Travel and transportFare in Thai
“Fare” in Thai is ค่ารถkâa-rót; you'll also hear ค่าโดยสารkâa-dooi-sǎan (formal).
fare, what a ride costs noun everyday
- kâa falling
- rót 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.
fare (formal: signs, apps, announcements) noun
- kâa falling
- dooi mid
- sǎan rising
- Falling: start high and drop clearly, like a firm “No!”
- Rising: start low, dip, then rise to the top, like a doubtful “Really?”
How to use it
ค่าkâa is a fee, so ค่ารถkâa-rót, the "vehicle fee", is what you pay for any ride, and also the travel money you give someone who came a long way to help you. Signs, apps and tickets use the formal ค่าโดยสารkâa-dooi-sǎan, the "passenger fee".
Taxi fares come from the meter. With tuk-tuks, songthaews hired as taxis and motorbike taxis on longer trips, you agree on the fare before you get in.
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:
- kha rot
- ka rot
- kha doi san
- ka doy san
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