Books small-group adventures here and explore the world, while being good to it!

EPIC TRIPS MINI TRIPS SAILING TRIPS Guides £

Essential Phrases You'll

Need in Thailand
ASIA / THAILAND / GUIDES & TIPS

Kimberlie Wong / © Culture Trip

Iona Proebst
15 August 2018

Heading on holiday to Thailand? We’ve

compiled a list of 21 “paa saa Thai” phrases
that will help you get around. Learning a bit
of the local lingo will not only make your
travels easier, it will also enable you interact
more with your local hosts. Yin Dee! (You’re
welcome!)

Put your language-learning skills to the best by booking a

spot on one of our premium small-group trips to Thailand,
from jungle adventure in the north to beach haven in the
south.

Greetings and Essentials

It’s important to remember that, for each of the below
phrases, you will also need to add a gender marker at the
end. This means that if you are female, you should finish
your sentence with the word Ka (khaa) , and if you are
male, you should finish with the word Krup (khrap).

Sa Wat Dee (sa-

wat–dee) / Hello |
© Culture Trip

Greet anyone and everyone who crosses your path. You

will most likely butcher the word initially, but Thais will
readily assist you with pronunciation, and this simple
greeting will certainly help you as you continue your
travels.

Kawp Koon ( kop-koon ) / Thank You

The more polite you are, the better your experience will
be. If you can, learn to perform the “wai” (deep bow) when
using this helpful phrase.

Chai / Mai Chai ( chai / my–chai ) — Yes / No

Learning the basics is always a good idea. Even if you do

not understand everything that is being said to you, you’ll
be surprised how often you can use a simple “chai” or “mai
chai”.

Kor Tot ( kor-tot) / Excuse Me

Thailand is a crowded place. Whether riding the sky train

or island hopping by boat, you are going to step on some
toes – both literally and figuratively. Be prepared for these
scenarios: learn how to say, “excuse me”.

Mai Khao Jai ( my–cow-jai ) / I Don’t Understand

Do not get frustrated when you do not understand

something (or everything). Instead, just repeat this phrase
over and over until someone can (hopefully) translate.

Lah Gorn ( la-gon ) / Goodbye

Parting ways and unsure what to say? A simple “lah gorn”

and/or a “wai” will suffice.

Directions
Haawng Naam
Yuu Thee Nai?
(hong-nam-you–
tee–nye) / Where
Is The Bathroom?
| © Culture Trip

Bathrooms are hard to come by in Thailand, and

oftentimes you won’t be able to find one until it might be
too late. Spare yourself the desperate search with this
simple phrase (and be prepared for the squat toilets and
bum guns).

Leo Sai / Leo Kwaa ( lee-yo-sigh/lee-yo-kwa ) — Turn

Left / Turn Right

When it comes to getting ripped off, taxi drivers are the

biggest offenders. Arm yourself with a map and the
knowledge of how to give some basic directions in Thai,
and you will be less likely to arrive at the wrong
destination.

Yut / Bai ( yut / bye ) — Stop / Go

Impress your driver with directional basics to help get

around with ease. Being able to direct a taxi, tuk-tuk or
Songtaew driver will likely save you time and money.

Hai Chah Long ( high–cha-lom ) / Slow Down

This phrase is particularly handy if your tuk tuk driver is

hooning along at top speeds and you would like them to
slow down. Alternatively, if you are trying to direct
someone this phrase can be very useful.

At The Restaurant/Bar
Hiu (hee-yoo) / I’m
Hungry | ©
Culture Trip

Thailand has some of the most delicious dishes in the

world. Learn how to communicate that you are hungry in a
way that does not involve rubbing your stomach.

Mai Sai Nam Tam ( my–sigh-nam-tam ) / No Sugar

Sugar is to Thailand what salt is to the Western world.

Sugar and condensed milk make appearances in
everything from noodle soup to black coffee. If you like
your coffee stiff or simply do not want the extra calories,
know this simple phrase.

Chawp Pet Noi ( chop–pet-noy) / I Like It A Little Bit

Spicy

Thai people love spicy food. Sometimes, a restaurant will

intentionally make the dish mildly spicy, knowing that a
foreigner cannot handle the heat. To reduce your chances
of having your mouth set aflame, learn this simple phrase.

Nam ( nam ) / Water

Likely one of the most important words to learn in the Thai

language especially if you’re wandering around in the heat
of the day and feeling parched.

Aroi ( a-roy ) / Delicious

Want to show some appreciation for the delicious food you

just inhaled? While a gratuity is always appreciated,
express to your cook that the food was delicious, and you
will be sure to receive a smile in return.

At The Market
A Nee Tao Rai?
(a-nee–tow–rye) /
How Much Is
This? | © Culture
Trip

Thais are extremely friendly, but in Thailand as elsewhere,

foreigners must be wary of scams. Reduce your chances of
paying double what a Thai would pay for the same item by
learning to ask “how much” in the native tongue.

Phaeng Mark Pai ( feng-mak-pie ) / Too Expensive

Someone charging you a little too much baht for your

souvenirs? Speak your mind with this marketplace
soundbite.

Numbers:
Kimberlie Wong / |
© Culture Trip

Sun (sun) / 0

Nung (nung) / 1

Song (song) / 2

Sam (sam) / 3

See (see) / 4

Da (da) / 5

Hok (hawk) / 6

Jed (jed) / 7

Baed (bed) / 8

Gao (gow) / 9

Sib (sib) / 10

Making Friends
Gin Khao Lou
Mai? (gin-cow–
lou–mye) / Have
You Eaten Yet? |
© Culture Trip

In Thailand, this phrase is used in more ways than its literal

meaning and can even be used as a form of “hello”. It’s a
conversation filler and a way to check in to see how
someone is faring.

Suay / Lo Mak ( soo–way / low-mak ) — Very Beautiful

/ Handsome

The power of a compliment cannot be underestimated,

especially when traveling in a foreign country.

For Everything Else…

Ron Mak (ron-
mak) / I Am Very
Hot | © Culture
Trip

Thailand reaches scorching temperatures in the hot

season and can be a little confronting at times. Learn this
phrase to interact and commiserate with your local hosts or
to explain why you’re red, dripping with sweat and in need
of assistance.

Mai Bpen Rai ( my-pen-rye ) / No Problem

Missed a flight? Mai bpen rai. Food poisoning taking its toll
on your bowels? Mai bpen rai. Thais hate losing face, so
the more you can brush off any unpleasant experience, the
better you will fare among locals.

This article was originally written by Kelly Iverson and has

since been updated.

Since you are here, we would like to share our

vision for the future of travel – and the direction
Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet

passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond
their boundaries and experience what makes a place,
its people and its culture special and meaningful — and
this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for
more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our
award-winning recommendations by people who
deeply understand what makes certain places and
communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more

meaningful, real-life connections between curious
travellers keen to explore the world in a more
responsible way. That
That is why we have intensively
curated a collection of premium small-group trips
as an invitation to meet and connect with new,
like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime
experiences in three categories:
categories:  Epic Trips,
Trips,  Mini
Trips
Trips and 
 and Sailing
Sailing Trips.
Trips.  Our Trips are suitable for
both solo travellers and friends who want to explore the
world together.

Epic Trips
Trips are deeply immersive 8 to 16 days
itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences,
exciting activities and enough down time to really relax
and soak it all in. Our Mini
Mini Trips
Trips are small and mighty -
they squeeze all the excitement and authenticity of our
longer Epic
Epic Trips
Trips into a manageable 3-5 day window.
Our Sailing
Sailing Trips
Trips invite you to spend a week
experiencing the best of the sea and land in the
Caribbean and the Mediterranean.

We know that many of you worry about the

environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways
of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm –
and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go
as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the
planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in
destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious
plans to be net zero in the very near future.

Read Next

TRAVEL TRAVEL TRAVEL

21 Essential Phrases You'll Need 21 Essential Malay Phrases You'll Essential Phrases You'll Need in
in Bosnia Need in Malaysia Vietnam

TRAVEL TRAVEL TRAVEL

21 Essential Phrases You'll Need 21 Essential Phrases You'll Need 21 Essential Phrases You'll Need
in Indonesia in Laos in Spain

TRAVEL TRAVEL TRAVEL

Essential Khmer Phrases You'll 21 Essential Phrases You'll Need 21 Essential Phrases You'll Need
Need in Cambodia in China in Serbia

TRAVEL TRAVEL TRAVEL

COOKIES POLICY
21 Essential Phrases You'll Need Thai Words You Should Know to 21 Essential SiSwati Phrases You'll
in partners
We and our Montenegro Get a Taxiyour
use cookies to better understand in Thailand Need in eSwatini
needs, improve performance
and provide you with personalised content and advertisements. To allow us to provide a OK

better and more tailored experience please click "OK"