Traveling to or living in Thailand is an adventure—and knowing even a few common Thai words and phrases will make that adventure smoother, more fun, and much more respectful. Thai is different from English in sound and structure, but many high-frequency phrases are easy to learn and immediately useful. Below is a practical guide to the most common Thai words and phrases travelers and new residents use every day, with pronunciation tips, example situations, and cultural notes.
Why learn a few Thai phrases?
Even basic Thai builds goodwill, opens doors, and improves everyday interactions—at markets, restaurants, with drivers, landlords, and neighbors. Locals often appreciate the attempt, and simple politeness markers (like saying thank you the local way) can make service faster and friendlier. Plus, a few words help you get out of small emergencies and misunderstandings.
Politeness first: the magic particles
Thai uses polite particles added to the end of sentences. Learn these early—they're small but very powerful.
- ครับ (khrap) — pronounced “krap” or “khrap”; used by men at the end of sentences to be polite.
- ค่ะ (kha or ka) — pronounced “ka” or “khâ”; used by women at the end of sentences to be polite.
- Use them with almost any phrase: “Thank you” becomes khob khun khrap/ka. It makes a big difference.
Everyday essentials: greetings and manners
- สวัสดี (sawasdee) — sah-wat-dee (Hello / Goodbye). Add khrap/ka for politeness: sawasdee khrap/ka.
- ขอบคุณ (khob khun) — khawp-koohn (Thank you). khob khun khrap/ka.
- ไม่เป็นไร (mai pen rai) — my pen rye (No problem / It's okay). A very Thai response that expresses “don’t worry”.
- ขอโทษ (khor thot) — kaw-toht (Sorry / Excuse me). Use to get attention or apologize.
- ใช่ (chai) — chy (Yes) and ไม่ (mai) — my (No / not). Simple and essential.
Introducing yourself and basic pronouns
- ผม / ฉัน (phom / chan) — pom (male) / chan (female) (I). Men commonly use phom; women commonly use chan.
- ชื่อ (cheu) — cheu (name). To introduce: ผมชื่อ... / ฉันชื่อ... = “My name is...”
- คุณ (khun) — koon (you). Polite and safe to use with strangers.
Ordering food and dining out
Thai food is one of the best parts of living in Thailand. These phrases will help at street stalls and restaurants.
- เมนู (menu) — meh-noo (Menu). Many places use the same word.
- ขอ...หน่อย (khaw ... noi) — kaw … noy (May I have ...). E.g., ขอกาแฟหน่อย = “Can I have a coffee?”
- อร่อย (aroi) — ah-roy (Delicious). Use it often—chefs love to hear it.
- เผ็ด (phet) — pet (Spicy). Ask เผ็ดไหม? (“Is it spicy?”) or ไม่เผ็ด (“not spicy”).
- เกรงใจ (check bin) — check bin (Check / Bill). Say คิดเงินด้วย (kit ngern duay) or simply “check bin, please.”
- น้ำเปล่า (nam plao) — nahm play-oh (Drinking water). Useful at food stalls: ขอน้ำเปล่า.
Transport, directions, and getting around
- ไป (pai) — pie (to go). Combine with places: ไปสนามบิน = “go to airport”.
- เท่าไหร่ (tao rai) — tao-rai (How much?). Use when asking fares: ค่าโดยสารเท่าไหร่?
- ตรงไป (dtrong pai) — dtrong-pie (Go straight), เลี้ยวขวา/ซ้าย (liao kwa / sai) — turn right/left.
- เรียกแท็กซี่ (riak taxi) — rîak taxi (Call a taxi). Or say ตุ๊กตุ๊ก (tuk-tuk) for the three-wheeled vehicles.
- หยุด (yut) — yoot (Stop). Useful when you need the driver to stop.
Shopping and bargaining
Markets are part of Thai daily life. Bargaining is normal in stalls but not in malls.
- ราคาเท่าไหร่ (rakaa tao rai) — ra-kah tao-rai (How much is it?)
- (paeng gern) — paeng gern (Too expensive). You can say this when proposing a lower price.
- ลดได้ไหม (lot dai mai) — lot dai my (Can you reduce the price?)
- เอา (ao) — ow (I’ll take it). Use when you agree to buy.
Numbers you’ll use every day
Memorize 1–10 and common amounts—prices and phone numbers become much easier.
- 1 — หนึ่ง (neung)
- 2 — สอง (song)
- 3 — สาม (sam)
- 4 — สี่ (see)
- 5 — ห้า (ha)
- 6 — หก (hok)
- 7 — เจ็ด (jet)
- 8 — แปด (paet)
- 9 — เก้า (kao)
- 10 — สิบ (sip)
Emergency phrases and health
These phrases could really matter if something goes wrong.
- ช่วยด้วย (chuay duay) — chuay duay (Help!)
- ฉุกเฉิน (chuk-chen) — chook-chen (Emergency)
- ผมเจ็บ / ฉันเจ็บ (phom/chan jep) — “I’m hurt / in pain.”
- ตำรวจ (tamruat) — tam-ruat (police) and โรงพยาบาล (rong phayaban) — rong-pah-ya-baan (hospital).
Small talk: simple conversational phrases
- เป็นอย่างไรบ้าง (pen yang rai bang) — “How are you?”
- สบายดีไหม (sabai dee mai) — “Are you well?”
- ฉันชอบ... (chan chop...) — “I like...”
- สวยมาก (suay mak) — “Very beautiful” (useful compliment).
Useful sentence patterns you can tweak
Once you learn a few frameworks, you can make lots of sentences quickly.
- ขอ + noun/verb + หน่อย (khaw ... noi) — “May I have / Can I … please?”
- ทำไม ... (tam-mai) — “Why ...?”
- ฉันอยากได้ ... (chan yak dai ...) — “I want ...”
- ผม/ฉันไม่เข้าใจ (phom/chan mai khao jai) — “I don’t understand.”
Pronunciation and tone basics
Thai is a tonal language—meaning pitch changes word meaning—so get into the habit of listening and repeating:
- There are five tones: low, mid, high, falling, rising. Don’t panic—native listeners are forgiving when you try.
- Focus on rhythm and vowels. Many learners are understood even with imperfect tones if they speak slowly and use context.
- Use romanization as a guide, but start learning the Thai script when you can—street signs, restaurant names, and menus become much easier.
Apps and tools to speed up learning
- Language apps: Duolingo, Drops, and Pimsleur for basic phrases and listening practice.
- Dictionary apps: Thai-English dictionaries with audio (e.g., LINE Dictionary).
- Translation: Google Translate for quick help—use audio playback to mimic pronunciation.
- Messaging: Learn how to read simple Thai text; many locals type in Thai script in chats.
Cultural tips that go with language
- The wai: a slight bow with palms together—used for greeting and thanks. You don’t need to wai everyone, but mirroring is appreciated.
- Politeness is key: always add khrap/ka when speaking to strangers or elders.
- Face-saving matters: avoid bluntness or loud confrontation. Use soft phrasing and mai pen rai when appropriate.
Quick cheat-sheet: 15 must-know phrases
- สวัสดี (sawasdee) — Hello
- ขอบคุณ (khob khun) — Thank you
- ไม่เป็นไร (mai pen rai) — No problem
- ขอโทษ (khor thot) — Sorry / Excuse me
- เผ็ดไหม? (phet mai?) — Is it spicy?
- เท่าไหร่ (tao rai?) — How much?
- ไป... (pai...) — Go to ...
- ช่วยด้วย (chuay duay) — Help!
- ฉันไม่เข้าใจ (chan/ phom mai khao jai) — I don’t understand
- เอา (ao) — I’ll take it
- อร่อย (aroi) — Delicious
- น้ำเปล่า (nam plao) — Drinking water
- ใช่ / ไม่ (chai / mai) — Yes / No
- ชื่อของฉันคือ... (cheu khong chan kue…) — My name is…
- คิดเงินด้วย (kit ngern duay) — The bill, please
Example mini-dialogues
Ordering street food:
You: สวัสดีครับ / สวัสดีค่ะ (Sawasdee khrap/ka).
Seller: สวัสดีค่ะ — ยินดีต้อนรับ (Welcome).
You: ขอก๋วยเตี๋ยวเนื้อหนึ่งชามครับ (Khaw guay-tiew nuea neung chaam khrap) — One beef noodle, please.
Seller: เผ็ดไหม? (Phet mai?) — Is it spicy?
You: ไม่เผ็ดครับ (Mai phet khrap) — Not spicy, please.
Hailing a taxi:
You: ไปสนามบินไหมครับ? (Pai sanam-bin mai khrap?) — To the airport?
Driver: ใช่ครับ (Chai khrap).
You: เท่าไหร่? (Tao rai?) — How much?
Driver: สองร้อยบาท (Song roi baht) — 200 baht.
You: โอเคครับ (Okay khrap) — OK.
Final tips
- Practice a few phrases before arrival—repetition helps recall under pressure.
- Keep a small phrase list or screenshot on your phone for quick access.
- Be patient with pronunciation and enjoy the process—locals will appreciate the attempt and help you learn.
Conclusion
Learning common Thai words and phrases pays big dividends: better food, friendlier service, easier travel, and richer daily life. Start with greetings and politeness particles (khrap/ka), memorize a handful of dining and transport phrases, and practice numbers—these will cover most everyday needs. Most importantly, use the language to connect. A simple sawasdee khrap/ka and khob khun go a long way in Thailand.
Have a trip or move coming up? Try picking 5 phrases from this post and practicing them aloud today. You’ll be surprised how quickly they become part of your routine.