Unit 17 · Settling in · A2
Unit 17: Bargain hunting
Shop for clothes: sizes and fit, compare prices and quality, find gifts and bargain politely.
6 lessons · about 46 min CEFR A2
The story
Sunday evening: Fon takes you to the Walking Street from Tha Phae Gate for clothes and gifts, and swears the old Warorot market (กาดหลวง) is even cheaper.
After this unit
- I can ask for a size or colour and say whether something fits.
- I can compare two things: cheaper, bigger, the best, the same.
- I can ask for a discount and about exchanges and shipping.
- I can find a gift to take home and ask if something is genuine.
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 Clothes, sizes and fit 7 min · free
- Lesson 2 · Words Better, best, the same 7 min · free
- Lesson 3 · Pattern Comparing: กว่า, ที่สุด, เหมือน 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 17
Tap the speaker to hear each one. Tap any Thai word to see what it means.
Clothes, sizes and fit
Lesson page- เสื้อผ้า sûea-pâa
clothes noun
Literally 'tops and cloth': the everyday word for clothing of any kind.
- เสื้อ sûea
shirt, top noun · classifier ตัว
Any top: T-shirt, shirt or blouse. Clothes are counted with ตัวdtua: เสื้อสองตัวsûea sǎwng dtua two shirts.
- กางเกง gaang-geeng
trousers noun · classifier ตัว
Jeans, shorts or baggy elephant trousers: all กางเกงgaang-geeng, and one pair is one ตัวdtua. Shorts are กางเกงขาสั้นgaang-geeng kǎa sân, 'short-leg trousers'.
- กระโปรง grà-bproong
skirt noun · classifier ตัว
Temples ask you to cover your knees: a long กระโปรงgrà-bproong or trousers is perfect.
- รองเท้า rawng-táao
shoes noun · classifier คู่
Counted in pairs with คู่kûu. Take them off before you step into a home or a temple hall.
- หมวก mùak
hat, cap noun · classifier ใบ
Counted with ใบbai, like bags: หมวกใบนี้mùak bai níi this hat.
- ผ้า pâa
cloth, fabric noun
You know it from ซักผ้าsák pâa (do the laundry: wash cloth) and ผ้าเช็ดตัวpâa-chét-dtua (towel).
- ไซส์ sái
size (of clothes: S, M, L) noun
From English 'size', said with a high tone. Sizes are the English letters (S, M, L, XL); shoes and jeans use numbers.
- หลวม lǔam
loose adjective
- คับ káp
tight adjective
It sounds just like a lazy ครับkráp said without the r, so listen for the context.
- พอดี paw-dii
just right; fits well adjective
Not too much, not too little: พอดีpaw-dii works for sizes, amounts and timing.
- ยาว yaao
long adjective
- สั้น sân
short (in length) adjective
Only for length: a short person is เตี้ยdtîa.
Better, best, the same
Lesson page- ราคา raa-kaa
price noun
ลดราคาlót raa-kaa (lower the price) on a sign means 'sale'.
- กว่า gwàa
more … (than), -er (after an adjective) adverb
It goes after the adjective: ถูกกว่าtùuk gwàa cheaper, ใหญ่กว่าyài gwàa bigger. You know it from ดีกว่าdii gwàa (better).
- ที่สุด tîi-sùt
the most …, the …-est (after an adjective) adverb
After the adjective or verb: ถูกที่สุดtùuk tîi-sùt the cheapest, ชอบที่สุดchâwp tîi-sùt like best.
- เท่ากัน tâo-gan
the same (amount, size, price); equally adverb
- เหมือน mǔean
like; the same as preposition
- เหมือนกัน mǔean-gan
the same, alike; too, as well adverb
Two meanings: 'alike' (ไม่เหมือนกันmâi mǔean-gan different) and 'too' at the end of a reply: ชอบเหมือนกันchâwp mǔean-gan I like it too.
- อื่น ùuen
other, else adjective
After the noun: สีอื่นsǐi ùuen other colours, ร้านอื่นráan ùuen another shop.
- เปลี่ยน bplìan
to change, to exchange verb
For clothes, plans and trains alike: เปลี่ยนรถไฟbplìan rót-fai change trains.
- ส่ง sòng
to send, to deliver verb
Low tone: rising สองsǎwng is 'two'.
- ต่างประเทศ dtàang-bprà-têet
abroad, overseas; foreign countries noun
- ของฝาก kǎwng-fàak
souvenir; a gift you bring back for people noun
Thais who travel always bring ของฝากkǎwng-fàak back for family and colleagues, often a local snack.
- แท้ táe
genuine, real adjective
ของแท้kǎwng táe is the real thing; a fake is ของปลอมkǎwng bplawm.
Grammar: Comparing: กว่า, ที่สุด, เหมือน
- ตัว dtuaนี้ níiถูก tùukกว่า gwàa
This one's cheaper.
- สี sǐiแดง daengสวย sǔayกว่า gwàaสี sǐiดำ dam
The red is prettier than the black.
- มี miiไซส์ sáiใหญ่ yàiกว่า gwàaนี้ níiไหม mǎiครับ kráp
Do you have a bigger size than this?
Men มีไซส์ใหญ่กว่านี้ไหมครับ Women มีไซส์ใหญ่กว่านี้ไหมคะ
Dialogue: Shirts at the Walking Street
Sunday evening on the Walking Street that starts at Tha Phae Gate. Fon has pulled you over to a stall of cotton shirts at 200 baht each, and you're holding one up against you.
14 lines · tap a line to hear it
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You
มี miiไซส์ sáiใหญ่ yàiกว่า gwàaนี้ níiไหม mǎiครับ krápDo you have a bigger size than this?
Men มีไซส์ใหญ่กว่านี้ไหมครับ Women มีไซส์ใหญ่กว่านี้ไหมคะ
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Vendorแม่ค้า
มี miiค่ะ kâลองใส่ lawng sàiสอง sǎwngตัว dtuaนี้ níiนะ náคะ káYes, we do. Try these two on.
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You
ตัว dtuaนี้ níiหลวม lǔamไป bpaiตัว dtuaนี้ níiพอดี paw-diiThis one's too loose… and this one fits just right.
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Vendorแม่ค้า
สวย sǔayมาก mâakค่ะ kâมี miiสี sǐiขาว kǎaoกับ gàpสี sǐiเขียว kǐawด้วย dûayนะ náคะ káIt looks great! We have it in white and green too.
Culture note: Bargaining, Chiang Mai style
At Chiang Mai's night markets and the Sunday Walking Street, a little bargaining is expected, and it's a friendly game, not a fight. Smile, ask ลดได้ไหมlót dâi mǎi and take the answer gracefully. Ten or twenty percent off is a good result, and you'll get more if you buy two or three things at once, so shop with friends.
Don't bargain in malls, at 7-Eleven or over food and drinks: those prices are fixed, and haggling over a 50-baht bowl of khao soi just looks mean. A 'three for 100' sign is already the deal.
Locals call the old Warorot market กาดหลวงgàat-lǔang, 'the big market': กาดgàat is Northern Thai for market. Fon is right, it's cheaper than the Walking Street: it's where Chiang Mai families buy their clothes, dried fruit and ของฝากkǎwng-fàak to take home.
AI role-play: Haggling at the Walking Street
At the end of the unit you talk with Vendor, an AI character who answers in natural Thai and helps when you get stuck.
The scene
You're at a clothes stall at the Sunday Walking Street. Find something that fits, compare two items and get a good price.
Vendor starts
Come and have a look! You can try things on.
Your goals
- 1Ask for another size or colour
- 2Say whether it's too loose, too tight or just right
- 3Compare two items and choose one
- 4Ask for a discount if you buy two