The city and its places in Thai
81 words in Thai on the topic “the city and its places”: เมือง — city; town, ถนน — street, ลาน — square; plaza, ร้าน ขาย ยา — pharmacy.
81 words on the topic
- เมืองмыангcity; townThe old word for a princedom: Thai cities grew out of mueangs, and the country's name in neighboring languages is the same word. "A big city" is mueang yai
- ถนนтханонstreetBoth n's are pronounced: thanon. In addresses the street comes first, the number after the name: Thanon Sukhumvit 31
- ลานланsquare; plazaLiterally "a glade, an open space": the city square is named with a village word. From it lan kwang — "a wide square"
- ร้าน ขาย ยาран кхай йаpharmacyThree words in one: "shop selling medicine". The pharmacy in Thailand is first aid and a consultant: the pharmacist will suggest what one would otherwise see a doctor about
- ธนาคารтханакханbankA bookish word wholly from Pali: "money place". The first letter is the low-class th; in live speech the word is often squeezed to thanakhaan
- ฝูง คนфуун кхонcrowdLiterally "herd of people": fuun is said both of a pack of dogs and of a crowd. The crush at the market is named with it too
- ไฟ จรา จรфай чара чонtraffic lightLiterally "fire of traffic". Red and green are said with the familiar colors: "red fire", "green fire"
- จักร ยานджаккра йаанbicycleA Sanskrit word, "wheel of time": by ear far from English, but in the city it is everywhere — on the rental signs too
- ป้าย รถ เมล์паай рот мэbus stopLiterally "plate of the bus": the same pai as in the price tag. The bus here is rot me, familiar from the city
- บัตร ราย เดือนбат раай дыанmonthly passLiterally "card of the month": the same bat as in the bank card. The general transit pass Thais also call the English "pass"
- เส้น ทางсэн таангroute; lineLiterally "line of the road": sen is a line, you saw it in the strands of hair. A bus's route is exactly its line
- ทาง ม้า ลายтаанг маа лаайcrosswalk; zebra crossingLiterally "road of the striped horse": Thais call the zebra with the horse word, and maa you know from the nature walk
- รถ ติดрот титtraffic jamLiterally "cars stuck": tit is to be stuck — the same verb as in "will not switch on". In Bangkok this word sounds every day
- ที่ จอด รถти джот ротparking lot; car parkLiterally "place to put the car": jot is to put on a stand, by ear near "book". The vowel length tells them apart
- ปั๊ม น้ำ มันпам нам манgas station; petrol stationLiterally "pump of water-oil": pam is a pump, from the English pump, and petrol here is "water-oil"
- สวน สาธารณะсуан сатхааранаpublic parkLiterally "common garden": the suan already means "garden and park at once", while this is what the city park is called
- ห้อง สมุดхонг сомутlibraryLiterally "room of knowledge": the same hong as in the bathroom. The bookshop is another place — there they sell books
- พิพิธ ภัณฑ์пхипхит пханmuseumA bookish word from Sanskrit, "what is shown". In speech one also says it short: "museum" — just the full word; you will not miss the tone
- โรง ละ ครронг ла кхонtheaterLiterally "house of plays": the same rong as in the hotel and the hospital. Lakhon is a play, a performance
- โรง หนังронг нангcinema; movie theaterLiterally "house of films": nang is the colloquial "movie". Thai does no dubbing; one goes to the cinema with Thai subtitles
- โบสถ์ботchurchA church and a prayer hall in general; a short word, a mid tone. The Thai temple is another word — the lesson will reach it
- สนาม กีฬาсанаам киилаstadiumLiterally "field of sport": the same sanam as in the airport. The big Bangkok stadium is named after its district
- แยกяэкcrossroads; intersectionA short word with a low tone. Every one in Bangkok has a number — and the district is named after it: "intersection four"
- ทาง เท้าтаанг тхаоsidewalk; pavementLiterally "road of feet": the foot sounds like the "gray" from the colors lesson. On the sidewalk Thai walks when in no hurry
- ถนน สาย หลักтханон саай лакavenue; main roadLiterally "road of the main line": Thai keeps no separate word for an avenue. A wide street with a number is exactly the main-line road
- ซอยсоиlane; side streetA word of Bangkok life: a narrow street branching off a big road. Every one has a number, and by it the house is found more precisely than by the street name
- ริม น้ำрим намwaterfront; embankmentLiterally "edge of the water": the rim is the edge, the shore. In the evening Thais stroll along the waterfront and feed the fish
- สะพานсапхаанbridgeTwo syllables, both even: said "saphaan". Across the river in Bangkok there are many, and every bridge carries the name of a king or a temple
- อุโมงค์умонгtunnelThe final letter is silent — it stays "umong". A word from Pali, like half the important signs: before a mountain the sign carries exactly it
- เสา ไฟсао файstreetlight; lamp postLiterally "post of fire": the post is the same as the flag's, and the fire is yours. The lamp at home Thai names differently; the street light is the fire post
- ม้า นั่งмаа нангbench; park benchLiterally "horse for sitting": the horse and the sit — both words you already have. In the park benches are put in the shade — otherwise no one sits on them
- ถัง ขยะ สาธารณะтханг кхайа сатхааранаpublic trash binThe trash vat you know; a street bin is a "public vat" — the same public as in the public toilet. The trash is known, and it is supposed to be thrown only here
- คน ขับ รถ เมล์кхон кхап рот мэbus driverThe driver you know; the Bangkok bus is literally "the mail car" — once such vehicles carried letters too
- ป้าย ปลาย ทางпаай плай таангlast stop; terminusThe ordinary stop is yours; the last one is "the sign of the road's end": the tail word is the end and the edge. Further the bus does not go
- สาย รถсаай ротroute number (of a bus)Literally "line of the car": the line is the same as the phone call's. Do not confuse by ear with "left" — there different letters
- ชั่ว โมง เร่ง ด่วนчуа монг рэнг дуанrush hourLiterally "hour hurry-urgent": the urgent you know. At this time the roads of Bangkok stand, and the bus does not fit everyone
- ตา ราง เว ลา รถ เมล์та раанг ве лаа рот мэbus timetableThe timetable you already have; now it has found its owner — the bus. In Bangkok it is asked more often than read
- จ่าย ค่า โดยสารджай кхаа доисанto pay the farePay and fee — both yours. The riding word is "riding" in general: bus, boat and train alike; the fare for them is said with it
- จอง ที่ นั่งджонг ти нангto take a seat; to claim a seatLiterally "book the sitting place": Thai books a seat even in thought. The sit and the place — both yours
- เรียก แท็กซี่риак тхаэксиto hail a taxiThe call is both to call and to summon — the same word as "call the repairman". A Bangkok taxi is waved down by hand, but politer is to summon
- ลง ป้าย หน้าлонг паай нааto get off at the next stopThe get-off is the same as in landing. The next stop is "the front stop": Thai sees the future ahead, like the face word
- เขตкхетdistrict (of a city)A short word with a falling tone: a city district and an area on the map are one. A Bangkok address must name the district; without it a letter will not find the house
- ใจ กลาง เมืองчай кланг мыангcity center; downtownLiterally "heart of the middle of the city": Thai sees the center as the heart — the same as in "kind". Farther from the heart — the quiet and cheap districts
- ชาน เมืองчаан мыангoutskirts; suburbsLiterally "balcony of the city": the deck is the same as on the train trip. The city ends — and the suburbs begin, and the apartments there are cheaper
- ไซต์ ก่อ สร้างсай ко сангconstruction siteThe site came from the English; the build is the one you build houses with already. A construction site in Thailand grows floor by floor, and the scaffolding holds bamboo
- ซ่อม ถนนсоом тханонroad repair; roadworksYou know how to fix; the road Thai fixes with the same verb. Roadworks are ringed with orange cones — and everyone detours anyway
- ป้าย บอก ทางпаай бок таангdirection sign; signpostLiterally "plate tells the road": the say and the way. The traffic sign you had already; the direction sign is the one that shows where
- ห้อง น้ำ สาธารณะхонг нам сатхааранаpublic toiletThe bathroom word is yours; the public means "common, for everyone" — the same as in the park's name. In malls such toilets are free
- สะอาดсаатcleanTwo syllables, the second with a short vowel. Clean hands, clean water, a clean reputation — one word for all; cleaning will be "making clean"
- สกปรกсакапрокdirtyA long word but without tricks: said as spelled. The pair of the clean; streets after the rain are dirty, and Thais clean them themselves
- คน แน่นкхон нэнcrowded; packed with peopleLiterally "people tight": tight like a packed suitcase. The English "crowded" Thai conveys with density: so many people you cannot push through
- หมู่ บ้านмуу банvillageLiterally "nest of houses": the group counts a village by its houses. Do not confuse with pork — one stroke decides who is for dinner
- เมือง หลวงмыанг луангcapital cityLiterally "royal city": the royal is the same as on the royal trains. There is one capital in Thailand, and every schoolchild knows the word
- รถ สาธารณะрот сатхааранаpublic transportLiterally "common cars": the public is the same as in the public toilet and the trash bin. Bus, boat, train — everything that carries everyone for a fare
- โรง เรียน อนุบาลронг риан анубаанkindergartenLiterally "nursery school": the nursery is "light care", from Sanskrit. Toddlers are not sent to a "garden" — they are sent to a school of light care
- สนาม เด็ก เล่นсанаам дек ленplaygroundLiterally "field of children's play": the field is the same as at the stadium and the airport. A place to play the Thai measures in fields
- น้ำ พุнам пхуfountainLiterally "water-splash": the splash gushes upward. The fountain is named by what it does — it throws water into the sky
- สุสานсусанcemeteryA word from Persian that arrived long ago. Cemeteries in Thailand live beside temples, and the word sounds without fear — simply a place
- รถ ดับ เพลิงрот дап пхлэнгfire truckLiterally "car of extinguishing fire": assembled from the firefighter's words. The whole fire service of Thai hangs on one verb — to extinguish
- ย่านйаанquarter; neighborhoodLiterally "corner, circuit": a residential district of the city with its own shops and its own people. "My neighborhood" is yaan khong phom
- สวน ดอก ไม้суан док майsmall park; garden squareLiterally "garden of flowers": a patch of green with flowerbeds between houses. The big park, suan satharana, you know — the square is smaller and nearer
- หอ คอยхо кхойtowerLiterally "tower of waiting": a lookout tower. The tallest building of Bangkok is exactly a ho khoi, and the view from it is worth the climb
- เขต ชาน เมืองкхет чаан мыангsuburbLiterally "district of the city's outskirts": the familiar outskirts, chan mueang, and the add-on khet assembles the suburb out of it whole
- ชุม ชนчум чонsettlement; communityLiterally "a gathering of people": a small settlement. The familiar village, muu ban — a settlement is bigger than a village, smaller than a city
- คน เดิน ผ่านкхон дён пхаанpasser-byLiterally "person walking past": assembled from familiar words, like half of Thai names. Ask such a one for the way
- คน เดิน ถนนкхон дён тханонpedestrianLiterally "person walking on the street": thanon, "street", you know from the first lessons. The same word is written on the crossing
- ป้าย ร้านпаай ранsign; shop signLiterally "plate of the shop": pai is the familiar "sign, stop", and with raan, the shop, it is the sign above the entrance
- ตะกร้า ขยะтакраа кхайаlitter binLiterally "basket of trash": there are few bins on Thai streets, and most often it is a basket or a vat. The trash vat, thang khaya, you know
- ไฟ ถนนфай тханонstreetlightLiterally "fire of the street": Thai does not say "lantern" but street light. Fai, "fire, light", and thanon, "street", you know — the word assembled itself
- สนาม หญ้าсанам йааlawnLiterally "field of grass": sanam, "ground", you saw in sanam bin, the airport, and ya is the familiar grass. A lawn is the same meadow, only trimmed and attached to a house
- แปลง ดอก ไม้пленг док майflowerbedLiterally "bed of flowers": plaeng is a plot of ground for planting, and dok mai, "flower", you know. One bed is for vegetables, another for beauty
- ชาน บ้านчаан банporch; verandaLiterally "deck of the house": a Thai house starts with a wooden platform before the door. Do not confuse by ear with chanchala — the platform from the train lesson
- ขั้น บัน ไดкхан бан дайstep (of stairs)Literally "step of the ladder": ban dai is the staircase, khan is its step. A staircase is a chain of such steps, and one of them is khan ban dai
- เลขที่ บ้านлекти банhouse numberLek, "number", you know; lek thi is "the number of". In a Thai address the house number comes first, and it hangs right on the door
- ชื่อ ถนนчыэ тханонstreet nameLiterally "name of the street": chue is the same "name" you call yourself by when meeting. A street has a name too, and it is written on the plate
- เสาсаоpost; poleOne syllable, a mid tone. Sao is a post and a support in general; a post with a lantern is sao fai, "a post of fire"
- เมือง เก่าмыанг гаоold townBoth words you know: mueang, "city", and gao, "old". The old town is the historic center with temples; all tourists are led there
- บ้าน พัก อาศัยбан пхак асайresidential buildingLiterally "house for living": phak, "to stay, live", you know. This is what housing is called in listings — a house where people live, not an office
- ความ เงียบкхуам нгияпsilenceNgiap, "quiet", you know; khwam turns the quality into a thing — the same device as in khwam suk, "happiness". Silence is the very "quiet"
- อาคารакаанbuildingAny structure — from a bank to a school; baan, the dwelling, you know, while akhan is the structure itself. The second syllable is long, with a falling tone
- ห้อง โถงхонг тхонгhallHong, "room", you know; hong thong is a big hall for everyone: in a hotel, in a palace. The hall in an apartment is the living room, a different word
How it sounds in a sentence
A word list is a blank. Conversation is made of sentences, and these are the ones the words fit into most often.
- เมือง ใหญ่мыанг йайA big city
- ถนน นี้ ชื่อ อะไร?тханон ний чыэ арай?What is this street called?
- ลาน อยู่ ที่ไหน?лан ю тинай?Where is the square?
- ร้าน ขาย ยา อยู่ ที่ไหน?ран кхай йа ю тинай?Where is the pharmacy?
- ธนาคาร ปิด แล้วтханакхан пит лаэоThe bank is closed already
- ตลาด มี ฝูง คนталат ми фуун кхонThere is a crowd at the market
What is worth knowing about these words
เมือง (мыанг) — city; town. The old word for a princedom: Thai cities grew out of mueangs, and the country's name in neighboring languages is the same word. "A big city" is mueang yai.
ถนน (тханон) — street. Both n's are pronounced: thanon. In addresses the street comes first, the number after the name: Thanon Sukhumvit 31.
ลาน (лан) — square; plaza. Literally "a glade, an open space": the city square is named with a village word. From it lan kwang — "a wide square".
ร้าน ขาย ยา (ран кхай йа) — pharmacy. Three words in one: "shop selling medicine". The pharmacy in Thailand is first aid and a consultant: the pharmacist will suggest what one would otherwise see a doctor about.
Test yourself
Recalling a spelling from meaning is harder than recognizing a familiar word — and therefore more useful.
- How do you say “city; town” in Thai?
The old word for a princedom: Thai cities grew out of mueangs, and the country's name in neighboring languages is the same word. "A big city" is mueang yai
- How do you say “bicycle” in Thai?
A Sanskrit word, "wheel of time": by ear far from English, but in the city it is everywhere — on the rental signs too
- How do you say “gas station; petrol station” in Thai?
Literally "pump of water-oil": pam is a pump, from the English pump, and petrol here is "water-oil"
- How do you say “stadium” in Thai?
Literally "field of sport": the same sanam as in the airport. The big Bangkok stadium is named after its district
- How do you say “tunnel” in Thai?
The final letter is silent — it stays "umong". A word from Pali, like half the important signs: before a mountain the sign carries exactly it
How to learn the set instead of just reading it
Street, square, pharmacy, bank. An address is built out of these, and an address is something you have to both say and understand.
A list is read in a minute and forgotten in a day. What works: hide the translation, try to recall, get it wrong — and come back to the same words tomorrow.
- Recalling beats re-reading. Covering the translation and trying to remember it does more than reading it ten more times.checked many timesAdesope, Trevisan & Sundararajan, 2017, Review of Educational Research 87(3) · 188 experiments, 272 comparisons. g = 0.61; against plain re-reading 0.51, against passive review 0.93.
- Study spread over days wins not only in experiments but in ordinary classrooms, with real students.checked many timesMawson & Kang, 2025, Behavioral Sciences 15(6):771 · 22 studies, d = 0.54 (confidence interval 0.31–0.77). The authors warn that individual studies disagree widely.
Frequently asked
How do you say “city; town” in Thai?
«เมือง», read “мыанг”. The old word for a princedom: Thai cities grew out of mueangs, and the country's name in neighboring languages is the same word. "A big city" is mueang yai. It is one of 81 words in the set “the city and its places” — the rest are in the table above.
How many street and place words do you need to start?
The whole set on this page is 81 words, but there is no need to start with all of it: the words you will need in the next few days are enough. Take them a few at a time — five to seven new ones per session.