Travel and transportChange trains in Thai
“Change trains” in Thai is เปลี่ยนสายbplìan-sǎai; you'll also hear ต่อรถdtàw-rót (on the road).
to change lines (skytrain, subway, bus) verb
- bplìan low
- sǎai rising
- Low: flat and lower than your normal voice, dropping a little at the end.
- Rising: start low, dip, then rise to the top, like a doubtful “Really?”
to change to another bus or van, to make a connection verb on the road
- dtàw low
- rót high
- Low: flat and lower than your normal voice, dropping a little at the end.
- High: start high and go a little higher, a bit tense; don’t let it fall.
How to use it
เปลี่ยนbplìan is to change and สายsǎai a line, so on the BTS and MRT you เปลี่ยนสายbplìan-sǎai at interchange stations such as Siam, where the two main BTS lines meet.
On the road, catching a second bus or van is ต่อรถdtàw-rót, "to continue by vehicle": getting to a small town often means ต่อรถdtàw-rót at the provincial bus station.
Other spellings you'll see
There's no single official way to write Thai in English letters. We mark the tone of every syllable; online you'll also find:
- plian sai
- plean sai
- tor rot
More travel and transport in Thai
All travel and transport
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Written by the Learn Thai For Free team
Audio: AI voices, quality-checked for tones