Disaster in Thai

“Disaster” in Thai is ภัยพิบัติpai-pí-bàt; you'll also hear ภัยpai (danger).

ภัยพิบัติ pai-pí-bàt

disaster noun

pai mid
pí high
bàt low

High: start high and go a little higher, a bit tense; don’t let it fall.
Low: flat and lower than your normal voice, dropping a little at the end.

ภัย pai

danger, threat noun

pai mid

Mid: level, in your normal speaking voice.

How to use it

ภัยพิบัติpai-pí-bàt is a disaster: a flood, a storm, a landslide. ภัยpai alone is danger or a threat, and it builds the names of disasters in the news: ภัยธรรมชาติpai tam-má-châat, natural disasters, ภัยแล้งpai láeng, drought, and the formal อุทกภัยù-tók-gà-pai, flood, which people call น้ำท่วมnáam-tûam.

Scams and fraud on the internet are ภัยออนไลน์pai awn-lai, online threats.

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:

phaiphibat
phai

More news and society in Thai

All news and society

กลุ่ม glùm Group
สังคม sǎng-kom Society
ผล pǒn Result
result, outcome
ระบบ rá-bòp System
มาตรา mâat-dtraa Section (of a law)
section, article (of a law)
ระดับ rá-dàp Level
level, grade

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