My previous Thai talk post on dating and Thai love phrases proved pretty popular, so I thought I would create a useful set of “Thai for beginners” phrases that will be useful for travelers and those just starting to learn.
As usual, I've written the phonetic English translation and given you the Thai script. Â The entire lesson is also in video format at the bottom of the page.
It is a good idea to bookmark this page for your next holiday. That way you can call it up in the browser of your phone when out and about. You can also print it out if you like.
I hope you find this useful, and If there is a particular phrase or question you would like to know how to say, please feel free to hit me up in the comments section and I will reply with the correct translation:
Thai Talk – 25 Essential Thai Phrases For Beginners
Before we begin, please note that you will see khrup/ka written after each sentence. These are politeness particles placed at the end of a sentence.
“Khrup”, sometimes written as krup, is spoken by a male speaker, and “ka” by a female speaker. Please choose the appropriate one for your gender.
For a more detailed explanation please see my krup/ka post here.
1. Hello
Sawadee khrup/ka:Â āļŠāļ§āļąāļŠāļāļĩÂ –Â āļāļĢāļąāļ / āļāđāļ°
2. How are you?
Sa bai dee mai khrup/ka: āļŠāļāļēāļĒāļāļĩāđāļŦāļĄÂ –Â āļāļĢāļąāļ / āļāđāļ°
3. Fine, thank you
Sa bai dee khrup/ka: āļŠāļāļēāļĒāļāļĩ –Â āļāļĢāļąāļ / āļāđāļ°
4. Thank you
khop khun khrup/ka:Â āļāļāļāļāļļāļÂ –Â āļāļĢāļąāļ / āļāđāļ°
5. Yes
Chai khrup/ka:Â āđāļāđ –Â āļāļĢāļąāļ / āļāđāļ°
6. No
Mai khrup/ka:Â āđāļĄāđ – āļāļĢāļąāļ / āļāđāļ°
7. Maybe
Aa ja khrup/ka:Â āļāļēāļāļāļ°Â –Â āļāļĢāļąāļ / āļāđāļ°
8. Never mind/it's okay/no problem
Mai ben rai khrup/ka:Â āđāļĄāđāđāļāđāļāđāļĢÂ –Â āļāļĢāļąāļ / āļāđāļ°
9. I cannot speak Thai
Phom/chan phut phasa Thai mai dai khrup/ka: āļāļĄāļāļąāļāļāļđāļāļ āļēāļĐāļēāđāļāļĒāđāļĄāđāđāļāđ – āļāļĢāļąāļ / āļāđāļ°
10. Please speak slowly
Ga-ru-na phut cha cha khrup/ka: āļāļĢāļļāļāļēāļāļđāļāļāđāļēāđ–Â āļāļĢāļąāļ / āļāđāļ°
11. I don't understand
Phom/chan mai kao jai khrup/ka: āļāļĄāļāļąāļāđāļĄāđāđāļāđāļēāđāļ – āļāļĢāļąāļ / āļāđāļ°
12. Where is the rest room?
Hong nam yu tee nai khrup/ka?: āļŦāđāļāļāļāđāļģāļāļĒāļđāđāļāļĩāđāđāļŦāļÂ –Â āļāļĢāļąāļ / āļāđāļ°
13. How much does this cost?
Ra ka tao rai khrup/ka?: āļĢāļēāļāļēāđāļāđāļēāđāļŦāļĢāđ – āļāļĢāļąāļ / āļāđāļ°
14. Can you give me a discount please?
Ga ru na lot rakha hai noi dai mai khrup/ka?: āļāļĢāļļāļāļēāļĨāļāļĢāļēāļāļēāđāļŦāđāļŦāļāđāļāļĒāđāļāđāđāļŦāļĄ-Â āļāļĢāļąāļ / āļāđāļ°
15. What is this?
Nee ku arai khrup/ka:Â Â āļāļĩāđāļāļ·āļāļāļ°āđāļĢÂ –Â āļāļĢāļąāļ / āļāđāļ°
16. Thatâs expensive!
Paeng mak khrup/ka! –Â Â āđāļāļāļĄāļēāļÂ –Â āļāļĢāļąāļ / āļāđāļ°
17. Can I have the bill please
Ga-ru-na gep dang duay khrup/ka – āļāļĢāļļāļāļēāđāļāđāļāļāļąāļāļāđāļāđāļ§āļĒ – āļāļĢāļąāļ / āļāđāļ°
18. Goodbye
By gon khrup/ka: āđāļāļāđāļāļ āļāļĢāļąāļ / āļāđāļ°
See you later/ bye! – Leow jer gan na khrup/ka: āđāļĨāđāļ§āđāļāļāļāļąāļāļāļ° – āļāļĢāļąāļ / āļāđāļ°
19. Good luck!
Khor hai khun chock dee khrup/ka:Â āļāļāđāļŦāđāļāļļāļāđāļāļāļāļĩÂ –Â āļāļĢāļąāļ / āļāđāļ°
You can leave out the “khor hai khun” and just say “chock dee khrup/ka” if you like. āđāļāļāļāļĩ – āļāļĢāļąāļ / āļāđāļ°
20. Sorry/excuse me
Khor thoad khrup/ka:Â Â āļāļāđāļāļĐÂ –Â āļāļĢāļąāļ / āļāđāļ°
21. I need a doctorÂ
Phom dong gan pop khun mor khrup/ka: āļāļĄāļāđāļāļāļāļēāļĢāļāļāļāļļāļāļŦāļĄāļÂ –Â āļāļĢāļąāļ / āļāđāļ°
22. Wait a moment please
Ror sak cruu khrup/ka: āļĢāļāļŠāļąāļāļāļĢāļđāđ – āļāļĢāļąāļ / āļāđāļ°
23. I will come back in 5 minutes
Phom ja glap maa pai nai haa nathi khrup/ka: āđāļāļĩāđāļĒāļ§āļāļĄāļāļ°āļāļĨāļąāļāļĄāļēāļ āļēāļĒāđāļāļŦāđāļēāļāļēāļāļĩ – āļāļĢāļąāļ / āļāđāļ°
      Â
24. Do you like football?
Khun chorp futbol mai khrup/ka?:Â Â āļāļļāļāļāļāļāļāļļāļāļāļāļĨāđāļŦāļĄÂ –Â āļāļĢāļąāļ / āļāđāļ°
25. Which team do you support?
Khun chorp fai nai khrup/ka:Â āļāļļāļāļāļāļāļāđāļēāļĒāđāļŦāļÂ –Â āļāļĢāļąāļ / āļāđāļ°
Update: I should have included this additional question too:
26. Nice to meet youÂ
Yin dee thi dai roojak: āļĒāļīāļāļāļĩāļāļĩāđāđāļāđāļĢāļđāđāļāļąāļ – āļāļĢāļąāļ / āļāđāļ°
Helpful Notes
Please note that the phonetic translations don't have the tone marks required for a completely accurate pronunciation.
However, if once you start using the phrases out and about, Thai people will happily help you with the correct tones. Practice makes perfect, and the only way to get better is to converse with native speakers.
If you want to learn Thai at home or enhance your school lessons, I highly recommend the Thaipod101 online course. I have combined this online course with my school learning and it has worked well for me.
I find it gives me a lift between classes and doesn't allow me to solely rely on the two lessons a week. It also gives me some diversity away from the generic learning structure of the school syllabus.
You can register a free basic account here and start learning now.
Anyway, it's time to move onto lesson 2 – to further expand your vocabulary!