Thai phrasebook Basic Thai phrases
The Thai you'll actually use in Thailand, from greetings to Grab rides, with audio for men and women.
The short answer
The most useful basic Thai phrases are สวัสดีsà-wàt-dii (hello), ขอบคุณkàwp-kun (thank you), ขอโทษkǎw-tôot (sorry, excuse me), ไม่เป็นไรmâi-bpen-rai (never mind), เท่าไหร่tâo-rài (how much?) and ไม่เข้าใจmâi kâo-jai (I don't understand). Men end polite phrases with ครับkráp, women with ค่ะkâ (คะká in questions).
The 25 phrases to learn first
Ordered by how often people need them. Tap a phrase for the full guide: variants, replies, examples and pronunciation.
- 1 ขอบคุณ kàwp-kunครับ kráp Menขอบคุณ kàwp-kunค่ะ kâ Women
- 2 สวัสดี sà-wàt-diiครับ kráp Menสวัสดี sà-wàt-diiค่ะ kâ Women
- 3 ผม pǒmรัก rákคุณ kun Menฉัน chǎnรัก rákคุณ kun Women
- 4 อรุณสวัสดิ์ à-run-sà-wàtครับ kráp Menอรุณสวัสดิ์ à-run-sà-wàtค่ะ kâ Women
- 5 ไป bpaiก่อน gàwnนะ náครับ kráp Menไป bpaiก่อน gàwnนะ náคะ ká Women
- 6 ใช่ châi
- 7 ไม่ mâi
- 8 สุขสันต์ sùk-sǎnวันเกิด wan-gòetครับ kráp Menสุขสันต์ sùk-sǎnวันเกิด wan-gòetค่ะ kâ Women
- 9 สบาย sà-baaiดี diiไหม mǎiครับ kráp Menสบาย sà-baaiดี diiไหม mǎiคะ ká Women
- 10 ฝันดี fǎn-dii
- 11 ขอโทษ kǎw-tôotครับ kráp Menขอโทษ kǎw-tôotค่ะ kâ Women
- 12 สวย sǔay
- 13 ชนแก้ว chon-gâew
- 14 อร่อย à-ràwy
- 15 ขอ kǎwครับ kráp Menขอ kǎwค่ะ kâ Women
- 16 ไม่เป็นไร mâi bpen rai
- 17 เท่าไหร่ tâo-ràiครับ kráp Menเท่าไหร่ tâo-ràiคะ ká Women
- 18 สวัสดี sà-wàt-diiปี bpiiใหม่ màiครับ kráp Menสวัสดี sà-wàt-diiปี bpiiใหม่ màiค่ะ kâ Women
- 19 ยินดี yin-diiต้อนรับ dtâwn-rápครับ kráp Menยินดี yin-diiต้อนรับ dtâwn-rápค่ะ kâ Women
- 20 ที่รัก tîi-rák
- 21 ผม pǒmคิดถึง kít-tǔengคุณ kun Menฉัน chǎnคิดถึง kít-tǔengคุณ kun Women
- 22 ผม pǒmชื่อ chûueแซม saemครับ kráp Menฉัน chǎnชื่อ chûueแซม saemค่ะ kâ Women
- 23 สุขสันต์ sùk-sǎnวัน wanคริสต์มาส krít-sà-mâatครับ kráp Menสุขสันต์ sùk-sǎnวัน wanคริสต์มาส krít-sà-mâatค่ะ kâ Women
- 24 น่ารัก nâa-rák
- 25 นี่ nîiอะไร à-raiครับ kráp Menนี่ nîiอะไร à-raiคะ ká Women
Thai phrases by situation
Pick a situation for every phrase you need there, each with audio and the male and female forms.
Greetings 13 phrase guides Every everyday Thai greeting with audio: sawasdee, how are you, see you later, goodbye, plus when and how to wai. Male and female forms included.
- Hello in Thai
- Good morning in Thai
- Goodbye in Thai
- Happy birthday in Thai
- How are you? in Thai
- Good night in Thai
Polite phrases 6 phrase guides Be polite in Thai: thank you, sorry, excuse me, please and never mind, with the ครับ/ค่ะ particles explained. Audio for every phrase, male and female forms.
Polite Thai phrases
Love 6 phrase guides Romantic Thai with audio: I love you, I miss you, my love, beautiful and cute, plus the pet names and pronouns real Thai couples use. Male and female forms.
Thai love phrases
Family 1 phrase guide Family in Thai with audio: mom, dad, the four different grandparents, older and younger siblings, and why Thais call strangers aunt, uncle and big sister.
Thai family words
Food and drink 3 phrase guides Order food in Thai with confidence: not spicy, delicious, takeaway, the bill and what the vendor asks you. Audio for every phrase, male and female forms.
Thai food phrases
Getting around 1 phrase guide Get around Thailand in Thai: tell a Grab or taxi driver where to go, turn left or right, stop here, and ask where the BTS or the bathroom is. With audio.
Thai phrases for getting around
Shopping 2 phrase guides Shop in Thai: how much is this, too expensive, can you lower the price, just looking and paying by QR code. Audio for every phrase, male and female forms.
Thai shopping phrases
Hotels and condos Phrasebook Thai for hotels, hostels and condos: do you have a room, I have a booking, the Wi-Fi password, the air-con is broken and checkout time. Audio included.
Thai hotel phrases
Emergencies 1 phrase guide Thai for emergencies: help, call an ambulance, I need a doctor, where is the hospital, plus Thailand's emergency numbers. Clear audio for every phrase.
Emergency Thai phrases- Small talk 5 phrase guides
Make small talk in Thai: what's your name, where are you from, how old are you, I don't understand, and the questions Thais love to ask. With audio.
- My name is in Thai
- I don't understand in Thai
- Do you speak English? in Thai
- I don't know in Thai
- Let's go in Thai
Feelings Phrasebook Say how you feel in Thai: happy, tired, hungry, sleepy, bored and homesick, plus the many 'heart' (jai) words Thais use for emotions. With audio.
Feelings in Thai
Time words 1 phrase guide Time words in Thai with audio: today, tomorrow, yesterday, now, later, already and not yet, plus how Thai shows past and future without changing verbs.
Thai time words
Nightlife 1 phrase guide Going out in Thai: cheers, order a beer, ask for ice, say you're drunk and call it a night, plus Thai drinking etiquette. Audio for every phrase.
Thai nightlife phrases
Texting and chat Phrasebook Read and write Thai chat like a local: 555, cute spellings of krap and ka, common shortcuts and the messages Thais send every day on LINE. With audio.
Thai texting and chat words
Krap and ka in 30 seconds
Men end polite sentences with ครับkráp. Women use ค่ะkâ for statements and คะká for questions. It depends on who is speaking, not who you're talking to.
Questions people ask
What are the most useful Thai phrases for tourists?
Start with hello (สวัสดีsà-wàt-dii), thank you (ขอบคุณkàwp-kun), sorry or excuse me (ขอโทษkǎw-tôot), how much? (เท่าไหร่tâo-rài), not spicy (ไม่เผ็ดmâi pèt) and where's the bathroom? (ห้องน้ำอยู่ที่ไหนhâwng-náam yùu tîi-nǎi). Add ครับkráp if you're a man or ค่ะkâ if you're a woman to sound polite.
Do I have to say krap or ka after every phrase?
Not after every phrase, but with strangers, staff, elders and anyone you don't know well, ending with ครับkráp (men) or ค่ะkâ (women; คะká in questions) is what makes Thai polite. With close friends you can drop them. Our guide to krap and ka explains when to use which.
What does "suay mak mak" mean?
สวยมากๆsǔay mâak-mâak means "very, very beautiful". สวยsǔay is beautiful and มากmâak is very; saying it twice makes it stronger. You'll hear it about views, temples, clothes and people.
Is Thai hard to pronounce?
Most Thai sounds exist in English. The real challenge is the five tones (mid, low, falling, high and rising), which change a word's meaning. Every phrase here has audio and a tone mark on each syllable of the romanization, so you can hear and see the tone. Our guide to Thai tones has more.
Can I learn Thai phrases without learning the alphabet?
Yes. Every phrase is written in Thai script and in romanization, so you can start speaking right away. Learning to read later helps your pronunciation and lets you read signs and menus: learn to read Thai for free.
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