Even if the Thai people at your place of work speak good English, no doubt they communicate with each other in Thai a fair amount of the time.
It's never nice being left out of the conversation and not understanding what's being said around you, but then it's on you as the foreigner to learn the language, period.
Moreover, learning some Thai language phrases for the workplace will go a long way towards helping you become part of the Thai social circle and make new friends.
Similarly, if you work from a shared office and co-working spaces like me, it's invaluable to have an armoury of workplace-related phrases to make conversation and ask simple questions to staff regarding the printer, internet and pricing, and of course for general chit chat.
And so I've put together this useful list of common office-slash-workplace phrasing to help you speak Thai in a working environment.
**As per usual I've provided the phonetic translation and the Thai script.
Photo supplied courtesy of Regus.
General Office Phrases:
1. How long have you worked here? / āļāļļāļāļāļģāļāļēāļāļāļĩāđāļāļĩāđāļāļēāļāđāļāđāļēāđāļŦāļĢāđāđāļĨāđāļ§ / Khun tam ngaan tee nee naan tao rai laew?
2. Do you like working here? / āļāļļāļāļāļāļāļāļģāļāļēāļāļāļĩāđāļāļĩāđāđāļŦāļĄ / Khun chorp tam ngaan tee nee mai?
3. What time are you having lunch? / āļāļļāļāļāļēāļāļāļēāļŦāļēāļĢāļāļĨāļēāļāļ§āļąāļāļāļĩāđāđāļĄāļ / Khun taan arharn klaangwan gee mong?
4. What time do you finish today? / āļ§āļąāļāļāļĩāđāļāļļāļāđāļŠāļĢāđāļāļāļēāļāļāļĩāđāđāļĄāļ / Wannee khun srej ngaan gee mong?
5. When is your day off? / āļ§āļąāļāļŦāļĒāļļāļāļāļāļāļāļļāļāđāļĄāļ·āđāļāđāļŦāļĢāđ / Wan yuut kong khun mua rai?
6. I am going to Starbucks for lunch. / āļāļąāļāļāļ°āđāļāļāļēāļāļāļēāļŦāļēāļĢāļāļĨāļēāļāļ§āļąāļāļāļĩāđ āļŠāļāļēāļĢāđāļāļąāļ / Chan cha pai taan arharn klaangwan tee Starbuck
7. Would you like to come? / āļāļļāļāļāđāļāļāļāļēāļĢāļĄāļēāđāļŦāļĄ / Khun tdtong gaan maa mai?
8. How long does it take you to get to work? / āļāļļāļāđāļāđāđāļ§āļĨāļēāđāļāļāļģāļāļēāļāļāļēāļāđāļāđāļēāđāļŦāļĢāđ / Khun chai welaa pai tam ngaan naan tao rai?
9. The traffic was terrible today! / āļ§āļąāļāļāļĩāđāļāļēāļĢāļāļĢāļāļĢāļāļīāļāļāļąāļāļĄāļēāļ / Wannee gancharajorn tidkut maak
10. Do you take the train to work? / āļāļļāļāļāļąāđāļāļĢāļāđāļāđāļāļāļģāļāļēāļāđāļāđāđāļŦāļĄ / Khun nang rot fai pai tam ngaan chai mai?
Absence From Work:
11. How many days holiday do you get per year? / āļāļļāļāļĄāļĩāļ§āļąāļāļŦāļĒāļļāļāļāļĢāļ°āļāļģāļāļĩāļāļĩāđāļ§āļąāļ / Khun mee wan yuut pra chum pee gee wan?
12. She is on maternity leave / āđāļāļāļāļĒāļđāđāđāļāļāđāļ§āļāļĨāļēāļāļĨāļāļ / Ther yuu nai choung laa klod
13. He is off sick today / āļ§āļąāļāļāļĩāđāđāļāļēāļĨāļēāļāđāļ§āļĒ / Wannee kao laa pouy
14. He is not coming in today / āļ§āļąāļāļāļĩāđ āđāļāļēāđāļĄāđāļĄāļē / Wannee kao mai maa
15. She is on holiday this week / āļŠāļąāļāļāļēāļŦāđāļāļĩāđāđāļāđāļāđāļāļ§āļąāļāļŦāļĒāļļāļāļāļāļāđāļāļ / Sapdaa nee pen wan yuud kong ther
16. Iâm afraid I'm not well and won't be able to come in today / āļāļāđāļāļĐāļāđāļ§āļĒāļāļąāļāļĢāļđāđāļŠāļķāļāđāļĄāđāļŠāļāļēāļĒāđāļĨāļ°āđāļĄāđāļāļĒāļēāļāļĄāļēāļāļģāļāļēāļāđāļāļ§āļąāļāļāļĩāđ / Kortod douy Chan ruu seuk mai sabai lae mai yaak maa tumngaan nai wannee
Dealing With Customers:
17. She is with a customer at the moment / āļāļāļāļāļĩāđāđāļāļāļāļĒāļđāđāļāļąāļāļĨāļđāļāļāđāļē / Dtornnee ther yuu gub loogkaa
18. Iâll be with you in a moment / āļāļąāļāļāļ°āļāļĒāļđāđāļāļąāļāļāļļāļāļāļĢāļ°āđāļāļĩāđāļĒāļ§ / Chan cha yoo kub khun pradiaw
19. Sorry to keep you waiting / āļāļāđāļāļĐāļāļĩāđāđāļŦāđāļĢāļ / Kortod tee hai ror
20. How can I help you? / āļāļąāļāļāļ°āļāđāļ§āļĒāļāļļāļāđāļāđāļāļĒāđāļēāļāđāļĢ / Chan cha chouy khun dai yaangrai
21. Do you need any help? / āļāļļāļāļāđāļāļāļāļēāļĢāļāļ§āļēāļĄāļāđāļ§āļĒāđāļŦāļĨāļ·āļāđāļ āđ āđāļŦāļĄ / Khun dong gaan kwaam chouy lua dai dai mai
22. Sorry, can you repeat that again please / āļāļāļāļ āļąāļĒ, āļāļļāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļēāļāļģāļŠāļīāđāļāļāļąāđāļāļāđāļģāļāļĩāļāļāļĢāļąāđāļ / Kor apai, khun karunaa tum sing nan sum eek krung
23. Please contact reception on the ground floor / āļāļĢāļļāļāļēāļāļīāļāļāđāļāļĢāļĩāđāļāļāļāļąāđāļāļāļĩāđāļāļąāđāļāļĨāđāļēāļ / Karunaa tid tor reception tee chan laang
24. The office is on the 5th floor. / āļŠāļģāļāļąāļāļāļēāļāļāļĒāļđāđāļāļāļāļąāđāļāļāļĩāđ 5/ Sumnakngaan yuu chan tee 5
Around The Office:
25. He is in a meeting / āđāļāļēāļāļģāļĨāļąāļāļāļĒāļđāđāđāļāļāļĩāđāļāļĢāļ°āļāļļāļĄ / Kao gamlang yuu nai tee prachoom
26. What time does the meeting start? / āļāļēāļĢāļāļĢāļ°āļāļļāļĄāļāļ°āđāļĢāļīāđāļĄāļāļĩāđāđāļĄāļ / karnprachoom cha riem gee mong
27. What time does the meeting finish? / āļāļēāļĢāļāļĢāļ°āļāļļāļĄāļāļ°āđāļŠāļĢāđāļāļāļĩāđāđāļĄāļ / Karnprachoom cha srej gee mong
28. I wonât be able to attend the meeting / āļāļąāļāđāļĄāđāļŠāļēāļĄāļēāļĢāļāđāļāđāļēāļĢāđāļ§āļĄāļāļĢāļ°āļāļļāļĄāđāļāđ / Chan mai saamart kao roum prachoom dai
29. I will be free after lunch / āļāļąāļāļāļ°āļ§āđāļēāļāļŦāļĨāļąāļāļāļēāļŦāļēāļĢāļāļĨāļēāļāļ§āļąāļ / Chan cha waang lang arharn klaangwan
30. She is having a leaving party on Wednesday / āđāļāļāļāļ°āļĄāļĩāļāļēāļĢāđāļāļĩāđāđāļāļ§āļąāļāļāļļāļ / Ther cha mee party nai wan poot
31. She has resigned / āđāļāļāđāļāđāļĨāļēāļāļāļāđāļĨāđāļ§ / Ther dai laa ork laew
32. He got the sack (fired) / āđāļāļēāļāļđāļāđāļĨāđāļāļāļ (āđāļĨāđāļāļāļ) / Kao took lai ork laew ( lai ork )
33. This invoice is overdue / āđāļāđāļāđāļāļŦāļāļĩāđāļāļĩāđāđāļāđāļāļŦāļāļĩāđāļāļĩāđāļāđāļēāļāļāļģāļĢāļ° / Bai jang hnie nee pen hnie tee kaang chumra
34. She has been promoted / āđāļāļāđāļāđāļĢāļąāļāļāļēāļĢāđāļĨāļ·āđāļāļāļāļģāđāļŦāļāđāļ / Ther dai rub karn luan tam ngaan
35. Here is my business card / āļāļĩāđāļāļ·āļāļāļēāļĄāļāļąāļāļĢāļāļāļāļāļąāļ / Nee kue naambut kong chan
36. Can I see the report? / āļāļāļāļąāļāļāļđāļĢāļēāļĒāļāļēāļāđāļāđāļŦāļĢāļ·āļāđāļĄāđ / Kor chan duu raingaan dai mai
37. Where is the photocopier? / āđāļāļĢāļ·āđāļāļāļāđāļēāļĒāđāļāļāļŠāļēāļĢāļāļĒāļđāđāļāļĩāđāđāļŦāļ / Kruang tai eakkasarn yuu tee nai
38. The photocopier is jammed / āđāļāļĢāļ·āđāļāļāļāđāļēāļĒāđāļāļāļŠāļēāļĢāļāļąāļāļāđāļāļ / kruang tai eakkasarn kad korng
39. Do you have a printer / āļāļļāļāļĄāļĩāđāļāļĢāļ·āđāļāļāļāļīāļĄāļāđāđāļŦāļĄ / Khun mee kruangpilm mai
40. Iâve left the file on your desk / āļāļąāļāđāļāđāļ§āļēāļāđāļāļĨāđāđāļ§āđāļāļāđāļāđāļ°āļāļģāļāļēāļāļāļāļāļāļļāļ / Chan dai waang file wai bon dtoh tan ngaan kong khun
41. The office will be closed tomorrow / āļāļĢāļļāđāļāļāļĩāđāļŠāļģāļāļąāļāļāļēāļāļāļ°āļāļīāļ / Proongnie sumnakngaan cha pid
IT/Office Problems:
42 The internet is not working at the moment / āļāļīāļāđāļāļāļĢāđāđāļāđāļāđāļĄāđāļāļģāļāļēāļāļāļąāđāļ§āļāļāļ° / Internet mai tam ngaan choukana
43. There is a problem with my computer / āļĄāļĩāļāļąāļāļŦāļēāļāļąāļāļāļāļĄāļāļīāļ§āđāļāļāļĢāđāļāļāļāļāļąāļ / Mee bpan haa gub computer kong chan
44. The system is down at the moment / āļĢāļ°āļāļāđāļĄāđāļāļģāļāļēāļāļāļąāđāļ§āļāļāļ° / Rabob mai tam ngaan choukana
45. I didnât get your email / āļāļąāļāđāļĄāđāđāļāđāļĢāļąāļāļāļĩāđāļĄāļĨāļāļāļāļāļļāļ / Chan mai dai rub email kong khun
46. Your email address is not working / āļāļĩāđāļāļĒāļđāđāļāļĩāđāļĄāļĨāļāļāļāļāļļāļāđāļĄāđāļāļđāļāļāđāļāļ / Tee yuu email kong khun mai took dong
47. The printer isn't working / āđāļāļĢāļ·āđāļāļāļāļīāļĄāļāđāđāļĄāđāļāļģāļāļēāļ / Kruangpilm mai tam ngaan
48. The lift/elevator is out of order / āļĨāļīāļāļāđ / āļĨāļīāļāļāđāđāļĄāđāļāļģāļāļēāļ / Lift / lift mai tam ngaan
49. The coffee machine is broken / āđāļāļĢāļ·āđāļāļāļāļāļāļēāđāļāđāļŠāļĩāļĒ / Kruang chong garfae sia
50. There is a water leak in the toilet/bathroom / āļĄāļĩāļāđāļģāļĢāļąāđāļ§āđāļāļŦāđāļāļāļāđāļģ / āļŦāđāļāļāļāļēāļāļāđāļģ / Mee nam ruwah hong nam / hong arbnam