Thai phrases for travelling with pronunciation and audio

In hotels and restaurants in tourist areas you get by with English. At markets, street food stalls and with taxi drivers, a few phrases of Thai go a long way, and every attempt is well received. Here are 63 phrases for your holiday: with Thai script to show, transcription to repeat and audio to listen to.

I amThai adds a different politeness word depending on the speaker. Text, transcription and voice adjust accordingly.

Greetings

Hello.
สวัสดีค่ะ
sà-wàt-dii khâ
Used for hello and goodbye, at any time of day.
How are you?
สบายดีไหมคะ
sà-baai-dii mǎi khá
Fine, thank you.
สบายดีค่ะ
sà-baai-dii khâ
Nice to meet you.
ยินดีที่ได้รู้จักค่ะ
yin-dii thîi dâi rúu-djàk khâ
Do you speak English?
คุณพูดภาษาอังกฤษได้ไหมคะ
khun phûut phaa-sǎa ang-grìt dâi mǎi khá

Politeness and basics

Thank you.
ขอบคุณค่ะ
khòp-khun khâ
No problem. You are welcome.
ไม่เป็นไร
mâi bpen rai
Said very often. As a reply to a complaint it can also mean “not my problem”.
Excuse me.
ขอโทษค่ะ
khǒ-thôot khâ
Also fits when you squeeze through a crowd.
I do not understand.
ฉันไม่เข้าใจค่ะ
chǎn mâi khâo-djai khâ
Please speak more slowly.
ช่วยพูดช้าๆ หน่อยค่ะ
chûai phûut cháa-cháa nòi khâ
I do not speak Thai.
ฉันพูดภาษาไทยไม่ได้ค่ะ
chǎn phûut phaa-sǎa thai mâi dâi khâ
Where is the toilet?
ห้องน้ำอยู่ที่ไหนคะ
hông-náam yùu thîi nǎi khá

Food and drink

A table for two, please.
ขอโต๊ะสำหรับสองที่ค่ะ
khǒ dtó sǎm-ràp sǒng thîi khâ
The menu, please.
ขอเมนูหน่อยค่ะ
khǒ mee-nuu nòi khâ
“khǒ” plus the thing is the polite way to ask for something.
This one, please.
เอาอันนี้ค่ะ
ao an-níi khâ
Point at the dish as you say it.
Not spicy, please.
ไม่เผ็ดค่ะ
mâi phèt khâ
Even “not spicy” can still be hot for European tongues.
A little spicy, please.
เผ็ดนิดหน่อยค่ะ
phèt nít-nòi khâ
Water, please.
ขอน้ำเปล่าค่ะ
khǒ náam bplàao khâ
This means still drinking water from a bottle.
I eat vegetarian food.
ฉันกินเจค่ะ
chǎn gin djee khâ
“djee” is strictly plant-based food without meat, fish, garlic and onions. Yellow flags mark it.
I do not eat pork.
ฉันไม่กินหมูค่ะ
chǎn mâi gin mǔu khâ
I am allergic to peanuts.
ฉันแพ้ถั่วลิสงค่ะ
chǎn phâe thùa-lì-sǒng khâ
With allergies, also show the Thai text.
That was very tasty.
อร่อยมากค่ะ
à-ròi mâak khâ
The bill, please.
เก็บเงินด้วยค่ะ
gèp ngoen dûai khâ
Literally: “Please collect the money.” “chék-bin” is also understood everywhere.

Shopping

How much is this?
นี่เท่าไหร่คะ
nîi thâo-rài khá
That is too expensive.
แพงไปค่ะ
phaeng bpai khâ
Say it with a smile, not sharply.
Can you make it a bit cheaper?
ลดได้ไหมคะ
lót dâi mǎi khá
Haggling works at markets and with tuk-tuks, not in malls or at 7-Eleven.
I am just looking for now.
ดูก่อนค่ะ
duu gòn khâ
No thank you, I do not want it.
ไม่เอาค่ะ
mâi ao khâ
Can I pay by card?
รับบัตรเครดิตไหมคะ
ráp bàt khree-dìt mǎi khá
Where is the cash machine?
เอทีเอ็มอยู่ที่ไหนคะ
ee-thii-em yùu thîi nǎi khá

Taxi, scooter and directions

To the airport, please.
ไปสนามบินค่ะ
bpai sà-nǎam-bin khâ
How much is it to the airport?
ไปสนามบินเท่าไหร่คะ
bpai sà-nǎam-bin thâo-rài khá
With tuk-tuks and motorbike taxis, agree on the price beforehand.
Will you use the meter?
ใช้มิเตอร์ได้ไหมคะ
chái mí-dtêr dâi mǎi khá
Please stop here.
จอดที่นี่ค่ะ
djòt thîi nîi khâ
Turn left.
เลี้ยวซ้ายค่ะ
líao sáai khâ
Turn right.
เลี้ยวขวาค่ะ
líao khwǎa khâ
Straight on.
ตรงไปค่ะ
dtrong bpai khâ
Where is the petrol station?
ปั๊มน้ำมันอยู่ที่ไหนคะ
bpám-náam-man yùu thîi nǎi khá

Accommodation

Do you have a room free?
มีห้องว่างไหมคะ
mii hông wâang mǎi khá
How much is the room per night?
คืนละเท่าไหร่คะ
khuen lá thâo-rài khá
Do you have a quieter room?
มีห้องที่เงียบกว่านี้ไหมคะ
mii hông thîi ngîap gwàa níi mǎi khá
Is breakfast included?
รวมอาหารเช้าไหมคะ
ruam aa-hǎan cháao mǎi khá
A room with air conditioning, please.
ขอห้องแอร์ค่ะ
khǒ hông ae khâ
What is the Wi-Fi password?
รหัสไวไฟอะไรคะ
rá-hàt wai-fai à-rai khá
I would like to check out.
ฉันต้องการเช็คเอาท์ค่ะ
chǎn dtông-gaan chék-aot khâ

Emergency

Help!
ช่วยด้วย
chûai dûai
Shout it out loud. Then dial 191 (police), 1669 (ambulance) or 1155 (tourist police).
Please call the police.
ช่วยเรียกตำรวจให้หน่อยค่ะ
chûai rîak dtam-rùat hâi nòi khâ
Please call an ambulance.
ช่วยเรียกรถพยาบาลให้หน่อยค่ะ
chûai rîak rót-phá-yaa-baan hâi nòi khâ
I need a doctor.
ฉันต้องการหมอค่ะ
chǎn dtông-gaan mǎo khâ
I am ill.
ฉันไม่สบายค่ะ
chǎn mâi sà-baai khâ
I am injured.
ฉันบาดเจ็บค่ะ
chǎn bàat-djèp khâ
Where is the hospital?
โรงพยาบาลอยู่ที่ไหนคะ
roong-phá-yaa-baan yùu thîi nǎi khá
It is an emergency.
เรื่องฉุกเฉินค่ะ
rûang chùk-chǒen khâ
I am lost.
ฉันหลงทางค่ะ
chǎn lǒng thaang khâ
My wallet is gone.
กระเป๋าสตางค์ของฉันหายค่ะ
grà-bpǎo sà-dtaang khǒng chǎn hǎai khâ

Numbers

One
หนึ่ง
nùeng
Two
สอง
sǒng
Three
สาม
sǎam
Five
ห้า
hâa
Ten
สิบ
sìp
Twenty
ยี่สิบ
yîi-sìp
One hundred
หนึ่งร้อย
nùeng rói
One thousand
หนึ่งพัน
nùeng phan

How to read the transcription

The transcription was written for German readers and is only an approximation. If in doubt, listen to the audio.

Tones: “à” low, “â” falling, “á” high, “ǎ” rising, no mark mid.
kh, ph, th: k, p and t with a strong puff of air. The “ph” is never an f.
g, bp, dt, dj: k, p, t and ch without a puff of air, between “g” and “k”, “b” and “p”, “d” and “t”.
ng: as in “sing”, in Thai also at the start of a word.
aa, ii, uu, oo: long vowels. “ue” is like the German “ü” but with the lips spread wide.

Frequently asked questions

Why do Thais add “khráp” or “khâ” at the end of a sentence?

These are politeness words. Men say “khráp” (ครับ), women “khâ” (ค่ะ), in questions “khá” (คะ). It depends on the speaker, not on the person you are talking to. Without them a sentence does not sound rude, but curt. “I” is different too: men say “phǒm” (ผม), women “chǎn” (ฉัน).

How important are the tones in Thai?

Thai has five tones, and the pitch changes the meaning of a word. Locals are used to foreigners not hitting them and guess a lot from the context. If that does not help, play the audio or show the Thai text on your phone.

Is English not enough in Thailand?

In hotels, restaurants and dive schools in tourist areas, usually yes. At markets, street food stalls, with songthaew and motorbike taxi drivers and in smaller places, often not. There a few phrases of Thai help you a lot.

How were the audio recordings made?

The recordings come from two AI voices (ElevenLabs) based on Thai speakers. I read back every recording with speech recognition and compared it with the Thai text. They are still synthetic voices. If a Thai person pronounces something differently for you, go with that.

More about getting around is in the guide Train, bus, plane and Grab in Thailand, tips on scooters in the guide Riding a scooter in Thailand.