Thai Words and Phrases

Pronunciation Key

The Thai language belongs to one of the oldest families of languages in the world, Austro-Thai. It’s also one of the most difficult for Westerners to master.

It uses five different tones, so depending on the tone of a word it may have one of five distinct meanings. Anyone planning on staying in Thailand for any length of time should master Thai phrases before going. The “Learning Thai” section includes the best places for foreigners to study Thai in Bangkok.

There are no standard English phrases, but we list the following everyday words for general guidance. At the end of each phrase it is polite to add “kha” if you are female and “khrap” if you are male.

Useful Words and Phrases

Counting in Thai