Learning basic communication skills can really enhance one’s traveling experience. Let us teach you some useful Thai phrases that would prove handy in everyday situations. Do look up Thai pronunciation videos from free sources like YouTube so you can get an idea how a Thai person would say the following phrases with the native tongue. Don’t be shy! Most Thais love when you attempt to communicate in their language.
Hello
sa-wad-dee
Thank You
kobb-kun
How Are You?
sa-bai-dee-mai
I’m Fine
sa-bai-dee
How Much?
tao-rai
A Bit
nid-noi
Not Spicy
mai-phet
Don’t Want Spicy
mai-ao-phet
You’re Welcome / I Don’t Need It (It’s Okay) / Don’t Mention It / Don’t Worry
mai-pen-rai
Yes / That’s Correct
chai
No / Not Correct
mai-chai
Yes / Can Do
daii
No / Cannot Do
mai-daii
Where’s The Toilet?
hong-naam-yuu-nai
Excuse Me / Sorry
kor-thodd
What’s Your Name?
khun-cheu-arai
What Are You Doing?
khun-tam-arai
What Are You Doing Now?
khun-tam-arai-yuu
Good Luck
chok-dee
I Understand
kao-jai
I Don’t Understand
mai-kao-jai
Do You Understand?
kao-jai-mai
I Don’t Know
mai-ruu
Make It Polite
Thais add the suffixes kha or krub at the end of their phrases to make them softer sounding. Foreigners that use these suffixes are regarded as showing respect and appreciation to the Thai language and culture. The small effort you make by adding kha or krub will guaranteed to leave good impression with many locals.
So what’s the difference between kha or krub? The two suffixes reflect the gender of the speaker. Men end a sentence or phrase with krub while women end a sentence or phrase with kha. Now that’s cleared up, let’s look below for examples.
Thai person: How spicy can you eat?
Female foreigner: nid-noi kha (a little bit)
Thai person: Oh I’m so sorry I’ve spilled water on you!
Male foreigner: mai-pen-rai krub (don’t worry, it’s no big deal)
Thai concierge: Here’s the booking ticket for your travel madame.
Female foreigner: kobb-khu kha (thank you)
Thai friend: Hey you’re going out? Can you grab me some fruit juices from the convenient store?
Male foreigner: daii-krub (sure can)
