Unit 12 · Settling in · A2
Unit 12: A room in Nimman
Ask to see and rent a room, ask about rent, bills and wifi, ask permission, and get broken things fixed.
6 lessons · about 46 min CEFR A2
The story
Straight off the songthaew, you arrive at Krit's co-working café in Nimman at eight in the morning. He has a room upstairs: two nights first, then maybe by the month.
After this unit
- I can ask to see a room and ask what it costs per night or per month.
- I can ask what's included (bills, wifi) and ask for the wifi password.
- I can ask permission politely: Can I…? Could you…?
- I can say something is broken and ask my landlord to fix it.
The 6 lessons
Each lesson takes 5-10 minutes. Read it here, then practise it in the app: free, no sign-up.
Words and phrases in Unit 12
Tap the speaker to hear each one. Tap any Thai word to see what it means.
Krit's room
Lesson page- ดู duu
to look (at), to watch; to check verb
You know it from ดูก่อนduu gàwn (just looking). ขอดูkǎw duu is 'may I see': ขอดูหน่อยkǎw duu nàwy.
- คืน kuuen
night noun
Hotels count nights, not days: สองคืนsǎwng kuuen two nights. คืนนี้kuuen níi is tonight.
- ละ lá
per, each particle
The unit comes first, then ละlá, then the price: คืนละห้าร้อยkuuen lá hâa ráwy 500 a night, คนละห้าสิบkon lá hâa sìp 50 per person.
- พัก pák
to stay (at a hotel); to rest verb
For a short stay somewhere: a hotel, a guesthouse, a friend's place. It also means 'to rest, to take a break'.
- ต่อ dtàw
to continue; on, longer verb
After a verb it means 'on, longer': อยู่ต่อyùu dtàw stay on, พักต่อpák dtàw stay longer.
- เช็คเอาท์ chék-áo
to check out verb
From English. Checking in is เช็คอินchék-in.
- ฝาก fàak
to leave (something) with someone verb
Giving something into someone's care: your bag at reception, a parcel with the guard.
- ไว้ wái
(keep) in place; in advance (after a verb) particle
After a verb, ไว้wái says the result stays: ฝากไว้fàak wái leave it (with someone), จองไว้jawng wái book in advance. High tone.
- แอร์ ae
air-con noun
From English 'air'. A room with air-con is a ห้องแอร์hâwng ae; a cheaper one with a fan is a ห้องพัดลมhâwng pát-lom.
- ตู้เย็น dtûu-yen
fridge noun
- ผ้าเช็ดตัว pâa-chét-dtua
towel noun
Literally 'cloth to wipe the body'.
- ไวไฟ wai-fai
wifi noun
- รหัส rá-hàt
code, password noun
The wifi password is just the รหัสไวไฟrá-hàt wai-fai (wifi code).
Rent, bills and repairs
Lesson page- หา hǎa
to look for; to go and see someone verb
Rising tone. ไปหาbpai hǎa + a person is 'go and see': ไปหาน้ำbpai hǎa náam go and see Nam.
- เช่า châo
to rent verb
A rented room is a ห้องเช่าhâwng châo, and ให้เช่าhâi châo on a sign means 'for rent'.
- ค่า kâa
fee, cost, bill noun
ค่าkâa + what you pay for: ค่าเช่าkâa châo rent, ค่าไฟkâa fai electricity, ค่าน้ำkâa náam water, ค่ารถkâa rót the fare.
- ไฟ fai
electricity; light; fire noun
เปิดไฟbpòet fai turn on the light, ปิดไฟbpìt fai turn it off, ค่าไฟkâa fai the electricity bill.
- เดือน duean
month noun
Long-stay rooms are rented by the month: เดือนละduean lá per month.
- พัน pan
thousand number
Number + พันpan: แปดพันbpàet pan 8,000, หนึ่งพันห้าร้อยnùeng pan hâa ráwy 1,500.
- รวม ruam
to include; in total verb
Ask what the price covers with รวมruam + bill + ไหมmǎi: รวมค่าน้ำไหมruam kâa náam mǎi.
- เสีย sǐa
broken, out of order adjective
For anything that stops working: แอร์เสียae sǐa. No word for 'is' needed. Food that has gone off is เสียsǐa too.
- เสียงดัง sǐang dang
noisy, loud adjective
- ซ่อม sâwm
to repair, to fix verb
- ให้ hâi
for (someone), in requests preposition
In a request, ให้hâi after the verb means 'for me': ช่วยดูให้หน่อยchûay duu hâi nàwy could you have a look for me? Its other uses come in unit 20.
- เพิ่ม pôem
to add; extra verb
ขอkǎw + thing + เพิ่มpôem asks for more of it: ขอข้าวเพิ่มkǎw kâao pôem.
- อีก ìik
more, another, again adverb
Before a number it means 'more': อีกสองคืนìik sǎwng kuuen two more nights, อีกอันìik an another one. You know it from อีกทีìik tii (once more).
- บ้าน bâan
house, home noun
You know it from กลับบ้านglàp bâan (go home). It means any home, a house or a flat, and อยู่บ้านyùu bâan is 'at home'.
Grammar: Can I…? Could you…? ได้ไหม
- ใช้ cháiไวไฟ wai-faiได้ dâiไหม mǎiครับ kráp
Can I use the wifi?
Men ใช้ไวไฟได้ไหมครับ Women ใช้ไวไฟได้ไหมคะ
- ขอ kǎwดู duuห้อง hâwngได้ dâiไหม mǎiครับ kráp
Could I see the room?
Men ขอดูห้องได้ไหมครับ Women ขอดูห้องได้ไหมคะ
- ได้เลย dâi loei
Sure, go ahead.
Dialogue: A room above the café
Eight in the morning at Krit's co-working café in Nimman, Soi 9. You've come straight from the station with your suitcase. Nam has told Krit you're looking for a room, and he has one upstairs.
14 lines · tap a line to hear it
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Kritกฤษ
สวัสดี sà-wàt-diiครับ krápเพื่อน pûeanน้ำ náamใช่ châiไหม mǎiครับ krápHello! You're Nam's friend, right?
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You
ใช่ châiฝาก fàakกระเป๋า grà-bpǎoไว้ wáiที่นี่ tîi-nîiได้ dâiไหม mǎiครับ krápYes. Can I leave my bag here?
Men ใช่ ฝากกระเป๋าไว้ที่นี่ได้ไหมครับ Women ใช่ ฝากกระเป๋าไว้ที่นี่ได้ไหมคะ
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Kritกฤษ
ได้เลย dâi loeiครับ krápSure, go ahead.
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You
ขอ kǎwดู duuห้อง hâwngได้ dâiไหม mǎiครับ krápCould I see the room?
Men ขอดูห้องได้ไหมครับ Women ขอดูห้องได้ไหมคะ
Culture note: Renting a room in Chiang Mai
Most people in Chiang Mai rent by the month. Apartment blocks and rooms above shops hang a sign saying ห้องว่างhâwng wâang (room free) or ให้เช่าhâi châo (for rent), and a simple studio with air-con costs roughly 4,000 to 10,000 baht a month. Short stays are priced by the night (คืนละkuuen lá) and work out much more expensive.
Expect a deposit (มัดจำmát-jam) of one or two months' rent, plus the first month in advance. Water is often a small flat fee, but electricity (ค่าไฟkâa fai) is charged per unit at the landlord's own rate, usually well above what the power company charges. Ask before you sign, especially if you love your air-con.
On moving-in day, photograph the room, the furniture and anything already damaged, and send the photos to your landlord on LINE. When you move out, it makes getting your deposit back much easier.
AI role-play: Something's broken
At the end of the unit you talk with Krit, an AI character who answers in natural Thai and helps when you get stuck.
The scene
A week after moving into Krit's room, the air-con stops working and there's no hot water. Go down to the café, tell Krit and get it sorted. You'd also like to stay on for another month.
Krit starts
Hi! Is the room okay?
Your goals
- 1Say what's broken
- 2Ask Krit to come and fix it
- 3Ask if you can work in the café downstairs in the meantime
- 4Ask to stay on for another month and what it costs