BASIC THAI WORDS AND PHRASES

It will be very helpful and fun to learn a few Thai greetings and sentences for staying in Thailand. Here are some good
Thai words and phrases to learn that will be useful for you. These have been gathered from many books and websites.
On the web, there are many sites that will even have sound files to listen to if you are extra keen. Learning a foreign
language is never easy. Most Thai language books I have looked at are very confusing, and the correct pronunciation of
simple Thai words can still be quite a challenge, but it cant hurt to try.

Most people in Thailand don't speak much English, except in Bangkok and some big cities. By knowing how to say some
simple Thai phrases, you can make friends with the local people, make your trip easier without having to depend on an
interpreter and perhaps help yourself bargain for stuff more successfully.

The language of Thailand uses long & short tones, high tones & low tones to describe a word. A word in Thai such as Ma
has more than 3 meanings, depending on the tone its spoken with. Example Ma means Horse, Dog & Come

The words & phrases I have listed below have been written as you would pronounce it in English/Australian language. I
have not used any variations of high/low tones as this will only confuse you. Just say the word as if it was English
language & you will be understood by most Thai people. If Thai people seem to be confused about what you say, don't be
discouraged. Just try to speak more slowly and they will get it eventually.

If you try to speak Thai to Thai people and they laugh, please don't be offended. Thais love to laugh. They are not
laughing at you but with you. In fact, they really admire foreigners who try to speak their language. In Thai culture, most of
the time laughing is a way to show admiration, not disrespect.

GREETINGS/PLEASANTRIES
The word "sa wa dee" is like "Ciao" in Italian. We use it to say Thank you cup/ka, can be said at the end of any sentence, it is
both hello and goodbye. a sign of respect to whom you are speaking with and is
regarded as being extra polite.
Hello (male speaker) sa wa dee cup
Hello (female speaker) sa wa dee ka I (male speaker) pom
I (female speaker) chan
For example: the word "thank you" is spelt "kharp" in most
Thai language books. For an English speaking male, this word N.B. Where you see pom or chan in this document, please
sounds the same as "cup". note these are interchangeable depending on what gender you
Thank you (male speaker) cob coon cup are.
Thank you (female speaker) cob coon ka
Thank you very much cob coon mark Where you see the letters ai it is pronounced as if it is the y
in my or ie in die, lie, pie.

GREETINGS Yes chai Buy suer

No my chai Sleep non laap
How are you? sa by dee my May I take a photograph? tai ruup Wake up dtiiurn
I am fine thanks pom sa by dee dai my Eyes taa
cup/ka Toilet/Rest room hong narm To close your eyes (go to sleep)
I am good thanks, how are you? Where is the toilet(rest room)? laap dta
pom sa by dee cup/ka, coon sa hong narm u tee nai Dreams fun
by dee my Sorry/excuse me kor tort Good night raat dree sawat
What's your name?coon chew arai You're welcome/No worries May be art jar
My name is pom/chan chew cup my pen rai Play len
Nice to meet you yin dee tee dai rue Never mind my pen rai Speak poot
jark See you again lauw pop gun Funny sanook
I come from Australia Come with me pai duway Everything took sing took yarng
maa jark patet Australia Good dee Fast rauw
I like Thailand chan chop patet Thai Very good dee mark Slow cha cha
I like Thai people chan chop kon Thai Bad my dee Where is u tee nay
I can't speak Thai chan poot pasa A lot/very mark Where am I? chan u tee nai OR
Thai my dai tee nee tee nai
Do you understand? cow jai my A CTIONS Over there tee noon
I don't understand my cow jai Look doo Here tee nee
Can anyone speak English? See hen Why tum my
mee krai poot pasa angkrit dai Eat gin (grin without the r) When muer rai
 MAI - THE MOST USED WORD IN THAI - Happy me quarm sook/sa by dee Steamed vegetable's puck ning
(PRONOUNCED MY) I am happy pom me quarm sook/ Green curry gang key ow wan
pom sa by dee Two chicken legs guy song nong
To make a question just add my (mai) I am not happy pom my sa by
at the end. This is correct in most I am sad pom sow I need to go to... chan dtong by....
instances. I am sorry pom sear jai I must go to a hospital! chan dtong
I am confused pom sap sonn by rong payabaan
When you use the word my (mai) at I'm lost chan long taang
the end of a sentence, it means you Hurt/pain jep Help me!
are asking a question. Afraid glue aa Chuay duay (Hopefully, you
Frightened/scare dtock jai won't have to say this.)
Are you hungry? coon hue my Smells bad men
Are you happy? coon sa by dee my (hmmm..I think the Thai language was Rain fon
written by a female) Raining fon tock
To make the negative add my (mai) Waterfall narm tock
at the beginning. SHOPPING Shower up narm
Cold wind rom yen
To use the word my in front of a word What is this? nee arai Strong wind rom rang
means no/don't. How much does this cost? Weather agart
un nee tow rai Hot weather agart ron
Can dai How much is that? nan tow rai
Can not my dai Can you lower the price? Work tarm ngarn
I don't understand my cow jai Lod noy dai my cup/ka Play len
No thanks my ow cup Large yai I want pom dtong garn
I don't like it pom my chop Small leck I want pom yark
Have me Do you have a bigger one?
I have pom me mee dtua yai gwar nee my I think pom kit waa
I don't have pom my me Do you have a smaller one?
You have coon me mee dtua leck gwar nee my I am sick pom mai sa by
You don't have coon my me Also duway
I know pom roo ORDERING FOOD IN THAILAND I am full imm lauw
I don't know pom my roo I forget pom leum lauw
Water narm
EXPRESSING YOUR FEELINGS Ice narm keng Problem pun har
Hot water narm ron I have a problem pom me pun har
I like chan chop... Cold water narm yen
I don't like chan my chop... Rice cow COLORS IN THAILAND LANGUAGE
I really like it Chop mark Chicken guy White see cow
I'm having fun Sanook mark Pork moo Red see dang
I'm hot chan ron Red pork moo dang Black see dum
I'm cold chan now Mango ma mooang Pink see shompoo
I'm hungry chan hue Watermelon dang mor Blue see far
I want to eat chan yak gin... Banana gloy Dark blue see narm nguen
I want to go to chan yak bai... Orange som Green see key oh
I've got a headache chan puad hua Orange juice narm som Orange see som
I don't want to go back home Vegetable puck Gray see tao
chan my yak glup baan Fried vegetable's pad puck Purple see muwan
Boiled vegetable's puck tom
NUMBERS - THAILAND CURRENCY: (THB) THAI BAHT MONEY - ngueng TIME IN THAI LANGUAGE
(1) noong (14) sip see (150) noong roy har 2 am dee song 11 am sip ett mong 11 pm har toom
(2) song (15) sip har sip 3 am dee sarm mid day thee-ang mid night
(3) sarm (20) yee sip (1,000) noong pun 4 am dee see 1 pm bai noong thee-ang coom
(4) see (21) yee sip ett (1,500) noong pun 5 am dee har 2 pm bai song
(5) har (22) yee sip song har roy 6 am hok mong 3 pm bai sarm
(6) hok (23) yee sip sarm (2,000) song pun chow 4 pm see mong yen
(7) jet (24) yee sip see (10,000) noong 7 am jet mong chow 5 pm har mong yen
(8) bat (25) yee sip har moon 8 am bat mong 6 pm hok mong yen
(9) gow (30) sarm sip (20,000)song moon chow 7 pm noong toom
(10) sip (40) see sip (50,000) har moon 9 am gow mong 8 pm song toom
(11) sip ett (50) har sip (100,000)noong san chow 9 pm sarm toom
(12) sip song (60) hok sip 1am dee noong 10 am sip mong 10 pm see toom
(13) sip sarm (100) noong roy chow