The Focus of this Lesson is on Using Simple "wh" Question Words
ทำไมอยากไปเกาะลันตาล่ะ
tham-mai yàak bpai gàw lan-dtaa lâ.
"Why do you want to go to Koh Lanta? What's good about it?"

The focus of this lesson is asking simple questions. In English, five key question words all begin with "wh": "who," "what," "where," "when," and "why." In Thai, the equivalent question words all share the same ending vowel sound: ai. They are as follows:

ใคร (khrai) - "who"

อะไร (à-rai) - "what"

ที่ไหน (thîi-nǎi) - "where"

เมื่อไหร่ (mûuea-rài) - "when"

ทำไม tham-mai -"why"

Location of Question Words in a Thai Sentence

Question words in English usually come at the beginning of a sentence, but in Thai you'll see them more often at the end of the sentence or after the verb. This is especially true with อะไร (à-rai), "what;" ที่ไหน (thîi-nǎi), "where;" and เมื่อไหร่ (mûuea-rài), "when." Below are examples with these words:

1. คุณอยากทานอะไร
   khun yàak thaan à-rai.
   "What do you want to eat?"
2. บ้านของคุณอยู่ที่ไหน
   bâan khǎawng khun yùu thîi-nǎi.
   "Where is your house?"
3. คุณจะมาเมื่อไหร่
   khun jà maa mûuea-rài.
   "When will you come?"

ใคร (khrai) - "who"

The position of ใคร (khrai) in a sentence will depend on whether the question is asking "who" in regards to the subject or object of the verb. If asking about the subject, then place ใคร (khrai) at the beginning of the sentence. Here's a sample sentence:

1. ใครกินขนม
   khrai gin khà-nǒm.
   "Who ate the snacks?"

However, if we want to use "who" as the object of the verb, then place it after the verb. Notice that in the English translation, it's still more natural to place "who" at the beginning of the sentence:

1. คุณจะไปกับใคร
   khun jà bpai gàp khrai.
   "Who are you going to go with?"

อะไร (à-rai) - "what"

อะไร (à-rai) is a very versatile word in Thai.  In addition to its use in a "what" question, อะไร (à-rai) can mean "something" or "anything." When acting as a question, อะไร (à-rai) will typically come after the verb in the sentence. Here's a sample sentence:

1. เขามีอะไร
   khǎo mii à-rai.
   "What does he have?"

When it's used to mean "something," it will also come after the verb. The correct meaning can be determined from the context of the sentence. Here's a sample sentence:

1. เขาไปหาอะไรกิน
   khǎo bpai hǎa à-rai gin.
   "He went to find something to eat."

ที่ไหน (thîi-nǎi) - "where"

The word for the question "where" is usually placed after the verb in the sentence. In a casual conversation, ที่ไหน (thîi-nǎi) can be abbreviated to simply ไหน (nǎi). Here's a sample sentence:

1. ร้านอยู่ไหน
   ráan yùu nǎi.
   "Where's the shop?"

เมื่อไหร่ (mûuea-rài) - "when"

With asking a "when" question, using เมื่อไหร่ (mûuea-rài), you can place this word either at the beginning or the end of a sentence. Placing the question word at the beginning of the sentence adds emphasis to it. Often this will be the structure if someone wants to ask a rhetorical question. Here's a sample sentence:

1. เมื่อไหร่เขาจะขอแต่งงาน
   mûuea-rài khǎo jà khǎaw dtàaeng-ngaan.
   "When is he going to ask me to marry him?"

ทำไม (tham-mai) - "why"

ทำไม (tham-mai) can be used equally at the start or end of a sentence, although its placement gives the question different emphasis. When placed before the verb, it signifies a direct question, but when placed at the end of a sentence, ทำไม (tham-mai) carries a more disappointed or accusing tone. Below are two sentences asking the same question, but with different emphasis because of the location of "why."

For example:

1. ทำไมอยากไปเกาะลันตา
   tham-mai yàak bpai gàw lan-dtaa.
   "Why do you want to go to Koh Lanta?" (I'm curious to know your reasons.)
2. อยากไปเกาะลันตาทำไม
   yàak bpai gàw lan-dtaa tham-mai.
   "Why do you want to go to Koh Lanta?" (I disagree with your decision.).

In addition, when located at the beginning of a sentence, เมื่อไหร่ (mûuea-rài) can carry a disappointed or accusing tone. This is opposite to the way ทำไม works.

For example:

1. คุณจะมาเมื่อไหร่
   khun jà maa mûuea-rài
   "When are you coming?" (The speaker is simply asking about time.)
2. เมื่อไหร่คุณจะมา
   mûuea-rài khun jà maa
   "When are you coming?" (The speaker has been waiting for a long time and is getting irritated.)

วันหยุด
วันหยุด (wan-yùt) literally means "stop day." It refers to a day that you have off from work or school, so it can be used in reference to holidays or weekend days when these places are closed. In the case of a long holiday period, as happens during New Year or Songkran festival, we can use the phrase วันหยุดยาว (wan-yùt yaao), meaning "long holiday."

ไปเที่ยว
ไปเที่ยว (bpai thîiao) can mean either "to go on travel" or "to go out for fun." So, you can use it to refer to going away on a vacation—as in the dialogue—or you can use ไปเที่ยว (bpai thîiao) to simply mean going out to the movies, going dancing with friends, going on a scenic drive, etc.

มั้ย
มั้ย (mái) is the more common pronunciation of the question particle ไหม (mǎi) in a regular conversation. When spoken quickly, the rising tone changes into a high tone. Its use is very simple: when put at the end of any sentence or phrase, it turns that sentence into a yes or no question. Below is a sample sentence:

1. เกาะลันตาดีมั้ย
   gàw lan-dtaa dii mái.
   "How about Koh Lanta?" (Literally, "Is Koh Lanta good?")

Koh Lanta Island

Koh Lanta is not as well-known as other Thai islands such as Phuket, Koh Samui, and Koh Phi Phi but nevertheless, it has some of the nicest beaches in the country. Koh Lanta is located in southern Thailand in Krabi Province. It's separated from the mainland by a narrow strait, making it possible to reach the island from Krabi Airport by taking a minivan and then a car ferry. Koh Lanta draws a large number of tourists from northern Europe, particularly from Sweden.

Koh Lanta is about thirty kilometers (18.6 miles) long and six kilometers (3.7 miles) wide, with many beaches lining the long western coast. Since all of the beaches face west, Koh Lanta is one of the best places in Thailand to watch the sunset over the water. Each beach has its own character. Some are more family oriented, some are popular with young backpackers, and some are geared towards luxury tourists.

The majority of local residents on Koh Lanta are Muslim, rather than Buddhist as in most of Thailand. You'll notice that local women dress conservatively, with many wearing a head covering. Despite their different beliefs, the local Muslim and Buddhist populations live together peacefully.