Thai phrasebook
A Thai phrasebook arranged by situation, not alphabetically: introductions, cafés, directions. Each has both sides' lines, so you understand not only what to say but what you will be told back.
Conversations by situation
- 💬Meeting peopleA first meeting
- 💬At the coffee houseOrdering at a cafe
- 💬How to get thereAsking the way
- 💬At the marketHaggling at a fruit stall
- 💬The lamp brokeCalling the landlord
- 💬At the pharmacyA cold and a headache
- 💬The weather and a meetingTwo neighbors talking
- 💬About workColleagues at lunch
- 💬Checking in for the flightAn airport check-in desk, the flight is delayed
- 💬A boat at the pierA river pier, two tourists and a boat owner
- 💬Choosing a jacketA clothes shop in Bangkok, a fitting
- 💬Sorry, I am lateTwo friends at a cafe entrance, one is late
- 💬Dinner in the kitchenAn apartment kitchen, two people cooking soup
- 💬The wi-fi passwordA Bangkok cafe, the guest's phone is nearly dead
- 💬Signing up at the libraryA city library, a reader opens an account
- 💬First day at the gymA gym, a first session with a coach
- 💬A wedding invitationTwo colleagues at work looking at an invitation
- 💬Children at the playgroundA playground, two parents chatting on a bench
- 💬Signing up for a courseA language school in Bangkok, the reception desk
- 💬Opening an accountA bank branch, the new-client desk
- 💬A cold at the doctorA clinic, a physician's office, morning hours
- 💬An interview at the officeA small company, a meeting room
- 💬The keys to the new apartmentA new building, an agent hands over the keys
- 💬At the car rentalAn airport, a car rental desk, early morning
- 💬An argument at the TVA living room, evening, two people switching channels
- 💬At the consulateA consulate window, morning, reception hours
- 💬Two optionsA kitchen, evening, a talk about changing jobs
- 💬For and againstA condo owners' meeting, the roof repair is discussed
- 💬The new person at the officeAn office, by the coffee machine, two people discuss the new colleague
- 💬A talk after a quarrelA bench by the house, one friend comforts another
- 💬A recipe over the phoneA kitchen, a granddaughter calls her grandmother an hour before the guests
- 💬A return at the shopA mall checkout, Saturday afternoon
- 💬The phone at the service centerA service center intake desk, a weekday
- 💬The weekend forecastAn office, Friday afternoon, two colleagues decide whether to go to the sea
- 💬Directions at the crossroadsA crossroads downtown, a visitor asks the way to the post office
- 💬A course for a beginnerA language school desk, a man choosing a group
- 💬Moving the meetingA phone call between two colleagues on Monday morning
- 💬Please say it againA bank window, the visitor missed half of what was said
- 💬The new positionA small firm, a manager talks to someone who answered the ad
- 💬Reading the contractA table in a condo: one rents out an apartment, the other reads such a contract for the first time
- 💬Money for the playgroundA residential estate yard, a neighbor goes from door to door with a collection sheet
- 💬Choosing a bookA bookshop in a mall, a customer looks for a present for his mother
- 💬A gym membershipA sports center desk, a man returns to training after a long break
- 💬Buying a projectorAn electronics shop, the customer chooses a projector and measures the room in words
- 💬At the doctorA doctor's office, the patient came for the test results
- 💬Invited to a weddingTwo friends in the street; one invites the other to his elder sister's wedding
- 💬A disagreement at the meetingA small firm, two people differ about the price
- 💬Advice about a new jobTwo friends at a cafe; one has been offered a job in another city
- 💬Choosing a shelfA hardware shop, the customer describes to the seller the shelf he needs
- 💬Moving the furnitureTwo people rearrange the furniture in a room and agree what goes where
- 💬An order for the cafeAt a cafe they count how much coffee and supplies to order for the week
- 💬The work has stalledA manager and a worker work out why the job dragged on
- 💬Checking the numbersTwo colleagues decide whether the numbers in a report can be trusted
- 💬A talk about old timesA grandson asks his grandmother how life in the village was long ago
- 💬Sorting the trashA new resident asks a neighbor how the bins in the yard are arranged
- 💬Accepting the goodsA storekeeper and a driver sort out a batch in which a defect turned up
- 💬What happened by the marketTwo neighbors discuss an incident one of them saw himself
- 💬About the new colleagueTwo colleagues at a break discuss what the new person is like at work
Phrases that always rescue you
These are learned first not for politeness. They bring back a conversation that has already gone wrong — which makes them more useful than any list of nouns.
- สวัสดีсаватдиhello
- ขอบคุณкхопкхунthank you
- ขอ โทษкхо тхотexcuse me
- กรุณาкарунаplease (as a request)
- ไม่ เข้าใจмай кхаочайI don't understand
- พูด อีกครั้งпхуыт иккхрангsay it again, please
- ช้าๆчачаslowly
- พูด ภาษา อังกฤษ ได้ ไหม?пхуыт пхаса ангкрит дай май?do you speak English?
- ช่วย ด้วยчуай дыайhelp!
- ไม่ เป็น ไรмай пен райyou're welcome; no problem
- หลง ทางлонг таангI am lost
- ต้อง ไป หา หมอтонг пай ха моI need a doctor
Frequently asked
Which Thai phrases to learn first?
To start a conversation: “hello”, “thank you” and “excuse me”. To rescue it when it goes wrong: “I don't understand” and “say it again, please”.
Is a phrasebook enough without grammar?
For a short trip — yes. For living in the country — no: memorized phrases do not assemble into new ones, and the other person does not follow your script.