Before going abroad experienced travelers advise learning basic phrases in the language of the country you are planning to visit. It can help you to quickly get to your destination; bargain on the market; order a dish in a restaurant; make friends; get to know the locals and culture etc.

Below you will find a list of useful phrases in Thai which you can use during your next trip to the land of smiles.

Hello (and goodbye) — sawadi (kaaa or krap)

thank you — ko pun (kaaa or krap)

please — karunaa

good luck! — chok diy (kaa or krap)

how much it? – tao rai (kaaa or krap)?

do not put chili / no spicy — may pet

don’t put sugar — mai sai nam tan

a little – nit noy

so much, a lot– mak mak

tasty — arooi

very tasty! — mak mak aroi

can? – daai mai?

you can’t — may daai

you can — daai

no — may

is there? (in stock) — mi may?

no — may mi

what is it? — ni arai

expensive — peen

Food vocabulary

rice — khao

fried rice — khao phat

egg — khai

omelette — khai tot

fried egg — khai dao

water — naam

meat, beef — neuua

chicken — gai

pork — muu

fish — plaa

shrimp — gong

fruit juice — naam phon la maai

milk — nom

coffee — gaa faae

tea — chaa

beer — biia

vegetables — pak

watermelon — teng mo

pineaple — sapolot

mango — mamuang

soup — tom

fish sauce — nam pla

thai fried noodles — phat thai

sticky rice — khao niao

hainanese chicken rice — khao man gai

*To express a respect to a person you are talking to at the end of each phrase, add the prefix «krap» or «kap» – if you are a man, and «ka» if you are a woman.

For better remembering the most common phrases in Thai, please have a look on flashcards represented below: