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The Thai politeness ladder
Thai has no neutral setting. The same thought comes out one way to an official, another to a stranger, another to a colleague and another again in traffic. Below are 26 everyday situations, each running from its most formal rung down to the street, so you can hear where a phrase sits before you use it.
The five rungs
- Formal
- Officials, ceremonies, speeches and writing.
- Polite
- The everyday default: strangers, staff, elders, your boss.
- Casual
- Colleagues, neighbours and people you already know.
- Intimate
- Close friends, your partner, family and children.
- Rude
- You will meet it in films, arguments and traffic. Recognise it; don't say it.
Audio appears where our recordings cover exactly that phrase. Every recording is the same female voice, which is why the ครับ forms are written out but not spoken.
Jump to a situation
- Hello
- How are you?
- Goodbye
- I’m going home (leaving first)
- Thank you
- Sorry / excuse me
- Yes
- Never mind / no problem
- I / me
- You
- Calling staff (excuse me!)
- Polite particles (ending words)
- To eat
- Good night / going to bed
- Delicious
- What’s your name?
- Where have you been? (greeting)
- Really?
- I don’t understand
- Please speak slowly
- How much is it?
- Can you help me?
- Wait a moment
- Take care
- Toilet (asking for it, needing to go)
- I’d like… (asking for things)
Hello
Thai uses สวัสดี (sà-wàt-dii) for both hello and goodbye; with elders and in formal settings, add a wai (palms together, a slight bow).
- Polite
ครับ form (men)
sà-wàt-dii khráp
ค่ะ form (women)
sà-wàt-dii khâ
Hello (the standard polite greeting)
When: Anyone you meet, and with a wai for elders, your boss, officials and teachers.
- Casual
ครับ form (men)
wàt dii khráp
ค่ะ form (women)
wàt dii khâ
Hi (friendly, still polite)
When: Colleagues, neighbours and staff you know; the ครับ / ค่ะ keeps it polite.
- Casualหวัดดี
wàt dii
Hi
When: Friends and people younger than you.
- Intimate
wàt dii jâa
Hiya! (warm and cheerful)
When: Close friends, children and chat messages, and more often from women.
How are you?
Thais ask สบายดีไหม mostly when they haven’t seen you for a while; day to day they greet with ‘Where have you been?’ or ‘Have you eaten yet?’ (กินข้าวหรือยัง, gin khâao rǔue yang).
- Formal
ครับ form (men)
bpen yàang rai bâang khráp
ค่ะ form (women)
bpen yàang rai bâang khá
How have you been? (formal, mostly written)
When: Formal letters, emails, speeches and interviews. Spoken aloud, อย่างไร sounds like reading from a page; Thais say ยังไง, even to elders.
- Polite
ครับ form (men)
bpen yang-ngai bâang khráp
ค่ะ form (women)
bpen yang-ngai bâang khá
How have you been?
When: The usual polite spoken form, to anyone: elders, your boss, neighbours and staff you know.
- Polite
ครับ form (men)
sà-baai dii mǎi khráp
ค่ะ form (women)
sà-baai dii mǎi khá
Are you well?
When: Someone you haven’t seen for a while.
- Casual
bpen ngai bâang
How’s it going?
When: Friends and colleagues around your age.
- Intimate
wâa ngai
What’s up?
When: Close friends, also when picking up their call.
Careful: Too blunt for elders, your boss or customers.
Goodbye
Textbooks teach ลาก่อน (laa gàawn), but it sounds like a farewell for a long time or for good, so you rarely hear it in daily life.
- Polite
ครับ form (men)
sà-wàt-dii khráp
ค่ะ form (women)
sà-wàt-dii khâ
Goodbye (the same word as hello)
When: Leaving elders, your boss, a teacher or a client, with a wai.
- Polite
ครับ form (men)
bpai gàawn ná khráp
ค่ะ form (women)
bpai gàawn ná khá
I’ll be going now
When: Leaving colleagues, neighbours or a shop you know.
- Casualแล้วเจอกัน
láaeo jooe gan
See you
When: Friends and people you will see again soon.
- Casualบ๊ายบาย
báai baai
Bye-bye
When: Friends, colleagues your age, children and chat messages; light and playful.
I’m going home (leaving first)
Leaving before others, and above all before your boss, is something you excuse yourself for in Thai: ก่อน (gàawn, ‘first’) and ขอตัว (khǎaw dtuua, ‘excuse myself’) do that work.
- Formal
ครับ form (men)
khǎaw à-nú-yâat glàp gàawn ná khráp
ค่ะ form (women)
khǎaw à-nú-yâat glàp gàawn ná khá
May I leave first? (asking permission)
When: Your boss or a senior colleague, when you leave work before them.
- Polite
ครับ form (men)
khǎaw dtuua glàp gàawn ná khráp
ค่ะ form (women)
khǎaw dtuua glàp gàawn ná khá
Excuse me, I’ll head home first
When: Leaving a dinner, a party or a meeting before the others.
- Casual
glàp gàawn ná
I’m heading home, okay?
When: Friends and colleagues around your age.
- Casual
glàp bâan lá ná
I’m off home now, okay?
When: Friends and family, in person or as a quick chat message; the นะ keeps it friendly, since without it the line can sound abrupt face to face.
Thank you
The usual reply is ไม่เป็นไร (mâi bpen rai, ‘no problem’); hotel staff may say ด้วยความยินดี (dûuay khwaam yindii, ‘with pleasure’).
- Formal
ครับ form (men)
khàawp phrá khun khráp
ค่ะ form (women)
khàawp phrá khun khâ
Thank you very much (deeply respectful)
When: Deep gratitude to elders or a teacher, and in speeches, letters and ceremonies; for everyday thanks it is too much.
- Polite
ครับ form (men)
khàawp khun mâak khráp
ค่ะ form (women)
khàawp khun mâak khâ
Thank you very much
When: A host, a helpful stranger, or staff who went out of their way for you.
- Polite
ครับ form (men)
khàawp khun khráp
ค่ะ form (women)
khàawp khun khâ
Thank you
When: Everyone, from staff and drivers to vendors and strangers, as the safe default.
- Casual
khàawp jai ná
Thanks (to someone younger)
When: Someone younger than you, or a close friend.
Careful: Never to someone older, your boss or a stranger, because it talks down to them.
- Casualแต๊งกิ้ว
dtáaeng-gîu
Thank you (playful, from English)
When: Friends joking around and chat messages.
Sorry / excuse me
ขอโทษ (khǎaw thôot) also means ‘excuse me’ when you want someone’s attention or need to get past.
- Formal
ครับ form (men)
khǎaw à-phai khráp
ค่ะ form (women)
khǎaw à-phai khâ
My apologies / we apologise (formal)
When: Staff to customers, announcements and signs, so you will mostly hear or read it.
- Polite
ครับ form (men)
khǎaw thôot jing-jing khráp
ค่ะ form (women)
khǎaw thôot jing-jing khâ
I’m really sorry
When: A real mistake: to your boss, your landlord, your partner or anyone you have inconvenienced.
- Polite
ครับ form (men)
khǎaw thôot khráp
ค่ะ form (women)
khǎaw thôot khâ
Sorry / excuse me
When: Everyday apologies and getting attention, with anyone.
- Casualโทษที
thôot thii
Sorry! / my bad
When: Friends and people your age, for small things.
Careful: Too light for a real mistake or for someone older; say ขอโทษจริงๆ ครับ / ค่ะ there.
Yes
Thai has no single word for yes or no: you answer with the verb from the question, like ได้ / ไม่ได้ (dâi / mâi dâi, can / can’t). A polite ‘no’ depends on the question: ไม่ใช่ครับ / ค่ะ (mâi châi, ‘that’s not right’), ไม่เอาครับ / ค่ะ (mâi ao, ‘I don’t want it’) or ไม่เป็นไรครับ / ค่ะ (mâi bpen rai, ‘no thanks’); casually, เปล่า (bplào) answers ‘…or not?’ questions and also means ‘nothing’.
- Formal
Men say
khráp phǒm
Women say
ค่ะkhâ
Yes, sir / yes, madam
When: Men answering a boss, an elder or a customer, as staff often do. Women have no separate formal yes: they say ค่ะ, the same as on the next rung.
- Polite
ครับ form (men)
ครับkhráp
ค่ะ form (women)
ค่ะkhâ
Yes (the everyday polite yes)
When: Answering anyone: ‘yes’, ‘okay’ or ‘I’m listening’. It also accepts an offer, and so does repeating the verb: เอาครับ / ค่ะ (ao khráp / khâ, ‘yes, I’ll have it’).
- Polite
ครับ form (men)
châi khráp
ค่ะ form (women)
châi khâ
Yes, that’s right (confirming a fact)
When: Confirming that something is true (‘Are you a teacher?’ ‘Yes, I am.’). It doesn’t accept an offer: to ‘Do you want a bag?’ answer เอาครับ / ค่ะ or just ครับ / ค่ะ.
- Casualจ้า
jâa
Yes! / okay!
When: A cheerful yes from vendors and friends, more often from women.
Careful: Too familiar for elders, your boss or older strangers; use ครับ / ค่ะ there.
- Casualอือ
uue
Mm-hm (soft casual yes)
When: Friends, family and your partner, as a soft ‘mm-hm’; men and women both use it, and it sounds gentler than เออ.
Careful: Too casual for elders, your boss or customers.
- Intimateเออ
oe
Yeah
When: Close friends and family members your age or younger.
Careful: Blunt, so never to elders, your boss, customers or strangers.
Never mind / no problem
ไม่เป็นไร (mâi bpen rai) is one of the most used Thai phrases: it answers thanks, apologies and small mishaps.
- Polite
ครับ form (men)
mâi bpen rai khráp
ค่ะ form (women)
mâi bpen rai khâ
It’s fine / no problem
When: Anyone, in answer to thanks or an apology, and as a polite ‘no thanks’ to offers: a plastic bag, a tuk-tuk driver or a street tout.
- Casual
mâi bpen rai ràawk
It’s really nothing
When: Reassuring a friend who keeps apologising.
- Casualช่างเถอะ
châang thòe
Let it go / forget it
When: Dropping a topic with friends or family, which can sound tired or resigned.
Careful: In a disagreement it signals that you’ve given up in annoyance.
- Intimate
châang man
Whatever / forget about it
When: Close friends shrugging off a problem.
Careful: Sounds careless if the other person cares about the problem.
- Rude Recognise this, don't say it
châang mâaeng
Screw it (vulgar)
When: Heard among close friends venting, in films and on the street.
You will hear it from Thais; the same words from you land very differently.
Careful: Vulgar: แม่ง is a swear word, so learn to recognise it but don’t say it.
I / me
Many Thais avoid pronouns: they drop ‘I’ or use their own nickname instead (‘Noi is hungry’).
- Formalข้าพเจ้า
khâa-phá-jâo
I (formal written, any gender)
When: Official documents, forms, letters and speeches, so you will mostly read it.
Careful: In conversation it sounds like reading out an official document.
- Formal
Men say
กระผมgrà-phǒm
Women say
ดิฉันdì-chǎn
I (formal; man / woman)
When: Women say ดิฉัน in job interviews, business and with officials. Men keep กระผม for speeches, ceremonies and very senior people; in an interview or at an office counter ผม is enough.
- Polite
Men say
ผมphǒm
Women say
ฉันchǎn
I (everyday; man / woman)
When: Men say ผม to anyone. For women ฉัน is neutral and fine in most situations, but many women drop the pronoun or use their nickname in polite talk; with strangers and in formal settings ดิฉัน is safer.
- Politeหนู
nǔu
I (humble; girls and young women to older people)
When: Girls and young women to anyone clearly older, known or not: parents, a teacher, a doctor or an older vendor. Small children of either gender use it too.
Careful: Adult men don’t use it for themselves, and a woman who isn’t clearly younger than the listener shouldn’t either.
- Casualเรา
rao
I / we (casual, any gender)
When: Friends and people your age.
- Rude Recognise this, don't say itกู
guu
I (vulgar)
When: Heard between very close friends, men and women alike, in arguments, films and on the street.
You will hear it from Thais; the same words from you land very differently.
Careful: Vulgar and aggressive towards anyone but close friends, so recognise it but don’t use it.
You
Thais often avoid ‘you’ and use a name, a nickname or a family word instead: พี่ (phîi, older), น้อง (náawng, younger), ป้า (bpâa, auntie), ลุง (lung, uncle).
- Formalท่าน
thâan
You / he / she (very respectful)
When: Announcements to customers and passengers, formal letters, and talking about a senior person (ท่านไม่อยู่, thâan mâi yùu, ‘he’s not in’). Face to face Thais usually use a title instead, such as คุณหมอ (khun mǎaw, doctor) or อาจารย์ (aa-jaan, teacher).
- Politeคุณ
khun
You (polite)
When: Strangers, customers and colleagues you don’t know well.
- Casualเธอ
thooe
You (casual, soft) / she
When: Women to friends, a man to his girlfriend, teachers to students, and all over song lyrics; it is also the everyday word for ‘she’.
Careful: Men don’t say it to male friends, and never use it to someone older.
- Casualนาย
naai
You (casual, to a man)
When: Male friends your age or younger, and women to a male classmate or colleague their age; it is also the title ‘Mr’ on forms.
Careful: Never to someone older or more senior.
- Intimateแก
gaae
You (between close friends)
When: Close friends, especially women among themselves.
Careful: Rude to anyone who isn’t a close friend or who is older than you.
- Rude Recognise this, don't say itมึง
mueng
You (vulgar)
When: Paired with กู between very close friends, men and women alike, in fights, films and on the street.
You will hear it from Thais; the same words from you land very differently.
Careful: Vulgar and insulting towards anyone but close friends, so recognise it but don’t use it.
Calling staff (excuse me!)
Thais call staff with family words, chosen by apparent age; older vendors are often ป้า (bpâa, auntie) or ลุง (lung, uncle), and you never snap your fingers or whistle.
- Formal
ครับ form (men)
khun khráp
ค่ะ form (women)
khun khá
Excuse me (sir / madam)
When: Hotels, banks, offices and upscale restaurants.
- Polite
ครับ form (men)
khǎaw thôot khráp
ค่ะ form (women)
khǎaw thôot khâ
Excuse me (to anyone, when you’re unsure of their age)
When: The safe way to get anyone’s attention: staff, vendors or strangers on the street.
- Polite
ครับ form (men)
phîi khráp
ค่ะ form (women)
phîi khá
Excuse me (to someone older)
When: Staff or vendors who look older than you.
- Polite
ครับ form (men)
náawng khráp
ค่ะ form (women)
náawng khá
Excuse me (to someone younger)
When: Staff who look younger than you, the usual call in restaurants and cafés.
- Rude Recognise this, don't say itเฮ้ย
hóoei
Hey! (shouted at staff)
When: Heard when someone shouts for staff or a stranger. Between friends the same word is a harmless ‘whoa!’ or ‘hey!’, and that use is fine.
You will hear it from Thais; the same words from you land very differently.
Careful: Shouting this at staff is rude and treats them as beneath you.
Polite particles (ending words)
Particles end a sentence and set its tone: men say ครับ (khráp), while women say ค่ะ (khâ) after statements and คะ (khá) after questions, after นะ (ná) and when calling someone; no particle at all sounds casual or blunt.
- Polite
ครับ form (men)
ครับkhráp
ค่ะ form (women)
ค่ะkhâ
Polite ending (ครับ: any sentence; ค่ะ: statements)
When: Anyone you want to be polite to, after almost every sentence.
- Polite
ครับ form (men)
ครับkhráp
ค่ะ form (women)
คะkhá
Polite ending in questions and when calling someone (ครับ stays the same; women say คะ)
When: Questions and calling out: ไปไหมคะ (bpai mǎi khá, ‘shall we go?’), พี่คะ (phîi khá, ‘excuse me’ to someone older). Mixing up ค่ะ and คะ is a very common mistake for women learners.
- Polite
ครับ form (men)
ná khráp
ค่ะ form (women)
ná khá
Softened polite ending (‘okay?’, ‘please’)
When: Requests, reminders and friendly remarks, to anyone.
- Casual
ครับ form (men)
คร้าบkhráap
ค่ะ form (women)
ค่าkhâa
Drawn-out, cheerful ครับ / ค่ะ
When: Staff and vendors answering cheerfully (‘coming!’, ‘sure!’), and friendly chat; fine to say back in a relaxed setting.
- Casualคับ
kháp
ครับ as typed in chat
When: Chat messages. In speech ครับ itself usually sounds like this, even in polite talk, because the r is dropped; so this is a spelling, not a separate spoken form.
- Casualฮะ
há
Soft, light ครับ
When: Men in relaxed, friendly speech, including some service staff; boys use it a lot.
- Casualจ้า
jâa
Cheerful ending (‘okay!’, ‘hi!’)
When: Vendors, friends and chat messages, more often from women.
Careful: Too familiar for elders, your boss or older strangers; use ครับ / ค่ะ there.
- Intimateจ้ะ
jâ
Warm, affectionate ending (answers)
When: Children, a partner or someone much younger, often from women and older people.
Careful: Too familiar for your boss, elders or strangers.
- Intimateจ๊ะ
já
Warm, affectionate ending (questions, calling)
When: The same people as จ้ะ, but in questions and when calling someone.
Careful: Too familiar for your boss, elders or strangers.
To eat
The daily greeting ‘Have you eaten yet?’ shows the ladder: ทานข้าวหรือยังครับ (thaan khâao rǔue yang khráp) to an elder, กินข้าวหรือยัง (gin khâao rǔue yang) to a friend; monks have their own verb, ฉัน (chǎn), spelled like ‘I’.
- Formal
ráp bprà-thaan
To dine / to eat (formal)
When: Formal invitations, announcements, speeches and medicine labels (‘take after meals’).
- Politeทาน
thaan
To eat (polite)
When: Offering food to elders or guests, and restaurant staff speaking to customers.
- Casualกิน
gin
To eat
When: The everyday verb: with ครับ / ค่ะ it’s fine about yourself with anyone (กินแล้วครับ, gin láaeo khráp, ‘I’ve eaten’); switch to ทาน when you invite or ask elders and guests.
- Rude Recognise this, don't say itแดก
dàaek
To eat, to stuff your face (vulgar)
When: Heard between close friends joking around, or said in anger.
You will hear it from Thais; the same words from you land very differently.
Careful: Vulgar, so recognise it but never use it with anyone you need to respect.
Good night / going to bed
The verb นอน (naawn, to sleep) doesn’t change with politeness; the politeness sits in the words around it, and some rungs don’t use it at all. To wish an elder or a guest a good rest, say พักผ่อนนะครับ / คะ (phák-phàawn ná khráp / khá).
- Formalราตรีสวัสดิ์
raa-dtrii sà-wàt
Good night (formal)
When: TV and radio presenters and formal messages, while in conversation it sounds stiff or playful.
- Polite
ครับ form (men)
khǎaw dtuua bpai naawn gàawn ná khráp
ค่ะ form (women)
khǎaw dtuua bpai naawn gàawn ná khá
Excuse me, I’m off to bed
When: Your host family, older relatives or the people you are staying with.
- Casual
bpai naawn gàawn ná
I’m going to bed
When: Friends, roommates and family your age.
- Intimate
fǎn dii ná
Sweet dreams
When: Partners, children and close friends, as the usual good-night message.
Delicious
Praising the food is the quickest way to make a vendor smile.
- Polite
ครับ form (men)
à-ràawy mâak khráp
ค่ะ form (women)
à-ràawy mâak khâ
It’s very tasty
When: Complimenting a cook, a host or a vendor.
- Casual
à-ràawy jang
So good!
When: Eating with friends, as an excited exclamation.
- Casual
à-ràawy sùt sùt
Super delicious!
When: Friends and social media: the safe way to say ‘super tasty’.
- Casualแซ่บ
sâaep
Tasty and zingy (especially spicy food)
When: Slang from the northeast (Isaan), now used everywhere for spicy food and loved by vendors.
- Rude Recognise this, don't say it
khôot à-ràawy
Damn delicious (coarse)
When: Young friends among themselves and in social media reviews.
You will hear it from Thais; the same words from you land very differently.
Careful: โคตร is a coarse intensifier: common among friends, but crude towards elders, staff or strangers; อร่อยสุดๆ says the same safely.
What’s your name?
Almost every Thai has a short nickname, ชื่อเล่น (chûue lên), which friends and colleagues use; full names are for forms and formal settings.
- Formal
ครับ form (men)
mâi sâap wâa chûue à-rai khráp
ค่ะ form (women)
mâi sâap wâa chûue à-rai khá
May I ask your name?
When: Elders, officials and clients, where ทราบ (sâap) is the formal word for ‘know’.
- Polite
ครับ form (men)
khun chûue à-rai khráp
ค่ะ form (women)
khun chûue à-rai khá
What’s your name?
When: Anyone you meet, such as staff, neighbours or other travellers. Thais often drop คุณ: ชื่ออะไรครับ / คะ (chûue à-rai khráp / khá) is just as polite.
- Polite
ครับ form (men)
chûue lên chûue à-rai khráp
ค่ะ form (women)
chûue lên chûue à-rai khá
What’s your nickname?
When: New friends and colleagues, since this is the name you will actually use; drop the ครับ / คะ with friends your age.
- Casual
chûue à-rai
What’s your name?
When: Children, and people your age in a relaxed setting.
Where have you been? (greeting)
This is a greeting, not a question you must answer: reply vaguely with ไปธุระมา (bpai thú-rá maa, ‘just out on an errand’) or แถวนี้แหละ (thǎaeo níi làe, ‘just around here’); ไปไหน (bpai nǎi, ‘where are you off to?’) works the same way.
- Polite
ครับ form (men)
bpai nǎi maa khráp
ค่ะ form (women)
bpai nǎi maa khá
Where have you been? (polite greeting)
When: Neighbours, your landlord and older people you know.
- Casualไปไหนมา
bpai nǎi maa
Where’ve you been?
When: Friends, colleagues and people you see every day.
- Intimate
bpai nǎi maa já
Where have you been, dear?
When: What an older neighbour or vendor, often a woman, says warmly to someone younger.
Careful: Too familiar to say to someone older than you.
Really?
เหรอ (rǒe) is the spoken form of หรือ (rǔue); said in conversation, หรือ sounds formal.
- Formal
ครับ form (men)
jing rǔue khráp
ค่ะ form (women)
jing rǔue khá
Is that so? (formal)
When: Writing, news and very formal speech; with elders, จริงเหรอครับ / คะ is fine.
- Polite
ครับ form (men)
jing rǒe khráp
ค่ะ form (women)
jing rǒe khá
Really?
When: Everyday polite conversation with anyone, elders included.
- Casualเหรอ
rǒe
Oh yeah? / really?
When: Friends and colleagues reacting to news.
- Intimate
jing bpà
For real?
When: Close friends, teenagers and chat messages.
I don’t understand
ไม่ค่อย (mâi khâawy, ‘not really’) softens almost any negative and sounds more polite than a flat ไม่ (mâi).
- Formal
Men say
khǎaw thôot khráp phǒm mâi khâawy khâo jai khráp
Women say
khǎaw thôot khâ dì-chǎn mâi khâawy khâo jai khâ
Sorry, I don’t quite understand
When: Your boss, officials, doctors and older strangers.
- Polite
ครับ form (men)
mâi khâo jai khráp
ค่ะ form (women)
mâi khâo jai khâ
I don’t understand
When: Anyone, in shops, taxis and on the street.
- Casual
fang mâi than
I can’t keep up (it’s too fast)
When: Friends and colleagues, when they talk too fast; add ครับ / ค่ะ with anyone else. If you simply didn’t hear, say ไม่ได้ยิน (mâi dâi yin).
- Casualงง
ngong
I’m confused / lost
When: Friends, family and chat messages; with ครับ / ค่ะ (งงครับ) even colleagues.
Please speak slowly
Starting with รบกวน (róp guuan, ‘sorry to trouble you’) makes any request more polite.
- Formal
ครับ form (men)
róp guuan phûut cháa cháa nàawy dâi mǎi khráp
ค่ะ form (women)
róp guuan phûut cháa cháa nàawy dâi mǎi khá
Sorry to trouble you, could you speak a little slower?
When: Officials, doctors, older people and your landlord.
- Polite
ครับ form (men)
chûuay phûut cháa cháa nàawy dâi mǎi khráp
ค่ะ form (women)
chûuay phûut cháa cháa nàawy dâi mǎi khá
Could you speak a little slower?
When: Anyone, such as staff, drivers and vendors.
- Casual
phûut cháa cháa nàawy
Slow down a bit
When: Friends and your Thai partner.
Careful: Without a particle it sounds like an order to strangers.
How much is it?
- Formal
ครับ form (men)
mâi sâap wâa raakhaa thâo rài khráp
ค่ะ form (women)
mâi sâap wâa raakhaa thâo rài khá
May I ask what the price is?
When: Hotels, clinics and estate agents, asking in person or by phone.
- Polite
ครับ form (men)
raakhaa thâo rài khráp
ค่ะ form (women)
raakhaa thâo rài khá
How much is it?
When: Shops, taxis and markets, so it works everywhere.
- Polite
ครับ form (men)
an níi thâo rài khráp
ค่ะ form (women)
an níi thâo rài khá
How much is this one?
When: Pointing at something in a shop or at a market stall.
- Casualกี่บาท
gìi bàat
How many baht?
When: A quick question at street stalls and markets; add ครับ / คะ with any vendor you don’t know (กี่บาทครับ / กี่บาทคะ). เท่าไหร่ (thâo rài) on its own works the same way.
Can you help me?
‘Help!’ in an emergency is ช่วยด้วย (chûuay dûuay); don’t use it for small favours.
- Formal
ครับ form (men)
róp guuan chûuay nàawy dâi mǎi khráp
ค่ะ form (women)
róp guuan chûuay nàawy dâi mǎi khá
Sorry to trouble you, could you help me?
When: Strangers, officials, older people and hotel staff.
- Polite
ครับ form (men)
chûuay nàawy dâi mǎi khráp
ค่ะ form (women)
chûuay nàawy dâi mǎi khá
Could you help me a moment?
When: Staff, neighbours and colleagues.
- Casual
chûuay nàawy dâi mǎi
Can you give me a hand?
When: Friends and family.
Wait a moment
- Formal
ครับ form (men)
gà-rú-naa raaw sàk khrûu khráp
ค่ะ form (women)
gà-rú-naa raaw sàk khrûu khâ
Please wait a moment (formal)
When: Staff, receptionists, phone lines and announcements, so you will mostly hear it.
- Polite
ครับ form (men)
raaw sàk khrûu ná khráp
ค่ะ form (women)
raaw sàk khrûu ná khá
Just a moment, please
When: Asking anyone politely to wait.
- Casual
dǐiao ná
Hold on
When: Friends, colleagues and vendors you know.
- Casualแป๊บนึง
bpáaep nueng
One sec
When: Friends and family, very common in speech and chat.
Take care
Hotel staff and friends often add เดินทางปลอดภัยนะ (dooen thaang bplàawt phai ná, ‘safe travels’).
- Formal
ครับ form (men)
rák-sǎa sùk-khà-phâap dûuay ná khráp
ค่ะ form (women)
rák-sǎa sùk-khà-phâap dûuay ná khá
Please look after your health
When: Elders, a teacher or your boss, at the end of a visit, a call or a letter.
- Polite
ครับ form (men)
duu laae dtuua eeng dûuay ná khráp
ค่ะ form (women)
duu laae dtuua eeng dûuay ná khá
Take care of yourself
When: When someone is going away for a while, is ill or has a hard time ahead; not a routine daily goodbye.
- Casual
duu laae dtuua eeng ná
Take care
When: Friends, family and your partner, in the same situations; also a warm goodbye before a trip.
Toilet (asking for it, needing to go)
ห้องน้ำ (hâawng náam, ‘bathroom’) is the everyday word; สุขา (sù-khǎa) is the formal one you’ll mostly read on signs. The rungs go from asking where it is to saying you need to go.
- Formal
ครับ form (men)
hâawng sù-khǎa yùu thîi nǎi khráp
ค่ะ form (women)
hâawng sù-khǎa yùu thîi nǎi khá
Where is the lavatory? (formal)
When: Hotels, hospitals and offices, when you want to sound careful; almost everywhere else ห้องน้ำ is normal.
- Polite
ครับ form (men)
hâawng náam yùu thîi nǎi khráp
ค่ะ form (women)
hâawng náam yùu thîi nǎi khá
Where is the toilet?
When: Asking anyone, anywhere.
- Polite
ครับ form (men)
khǎaw khâo hâawng náam nàawy khráp
ค่ะ form (women)
khǎaw khâo hâawng náam nàawy khâ
May I use the toilet?
When: In someone’s home, a shop or a café, asking to use their toilet.
- Casualปวดฉี่
bpùuat chìi
I need to pee
When: Friends, family and your partner, and children say it too.
- Rude Recognise this, don't say itปวดเยี่ยว
bpùuat yîiao
I need to piss (crude)
When: Heard among close friends, often men, and in rough speech.
You will hear it from Thais; the same words from you land very differently.
Careful: Crude, so recognise it but don’t use it.
I’d like… (asking for things)
- Formalต้องการ
dtâawng gaan
To want, to require (formal)
When: Staff and forms (‘What would you like?’), while from a customer it sounds stiff, even demanding.
- Politeขอ
khǎaw
May I have… / I’d like…
When: The polite way to ask for anything, anywhere, with หน่อย (nàawy, ‘a little’) and ครับ / ค่ะ added.
- Casualเอา
ao
I’ll take… / (I) want
When: Ordering at street stalls and markets, or among friends.
Careful: Without ครับ / ค่ะ it sounds blunt to staff.
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