Body and healthPainkiller in Thai
“Painkiller” in Thai is ยาแก้ปวดyaa-gâe-bpùat; you'll also hear ยาพาราyaa-paa-raa (paracetamol).
painkiller noun
- yaa mid
- gâe falling
- bpùat low
- Falling: start high and drop clearly, like a firm “No!”
- Low: flat and lower than your normal voice, dropping a little at the end.
paracetamol noun
- yaa mid
- paa mid
- raa mid
- Mid: level, in your normal speaking voice.
How to use it
Thai names medicines by what they fix: ยาyaa (medicine) + แก้gâe (to fix) + the problem. A painkiller is ยาแก้ปวดyaa-gâe-bpùat, cough medicine ยาแก้ไอyaa gâe ai and an antihistamine ยาแก้แพ้yaa gâe páe.
Paracetamol is so common that everyone just says ยาพาราyaa-paa-raa. Pills come in strips, แผงpǎeng, and the pharmacist will tell you the dose, as in ครั้งละเม็ดkráng lá mét, one pill each time.
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:
- ya kae puat
- ya para
- yaa paraa
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Written by the Learn Thai For Free team
Audio: AI voices, quality-checked for tones