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Culture and festivals

Make merit in Thai

“Make merit” in Thai is ทำบุญtam-bun.

ทำบุญ tam-bun

to make merit (do good deeds, give at a temple) verb

tam mid
bun mid

Mid: level, in your normal speaking voice.

Parts: ทำtam to do, to make บุญbun merit, good karma

Giving food to monks, donating to a temple or helping someone in need are all ทำบุญtam-bun: good deeds that bring good fortune.

Taught in Unit 19 · Lesson 1: New Year at the temple of the free course.

Practise it free

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:

tham bun
tam boon
thamboon
tum boon

Read more

Culture Monks and Merit in Thailand: Tak Bat and How to Behave How Thais make merit, how to give alms to monks at dawn, the rules around monks (especially for women), and the words you'll hear.

More culture and festivals in Thai

All culture and festivals

สงกรานต์ sǒng-graan Songkran
Songkran, the Thai New Year (13-15 April)
ลอยกระทง lawy grà-tong Loy Krathong
to float a krathong
ฮ่าๆ hâa-hâa 555
haha (typed 555 in chats: five is hâa)
ไหว้ wâai Wai
to wai (greet with palms together)
เพลงชาติ pleeng-châat National anthem
สำนวน sǎm-nuan Proverb
idiom, saying

Learn this word in Unit 19, free

Unit 19 · Songkran! · New Year at the temple. Short lessons with audio for every word, speaking practice and spaced review. No sign-up needed.

Practise it free (2 min) See Unit 19

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