Pay (formal) in Thai

“Pay (formal)” in Thai is ชำระcham-rá.

ชำระ cham-rá

to pay, to settle (formal) verb

cham mid
rá high

High: start high and go a little higher, a bit tense; don’t let it fall.

How to use it

ชำระcham-rá is the formal "pay": bills, fines, taxes and the ชำระเงินcham-rá ngoen button that ends every online order. It also means "to clean", which is why the bidet hose next to a Thai toilet is a สายชำระsǎai cham-rá.

In conversation it's จ่ายjàai: จ่ายยังไงjàai yang-ngai, how do I pay?

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:

chumra

More formal words in Thai

All formal words

การ gaan Kaan (prefix)
-ing, -tion: turns a verb into a noun (the act of …)
ความ kwaam Kwaam (prefix)
-ness (turns a verb or adjective into a noun)
ผู้ pûu Phu (prefix)
person (who …): makes words for people, like -er
นัก nák Nak (prefix)
-er, -ist: someone who does it (as a job or a passion)
ซึ่ง sûeng Who, which (formal)
which, who (adds information; formal, written)
เมื่อ mûea When (formal)
when, once (formal)

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