Buildings and premises in Thai
25 words in Thai on the topic “buildings and premises”: ร้าน อาหาร — restaurant, ร้าน กาแฟ — coffeehouse, ลาน — square; plaza, ร้าน ค้า — shop; store.
25 words on the topic
- ร้าน อาหารран аханrestaurantLiterally "shop of food". Words are butted together: raan, "shop", plus ahaan, "food". Half of all Thai place names are assembled this way
- ร้าน กาแฟран кафэcoffeehouseThe same "shop" as the restaurant's, only with coffee. There is no separate word for a European-style cafe — the big coffee place and the corner with plastic stools share the name
- ลานланsquare; plazaLiterally "a glade, an open space": the city square is named with a village word. From it lan kwang — "a wide square"
- ร้าน ค้าран кхаshop; storeThe same raan, "shop", as in the restaurant and coffeehouse, plus khaa, "to trade". The little shop by the house Thais call exactly this — raan lung, "uncle's shop"
- ตลาดталатmarketThe word comes from an ancient "place of trade", and it lives in street names too. The morning market lives until noon, the night one from sunset — two different talats
- 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
- สถานีсатханиstation; terminal"Station": the railway terminal, the bus one, and the police station — the prefix will say whose it is. Rot fai sathanii — "train station"
- แผงпхэнгstall; counterA separate trading stall at the market — a phaeng. It argues by ear with phaeng, "expensive": only the tone tells them apart, and the stall's rises
- ร้าน ชำран чамgrocery shopA little shop of "a bit of everything": grain, sauces, soap. The word cham means "loose" — there things are sold not in packs
- โรง พยาบาลронг пхайабанhospitalLiterally "house of care": rong is an establishment, phaiaban is care. The nurse inside is named with the same word
- ออฟ ฟิศоп фитofficeEnglish office in Thai spelling. An everyday word: a company sign will carry exactly this
- มหา วิทยา ลัยмахаа витхайа лайuniversityA Sanskrit assembly "great abode of knowledge": Thai managed without English. Students call it by a short nickname
- โรง เรียนронг рианschoolLiterally "house of learning": the same rong as in "hospital". Establishment plus occupation — Thai assembles its terms by one scheme
- ไปรษณีย์пайсаниpost office; mailA Sanskrit word, the only one for the whole post. The Thai post works slowly but reliably — parcels reach even the village
- สถานี ขน ส่งсатхани кхон сонгbus terminalSathanii, "station", you know; the terminal of long-distance buses Thais call "the station of transport". From here leave not city buses but intercity ones
- ท่า น้ำтха намpier; water landingLiterally "water pier": tha ruea, "port", you know, and the smaller pier is tha nam. The boat pulls up there, and it waits for the passenger
- ร้าน แลก เงินран лэк нгынexchange boothLiterally "shop of exchanging money": laek — "to exchange". The bank exchanges too, but in a tourist place the booth is nearer and open longer
- สวน สัตว์суан сатzooBoth words you know: suan, "garden", plus sat, "animal". For Thai the zoo is a garden where beasts live
- ละคร สัตว์лакхон сатcircusLiterally "performance of animals": lakhon, "performance", you saw in the cinema lesson. The word from English circus is heard too, but in Thai the circus is this
- สถานี ดับ เพลิงсатхани дап пхылёнгfire stationLiterally "station of extinguishing fire": dap is "to put out", phloeng is "flame". From it nak dap phloeng, firefighter — you have met him already
- ร้าน ล้าง รถран лаанг ротcar washLiterally "shop of washing cars": laang, "to wash", and raan, "shop", you know — Thai place names are assembled exactly this way
- บริษัท ท่อง เที่ยวборисат тхонг тиаоtravel agencyBorisa, "firm", you saw at work; the agency sells excursions and tickets. Flights and prices are asked here too
- ถนน หลักтханон лакmain streetLak — "main, principal". Thanon sai lak, the avenue, you know; inside the city the main street is called shorter
- จุด จำหน่าย ตั๋วджут джамнай туаticket officeJut — "point, counter"; jamnai is the official "sells" — the same khai on paper. The ticket machine you know — the office is a window with a person
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.
- ร้าน อาหาร อร่อย มากран ахан арой макThe food at the restaurant is very tasty
- เรา เจอกัน ที่ ร้าน กาแฟрао джёкан ти ран кафэLet's meet at the coffeehouse
- ลาน อยู่ ที่ไหน?лан ю тинай?Where is the square?
- ร้าน ค้า เปิด แปด โมงран кха пёт пэт монгThe shop opens at eight
- ตลาด อยู่ ที่ไหน?талат ю тинай?Where is the market?
- ร้าน ขาย ยา อยู่ ที่ไหน?ран кхай йа ю тинай?Where is the pharmacy?
What is worth knowing about these words
ร้าน อาหาร (ран ахан) — restaurant. Literally "shop of food". Words are butted together: raan, "shop", plus ahaan, "food". Half of all Thai place names are assembled this way.
ร้าน กาแฟ (ран кафэ) — coffeehouse. The same "shop" as the restaurant's, only with coffee. There is no separate word for a European-style cafe — the big coffee place and the corner with plastic stools share the name.
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 ค้า (ран кха) — shop; store. The same raan, "shop", as in the restaurant and coffeehouse, plus khaa, "to trade". The little shop by the house Thais call exactly this — raan lung, "uncle's shop".
Test yourself
Recalling a spelling from meaning is harder than recognizing a familiar word — and therefore more useful.
- How do you say “restaurant” in Thai?
Literally "shop of food". Words are butted together: raan, "shop", plus ahaan, "food". Half of all Thai place names are assembled this way
- How do you say “station; terminal” in Thai?
"Station": the railway terminal, the bus one, and the police station — the prefix will say whose it is. Rot fai sathanii — "train station"
- How do you say “post office; mail” in Thai?
A Sanskrit word, the only one for the whole post. The Thai post works slowly but reliably — parcels reach even the village
- How do you say “car wash” in Thai?
Literally "shop of washing cars": laang, "to wash", and raan, "shop", you know — Thai place names are assembled exactly this way
- How do you say “shop; store” in Thai?
The same raan, "shop", as in the restaurant and coffeehouse, plus khaa, "to trade". The little shop by the house Thais call exactly this — raan lung, "uncle's shop"
How to learn the set instead of just reading it
Where to go and what is done there. These words are read off a sign more often than they are spoken.
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 “restaurant” in Thai?
«ร้าน อาหาร», read “ран ахан”. Literally "shop of food". Words are butted together: raan, "shop", plus ahaan, "food". Half of all Thai place names are assembled this way. It is one of 25 words in the set “buildings and premises” — the rest are in the table above.
How many words for buildings and places do you need to start?
The whole set on this page is 25 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.