Basic Words and Phrases in Thai Language
Basic Words and Phrases in Thai Language
Basic Words and Phrases in Thai Language
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.