Real world: signs, stations and streets

You can now read almost anything, so let's go out into the street. Signs are short, repetitive and full of words you already know.

A strategy for long signs

1. Spaces separate phrases, not words, so start at a space.
2. Find the words you recognise; they split the rest into pieces.
3. Sound out what's left syllable by syllable, and check the tones with the rules.

Words you'll see every day

• ทางออกtaang-àwk exit · ทางเข้าtaang-kâo entrance
• ห้ามhâam no..., do not...: ห้ามเข้าhâam kâo no entry
• กรุณาgà-rú-naa please (formal, on signs)
• ระวังrá-wang caution
• ผลักplàk push · ดึงdueng pull
• เปิดbpòet open · ปิดbpìt closed
• ชายchaai men · หญิงyǐng women
• ชั้นchán floor · ลิฟต์líp lift · บันไดเลื่อนban-dai-lûean escalator

At the station

BTS and MRT signs pair Thai with English, which makes them perfect practice: cover the English, read the Thai, then check. สถานีsà-tǎa-nii (station) comes before the name, platforms are ชานชาลาchaan-chaa-laa, and exits are ทางออกtaang-àwk plus a number.

Addresses

Abbreviations end in a dot and are read as the full word: ถ.tà-nǒn is ถนนtà-nǒn (road) and ซ.sawy is ซอยsawy (soi).

Rule-breakers

A few common words don't follow the rules. ตำรวจdtam-rùat (police) has a low tone, as if a silent หhǎw led the รraw. Learn it as a word.

Romanized street signs use a different system from this app: Thanon is ถนนtà-nǒn and Phra is พระprá. When in doubt, trust the Thai.

Typical mistake: mixing up ผลักplàk (push) and ดึงdueng (pull) and walking into a glass door. Push is the one with the cluster.