How to say “let's go” in Thai

Pai gan: go together

Thai has no word for "let's". Instead you put กันgan ("together, with each other") after the verb: ไปกันbpai gan is "let's go", กินกันgin gan "let's eat", ดูหนังกันduu nǎng gan "let's watch a film". Then add a little word to set the mood:

• เถอะtòe: a gentle push, "come on": ไปกันเถอะbpai gan tòe
• เลยloei: right now, with energy: ไปกันเลยbpai gan loei
• นะná: friendly coaxing, "okay?": ไปกันนะbpai gan ná

Inviting someone

To invite, turn it into a question with ไหมmǎi: ไปไหมbpai mǎi ("want to come?"), ไปเที่ยวกันไหมbpai tîaw gan mǎi ("want to go out?"). Thais love doing things in groups, and going somewhere alone can seem a little sad, so expect invitations to be generous: ไปด้วยกันสิbpai dûay gan sì, "come with us!". An eager yes is ไปสิbpai sì; a polite no is ไว้คราวหน้านะwái kraao nâa ná, "next time".

Let's go, Thai time

Be ready for เดี๋ยวไปdǐaw bpai, "going in a moment", and รอแป๊บนึงraw bpáep nueng, "wait a sec". Both can stretch from one minute to thirty. When the group is finally ready, someone will say ไปได้แล้วbpai dâi láew, and a cheerful friend will add ลุยlui: let's do this.

Common mistakes

• Dropping กันgan. ไปเถอะbpai tòe on its own means "go on, (you) go", which can sound like you're sending someone away. "Let's" needs กันgan.
• Adding a particle with friends. ไปกันครับbpai gan kráp isn't wrong, but among friends it sounds oddly formal; save particles for elders and colleagues: ไปกันเถอะครับbpai gan tòe kráp.
• Expecting "let's go" to mean right now. Add เลยloei if you really mean it.

Pronunciation

ไปbpai starts with an unaspirated p, halfway between b and p, and กันgan with an unaspirated k, halfway between g and k. That's why you'll see the same phrase spelled pai kan, bai gan and bpai gan. เถอะtòe is short and low, like the vowel in British "her" cut short.