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Thai For Travellers

Easy Thai for tourists

Did you know that Thailand is one of the most visited countries in the world? Every year, tens of millions of people get on a flight ready for their stay in the land of smiles. There is something for everyone in the country: delicious food, amazing beaches and great weather are just some of the factors that are drawing in these numbers.

Thinking of making your way to Thailand? Why not make your stay that bit more enjoyable by learning some Thai for travellers like you. It will not only allow for more authentic interactions with the locals, but also earn you some respect. Sound good? Let’s jump in.

The Basics

Where else is better to start than with the basics. There are a few words and phrases you will likely be using often during your stay. You know the ones: yes, no, thank you, etc. These are generally short and easy to learn (within reason) so there is no excuse for not at least giving them a try.

English

Transliteration

Thai

Hello

sa wat dii

สวัสดี

Goodbye

sa wat dii

สวัสดี

How are you?

sabai dii mai

สบายดีไม

I am good

sabai dii

สบายดี

I am not good

mai sabai

ไม่สบาย

Yes

chai

ใช่

No

mai

ไม่ใช่

Thank you

kob khun

ขอบคุณ

Excuse me

kor thot

ขอโทษ

 Thai Numbers

It is honestly surprising how useful learning numbers in another language can be. Just think about it. You use numbers constantly while travelling, whether you are booking a room, paying for food or giving out your mobile number. So be sure to learn the Thai numbers as best you can:

English

Transliteration

Thai

Zero (0)

soon

ศูนย์ (๐)

One (1)

neung

หนึ่ง (๑)

Two (2)

song

สอง (๒)

Three (3)

sam

สาม (๓)

Four (4)

sii

สี่ (๔)

Five (5)

ha

ห้า (๕)

Six (6)

hok

หก (๖)

Seven (7)

jed

เจ็ด (๗)

Eight (8)

bpad

แปด (๘)

Nine (9)

gaow

เก้า (๙)

Ten (10)

sip

สิบ (๑๐)

Eleven (11)

sip et

สิบเอ็ด (๑๑)

Twelve (12)

sip song

สิบสอง (๑๒)

Thirteen (13)

sip sam

สิบสาม (๑๓)

Fourteen (14)

sip sii

สิบสี่ (๑๔)

Fifteen (15)

sip ha

สิบห้า (๑๕)

Sixteen (16)

sip hok

สิบหก (๑๖)

Seventeen (17)

sip jed

สิบเจ็ด (๑๗)

Eighteen (18)

sip bpad

สิบแปด (๑๘)

Nineteen (19)

sip gaow

สิบเก้า (๑๙)

Twenty (20)

yii sip

ยี่สิบ (๒๐)

Thirty (30)

sam sip

สามสิบ (๓๐)

Forty (40)

sii sip

สี่สิบ (๔๐)

Fifty (50)

ha sip

ห้าสิบ (๕๐)

Hundred (100)

roy

ร้อย (๑๐๐)

Thousand (1,000)

pan

พัน (๑๐๐๐)

Ten Thousand (10,000)

muen

หมื่น (๑๐๐๐๐)

Ordering Food In Thailand

Another one of the many charms of Thailand is the amazing food. From the world-renowned Pad Thai to the lesser known but delicious Khao Soi, there are many delights to discover. Try using these phrases to order your food and customize it to your liking.

English

Transliteration

Thai

Do you have…?

mii….mai

มี …ไม

I want….

pom/chan ao….

ผม/ฉันเอา 

How much? (does it cost)

tao rai

เท่าไร

Is it…?

…..mai

…ไม

Spicy

ped

เผ็ด

Not spicy

mai ped

ไม่เผ็ด

Sweet

waan

หวาน

Not sweet

mai waan

ไม่หวาน

Salty

khem

เค็ม

Not salty

mai khem

ไม่เค็ม

  Here are a few different foods you may want to try while visiting Thailand:

English

Transliteration

Thai

Thai fried noodles

pad thai

ผัดไทย

Papaya salad

som tam

ส้มตำ

Curry noodle soup

khao soi

ข้าวซอย

Hainanese chicken rice

khao man gai

ข้าวมันไก่

Hot and sour soup with shrimp

Tom yum goong

ต้มยำกุ้ง

Green curry

geng kiao waan

แกงเขียวหวาน

Thai pancake

roti

โรตี

Mango sticky rice

khao niao ma muang

ข้าวเหนียวมะม่วง

Spicy salad with glass noodle

yam wun sen

ข้าวเหนียวมะม่วง

 Getting Around

 You will definitely want to make your way around the country while you are here. There are some absolute gems you can visit in any direction from the capital. All it takes is figuring out how to get there. Here are a few different ways to get around:

English

Transliteration

Thai

Car

rot

รถ

Bus

rot bat

รถบัส

Bus Station

satani rot bat

สถานีรถบัส

Taxi

tek sii

แท็กซี่

Train

rot fai

รถไฟ

Train Station

satani rot fai

สถานีรถไฟ

Plane

krung bin

เครื่องบิน

Airport

sanam bin

สนามบิน

Language Difficulties

Even if you do take some time to practise your Thai, you may just face some difficulties communicating. As a tonal language, pronunciation is extremely important when it comes to understanding. Unfortunately, speaking with tones is not a skill you can learn over night, so you should be prepared with some phrases to listen out for.

English

Transliteration

Thai

Do you understand?

kao jai mai

เข้าใจไหม

I understand

kao jai

เข้าใจ

I don’t understand

mai kao jai

ไม่เข้าใจ

Do you speak English?

puut pasaa angrit dai mai

พูดภาษาอังกฤษได้ไหม

I don’t speak Thai

puut pasaa thai mai dai

พูดภาษาไทยไม่ได้

I speak a little bit of Thai

puut pasaa thai dai nit noy

พูดภาษาไทยได้นิดหน่อย

Have A Great Time!

Armed with these words and phrases, you should be well placed have basic conversations wit the locals. You can order your food, discuss the price and then head home with the transportation option of your choice. If you enjoyed your stay in the Kingdom, it is definitely worth continuing your learning. 

Thai is a beautiful language and opens up the opportunity to talk with millions of people. Sure, there may be some hard times, but with some persistence, you should pull through. Otherwise, I hope you enjoy your stay in Thailand.

Koh Chang Island Guide For Independent Travellers