Unit 16 · Settling in · A2
Unit 16: At the clinic
Say where it hurts and how you feel, understand what you must and should do, and handle the pharmacy, the clinic and insurance.
6 lessons · about 46 min CEFR A2
The story
A bad street-food dinner gives you food poisoning. The pharmacist on your soi sends you to Dr. Somchai's clinic on Nimman Road.
After this unit
- I can say what's wrong: where it hurts, my symptoms, a fever or a cold.
- I can understand advice with must, don't have to and should.
- I can ask how to take my medicine and understand a medicine label.
- I can ask for help in an emergency and get a receipt for my insurance.
The 6 lessons
Each lesson takes 5-10 minutes. Read it here, then practise it in the app: free, no sign-up.
- Lesson 1 · Words Body and symptoms 7 min · free
- Lesson 2 · Words Medicine and the doctor 7 min · free
- Lesson 3 · Pattern Must, don't have to, should: ต้อง, ไม่ต้อง, ควร 8 min · free
- Lesson 4 · Conversation Conversation 8 min · free
- Lesson 5 · Speaking Speaking 8 min · free
- Lesson 6 · Checkpoint Checkpoint 8 min · free
Words and phrases in Unit 16
Tap the speaker to hear each one. Tap any Thai word to see what it means.
Body and symptoms
Lesson page- ปวด bpùat
to ache, to hurt (a deep, dull pain) verb
Put the body part after it: ปวดหัวbpùat hǔa is a headache, ปวดท้องbpùat táwng a stomach ache.
- หัว hǔa
head noun
Rising tone; it's also the 'head' in หัวมุมhǔa-mum (street corner).
- ท้อง táwng
stomach, belly noun
High tone (falling ห้องhâwng is a room), and on its own it can also mean 'pregnant'.
- เจ็บ jèp
to hurt, to be sore (a sharp or surface pain) verb
เจ็บjèp is sharp or on the surface, like a cut or a sore throat; ปวดbpùat is a deep ache inside.
- คอ kaw
throat; neck noun
A sore throat is เจ็บคอjèp kaw; a stiff, aching neck is ปวดคอbpùat kaw.
- หลัง lǎng
back (of the body); after noun
The same word means 'after': หลังอาหารlǎng aa-hǎan (after meals) is on every medicine label.
- รู้สึก rúu-sùek
to feel verb
Follow it with how you feel: รู้สึกดีขึ้นrúu-sùek dii kûen (I feel better).
- ไข้ kâi
fever noun
เป็นไข้bpen kâi or มีไข้mii kâi is to have a fever; careful, low-tone ไข่kài is an egg.
- หวัด wàt
a cold noun
เป็นหวัดbpen wàt is to have a cold; careful, high-tone วัดwát is a temple.
- ท้องเสีย táwng-sǐa
diarrhoea, an upset stomach noun
Literally 'broken stomach'.
- อาเจียน aa-jian
to vomit, to throw up verb
The polite word you use with a doctor; friends say อ้วกûak.
- เวียนหัว wian-hǔa
dizzy adjective
- อาการ aa-gaan
symptom; condition noun
Doctors ask มีอาการอะไรmii aa-gaan à-rai (what are your symptoms?), and อาการดีขึ้นaa-gaan dii kûen means you're getting better.
Medicine and the doctor
Lesson page- หมอ mǎw
doctor noun
Anyone who treats you is a หมอmǎw: หมอฟันmǎw fan is a dentist and หมอนวดmǎw nûat a massage therapist.
- คลินิก klí-nìk
clinic noun
Many doctors open their own clinic in the evening, after a day's work at the hospital.
- ยา yaa
medicine, drug noun
In Thai you 'eat' medicine, กินยาgin yaa, even when it's a liquid.
- ครั้ง kráng
time, occasion (once, twice…) noun
วันละสามครั้งwan lá sǎam kráng is 'three times a day': ละlá means 'per', as in คืนละkuuen lá (per night).
- เม็ด mét
pill, tablet; counting word for pills noun
It's also the counting word for pills: ครั้งละสองเม็ดkráng lá sǎwng mét is two pills each time.
- หาย hǎai
to get better, to recover; to be lost, to disappear verb
When an illness หายhǎai, it disappears; the same word is used for a lost passport or a missing bag.
- พักผ่อน pák-pàwn
to rest, to relax verb
- ต้อง dtâwng
must, have to, need to verb
It goes before the verb; you already know it from ต้องไปแล้วdtâwng bpai láew (I have to go) and ไม่ต้องmâi dtâwng (no need).
- ควร kuan
should, ought to verb
Softer than ต้องdtâwng: it's advice, not a rule, and 'shouldn't' is ไม่ควรmâi kuan.
- ประกัน bprà-gan
insurance noun
Health insurance is ประกันสุขภาพbprà-gan sùk-kà-pâap; clinics and hospitals will ask if you have any.
- ใบเสร็จ bai-sèt
receipt noun
Your insurer will want one from every clinic and pharmacy, so always ask.
- เรียก rîak
to call (a taxi, an ambulance, someone over) verb
You know it from เรียกว่าrîak wâa (to be called); a phone call is โทรtoo.
- รถพยาบาล rót-pá-yaa-baan
ambulance noun
The emergency number for an ambulance is 1669; โรงพยาบาลroong-pá-yaa-baan (hospital) is the 'nursing building'.
Grammar: Must, don't have to, should: ต้อง, ไม่ต้อง, ควร
- ต้อง dtâwngกิน ginยา yaa
You have to take medicine.
- ต้อง dtâwngไป bpaiหา hǎaหมอ mǎw
I need to see a doctor.
- ไม่ต้อง mâi dtâwngกลับ glàpมา maa
You don't need to come back.
Dialogue: At Dr. Somchai's clinic
Nimman Road, the morning after a bad street-food dinner. The pharmacist on your soi took one look at you and sent you straight to Dr. Somchai's clinic.
13 lines · tap a line to hear it
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Dr. Somchaiหมอสมชาย
เป็น bpenอะไร à-raiครับ krápWhat seems to be the problem?
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You
เมื่อคืน mûea-kuuenเริ่ม rôemปวด bpùatท้อง táwngท้องเสีย táwng-sǐaด้วย dûayครับ krápMy stomach started hurting last night, and I've got diarrhoea too.
Men เมื่อคืนเริ่มปวดท้อง ท้องเสียด้วยครับ Women เมื่อคืนเริ่มปวดท้อง ท้องเสียด้วยค่ะ
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Dr. Somchaiหมอสมชาย
มี miiไข้ kâiไหม mǎiครับ krápอาเจียน aa-jianไหม mǎiDo you have a fever? Any vomiting?
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You
ไม่ mâiมี miiไข้ kâiอาเจียน aa-jianสอง sǎwngครั้ง krángครับ krápNo fever. I threw up twice.
Men ไม่มีไข้ อาเจียนสองครั้งครับ Women ไม่มีไข้ อาเจียนสองครั้งค่ะ
Culture note: Pharmacy first
For everyday problems, Thais go to the pharmacy first. Pharmacists (เภสัชกรpee-sàt-chá-gawn) know their stuff, give good advice and sell many medicines without a prescription: say how you feel and since when, and they'll pack your pills in a little bag with the dose written on it.
For anything more, a clinic (คลินิกklí-nìk) is quick and cheap; many doctors open their own in the evening, after a day at the hospital. Hospitals are for serious problems and emergencies, and the number for an ambulance is 1669.
Keep every receipt (ใบเสร็จbai-sèt): your insurer will want them. And don't let the labels throw you: they say รับประทานráp-bprà-taan, the formal word for 'to eat', but everyone just says กินgin.
AI role-play: At the pharmacy
At the end of the unit you talk with Pharmacist, an AI character who answers in natural Thai and helps when you get stuck.
The scene
You wake up with a sore throat, a headache and a slight fever. At the pharmacy on your soi, explain how you feel and find out what to take.
Pharmacist starts
Hello. What seems to be the problem?
Your goals
- 1Describe your symptoms and since when
- 2Mention a medicine you're allergic to
- 3Ask how many pills to take and how often
- 4Ask whether you should see a doctor