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Essential Thai Phrases for Expats and Tourists
Whether you have just landed in Bangkok, settled into Chiang Mai, or you are planning a trip, a handful of Thai phrases transforms your experience. Thais are famously warm toward foreigners who try — even a wobbly sawasdee khrap earns instant smiles. This is a practical phrasebook of the most useful Thai phrases for travelers and expats, organized by real situations, with Thai script, romanization, English, and tone hints for each.
Updated June 2026 · 9 min read
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Two Things to Learn Before Anything Else
Before you memorize a single phrase, two features of Thai will shape everything you say: the politeness particles and the five tones. Get these even roughly right and your basic Thai will sound far more natural than vocabulary alone could ever make it.
1. Khrap and Kha — the politeness particles
Thai politeness is carried by a particle added to the end of almost every sentence. Crucially, the particle depends on your own gender, not the listener’s:
- Men say khrap (ครับ) — short, high tone, with a clipped final “p”.
- Women say kha (ค่ะ) for statements — falling tone — and kha (คะ, rising) when asking a question.
Throughout this guide, “(khrap/kha)” means: add khrap if you are male, kha if you are female. Dropping it sounds blunt; adding it sounds gracious. When in doubt, add it.
2. The five tones
Thai is tonal: the pitch of a syllable changes its meaning. The same syllable maa can mean “come,” “horse,” or “dog” depending on tone. There are five:
- Mid — flat, neutral (no mark).
- Low — flat but low (marked here as
̀/ “low”). - Falling — starts high, drops (like a firm “No!”).
- High — pitched up and tense.
- Rising — dips then rises (like a surprised “Really?”).
Do not let tones paralyze you — context carries you a long way and locals will usually understand. But a few high-frequency words really do change meaning with tone, so we flag those below. For a deeper dive, see our full guide to the Thai tones.
Greetings & Politeness
Sawasdee works as both “hello” and “goodbye,” morning or night. It usually comes with a wai — palms together, a slight bow. Always tack on khrap or kha.
| Thai | Romanized | English |
|---|---|---|
| สวัสดี (ครับ/ค่ะ) | sawasdee (khrap/kha) | Hello / Goodbye (rising-mid) |
| สบายดีไหม | sabai dee mai? | How are you? (lit. “are you well?”) |
| สบายดี | sabai dee | I’m fine / I’m well |
| ขอบคุณ (ครับ/ค่ะ) | khop khun (khrap/kha) | Thank you |
| ขอโทษ (ครับ/ค่ะ) | kho thot (khrap/kha) | Sorry / Excuse me |
| ไม่เป็นไร | mai pen rai | No problem / It’s okay / You’re welcome |
| ใช่ / ไม่ใช่ | chai / mai chai | Yes / No (for confirming) |
| ได้ / ไม่ได้ | dai / mai dai | Can / Cannot |
| ยินดีที่ได้รู้จัก | yindee tee dai roo jak | Nice to meet you |
Tone tip: mai pen rai is the most Thai phrase of all — a relaxed “never mind, it’s fine.” You will hear and use it constantly.
The Absolute Basics
Thai has gendered words for “I”: men say phom, women say chan (or the softer dichan). For “you” in friendly speech, khun is the safe, polite default.
| Thai | Romanized | English |
|---|---|---|
| ผม / ฉัน | phom / chan | I (male / female) |
| คุณ | khun | You (polite) |
| ไม่เข้าใจ | mai khao jai | I don’t understand |
| เข้าใจ | khao jai | I understand |
| พูดอังกฤษได้ไหม | phoot angkrit dai mai? | Do you speak English? |
| พูดช้าๆ ได้ไหม | phoot cha-cha dai mai? | Can you speak slowly? |
| นี่อะไร | nee arai? | What is this? |
| ห้องน้ำอยู่ไหน | hong nam yoo nai? | Where is the toilet? |
Useful pattern: add dai mai? (“can you / is it possible?”) to almost any request to make it a polite question.
Food & Restaurants
Thai food is reason enough to learn a little Thai. The two words that will save your mouth are phet (spicy) and mai phet (not spicy). Be warned: Thai chili tolerance is legendary, so even “mai phet” can arrive with a kick.
| Thai | Romanized | English |
|---|---|---|
| อร่อย | aroi | Delicious |
| เผ็ด | phet | Spicy |
| ไม่เผ็ด | mai phet | Not spicy |
| เผ็ดไหม | phet mai? | Is it spicy? |
| เผ็ดน้อย / นิดหน่อย | phet noi / nit noi | A little spicy / just a little |
| ขอเมนู | kho menu | May I have the menu? |
| ขอน้ำ | kho nam | May I have water? |
| อันนี้ | an nee | This one (point at it!) |
| มังสวิรัติ | mangsawirat | Vegetarian |
| กินเจ | kin jay | Vegan / strict vegetarian (no meat, no dairy) |
| อิ่มแล้ว | im laew | I’m full (done eating) |
| เช็คบิล / เก็บตังค์ด้วย | check bin / kep tang duay | The bill / Check please |
Local note: at a street stall you can simply point and say an nee (“this one”). To call for the bill, kep tang duay is the casual everyday phrase; check bin is borrowed from English and works in most restaurants.
Shopping & Bargaining
At markets, night bazaars, and with street vendors, gentle bargaining is normal and expected. The magic question is tao rai? (“how much?”). Always bargain with a smile — aggression backfires here. Note: prices are fixed in malls, supermarkets, and 7-Eleven, so do not bargain there.
| Thai | Romanized | English |
|---|---|---|
| เท่าไหร่ | tao rai? | How much? (falling-rising) |
| แพง | phaeng | Expensive |
| ลดหน่อยได้ไหม | lot noi dai mai? | Can you lower it a little? |
| ลดได้ไหม | lot dai mai? | Can you give a discount? |
| เอา | ao | I’ll take it / I want it |
| ไม่เอา | mai ao | I don’t want it / No thanks |
| มีไหม | mee mai? | Do you have (it)? |
| อันอื่น / สีอื่น | an uen / see uen | Another one / another color |
| จ่ายบัตรได้ไหม | jai bat dai mai? | Can I pay by card? |
Bargaining etiquette: a counter-offer of 20–30% below the asking price is reasonable at tourist markets. If they say no and you walk away politely, you will often be called back.
Taxis & Getting Around
In Bangkok, insist on the meter — say meter or the full phrase below. Tuk-tuks and many drivers negotiate a flat fare instead, which is often higher, so the meter usually wins. Apps like Grab and Bolt remove the haggling entirely, but a few phrases still help.
| Thai | Romanized | English |
|---|---|---|
| ไป... | pai ... | Go to ... (+ destination) |
| เปิดมิเตอร์ด้วย | pert meter duay | Please use the meter |
| ตรงไป | trong pai | Go straight |
| เลี้ยวซ้าย / เลี้ยวขวา | liao sai / liao khwa | Turn left / turn right |
| จอดที่นี่ | jot tee nee | Stop here |
| ถึงแล้ว | teung laew | We’ve arrived / We’re here |
| ช้าๆ หน่อย | cha-cha noi | Slow down a little |
| ...อยู่ไกลไหม | ... yoo klai mai? | Is ... far? |
| รถไฟฟ้า / รถเมล์ | rot fai fa / rot mae | Skytrain (BTS) / bus |
Pro tip: have your destination written in Thai (or pinned on a map) to show the driver. Thai place-name pronunciation is hard, and a screen avoids confusion entirely.
Emergencies & Health
Hopefully you never need these, but knowing them brings peace of mind. The general emergency number in Thailand is 191 (police) and the Tourist Police hotline is 1155, with English-speaking operators.
| Thai | Romanized | English |
|---|---|---|
| ช่วยด้วย | chuay duay! | Help! |
| เรียกหมอ / เรียกตำรวจ | riak mor / riak tamruat | Call a doctor / Call the police |
| โรงพยาบาล | rong phayaban | Hospital |
| ไม่สบาย | mai sabai | I feel sick / unwell |
| ปวดท้อง / ปวดหัว | puat tong / puat hua | Stomach ache / headache |
| แพ้... | phae ... | I’m allergic to ... (e.g. peanuts) |
| ร้านขายยา | ran khai ya | Pharmacy |
| หาย / กระเป๋าหาย | hai / krapao hai | Lost / My bag is lost |
Allergies: combine phae (“allergic to”) with the item, e.g. phae thua for a peanut/nut allergy. For serious allergies, also carry a written Thai card from your hotel or doctor.
Cultural Notes That Make Your Thai Land Better
The wai matters
The wai (palms together, slight bow) accompanies sawasdee and khop khun. Return a wai to someone of similar or higher status; you do not need to wai children or service staff who wai you first.
Smile and stay calm
Thai culture prizes keeping cool (jai yen). Raising your voice or showing anger, even when bargaining or in a dispute, causes everyone to lose face and rarely helps.
Respect the monarchy
Thailand has strict lese-majeste laws. Never make jokes or critical comments about the royal family. Stand for the royal anthem when it plays in cinemas and some public spaces.
Heads high, feet low
The head is the most respected body part, the feet the least. Do not touch people’s heads, and never point your feet at people or at Buddha images.
Dress for temples
Cover shoulders and knees at temples (wat). Remove your shoes before entering temple buildings and many homes and small shops.
Eating habits
Thais eat with a fork and spoon (fork pushes food onto the spoon); chopsticks are mainly for noodle soups. Tipping is not obligatory but rounding up is appreciated.
How to Actually Remember These Phrases
Reading a phrasebook once does almost nothing. Thai is a tonal language, which means you genuinely have to hear and say these phrases to lock them in. A few practical strategies:
- Learn in situational clusters. Don’t memorize 50 random words — learn the “restaurant set” before you go to a restaurant, the “taxi set” before your next ride. You retain what you immediately use.
- Always pair words with their tone. Store tao rai with its falling-then-rising melody, not just the romanization. Wrong tones can make you incomprehensible even with the right syllables.
- Shadow native audio. Listen to a phrase, then repeat it immediately, matching the pitch contour. This builds tone intuition faster than any rule.
- Use the particle every time. Train yourself to end sentences with khrap/kha automatically, so it becomes reflex rather than an afterthought.
This is exactly where an AI tutor shines for Thai. OpiFluent’s Thai tutor lets you hear each phrase in a native voice, speak back, and get gentle correction on pronunciation and tones — running through real Bangkok and Chiang Mai scenarios like ordering food, taking a taxi, and bargaining at a market. Compare it with other options in our roundup of the best apps for niche languages.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does khrap and kha mean in Thai?
Khrap (ครับ) and kha (ค่ะ) are politeness particles added to the end of sentences. The particle depends on the speaker's gender, not the listener's: men say khrap, women say kha. They are not optional in polite speech — adding them turns a blunt phrase into a courteous one, and Thais notice immediately when foreigners use them correctly.
How do you say hello in Thai?
The standard Thai greeting is sawasdee (สวัสดี), used for both hello and goodbye at any time of day. Men add khrap (sawasdee khrap), women add kha (sawasdee kha). It is often paired with the wai — a slight bow with the palms pressed together at chest level.
How do you order non-spicy food in Thai?
Say mai phet (ไม่เผ็ด), meaning 'not spicy.' Because Thai chili tolerance is very high, add nit noi ('a little') or say mai phet loei ('not spicy at all') for the mildest result. To ask whether a dish is spicy, say phet mai? Even mai phet can still arrive mildly spicy by Western standards.
How do you ask the price in Thai when shopping?
Ask tao rai? (เท่าไหร่), meaning 'how much?' To bargain at a market, say lot noi dai mai? (ลดหน่อยได้ไหม) — 'can you lower it a little?' Bargaining is expected at markets and with street vendors but not in malls, supermarkets, or restaurants, where prices are fixed.
Do I need to learn Thai to live in Bangkok or Chiang Mai?
You can survive in tourist areas with English, but daily life improves dramatically with even a few dozen Thai phrases. Markets, taxis, street food, and neighborhood interactions are far smoother in Thai, and locals respond warmly to foreigners who try. A few hours of focused practice with these phrases covers most everyday situations.
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