Unit 24 · Real conversations · B1
Unit 24: Until we meet again
Describe people and places in detail, report what people said, and say goodbye with wishes and promises.
6 lessons · about 46 min CEFR B1
The story
November's full moon: Loy Krathong. Nam has come up from Bangkok, Boss has started his new job in Chiang Mai, and everyone meets Fon at the Ping River. It's also your last night before a trip home.
After this unit
- I can describe people, places and things in more detail: the friend who…, the shop that…
- I can report what someone said, heard or hopes.
- I can say goodbye warmly: I'll miss you, let's keep in touch, I'll come back.
- I can take part in Loy Krathong: make a wish and float a krathong.
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 24
Tap the speaker to hear each one. Tap any Thai word to see what it means.
Loy Krathong night
Lesson page- ลอย lawy
to float verb
ลอยกระทงlawy grà-tong is what you do on the night, and the name of the festival.
- กระทง grà-tong
krathong, a small float of banana leaves, flowers and a candle noun · classifier ใบ
Traditionally a slice of banana trunk wrapped in banana leaves, with flowers, a candle and three incense sticks. Choose one made of natural materials, never foam.
- โคมลอย koom-lawy
sky lantern noun
Don't release one in Chiang Mai city: lanterns are a fire risk and a danger to planes, and in recent years the city has been a no-release zone. The famous mass releases are ticketed events outside the city.
- พระจันทร์ prá-jan
the moon noun
จันทร์jan is the moon you know from วันจันทร์wan-jan, Monday. Loy Krathong is always on a full moon.
- แม่น้ำ mâe-náam
river noun
Literally 'mother of water'. Chiang Mai's river is the แม่น้ำปิงmâe-náam bping, Bangkok's the Chao Phraya.
- เทียน tian
candle noun
Light the candle and the incense on your krathong just before you float it.
- ปล่อย bplàwy
to let go, release verb
ปล่อยโคมลอยbplàwy koom-lawy is releasing a lantern. A krathong is a way of letting go too: Thais say it carries your bad luck away.
- อธิษฐาน à-tít-tǎan
to make a wish (silently, like a prayer) verb
Hold the krathong, close your eyes and wish in silence: for health, for love, or just to say sorry to the water.
- ที่ tîi
who, which, that (joins a description to a noun) conjunction
The ที่tîi you know as 'at', with a new job: เพื่อนที่อยู่กรุงเทพpûean tîi yùu grung-têep, my friend who lives in Bangkok.
- ประทับใจ bprà-táp-jai
impressed, deeply touched adjective
For a place, a person or a moment that stays with you. ประทับใจมากbprà-táp-jai mâak is one of the nicest things you can say.
Goodbye for now
Lesson page- คิดถึง kít-tǔeng
to miss (someone, somewhere); to think of verb
Put who or what you miss straight after it: คิดถึงแม่kít-tǔeng mâe I miss Mum. Thais say คิดถึงนะkít-tǔeng ná warmly to friends too.
- จำ jam
to remember verb
Usually with ได้dâi: จำได้jam dâi I remember, จำไม่ได้jam mâi dâi I can't remember.
- ความทรงจำ kwaam-song-jam
memory, memories noun
ความkwaam turns a word into a noun, as in ความสุขkwaam-sùk (happiness) from มีความสุขmii kwaam-sùk.
- หวัง wǎng
to hope verb
Usually หวังว่าwǎng wâa + what you hope. Rising tone; falling ว่าwâa follows it.
- บอก bàwk
to tell, to say (to someone) verb
บอกbàwk + person: บอกฝนbàwk fǒn tell Fon. บอกว่าbàwk wâa + what was said: แม่บอกว่าอร่อยmâe bàwk wâa à-ràwy Mum says it's delicious.
- ได้ยิน dâi-yin
to hear verb
Hearing just happens; listening on purpose is ฟังfang. ได้ยินว่าdâi-yin wâa means 'I heard that…'.
- ติดต่อ dtìt-dtàw
to contact, keep in touch verb
ติดต่อกันนะdtìt-dtàw gan ná (let's keep in touch) is the classic goodbye. These days it mostly means LINE.
- สัญญา sǎn-yaa
to promise; a promise verb
สัญญาว่าsǎn-yaa wâa + what you promise. It's also the word for a contract, like a rental contract.
- แน่นอน nâe-nawn
definitely, of course adverb
A strong, happy yes. You know its แน่nâe (sure) from ไม่แน่ใจmâi nâe-jai (not sure).
- ตั้งแต่ dtâng-dtàe
since; from (a time) preposition
ตั้งแต่dtâng-dtàe + a time or an event: ตั้งแต่เมื่อวานdtâng-dtàe mûea-waan since yesterday. With ถึงtǔeng it's 'from … to': ตั้งแต่เช้าถึงเย็นdtâng-dtàe cháao tǔeng yen from morning to evening.
- ดีใจ dii-jai
glad, happy (about something) adjective
Happy about something that just happened: ดีใจที่ได้เจอdii-jai tîi dâi joe glad we met. Lasting happiness is มีความสุขmii kwaam-sùk.
- เสียใจ sǐa-jai
sad; sorry (to hear that) adjective
Sad, or sorry about someone's bad news: เสียใจด้วยนะsǐa-jai dûay ná I'm sorry to hear that. To apologise, say ขอโทษkǎw-tôot.
- เดินทางปลอดภัย doen-taang bplàwt-paiครับ kráp
Have a safe trip! phrase
Men เดินทางปลอดภัยครับ doen-taang bplàwt-pai krápWomen เดินทางปลอดภัยค่ะ doen-taang bplàwt-pai kâ
What Thais say to anyone setting off on a journey. Add นะná to make it warmer.
Grammar: The one that…: ที่ and ว่า
- เพื่อน pûeanที่ tîiอยู่ yùuกรุงเทพ grung-têepมา maaเชียงใหม่ chiang-mài
My friend who lives in Bangkok has come to Chiang Mai.
- กระทง grà-tongที่ tîiฝน fǒnทำ tamสวย sǔayที่สุด tîi-sùt
The krathong Fon made is the prettiest.
- จะ jàคิดถึง kít-tǔengร้าน ráanข้าวซอย kâao-sawyที่ tîiเรา raoไป bpaiกิน ginบ่อย bàwy
I'll miss the khao soi place we often go to.
Dialogue: Loy Krathong by the Ping River
The full moon of November, on the bank of the Ping River in Chiang Mai, with a few sky lanterns rising far off beyond the city. Nam has come up from Bangkok, Boss has just started his new job here, and Fon has brought a krathong she made with her mum. Tomorrow you fly home for a while.
12 lines · tap a line to hear it
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Fonฝน
นี่ nîiกระทง grà-tongที่ tîiฝน fǒnกับ gàpแม่ mâeทำ tamเอง eengค่ะ kâHere's the krathong Mum and I made ourselves!
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You
สวย sǔayมาก mâakเลย loeiแล้ว láewต้อง dtâwngทำ tamยังไง yang-ngaiIt's so beautiful! So what do we do?
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Fonฝน
แม่ mâeบอก bàwkว่า wâaให้ hâiอธิษฐาน à-tít-tǎanก่อน gàwnแล้ว láewก็ gâwปล่อย bplàwyช้าๆ cháa-cháaนะ náคะ káMum says to make a wish first, then let it go gently.
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Namน้ำ
นั่น nânโคมลอย koom-lawyใช่ châiไหม mǎiน้ำ náamไม่ mâiเคย koeiเห็น hěnมา maaก่อน gàwnเลย loeiประทับใจ bprà-táp-jaiมาก mâakAre those sky lanterns? I've never seen them before. It's so moving!
Culture note: Loy Krathong, Yi Peng and a Thai goodbye
On the full moon of the twelfth lunar month (24 November in 2026), Thais float a กระทงgrà-tong on rivers, canals and ponds: a thank-you to the water goddess, พระแม่คงคาprá-mâe-kong-kaa, and a way to let bad luck drift away. Pick one made of banana trunk and leaves, never foam, and share it with friends or family, as Fon did.
In Chiang Mai the same full moon is ยี่เป็งyîi-bpeng (23 to 25 November in 2026): paper lanterns hang over the Old City and krathongs drift down the แม่น้ำปิงmâe-náam bping. Don't release a sky lantern in town. Lanterns are a fire risk and a danger to planes, and in recent years the whole city has been a no-release zone; the mass releases in the photos are ticketed events outside the city.
Thai goodbyes stay light. Give elders a ไหว้wâai, promise to keep in touch and say ไว้เจอกันใหม่นะwái joe gan mài ná: see you again. And when you miss Thailand, sing along to the Loy Krathong song in the Songs section.
AI role-play: Last night in Chiang Mai
At the end of the unit you talk with Fon, an AI character who answers in natural Thai and helps when you get stuck.
The scene
After Loy Krathong, Fon walks you home along the river. It's your last night before your trip home: tell her what you'll miss and what you hope for, and make her a promise.
Fon starts
What a beautiful night! You're going home tomorrow, aren't you?
Your goals
- 1Say what you'll miss most, describing it in detail (the shop that…, the friends who…)
- 2Tell Fon something that someone told you
- 3Say what you hope will happen
- 4Promise to keep in touch and to come back