Thai, also known as Siamese, is the national and official language of Thailand. It’s known for its complex tonal system, which can change the meaning of words based on pitch. Learning Thai can significantly enhance your experience in Thailand, allowing for deeper cultural connections and understanding. This lesson covers essential conversational phrases and questions in Thai, including transliterations for pronunciation help, to facilitate various social interactions.

Greetings

• Hello/Hi – “สวัสดี” (Sawasdee)
• Good morning – “สวัสดีตอนเช้า” (Sawasdee ton chao)
• Good afternoon – “สวัสดีตอนบ่าย” (Sawasdee ton bai)
• Good evening – “สวัสดีตอนเย็น” (Sawasdee ton yen)
• Goodbye – “ลาก่อน” (La korn) / “สวัสดี” (Sawasdee) when leaving

Introducing Yourself or Others

• My name is [name]. – “ฉันชื่อ [name]” (Chan chue [name].)
• This is [name]. – “นี่คือ [name]” (Nee khue [name].)
• I am from [country]. – “ฉันมาจาก [country]” (Chan ma jak [country].)
• I live in [city/place]. – “ฉันอยู่ที่ [city/place]” (Chan yu thi [city/place].)

Asking for Directions or People

• Where is the [place]? – “[Place] อยู่ที่ไหน?” ([Place] yu thi nai?)
• How do I get to [place]? – “ฉันจะไป [place] ยังไง?” (Chan ja pai [place] yang ngai?)
• Is this the way to [place]? – “นี่เป็นทางไป [place] ใช่ไหม?” (Nee pen thang pai [place] chai mai?)
• Can you show me on the map? – “คุณช่วยแสดงในแผนที่ได้ไหม?” (Khun chuay sadaeng nai phaen thi dai mai?)

Solving a Misunderstanding

• Sorry, I don’t understand. – “ขอโทษ, ฉันไม่เข้าใจ” (Khor toht, chan mai khao jai.)
• Can you please repeat that? – “คุณพูดอีกครั้งได้ไหม?” (Khun phut ik krang dai mai?)
• I mean… – “ฉันหมายถึง…” (Chan mai thueng…)
• What does [word] mean? – “[Word] หมายถึงอะไร?” ([Word] mai thueng arai?)

Farewell Expressions

• See you later – “เจอกันใหม่” (Jer gan mai)
• Take care – “ดูแลตัวเองนะ” (Doo lae tua eng na)
• Have a good day – “ขอให้มีวันที่ดี” (Khor hai mee wan thi dee)

Travel and Dining

• I would like to book a room. – “ฉันอยากจองห้อง” (Chan yak jong hong)
• Can I see the menu, please? – “ขอดูเมนูได้ไหม?” (Khor doo menu dai mai?)
• I am vegetarian. – “ฉันกินเจ” (Chan gin je)
• The bill, please. – “ขอเช็คบิลได้ไหม?” (Khor check bill dai mai?)

Shopping

• How much does this cost? – “อันนี้ราคาเท่าไหร่?” (An nee ra kha thao rai?)
• Do you have this in another size? – “มีขนาดอื่นไหม?” (Mee kha nad uen mai?)
• I’m just looking, thanks. – “ฉันแค่ดูอย่างเดียว, ขอบคุณ” (Chan khae doo yang dio, khob khun)
• Can I pay by card? – “จ่ายด้วยบัตรได้ไหม?” (Jai duay bat dai mai?)

Dating and Love

• You look beautiful. (to a woman) / You look handsome. (to a man) – “คุณดูสวย” (Khun doo suay) / “คุณดูหล่อ” (Khun doo lor)
• I miss you. – “ฉันคิดถึงคุณ” (Chan khid thueng khun)
• I love you. – “ฉันรักคุณ” (Chan rak khun)
• Would you like to go out with me? – “คุณอยากออกไปข้างนอกกับฉันไหม?” (Khun yak ok pai khang nok gap chan mai?)

Emergencies

• Help! – “ช่วยด้วย!” (Chuay duay!)
• Call the police! – “โทรหาตำรวจ!” (Thor ha tam ruat!)
• I need a doctor. – “ฉันต้องการหมอ” (Chan tong kan mor)
• Where is the nearest hospital? – “โรงพยาบาลที่ใกล้ที่สุดอยู่ที่ไหน?” (Rong pha ya ban thi glai thi sut yu thi nai?)

These phrases offer a solid foundation for basic communication in Thai. Practice speaking and listening regularly, engage with Thai media, and don’t hesitate to converse with native speakers. Remember, language learning is a journey—embrace mistakes as learning opportunities and continue to explore the rich linguistic and cultural nuances of the Thai language.