LESSON NOTES

Absolute Beginner S2 #1
Want to Stay in a Thai Guesthouse?

CONTENTS
2 Thai
2 English
3 Romanization
3 Vocabulary
4 Sample Sentences
5 Vocabulary Phrase Usage
7 Grammar
8 Cultural Insight

# 1
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 THAI

1. คนขับแท็กซี�: สวัสดีครับ ไปไหนครับ

2. แดน: ไปถนนข้ าวสารครับ

3. (เสียงรถวิ�ง)

4. คนขับแท็กซี�: เกสต์เฮ้ าส์ไหนครับ

5. แดน: อืมมม...ยังไม่ร้ ูเลยครับ แต่อยากพักเกสต์เฮ้ าส์ที�ถกู ๆ

6. คนขับแท็กซี�: อ้ อ...ผมรู้จักเกสต์เฮาส์ที�สะอาด และราคาถูกอยู่ที�หนึ�งครับ ชื�อ

แมงโกเฮ้ าส์

7. แดน: แมงโกเฮ้ าส์ เป็ นชื�อที�ตลกจริ งๆ โอเคครับ ไปที�แมงโกเฮ้ าส์ครับ

ENGLISH

1. TAXI DRIVER: Hello. Where to?

2. DAN: I'm going to Khaosan Road.

3. (sound of a car running)

4. TAXI DRIVER: Which guesthouse?

5. DAN: Um...I don't know yet. But I want to stay in a guesthouse that's very
cheap.

CONT'D OVER

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6. TAXI DRIVER: Oh...I know one guesthouse that is clean and cheap. The name is
Mango House.

7. DAN: Mango House. That's really a funny name. OK. Go to Mango House.

ROMANIZATION

1. KHON-KHÀP- sà-wàt-dii khráp. bpai nǎi khráp.

THÁEK-SÎI:

2. DAAEN: bpai thà-nǒn khâao-sǎan khráp.

3. (sound of a car running)

4. KHON-KHÀP- géet-háo nǎi khráp.

THÁEK-SÎI:

5. DAAEN: uuem...yang mâi rúu looei khráp. dtàae yàak phák géet-háo thîi
thùuk-thùuk.

6. KHON-KHÀP- âaw...phǒm rúu-jàk géet-háo thîi sà-àat láe raa-khaa thùuk yùu thîi
THÁEK-SÎI: nùeng khráp. chûue maaeng-goo-háo.

7. DAAEN: maaeng-goo-háo. bpen chûue thîi dtà-lòk jing-jing. oo-khee khráp.

bpai thîi maaeng-goo-háo khráp.

VOCABULARY

Thai R omanization English C lass

ถนน thà-nǒn road Noun

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 เกสต์เฮาส์ géet-háo guesthouse noun

at, in, to, that, which, preposition,

ที� thîi place pronoun, noun

อยาก yàak to want verb

ถูก thùuk inexpensive, correct adjective

พัก phák to stay, to rest verb

ราคา raa-khaa cost, price, to cost Noun

ตลก dtà-lòk funny Adjective

สะอาด sà-àat clean Adjective

รู้จัก rúu-jàk to know of verb

SAMPLE SENTENCES

เด็กทารกกําลังเดินอยู่บนถนน มีเกสต์เฮ้ าส์สขี าวอยูท่ างซ้ าย

dèk-thaa-rók gam-lang dooen yùu bon thà-nǒn mii géet-háo sǐi-khǎao yùu thaang-sáai

"The baby is walking on the road." "There is a white guesthouse on the left
side."

เมื�อวานนี �ผมเจอพีทที�ห้องสมุด ผู้หญิงกําลังเพลิดเพลินกับพิซซ่าที�อร่อย

mûuea-waan-níi phǒm jooe phíit thîi hâwng-sà- phûu-yǐng gam-lang phlôoet-phlooen gàp phít-
mùt sâa thîi à-ràwy

"Yesterday, I met Pete at the library." "The woman is enjoying delicious pizza."

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คนอเมริ กนั ที�อายุสบิ หกปี แล้ วขับรถได้ ผมอยู่ที�บ้านของปี เตอร์
khon-à-mee-rí-gan thîi aa-yú sìp-hòk bpii láaeo phǒm yùu thîi bâan khǎawng bpii-dtôoe.
khàp rót dâai
"I'm at Peter's home."
"Americans who are sixteen years old can
drive cars."

ผมจะไปติดต่อธุรกิจที�ประเทศไทย ผมอยากเป็ นนายกรัฐมนตรี

phǒm jà bpai dtìt-dtàaw thú-rá-gìt thîi bprà-thêet- phǒm yàak bpen naa-yók-rát-thà-mon-dtrii
thai
"I want to be Prime Minister."
"I'm going on a business trip to Thailand."

นักเรี ยนคนอ้ วนตอบไม่ถกู รถคันนี �ถูกดี

nák-riian khon ûuan dtàawp mâi thùuk rót khan níi thùuk dii

"The chubby student answered incorrectly." "This car is nice and cheap."

ดิฉนั ไม่อยากพักที�นี�อีกต่อไปแล้ ว ช่วยลดราคาให้ หน่อยได้ ไหมคะ

dì-chǎn mâi yàak phák thîi-nîi iìk dtàaw bpai chûuai lót raa-khaa hâi nàwy dâai mǎi khá.
láaeo.
"Could you please lower the price?"
"I don't want to stay here anymore."

คุณศิวะเป็ นคนตลก ผู้ชายที�ตลกกําลังเต้ นโดยไม่ใส่กางเกง

khun sì-wá bpen khon dtà-lòk phûu-chaai thîi dtà-lòk gam-lang dtên dooi mâi sài
gaang-geeng
"Mr. Siwa is a funny man."
"The funny man is dancing without pants."

คุณสมรฟื น� ฟูสภาพแม่นํ �าลําคลองให้ สะอาด ผัดไทยจัดเป็ นอาหารไทยอันดับหนึ�งที�ชาวต่

ขึ �น างชาติร้ ูจักมากที�สดุ
khun sà-mǎawn fúuen-fuu sà-phâap mâae-náam pàt-thai jàt bpen aa-hǎan-thai an-dàp nùeng thîi
lam khlaawng hâi sà-àat khûen chaao-dtàang-châat rúu-jàk mâak thîi-sùt.

"Ms. Samorn works to restore rivers and "Pad Thai is in the first rank of Thai food
canals." that foreigners know."

VOCABULARY PHRASE USAGE

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ไปไหน (bpai nǎi)
This phrase is a little bit of a casual or short way to ask "Where are you going?" Even though it
is short, it is not necessarily rude. To make it more polite you can just add ครับ khráp or คะ
khá after it. This is a phrase you might often hear from taxi drivers.

ยังไมรู (yang mâi rúu)

This phrase means "I don't know yet." or "I still don't know." ยัง (yang) means "still" or "yet." ไม
(mâi) is the negative particle. And รู (rúu) is the verb "to know." This phrase is often said by
itself as an answer to a question. It can also be used as the beginning of a longer sentence
when it's followed by วา (wâa) and some other statement. For example:

1. ยังไมรูวาจะกินอะไรดี
yang mâi rúu wâa jà gin à-rai dii.
"I still don’t know what I'll get to eat."

จริงๆ (jing-jing)
When used once, จริง (jing) is an adjective meaning "real" or "true." When it is doubled, จริงๆ
(jing-jing) becomes an adverb meaning "really." It usually follows adjectives as in the
following examples:

1. วันนี้รอนจริงๆ
wan-níi ráawn jing-jing.
"It really is hot today."

2. ตลกจริงๆ
dtà-lòk jing-jing
"That was really funny."

เลย (looei)
This is an adverb that can be translated many ways depending on the context. In negative
sentences it usually means "at all," as in:

1. ผมไมชอบเลย
phǒm mâi châawp looei.
"I don’t like it at all."

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In positive statements or commands it will often mean something like "immediately," "simply,"
or "just." Here are some examples:

1. เขากลับบานเลย
khǎo glàp bâan looei.
"He simply went home."

2. คุณไมตองรอผม ทานขาวเลย
khun mâi dtâwng raaw phǒm. gin khâao looei.
"You don’t have to wait for me. Go ahead and eat your meal."

GRAMMAR

The focus of this lesson is ที่ (thîi) "that," "which," "who"

เปนชื่อที่ตลกจริงๆ
bpen chûue thîi dtà-lòk jing-jing.
"That's really a funny name. "

ที่ (thîi) is one of the most common words used in the Thai language. It has several different
uses. It can be a preposition meaning "at." It can also be used as a classifier for places.
Another important use is in forming descriptive phrases. When used in this way, ที่ (thîi) takes
the place of "that, "which," or "who" in English.

In a sentence, a noun will be followed by ที่ (thîi). Then this is followed by either an adjective
or a verbal phrase that describes and defines the noun. When the noun is a person we can
say ที่ (thîi) means "who," as in these examples:

1. ผูชายที่มีหนวดคือคุณพอ
phûu-chaai thîi mii nùuat khuue khun-phâaw.
"The man who has a mustache is my father."

2. เด็กที่กําลังเลนมีความสุข
dèk thîi gam-lang lên mii khwaam-sùk.
"The child who is playing is happy."

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A noun modified by ที่ (thîi) can also appear as the object of a sentence. Often there are more
natural ways of phrasing expressions in English that don't use the word "who":

1. พี่ชายชอบผูหญิงที่สูง
phîi-chaai châawp phûu-yǐng thîi sǔung.
"My older brother likes tall women."

2. คนที่ฉลาดเปนคนที่มีอนาคตดี
khon thîi chà-làat bpen khon thîi mii à-naa-khót dii.
"Intelligent people are people with a good future."

When it follows inanimate objects or animals, ที่ (thîi) will usually mean "that" or "which":

1. เราจะไปชายหาดในวันที่มีอากาศดี
rao jà bpai chaai-hàat nai wan thîi mii aa-gàat dii.
"We'll go to the beach on a day that has good weather."

2. ไขที่แตกเปนไขเนา
khài thîi dtàaek bpen khài nâo.

3. "The egg that broke was a rotten egg."

CULTURAL INSIGHT

A Meeting Point for Tourists

Khaosan Road is the most popular area for young travelers to stay in Bangkok. The word
ขาวสาร khâao-sǎan means "uncooked rice," and the name indicates that the street used to
be a wholesale market for rice brought in from the surrounding areas. Khaosan Road is
located near the Chao Phraya River and is in a convenient spot to base oneself for
sightseeing. It is just a short distance north of the Grand Palace, Wat Pho, and the National
Museum. Many other important temples such as Wat Suthat, Wat Saket, Wat
Benchamabophit, and Wat Bowonniwet are just a short distance away.

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The street itself is lined with many restaurants, bars, and shops of all types catering to foreign
tourists. There are numerous stalls selling T-shirts, bags, jewelry, and souvenirs. You can find
both Thai massage and tattoo parlors. There are carts selling street food with everything from
fresh juice and falafel sandwiches to deep-fried insects. Of course there are also many travel
agencies and ticket reservation offices.

Khaosan Road first became popular with backpackers and budget travelers because of its
many cheap guesthouses. Today most of the bargain accommodation can be found on side
streets in the surrounding area, and most of the establishments still located on Khaosan Road
itself have gone more upmarket. If you like the convenience of Khaosan Road, but find the
location a bit too chaotic for your tastes, you might like to try staying on nearby Phra Athit
Road, which has a more pleasant setting right along the river.

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