Delayed in Thai

“Delayed” in Thai is ดีเลย์dii-lee; you'll also hear ล่าช้าlâa-cháa (formal).

ดีเลย์ dii-lee

delayed (from English) adjective everyday

dii mid
lee mid

Mid: level, in your normal speaking voice.

ล่าช้า lâa-cháa

delayed, late (formal: announcements, boards) adjective

lâa falling
cháa high

Falling: start high and drop clearly, like a firm “No!”
High: start high and go a little higher, a bit tense; don’t let it fall.

How to use it

Thais borrowed ดีเลย์dii-lee for any delay: a flight, a train, a delivery or a friend who's always late. Departure boards and announcements say ล่าช้าlâa-cháa, and a cancelled flight is ยกเลิกyók-lôek. Long-distance trains often run behind schedule, so don't plan a tight connection.

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:

dilay
di le
dee lay
lacha
la cha

More travel and transport in Thai

All travel and transport

รถ rót Car
แท็กซี่ táek-sîi Taxi
จอด jàwt Stop (a car)
to stop, to park
เลี้ยว líaw Turn
to turn
ซ้าย sáai Left
ขวา kwǎa Right (direction)
right (the direction)

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Written by the Learn Thai For Free team
Audio: AI voices, quality-checked for tones