของคุณ

rao (phûuak rao) mâi dtâawng-gaan khwaam chûuai-lǔuea khǎawng khun

“We don’t need your help.”

Example 2:  

นี่คืองานของเรา (พวกเรา)

nîi khuue ngaan khǎawng rao (phûuak rao) 

“This is our job.”

Example 3:  

เราทำสวนนี้ด้วยตัวเรา (พวกเรา)เอง

rao tham sǔuan níi dûuai dtuua khǎawng rao (phûuak rao) eeng

“We do this garden by ourselves.”

พวกกู (phûuak guu)

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.

Example 1:  

พวกกูไม่อยากขายบ้านหลังนี้

phûuak guu mâi yàak khǎai bâan lǎng níi

“We don’t want to sell this house.”

Example 2:  

ร้านนี้คือร้านของพวกกู

ráan níi khuue ráan khǎawng phûuak guu

“This is our shop.”

Example 3:  

พวกกูบริหารร้านนี้ด้วยตัวพวกกูเอง

phûuak guu baaw-rí-hǎan ráan níi dûuai dtuua phûuak guu eeng

“We run this shop by ourselves.”

5- They / Them / Their / Themselves

พวกท่าน (phûuak thâan)

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.

Example 1:  

พวกท่านได้รับเชิญไปที่ห้องอาหารเวลา 18.00 นาฬิกา

phûuak thâan dâi ráp chooen bpai thîi hâawng aa-hǎan wee-laa sìp bpàaet na-lí-gaa khâ

“They invited you to go to the dining room at six p.m.”

Example 2:  

โต๊ะของพวกท่านอยู่ด้านนู้นค่ะ

dtó khǎawng phûuak thâan yùu dâan núun khâ

“Their table is over there.”

Example 3:  

พวกท่านสามารถกดสั่งอาหารผ่านแทบเล็ตด้วยตัวพวกท่านเองได้

phûuak thâan sǎa-mâat gòt sàng aa-hǎan phàan tháp-lèt dûuai dtuua phûuak thâan eeng dâi

“They can order using this tablet by themselves.”

พวกเขา (phûuak khǎo) 

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.

Example 1:  

พวกเขาชอบกีฬาฟุตบอล

phûuak khǎo châawp gii-laa fút-baawn

“They like football.”

Example 2:  

เสื้อทีมของพวกเขาอยู่ที่ไหน

sûuea thiim khǎawng phûuak khǎo yùu thîi nǎi

“Where are their team t-shirts?”

Example 3:  

พวกเขาสามารถฝึกซ้อมด้วยตัวพวกเขาเองได้

phûuak khǎo sǎa-mâat fùek sáawm dûuai dtuua khǎawng phûuak khǎo eeng dâi

“They can practice by themselves.”

พวกมัน (phûuak man)

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.

Example 1:  

แม่เลี้ยงกระต่ายไว้หลายตัว พวกมันน่ารักมาก

mâae líiang grà-dtàai wái lǎai dtuua phûuak man nâa rák mâak

“Mom has many rabbits. They are very cute.”

Example 2:  

อาหารของพวกมันอยู่ในกล่องนั้น

aa-hǎan khǎawng phûuak man yùu nai glàawng nán

“Their food is in that box.”

Example 3:  

พวกมันหาอาหารกินด้วยตัวของพวกมันเองไม่ได้

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.

Example 1:  

เธอพูดได้ 3 ภาษา

thooe phûut dâi sǎam phaa-sǎa

“She can speak three languages.”

Example 2:  

สำเนียงของเธอดีมาก

sǎm-niiang khǎawng thooe dii mâak

“Her accent is very good.”

Example 3:  

เธอสามารถไปเที่ยวต่างประเทศด้วยตัวเธอเองได้

thooe sǎa-mâat bpai thîiao dtàang bprà-thêet dûuai dtuua eeng dâi

“She can travel abroad by herself.”

หล่อน (làawn)

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.

Example 1:  

หล่อนกำลังทำอะไรอยู่

làawn gam-lang tham à-rai yùu

“What is she doing now?”

Example 2:  

หล่อนกำลังเลี้ยงลูกของหล่อน

làawn gam-lang líiang lûuk khǎawng làawn

“She is taking care of her baby.”

Example 3:  

หล่อนเลี้ยงลูกด้วยตัวหล่อนเอง  ไม่มีคนช่วย

làawng líiang lûuk dûuai dtuua làawn eeng mâi mii khon chûuai

“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.

Example 1:  

บ้านฉันเลี้ยงสุนัขไว้ 1 ตัว มันแก่มากแล้ว

bâan chǎn líiang sù-nák wái nùeng dtuua man gàae mâak láaeo

“Our family has one dog. It is very old now.”

Example 2:  

บ้านของมันอยู่ในสวน

bâan khǎawng man yùu nai sǔuan

“Its house is in the garden.”

Example 3:  

เพราะมันแก่มากแล้ว  มันเลยทำอะไรด้วยตัวมันเองไม่ได้

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.

Example:  

จะให้เอาพวกนี้วางไว้ตรงไหน

jà hâi ao phûuak níi waang wái dtrong nǎi

“Where do you want me to put these?”

4- Those

Thai pronoun: พวกนั้น (phûuak nán) / พวกโน้น (phûuak nóon)

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.

Example 1:  

คนพวกนั้นมาทำอะไรที่นี่

khon phûuak nán maa tham à-rai thîi nîi

“What are those people doing here?”

Example 2:  

คนพวกโน้นกำลังทำงานอยู่

khon phûuak nóon gam-lang tham ngaan yùu

“Those people are working.”

5- Here 

Thai pronoun: ที่นี่ (thii níi)

Example:  

วางไว้ที่นี่

waang wái thîi nîi

“Put it here.”

6- There

Thai pronoun: ตรงนั้น (dtrong nán) / ตรงโน้น (dtrong nóon)

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.

Example:  

เธอซื้อทีวีใหม่ทำไม เครื่องเก่าก็ยังดูได้

thooe súue thii-wii mài tham-mai khrûueang gào gâaw yang chái dâi

“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.  

Example:  

ฉันไปเป็นผู้ใหญ่แล้ว จะไปที่ไหนก็ได้

chǎn bpen phûu-yài láaeo jà bpai thîi nǎi gâaw dâi

“I’m an adult now. I can go anywhere.”

5. Thai Relative Pronouns

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:

Example 1:  

ฉันชอบอาหารที่มีรสหวาน

chǎn châawp aa-hǎan thîi mii rót wǎan

“I like food which is sweet.”

• ฉันชอบอาหาร (chǎn châawp aa-hǎan) = “I like food.”
• อาหารมีรสหวาน (aa-hǎan mii rót wǎan) = “Food is sweet.”

Example 2:  

แม่ชอบสถานที่ที่อากาศดี

mâae châawp sà-thǎan-thîi thîi aa-gàat dii

“Mom likes a place where the weather is good.”

• แม่ชอบสถานที่ (mâae châawp sà-thǎan-thîi) = “Mom likes a place.”
• สถานที่อากาศดี (sà-thǎan-thîi aa-gàat dii) = “Place has good weather.”

Example 3:  

พ่อชอบลูกน้องที่ขยัน

phâaw châawp lûuk-náawng thîi khà-yǎn

“Dad likes staff (members) who are hardworking.”

• พ่อชอบลูกน้อง (phâaw châawp lûuk-náawng) = “Dad likes staff (members).”
• 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.

Example:  

นักเรียนบ้างก็เล่นกับเพื่อน บ้างก็กินขนมในเวลาพัก

nák-riian bâang gâaw lêen gàp phûuean bâang gâaw gin khà-nǒm nai wee-laa phák

“Some students play with their friends while some students eat snacks during the break.”

• นักเรียนเล่นกับเพื่อนในเวลาพัก (nák-riian lêen gàp phûuean nai wee-laa phák) = “Students play with their friends during the break.”
• นักเรียนกินขนมในเวลาพัก (nák-riian gâaw gin khà-nǒm nai wee-laa phák) = “Students eat snacks during the break.”

3- กัน

Thai pronunciation: gan

How to use: This pronoun is used when people in the same group do the same activities together. To use it, put กัน (gan) after the verb.

Example:  

นักเรียนช่วยกันทำความสะอาดห้องเรียน

nák-riian chûuai gan tham khwaam sà-àat hâawng riian

“Students clean the classroom together.”

7. Conclusion

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.

Happy Thai learning, and good luck!

Do you remember the moment you fell in love with languages?

Do you desire to learn or advance in Thai quickly and effectively?

Then you need a Thai tutor.

A common question that first-time language-learners ask is “Where do I begin?” The answer? Guidance.

For native English-speakers who want to learn Asian languages, for example, timelines provided by the U.S. Foreign Service Institute can appear discouraging. However, defeating these odds is not unheard of. If you want to beat the odds yourself, one of the best learning options is a subscription to Premium PLUS from Innovative Language.

As an active Premium PLUS member of JapanesePod101.com and KoreanClass101.com myself, I have an enjoyable experience learning at an accelerated pace with at least thirty minutes of study daily. The following Premium PLUS features contribute to my success:

• Access to thousands of lessons
• A voice recorder 
• Spaced-repetition system (SRS) flashcards
• Weekly homework assignments
• A personal language instructor

As someone who decided to make Japanese her second language one year ago, I am extremely grateful for Premium PLUS.

Allow me to emphasize on how these Premium PLUS features strengthen my language studies.

Gain Unlimited Access to Audio and Video Lessons!

As a Premium PLUS member, I have full access to the lesson library and other Premium features. Best of all, I’m not limited to one level; I can learn to my heart’s content with upper-level courses.

There are lessons on various topics that tackle crucial language-learning elements, such as:

• Reading
• Writing
• Listening
• Speaking
• Conversation

Specifically, there are pathways. Pathways are collections of lessons that center on a specific topic. Some Innovative Language sites, like JapanesePod101.com, even have pathways geared toward proficiency tests. For example, the JLPT N3 Master Course pathway.

Because of the abundance of lessons, I’ve found pathways in the lesson library to help me prepare for certain events. Thanks to the “Speaking Perfect Japanese at a Restaurant” pathway, I spoke fully in Japanese while dining in Japan. Additionally, I participated in conversations at language exchange meetups in South Korea after completing the “Top 25 Korean Questions You Need to Know” pathway.

Each lesson has lesson notes, which I read while simultaneously listening to the audio lesson. This strategy enables me to follow along on key points. Lesson notes generally contain the following:

• Dialogue
• Vocabulary
• Grammar points
• Cultural insights

As someone who’s constantly on-the-go, I heavily benefit from mobile access to lessons. Podcasts and lesson notes are available on the Innovative Language app and/or Podcasts app for iOS.

All lessons and their contents are downloadable. Prior to my flights to Japan and South Korea, I downloaded lessons on my iPhone. The apps make learning more convenient for me during my commutes.

Practice Speaking with the Voice Recording Tool!

Pronunciation is an essential ingredient in language-learning. Proper pronunciation prompts clear understanding during conversations with native speakers.

Prior to learning full Korean sentences, my online Korean language tutor assigned the “Hana Hana Hangul” pathway to me. It demonstrated the writing and pronunciation of Hangul, the Korean alphabet. Throughout this pathway, I submitted recordings of my Hangul character pronunciations to my language teacher for review.

I was given a similar task on JapanesePod101.com with the “Ultimate Japanese Pronunciation Guide” pathway. My Japanese language teacher tested my pronunciation of the Japanese characters kana. My completion of the two pathways boosted my confidence in speaking.

Speaking is one of the more challenging components of learning a language. The voice recording tool in particular was a great way for me to improve my speaking skills. Further, because the lesson dialogues are spoken by native speakers, I’m able to practice speaking naturally.

This feature is also available for vocabulary words and sample sentences. Being able to hear these recordings improves my pronunciation skills for languages like Japanese, where intonation can change the meaning of a word entirely. The voice recorder examines my speed and tone. I also follow up by sending a recording to my online language tutor for feedback.

A great way to boost one’s speaking confidence is to shadow native speakers. During the vocabulary reviews, it’s helpful for me to hear the breakdown of each word; doing so makes a word that was originally difficult to even read a breeze to say!

Some lessons create opportunities to speak your own sentences. For example, the “Top 25 Korean Questions You Need to Know” pathway presents opportunities to answer questions personally. This helps you gain the ability to give answers as the unique individual you are.

Example Scenario:

The host asks the following question:

어디에 살고 있습니까?

eodieseo salgo isseumnikka

“Where do you live?”

If you live in Tokyo, you would readily say the following:

도쿄에 살고 있습니다.

Tokyo-e salgo isseumnida.

“I live in Tokyo.”

Increase Your Vocab with Spaced-Repetition Flashcards and More!

Imagine having a conversation with a native speaker and hesitating because you lack a solid vocabulary base.

Premium PLUS offers various features to expand learners’ vocabulary, including Free Gifts of the Month. ThaiPod101’s free gifts for April 2020 included an e-book with “400 Everyday Phrases for Beginners,” and the content is updated every month. When I download free resources like this, I find opportunities to use them with co-teachers, friends, or my language tutors.

An effective way to learn vocabulary is with SRS flashcards. SRS is a system designed for learning a new word and reviewing it in varying time intervals.

You can create and study flashcard decks, whether it’s your Word Bank or a certain vocabulary list. For example, if you need to visit a post office, the “Post Office” vocabulary list for your target language would be beneficial to study prior to your visit.

In addition to the SRS flashcards, each lesson has a vocabulary slideshow and quiz to review the lesson’s vocabulary.

There’s also the 2000 Core Word List, which includes the most commonly used words in your target language. Starting from the 100 Core Word List, you’ll gradually build up your knowledge of useful vocabulary. These lists can be studied with SRS flashcards, too.

With the SRS flashcards, you can change the settings to your liking. The settings range from different card types to number of new cards per deck. Personally, I give myself vocabulary tests by changing the settings.

After studying a number of flashcards, I change the card types to listening comprehension and/or production. Then I test myself by writing the translation of the word or the spoken word or phrase.

The change in settings allow me to remember vocabulary and learn how to identify the words. This is especially helpful with Japanese kanji!

Complete Homework Assignments!

Homework assignments are advantageous to my language studies. There are homework assignments auto-generated weekly. They range from multiple-choice quizzes to writing assignments.

Language tutors are readily available for homework help. Some writing assignments, for instance, require use of unfamiliar vocabulary. In such cases, my language teachers assist me by forwarding related lessons or vocabulary lists.

In addition to these auto-generated homework tasks, language tutors customize daily assignments. My daily homework assignments include submitting three written sentences that apply the target grammar point of that lesson, and then blindly audio-recording those sentences. My personal language tutor follows up with feedback and corrections, if needed.

Your language tutors also provide assignments upon requests. When I wanted to review grammar, my Korean teacher sent related quizzes and assignments. Thus, you are not only limited to the auto-generated assignments.

Every weekend, I review by re-reading those written sentences. It helps me remember sentence structures, grammar points, and vocabulary to apply in real-world contexts.

Furthermore, I can track my progress with language portfolios every trimester. It’s like a midterm exam that tests my listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills.

Get Your Own Personal Language Teacher!

My language teachers cater to my goals with personalized and achievable learning programs. The tangible support of my online language teachers makes it evident that we share common goals.

Once I share a short-term or long-term goal with my teacher, we establish a plan or pathway that will ultimately result in success. I coordinate with my teachers regularly to ensure the personalized learning programs are prosperous. For example, during my JLPT studies, my Japanese language tutor assigned me practice tests.

Your language tutor is available for outside help as well. When I bought drama CDs in Japan, I had difficulty transliterating the dialogue. My Japanese teacher forwarded me the script to read along as I listened.

Additionally, I often practice Korean and Japanese with music. I memorize one line of the lyrics daily. Every time, I learn a new grammar point and new vocabulary. I add the vocabulary to my SRS flashcards, locate the grammar in the Grammar Bank, and study the associated lessons online.

I send my teachers the name of the songs, making them aware of my new goal. One time, my song for Korean was “If You Do” by GOT7. My Korean teacher revealed that she was a huge fan of GOT7 like me! For Japanese, it was “CHA-LA HEAD-CHA-LA,” also known as the Dragonball Z theme song. My Japanese teacher excitedly told me that she sang the song a lot as a kid!

A remarkable thing happened to me in South Korea. I was stressed about opening a bank account with limited Korean. I sought help from my Korean teacher. She forwarded me a script of a bank conversation.

After two days, I visited the local bank. It all started with my opening sentence:

은행 계좌를 만들고 싶어요

eunhaeng gyejwaleul mandeulgo sip-eoyo.

I want to open a bank account.

Everything went smoothly, and I exited the bank with a new account!

The MyTeacher Messenger allows me to share visuals with my teachers for regular interaction, including videos to critique my pronunciation mechanisms. I improve my listening and speaking skills by exchanging audio with my teachers. In addition to my written homework assignments, I exchange messages with my language teachers in my target language. This connection with my teachers enables me to experience the culture as well as the language.

Why You Should Subscribe to Premium PLUS

It’s impossible for me to imagine my continuous progress with Japanese and Korean without Premium PLUS. Everything—from the SRS flashcards to my language teachers—makes learning languages enjoyable and clear-cut.

You’re assured to undergo the same experience with Premium PLUS. You’ll gain access to the aforementioned features as well as all of the Premium features.

Complete lessons and assignments to advance in your target language. Increase your vocabulary with the “2000 Core Word List” for that language and SRS flashcards. Learn on-the-go with the Innovative Language app and/or Podcasts app for iOS users.

Learning a new language takes dedication and commitment. The Premium PLUS features make learning irresistibly exciting. You’ll look forward to learning daily with your language tutor.

As of right now, your challenge is to subscribe to Premium PLUS! Complete your assessment, and meet your new Thai teacher.

Have fun learning your target language in the fastest and easiest way!

Subscribe to Posted by ThaiPod101.com in Feature Spotlight, Learn Thai, Site Features, Speak Thai, Team ThaiPod101, Thai Language, Thai Online | Comment

Where’s the bus stop? How do you get to this place?  

Learning about Thai directions will make your travels in Thailand much easier. Further, knowing how to ask directions in Thai, and how to give them, is essential if you live or work in Thailand.  

This article will help you successfully learn about directions in the Thai language. You’ll get to learn Thai vocabulary related to directions, such as “right” and “left” in Thai.  In addition, you’ll be able to see how giving directions in Thai works through various sentences and phrases throughout this article. By the end of the lesson, you’ll be able to ask and give directions in Thai with ease.

Table of Contents

1. On the Map: Compass Directions in Thai
2. On the Road
3. Landmarks
4. Basic Grammar for Conversations
5. Must-know Phrases and Sentences to Ask Directions in Thai
6. Must-know Phrases and Sentences to Give Directions in Thai
7. Real Situation Example
8. Conclusion

1. On the Map: Compass Directions in Thai

The map is an important tool when it comes to asking and giving directions. Still, you should know that Thai people won’t tell you to go north or south when giving directions in Thai. ทิศ (thít), which is “direction” in Thai, is often used to tell the region of province in Thai conversations.  

That said, here are the most basic words related to maps that you should know! 

1- Region 

Thai word: ภาค (phâak)

Usage: ภาค (phâak) is often followed by the direction. 

Example:   

ประเทศไทยมี 5 ภาค

Bprà-thêet-thai mii hâa phâak

“There are five regions in Thailand.”

2- Central 

Thai word: กลาง (glaang)

Usage: As mentioned above, ภาค (phâak) is often followed by the direction. So Thai people use the word ภาคกลาง (phâak-glaang).

Example:   

กรุงเทพอยู่ภาคกลางของประเทศไทย

Grung-thêep yùu phâak-glaang khǎawng bprà-thêet-thai

“Bangkok is in the central region of Thailand.”

3- North 

Thai word: เหนือ (nǔuea)

Usage: As mentioned above, ภาค (phâak) is often followed by the direction. So Thai people use the word ภาคเหนือ (phâak-nǔuea).

Example:   

ตอนหน้าหนาว อากาศที่ภาคเหนือดีมาก

Dtaawn nâa-nǎao aa-gàat thîi phâak-nǔuea dii mâak

“In winter, the weather in the north is very good.”

4- East 

Thai word: ตะวันออก (dtà-wan-àawk)

Usage: ภาค (phâak) is often followed by the direction. So Thai people use the word ภาคตะวันออก (phâak-dtà-wan-àawk).

Example:   

ภาคตะวันออกของไทยมีทะเลสวย

Phâak-dtà-wan-àawk khǎawng thai mii thá-lee sǔuai

“The east part of Thailand has a beautiful sea.”

5- West 

Thai word: ตะวันตก (dtà-wan-dtòk)

Usage: ภาค (phâak) is often followed by the direction. So Thai people use the word ภาคตะวันตก (phâak-dtà-wan-dtòk).

Example:   

ภาคตะวันตกของไทยอยู่ติดพม่า

Phâak-dtà-wan-dtòk khǎawng thai yùu dtìt phá-mâa

“The west part of Thailand is next to Myanmar.”

6- South 

Thai word: ใต้ (dtâi)

Usage: ภาค (phâak) is often followed by the direction. So Thai people use the word ภาคใต้ (phâak-dtâi).

Example:   

นักท่องเที่ยวชอบไปที่ภาคใต้ของไทย

Nák-thâawng-thîiao châawp bpai thîi phâak-dtâi khǎawng thai

“Travelers like to go to the south of Thailand.”

7- Northeast 

Thai word: ตะวันออกเฉียงเหนือ (dtà-wan-àawk-chǐiang-nǔuea)

Usage: ภาค (phâak) is often followed by the direction. So Thai people use the word ภาคตะวันออกเฉียงเหนือ (dtà-wan-àawk-chǐiang-nǔuea).

Example:   

ภาคตะวันออกเฉียงเหนือของไทยอากาศร้อนเกือบตลอดปี

Phâak-dtà-wan-àawk-chǐiang-nǔuea khǎawng thai aa-gàat ráawn gùueap dtà-làawt bpii

“The weather of the northeast part of Thailand is hot almost all year.”

Additional Information: The northeast part of Thailand has another name, which is ภาคอีสาน (phâak-ii-sǎan).

8- Upper part

Thai word: ตอนบน (dtaawn-bon)

Usage: ตอนบน (dtaawn-bon) is often used to further indicate the part or region that the province or place is at. The word is put after the region.

Example:   

ภาคกลางตอนบนจะมีฝนตกพรุ่งนี้

Phâak-glaang dtaawn-bon jà mii fǒn dtòk phrûng-níi

“It will rain in the upper part of the central region tomorrow.”

9- Lower part 

Thai word: ตอนล่าง (dtaawn-lâang)

Usage: ตอนล่าง (dtaawn-lâang) is often used to further indicate the part or region that the province or place is at. The word is put after the region.

Example:   

อากาศของภาคเหนือตอนล่างเริ่มร้อนแล้ว

Aa-gàat khǎawng phâak-nǔuea dtaawn-lâang rôoem ráawn láaeo

“The weather of the lower part of the north is getting hot now.”

2. On the Road

This part of the lesson will teach you vocabulary used when asking and giving directions in Thai, such as “left” and “right.”  You should try your best to remember these words.

1- Left 

Thai word: ซ้าย (sáai)

Usage: Sometimes, Thai people use the word มือ (muue), which means “hand” in Thai with the word ซ้าย (sáai): ซ้ายมือ (sáai muue).  

Example:  

ซ้ายมือด้านหน้ามีร้านสะดวกซื้ออยู่

Sáai muue dâan-nâa mii ráan sà-dùuak súue yùu

“There is a convenience store ahead on your left.”

2- Right 

Thai word: ขวา (kwǎa)

Usage: Sometimes, Thai people use the word มือ (muue), which means “hand” in Thai with the word ขวา (khwǎa): ขวามือ (khwǎa muue).

Example:  

พอเลี้ยวซ้ายแล้ว จะเจอโรงแรมอยู่ด้านขวามือ

Phaaw líiao sáai láaeo jà jooe roong-raaem yùu dâan khwǎa muue

“Once you turn left, you will find the hotel on your right.”

3- Front 

Thai word: หน้า (nâa)

Usage: Thai people often put ข้าง (khâang) or ด้าน (dâan) in front of หน้า (nâa) when talking about direction, though the meaning stays the same. 

Example:  

ด้านหน้าโรงแรมมีตู้ไปรษณีย์อยู่

Dâan nâa roong-raaem mii dtûu bprai-sà-nii yùu

“There is a post box in front of the hotel.”

4- Back / Behind

Thai word: หลัง (lǎng)

Usage: Thai people often put ข้าง (khâang) or ด้าน (dâan) in front of หลัง (lǎng) when talking about direction, though the meaning stays the same.  

Example:  

สวนสาธารณะอยู่ข้างหลังร้านอาหาร

Sǔuan sǎa-thaa-rá-ná yùu khâang lǎng ráan aa-hǎan

“The park is behind the restaurant.”

5- Near 

Thai word: ใกล้ (glâi)

Usage: A + อยู่ใกล้ (yùu glâi) is how you use ใกล้ (glâi) in the Thai language. It means “A is near.”

Example:  

โรงเรียนอยู่ใกล้

roong-riian yùu glâi

“The school is near.”

6- Far 

Thai word: ไกล (glai)

Usage: A + อยู่ไกล (yùu glai) is how you use ไกล (glai) in the Thai language. It means “A is far.”

Example:  

ห้างอยู่ไกล

hâang yùu glai

“The department store is far.”

7- Next to / Beside 

Thai word: ถัดจาก (thàt jàak); ข้าง (khâang)

Usage 1: A + อยู่ถัดจาก (yùu thàt jàak) + B is how you use ถัดจาก (thàt jàak) in the Thai language. It means “A is next to B.”

Usage 2:  A + อยู่ข้าง  (yùu khâang) + B is how you use ข้าง (khâang) in the Thai language. It means “A is next to or beside B.”

Example 1:  

ธนาคารอยู่ถัดจากร้านเบเกอรี่

Thá-naa-khaan yùu thàt jàak ráan bee-gooe-rîi

“The bank is next to the baker shop.”

Example 2:  

บ้านของฉันอยู่ข้างร้านอาหาร

Bâan khǎawng chǎn yùu khâang ráan aa-hǎan

“My house is next to the restaurant.”

8- Opposite to / Across from

Thai word: ตรงข้าม (dtrong-khâam); ฝั่งตรงข้าม (fàng dtrong-khâam)

Usage: A + อยู่ตรงข้าม (yùu dtrong-khâam) or อยู่ฝั่งตรงข้าม (yùu fàng  dtrong-khâam) + B is how you use ตรงข้าม (dtrong-khâam) and ฝั่งตรงข้าม (fàng dtrong-khâam) in the Thai language. It means “A is next to or beside B.” 

Example 1:  

ห้องสมุดอยู่ตรงข้ามลิฟต์

Hâawng-sà-mùt yùu dtrong-khâam líp

“The library is opposite the elevator.”

Example 2:  

ฉันรอเธออยู่ฝั่งตรงข้ามประชาสัมพันธ์

Chǎn raaw thooe yùu fàng dtrong-khâam bprà-chaa-sǎm-phan

“I’m across from the information center, waiting for you.”

9- Away from 

Thai word: ห่างจาก (hàang jàak)

Usage: ห่างจาก (hàang jàak) + A is how you use ห่างจาก (hàang jaak) in the Thai language. It means “away from A.”

Example:  

อยู่ให้ห่างจากประตูรถเมล์นะ

Yùu hâi hàang jàak bprà-dtuu rót-mee ná

“Stay away from the bus’s door.”

10- By the intersection

Thai word: ตรงทางแยก (dtrong thaang-yâaek)

Usage: A+ อยู่ตรงทางแยก (yùu dtrong thaang-yâaek) is how you use ตรงทางแยก (dtrong thaang-yâaek) in the Thai language. It means “A is by the intersection.”

Example:  

สถานีตำรวจอยู่ตรงทางแยก

Sà-thǎa-nii dtam-rùuat yùu dtrong thaang-yâaek

“The police station is by the intersection.”

11- Corner

Thai word: หัวมุม (hǔua-mum)

Usage: A+ อยู่ตรงหัวมุม (yùu dtrong hǔua-mum) is how you use หัวมุม (hǔua-mum) in the Thai language.  It means “A is around the corner.”

Example:  

พ่อซื้อของอยู่ตรงหัวมุมถนน

Phâaw súue khǎawng yùu dtrong hǔua-mum thà-nǒn

“Dad is around the corner of the road, shopping.”

3. Landmarks

To learn Thai directions, it’s also important to learn and remember some landmark vocabulary.  Below are the most important ones that will be very useful for you when giving or asking directions in Thai.

1- In the city 

Thai word: ในเมือง (nai muueang)

Usage: A+ อยู่ในเมือง (yùu nai muueang) is how you use ในเมือง (nai muueang) in the Thai language. It means “A is in the city.”

Example:  

บ้านของฉันอยู่ในเมือง

Bâan khǎawng chǎn yùu nai muueang

“My house is in the city.”

2- Airport

Thai word: สนามบิน (sà-nǎam-bin)

Example:  

พรุ่งนี้ฉันต้องไปสนามบินก่อน 8 โมง

Phrûng-níi chǎn dtâawng bpai sà-nǎam-bim gàawn bpàaet moong

“Tomorrow, I have to be at the airport by eight in the morning.”

3- Train station 

Thai word: สถานีรถไฟ (sà-thǎa-nii rót-fai)

Example:  

หัวลำโพงคือชื่อของสถานีรถไฟในกรุงเทพ

Hǔua-lam-phoong khuue chûue khǎawng sà-thǎa-nii rót-fai nai grung-thêep

“Hualampoong is the name of the train station in Bangkok.”

4- Subway station 

Thai word: สถานีรถไฟใต้ดิน (sà-thǎa-nii rót-fai dtâi din)

Example:  

สถานีรถไฟใต้ดินอยู่ตรงไหน

Sà-thǎa-nii rót-fai dtâi din yùu dtrong nǎi

“Where is the subway station?”

Additional Information: Thai people often call subways and subway stations “MRT,” which stands for Metropolitan Rapid Transit.

5- Sky train station 

Thai word: สถานีรถไฟฟ้า (sà-thǎa-nii rót-fai-fáa)

Example:  

ฉันกำลังจะไปสถานีรถไฟฟ้า

Chǎn gam-lang jà bpai sà-thǎa-nii rót-fai-fáa

“I’m about to go to a sky train station.”

Additional Information: Thai people often call sky trains and sky train stations “BTS,” which is the abbreviation of the name of the company that runs the sky train in Thailand.

6- Center of the city 

Thai word: ใจกลางเมือง (jai glaang muueang)

Usage: A+ อยู่ใจกลางเมือง (yùu jai glaang muueng) is how you use ใจกลางเมือง (jai glaang muueang) in the Thai language. It means “A is in the center of the city.”

Example:  

คอนโดที่อยู่ใจกลางเมืองราคาแพงมาก

Khaawn-doo thîi yùu jai glaang muueang raa-khaa phaaeng mâak

“The condo at the center of the city is very expensive.”

7- Hotel 

Thai word: โรงแรม (roong-raaem)

Example:  

เธอพักอยู่โรงแรมอะไร

Thooe phák yùu roong-raaem à-rai

“Which hotel are you staying at?”

8- Hospital 

Thai word: โรงพยาบาล (roong-phá-yaa-baan)

Example:  

แถวนี้มีโรงพยาบาลมั๊ย

thǎao níi mii roong-phá-ya-baan mái

“Is there a hospital around here?”

Additional Information: Sometimes, in informal conversations, Thai people shorten the word โรงพยาบาล (roong-phá-yaa-baan) to โรงบาล (roong-baan).  

9- Park 

Thai word: สวนสาธารณะ (sǔuan sǎa-thaa-rá-ná)

Example:  

ที่สวนสาธารณะอากาศดี

thîi sǔuan sǎa-thaa-rá-ná aa-gàat dii

“The weather at the park is good.”

10- Bank 

Thai word: ธนาคาร (thá-naa-khaan)

Example:  

ธนาคารปิดวันอาทิตย์

Thá-naa-khaan bpìt wan-aa-thít

“The bank closes on Sunday.”

11- Restaurant 

Thai word: ร้านอาหาร (ráan aa-hǎan)

Example:  

แถวนี้มีร้านอาหารหลายร้าน

Thǎao níi mii ráan aa-hǎan lǎai ráan

“There are many restaurants around here.”

12- Department store 

Thai word: ห้างสรรพสินค้า (hâang sàp-phá-sǐn-kháa)

Example:  

ห้างสรรพสินค้าเปิดตอน 10 โมง

Hâang sàp-phá-sǐn-kháa bpòoet dtaawn sìp moong

“The department store opens at ten in the morning.”

Additional Information: ห้างสรรพสินค้า (hâang sàp-phá-sǐn-kháa) is too long for Thai people, so they rarely use this word in daily conversation. They shorten it to ห้าง (hâang) instead. ห้างสรรพสินค้า (hâang sàp-phá-sǐn-kháa) is normally used in formal situations only.

13- Intersection 

Thai word: ทางแยก (thaang-yâaek)

Example:  

พอถึงทางแยกแล้วให้เลี้ยวซ้าย

Phaaw thǔeng thaang-yâaek láaeo hâi líiao sáai

“Turn left at the intersection.”

14- Cross road

Thai word: ทางม้าลาย (thaang máa-laai)

Usage: ข้ามถนน (khâam thà-nǒn) is often used with ทางม้าลาย (thaang máa-laai), and it means “cross the road” in Thai.

Example:  

ทุกคนควรข้ามถนนที่ทางม้าลาย

Thúk-khon khuuan khâam thà-nǒn thîi thaang máa-laai 

“Everybody should cross the road at the crossroad.”

Additional Information: Actually, the word ม้าลาย (máa-laai) in ทางม้าลาย (thaang máa-laai) refers to “zebra” in Thai. Thai people think crossroads look like the stripes of a zebra, so they use it as part of the name.

15- Alley 

Thai word: ซอย (saauy)

Example:  

กรุงเทพฯมีซอยเยอะมาก 

Grung-thêep mii saauy yóe mâak

“There are a lot of alleys in Bangkok.”

Additional Information: Apart from “alley,” ซอย (saauy) can also mean “slice quickly” in Thai.

16- Restroom 

Thai word: ห้องน้ำ (hâawng-nám)

Example:  

ห้องน้ำสะอาดมั๊ย

Hâawng-nám sà-àat mái

“Is the restroom clean?”

Additional Information: Apart from “restroom,” ห้องน้ำ (hâawng-nám) also means “bathroom.”

17- Elevator 

Thai word: ลิฟต์ (líp)

Example:  

ลิฟต์ในตึกนี้ช้ามาก

Líp nai dtùek níi cháa mâak

“The elevator in this building is so slow.”

18- Parking lot 

Thai word: ที่จอดรถ (thîi jàawt rót); ลานจอดรถ (laan jàawt rót)

Usage: Despite having the same meaning, there is a small difference between these two words. ลานจอดรถ (laan jàawt rót) is only used to refer to a wide area where you can park many cars. On the other hand, ที่จอดรถ (thîi jàawt rót) can be used to refer to both a wide area for parking and a small area where you can park only one car.

Example:  

ที่จอดรถเต็มรึยัง

thîi jàawt rót dtem rúe yang

“Is the parking lot full?”

19- Information center

Thai word: ประชาสัมพันธ์ (bprà-chaa-sǎm-phan)

Example:  

ประชาสัมพันธ์ของห้างนี้อยู่ชั้น G

Bprà-chaa-sǎm-phan khǎawng hâang níi yùu chán jii

“The information center of this department store is on the ground floor.”

20- Fire exit 

Thai word: ทางหนีไฟ (thaang nǐi fai)

Example:  

ทางหนีไฟอยู่ข้างห้องน้ำ

Thaang nǐi fai yùu khâang hâawng-nám

“The fire exit is next to the restroom.”

4. Basic Grammar for Conversations

Before we teach you how to give directions in Thai or ask for them with phrases and sentences, it will be easier to learn and remember if you know some basic Thai grammar used in conversations.

To make a sentence sound formal in Thai, Thai people put the words ครับ (khráp) and ค่ะ (khâ) at the end of a sentence. ครับ (khráp) is used when the speaker is male, while ค่ะ (khâ) is used when the speaker is female. Another point you should know is that for females, at the end of a question, Thai people use คะ (khâ).

5. Must-know Phrases and Sentences to Ask Directions in Thai 

At this point of the lesson, you’ll learn useful phrases and sentences you can use to ask directions in Thai.

1- Excuse me 

Thai word: ขอโทษ (khǎaw-thôot)

Usage: The way Thai people use this word is exactly the same as in English. Thai people say this word to get attention from another party before asking a question.

Example: 

ขอโทษค่ะ  ที่นี่คือวัดพระแก้วใช่มั๊ยคะ

Khǎaw-thôot khâ thîi nîi khuue wát-prá-gâaeo châi mái khá

“Excuse me, is this place the Temple of the Emerald Buddha?”

Additional Information: In addition to “excuse me,” ขอโทษ (khǎaw-thôot) can also mean “sorry.” 

2- Where is ….. ? 

Thai word: ….. อยู่ที่ไหน (….. yùu thîi nǎi), ….. อยู่ตรงไหน (….. yùu dtrong nǎi)

Usage: The meaning of ….. อยู่ที่ไหน (….. yùu thîi nǎi) and ….. อยู่ตรงไหน (….. yùu dtrong nǎi) are pretty much the same. You can substitute one for another. 

Example 1: 

ขอโทษครับ  ห้องน้ำอยู่ที่ไหนครับ

Khǎaw-thôot khráp hâawng-nám yùu thîi nǎi khráp

“Excuse me, where is the bathroom?”

Example 2: 

ร้านกาแฟอยู่ตรงไหนคะ

Ráan gaa-faae yùu dtrong nǎi khá

“Where is the coffee shop?”

3- How do I get to ….. ? 

Thai word: ไป…..ยังไง (bpai ….. yang-ngai)

Usage: Actually, the full sentence is ฉันจะไป…ได้ยังไง (chǎn jà  bpai ….. dâi yang-ngai). But Thai people think it’s too long to say, so they shorten it to ไป…..ยังไง (bpai ….. yang-ngai).  

Example:  

ไปจตุจักรยังไงคะ

Bpai jà-dtù-jàk yang-ngai khá

“How do I get to Jathujak?”

4- Is ….. far from here? 

Thai word: …..อยู่ไกลมั๊ย (….. yùu glai mái)

Usage: Actually, the full sentence is …..อยู่ไกลจากที่นี่มั๊ย (….. yùu glai jàak thîi nîi mái). But Thai people think it’s too long to say, so they shorten it to …..อยู่ไกลมั๊ย (….. yùu glai mái). 

Example:  

เยาวราชอยู่ไกลมั๊ยคะ

Yao-wá-râat yùu glai mái khá

“Is Yaowaraat far from here?”

5- Thank you

Thai word: ขอบคุณ (khàawp-khun)

Usage: In case you want to show that you’re really thankful, you can put มาก (mâak) after ขอบคุณ (khàawp-khun), which means “very” or “a lot” in Thai. 

Example:  

ขอบคุณมากครับ

Khàawp-khun mâak khráp

“Thank you very much.”

6. Must-know Phrases and Sentences to Give Directions in Thai 

Lastly, you’ll learn useful phrases and sentences you can use to give directions in Thai.

1- Go straight ahead

Thai word: ตรงไป (dtrong bpai); ตรงไปข้างหน้า (dtrong bpai khâang nâa)

Usage: Comparing both phrases, there’s not much difference between them. If you say ตรงไปข้างหน้า (dtrong bpai khâang nâa), it’s like giving a direction in more detail. 

Another thing you should know is that Thai people often put verbs that show movement in front of this phrase. Those verbs are เดิน (dooen), which means “walk,” วิ่ง (wîng), which means “run,” and ขับ (khàp), which means “drive.”

Example 1:  

ถ้าเดินตรงไปเรื่อย ๆ จะเจอร้านอาหารฝั่งขวามือ

Thâa dooen dtrong bpai rûueai-rûueai jà jooe ráan aa-hǎan fàng khwǎa muue

“If you walk straight ahead, you’ll find the restaurant on your right.”

Example 2:  

ขับตรงไปข้างหน้าแล้วเลี้ยวเข้าซอยแรกฝั่งซ้ายมือ

Khàp dtrong bpai khâang nâa láaeo liiáo khâo saauy râaek fàng sáai muue

“Go straight ahead and then turn into the first alley on your left.”

2- Go back 

Thai word: กลับไปทางเดิม (glàp bpai thaang dooem)

Usage: กลับไปทางเดิม (glàp bpai thaang dooem) literally means “go back to the same way.” If a Thai person said only กลับไป (glàp bpai), which means “go back,” its meaning would be too vague. 

Example:  

ลูกค้าเดินเลยมาแล้วค่ะ  กลับไปทางเดิมประมาณ 500 เมตรนะคะ

Lûuk-kháa dooen looei maa láaeo khâ glàp bpai thaang dooem bprà-maan  hâa-ráauy méet ná khâ

“The customer already walked past that. Go back around 500 meters.”

3- Make a U-turn 

Thai word: กลับรถ (glàp rót)

Example:  

กลับรถตรงสี่แยกเลยครับ

Glàp rót dtrong sìi yâaek looei khráp

“Make a U-turn at the intersection.”

4- Turn left / Go left 

Thai word: เลี้ยวซ้าย (líiao sáai); ไปทางซ้าย (bpai thaang sáai)

Usage: เลี้ยวซ้าย (líiao sáai) is “turn left” in Thai, while ไปทางซ้าย (bpai thaang sáai) is “go left.” Despite having different meanings in English, both words refer to the same action in Thai. They can be used interchangeably.

Example 1:  

พอเจอทางแยกแล้วให้ไปทางซ้าย

Phaaw jooe thaang yâaek láaeo hâi bpai thaang sáai

“Go left once you are at the intersection.”

Example 2:  

เลี้ยวซ้ายแล้วเดินมาอีก 500 เมตรก็ถึง

Líiao sáai láaeo dooen maa ìik hâa-ráauy méet gâaw thǔeng

“Turn left and walk for another 500 meters, you will arrive.”

5- Turn right / Go right 

Thai word: เลี้ยวขวา (líiao khwǎa); ไปทางขวา (bpai thaang khwǎa)

Usage: เลี้ยวขวา (líiao khwǎa) is “turn right” in Thai, while ไปทางขวา (bpai thaang khwǎa) is “go right.”  Despite having different meanings in English, both words refer to the same action in Thai. They can be used interchangeably.

Example 1:  

ต้องเลี้ยวขวาที่ทางแยกรึเปล่า

Dtâawng líiao khwǎa thîi thaang yâaek rúe bplào

“Do I have to turn right at the intersection?”

Example 2: 

ถ้าจะไปโรงพยาบาล พอออกจากซอยแล้วให้ไปทางขวา

Thâa jà bpai roong-phá-yaa-baan phaaw àawk jàak saauy láaeo hâi bpai thaang khwǎa

“If you want to go to the hospital, you have to go right when you go out of the alley.”

6- Go upstairs 

Thai word: ขึ้นไปข้างบน (khûen bpai khâang bon)

Usage: Thai people sometimes put เดิน (dooen), which means “walk,” in front of ขึ้นไปข้างบน (khûen bpai khâang bon).

Example:  

พอขึ้นไปข้างบนแล้ว ประตูบานแรกที่เจอคือห้องนอนครับ

Phaaw khûen bpai khâang bon láaeo bprà-dtuu baan râaek thîi jooe khuue hâawng-naawn khráp

“Once you go upstairs, the first door you see is the bedroom.”

7- Go downstairs 

Thai word: ลงไปข้างล่าง (long bpai khâang lâang)

Usage: Thai people sometimes put เดิน (dooen), which means “walk,” in front of ลงไปข้างล่าง (long bpai khâang lâang).

Example:  

ถ้าจะไปห้องประชุม ต้องเดินลงไปข้างล่างแล้วเลี้ยวซ้าย

thâa jà bpai hâawng bprà-chum dtâawng dooen long bpai khâang lâang láaeo líiao sáai

“If you want to go to the meeting room, you have to go downstairs and then turn left.”

8- Keep going 

Thai word: ตรงไปเรื่อย ๆ (dtrong bpai rûueai-rûueai)

Usage: Thai people put verbs that show movement in front of this phrase. Those verbs are เดิน (dooen) which means “walk,” วิ่ง (wîng) which means “run,” and ขับ (khàp) which means “drive.”

Example:  

พอเลยโรงเรียนมาแล้ว ตรงไปเรื่อย ๆ อีกประมาณ 1 กิโลเมตรก็จะเจอโรงแรม

Phaaw looei roong-riian maa láaew khàp dtrong bpai rûueai-rûueai ìik bprà-maan nùeng gì-loo-méet gâaw jà jooe roong-raaem

“Once you pass the school, keep going for around one kilometer and you will find the hotel.”

9- Hurry up 

Thai word: เร็วหน่อย (reo nàauy); เร็ว ๆ หน่อย (reo-reo nàauy)

Usage: Both เร็วหน่อย (reo nàauy) and เร็ว ๆ หน่อย (reo-reo nàauy) have the same meaning. The word เร็ว (reo) is “fast” in Thai. So when speaking, Thai people sometimes say the word เร็ว (reo) twice to emphasize that the other person needs to go faster.

Example:  

เร็วหน่อย ไม่งั้นจะไปสาย

Reo nàauy mâi ngán jà bpai sǎai

“Hurry up or else I/we will be late.”

10- Slow down 

Thai word: ช้าหน่อย (cháa nàauy); ช้า ๆ หน่อย (cháa-cháa nàauy)

Usage: Both ช้าหน่อย (cháa nàauy) and ช้า ๆ หน่อย (cháa-cháa nàauy) have the same meaning. The word ช้า (cháa) is “slow” in Thai. So when speaking, Thai people sometimes say the word ช้า (cháa) twice to emphasize that the other person should go slower.

Example:  

เธอขับรถเร็วไปแล้ว ช้า ๆ หน่อย

Thooe khàp rót reo bpai láaeo cháa-cháa nàauy

“You are driving too fast, slow down.”

11- On the left 

Thai word: อยู่ฝั่งซ้าย (yùu fàng sáai); อยู่ด้านซ้าย (yùu dâan sáai)

Usage: There’s no difference between อยู่ฝั่งซ้าย (yùu fàng sáai) and อยู่ด้านซ้าย (yùu dâan sáai). Also, as mentioned earlier, Thai people sometimes use the word มือ (muue), which means “hand,” with the word ซ้าย (sáai): ซ้ายมือ (sáai muue). This applies here as well. 

Example 1:  

สวนสาธารณะอยู่ด้านซ้ายของคอนโด

Sǔuan sǎa-thaa-rá-ná yùu dâan sáai khǎawng khaawn-doo

“The park is on the left of the condo.”

Example 2:  

ถ้าเธอเดินตรงไป จะเจอซอยอยู่ฝั่งซ้ายมือ

Thâa thooe dooen dtrong bpai jà jooe saauy yùu fàng sáai muue

“If you walk straight, you will find an alley on your left.”

12- On the right 

Thai word: อยู่ฝั่งขวา (yùu fàng khwǎa); อยู่ด้านขวา (yùu dâan khwǎa)

Usage: There’s no difference between อยู่ฝั่งขวา (yùu fàng khwǎa) and อยู่ด้านขวา (yùu dâan khwǎa). And as mentioned earlier, Thai people sometimes use the word มือ (muue), which means “hand,” with the word ขวา (khwǎa): ขวามือ (khwǎa muue). This applies here as well.

Example 1:  

พอเลี้ยวซ้ายแล้ว บ้านเธออยู่ฝั่งขวาใช่มั๊ย

Phaaw líiao sáai láaeo bâan thooe yùu fàng khwǎa châi mái

“Once I turn left, is your house on the right?”

Example 2:  

ร้านดอกไม้อยู่ด้านขวาของธนาคารใช่มั๊ย

Ráan dàawk-mái yùu dâan khwǎa khǎawng thá-naa-khaan châi mái

“Is the flower shop on the right of the bank?”

7. Real Situation Example

To help you better understand how to ask for and give directions in Thailand, and so you can practice, we’ll put everything we’ve gone over in this lesson together with real-life examples.

1- How do I get to Paragon?

A:  

ขอโทษค่ะ  ไปพารากอนยังไงคะ

khǎaw-thôot-khà bpai-paa-raa-gâawn-yang-ngai-khá

“Excuse me, how do I get to Paragon?”

B:  

ไปทางรถไฟฟ้าได้ครับ เดินตรงไปข้างหน้า เลี้ยวซ้าย แล้วเดินไปเรื่อย ๆ จะเจอสถานีรถไฟฟ้าครับ

bpai-thaang-rót-fai-fáa-dâi-kráp dooen-dtrong-bpai-khâang-nhâa líiao-sáai láaew-dooen-bpai- rûueai-rûueai jà-joee-sà-thǎan-nii-rót-fai-fáa-khráp

“You can go by sky train. You go straight ahead, turn left, and then keep going until you find the sky train station.”

A:  

สถานีรถไฟฟ้าอยู่ไกลมั๊ยคะ

sà-thǎan-nii-rót-fai-fáa-yhùu-glai-mái-khá

“Is the sky train station far from here?”

B:  

ไม่ไกลมากครับ  เดินประมาณ 5 นาทีครับ

mâi-glai-mâak-kráp dooen-bprà-maan-hâa-naa-thii-khráp

“It’s not very far, around a five-minute walk.”

A:  

แล้วต้องลงสถานีรถไฟฟ้าไหนคะ

láaew-dtâawng-long-sà-thǎan-nii-rót-fai-fáa-nhǎi-khá

“And which sky train station should I get off at?”

B:  

สถานีสยามครับ

sà-thǎan-nii-sà-yǎam-khráp

“Siam Station.”

A:  

ขอบคุณค่ะ

khàawp-khun-khà

“Thank you.”

2- Where should I go on holiday?

A:  

ใกล้จะถึงวันหยุดยาวแล้ว  ไปเที่ยวที่ไหนดีครับ

glâi-jà-thǔng-wan-yhùt-yaao-láaew bpai-thîiao-thîi-nhǎi-dii-khráp

“It’s almost long holiday. Where should I go for traveling?”

B:  

ชอบทะเลหรือภูเขาคะ

châawp-thá-laae-rhǔue-phuu-khǎo-khá

“Do you like the sea or mountains?”

A:  

ชอบทะเลครับ

châawp-thá-laae-khráp

“I like the sea.”

B:  

ไปเที่ยวที่หัวหินดีมั๊ยคะ  อยู่ภาคตะวันตกของไทย  ใกล้จากกรุงเทพ  ทะเลสวย  อาหารอร่อย  

bpai-thîiao-hǔa-hǐn-dii-mái-khá yhùu-phâak-thà-wan-dtòk-khǎawng-thai glâi-grung-thêep thá-lee-sǔuay aa-hǎan-à-rhòi

“How about Huahin? It is in the west part of Thailand, near Bangkok. The sea is beautiful. The food is great.”

A:   

ถ้าอย่างนั้นวันหยุดนี้  ผมจะไปหัวหินครับ

thâa-yàang-nán-wan-yhùt-níi phǒm-jà-bpai-hǔa-hǐn-khráp

“Then, I will go to Huahin for this coming holiday.”

B:  

ฉันรู้จักโรงแรมที่หัวหินที่สวยมากอยู่ที่นึง  จะหาเบอร์โทรให้นะคะ

chǎn-rúu-jàk-roong-raaem-thîi-hǔa-hǐn-thîi-sǔuay-mâak-yhùu-thîi-nueng jà-hǎa-booe-thoo-hâi-ná- khá

“I know a very beautiful hotel at Huahin. I will give you the phone number.”

A:  

ขอบคุณครับ

khàawp-khun-khráp

“Thank you.”

8. Conclusion

Now that you’ve reached the conclusion, we believe you should have no problem asking and giving directions in Tha. Did you find this topic hard? Is the way that Thai people ask and give directions different from how it’s done in your language? Please comment below to let us know.

Please note that you may be confused with some phrases and sentences, but that’s normal. You’ll need some time to practice. To become more fluent, be sure to practice using these directions phrases whenever you can; practice makes perfect.

Once you’re good at this, go check out other fun and useful Thai lessons at ThaiPod101.com, such as how to take a Thai taxi, information about Wat Pho, and going on a trip via plane.

Happy Thai learning!