Our short lesson in Thai certainly won't teach you the language but contains
enough of the most common travel phrases to help you get by.
Download here
» Thai language lesson (MP3 | Size: 13.9MB)
» Thai iPod phrasebook (Text only)
» Thai iPod phrasebook with audio (Text + MP3s | Size: 2mb)
Thai Language Guide Script
Scott: Sawatdee! Nee tao rain a krap?
Khun Aran: Sawatdee! poot chai geng farang, krap!
Scott: Yes exactly… umm…..do you speak any English?
Khun Aran: I said, hello you speak good Thai for a farang
Scott: A Farang?
Khun Aran: This is Thai for Caucasian…. and guava!
Scott: Farang huh – pretty funny if I was buying guavas! If I give you a good price for these t-shirts, will you teach me some Thai – as you can see I’ve only learnt one phrase and I’m not even sure what it means!
Khun Aran: You said, “Hello how much for this” and for you my friend I give you a very good price for very good lesson!
Khun Aran: My name is Khun Aran, in Thai we say Khun then the first name, this is for everyone, boys, girls, important people. I have many very good shirts – how many you want?
Scott: Ah ok, so I’m Khun Scott how about five shirts?
Khun Aran: Hah! Only hah shirts – you buy sip – ten shirts for lesson – ok sip, ten shirts. Do you like Bangkok - where are you staying?
Scott: Actually, I’m staying in a bit of a dive in the Riverside area, and I want to look at some other hotels, how do I ask to see a room and the price?
Khun Aran: First you be polite – say krap at the end of sentences – krap not ka, only women say ka! Thai’s don’t really say ‘please’ or ‘thank you’ but we do use krap and ka just about all the time. But I can get a very good price at a very good hotel for you!
Scott: Khun Aran I’m sure you can – but I need to learn how to do it myself… and how about seven shirts?
Khun Aran: Jet shirts - ah!!! Gao – nine yes gao shirts?? Ok ok hotel….you smile and say, Sawatdee kor du hong tiang ku noi dai mai and then like you said before “Ni tau rai ru krap” which is “Hello, can I see a double room? How much?
Scott: Ok… so “ki tau rai ru krap” and I think maybe eight shirts.
Khun Aran: You mean bpairt ! Ah! mai chai – no – how about nine - gao shirts - ok deal?! Be careful with how you say this, most Thai words have many meanings depending on how you say them, you could have said gao which means ancient or used but don’t worry about this too much, Thai is a very hard language and Thai’s are happy – sabai - when farang have tried
Scott: That’s a bit scary – what if I’m buying a ticket to somewhere and I get the place or the day wrong?
Khun Aran: Yes, that wouldn’t be good. Don’t talk slowly that is when the words sound wrong. Ticket is tua Today is wan nee tomorrow is prung nee now is diao nee and yesterday is mua wan
Scott: Can you say that more slowly?
Khun Aran: slowly is cha cha noi
Scott: No… mai chai - I meant can you say ticket, today, tomorrow, now and yesterday more slowly!
Khun Aran: I like this is sanook ma, teaching you is sanook!
Scott: Sanook ma is ‘I like this’…. Does Sanook mean fun? I’ve seen many bars with Sanook in their names!
Khun Aran: Yes Sanook is fun - Thai’s love having fun and eating, which is gin or gin kao!
Scott: Speaking of eating – where is the food market?
Khun Aran: You mean yoo trong nai – “where is” – you must get the bus to this market, bus is rot do san pra cham thang
Scott: rot do san pra cham thang is bus - what about train, taxi and boat?
Khun Aran: rot doi san pra cham tang rot fai, taxi and rua
Don’t forget to take a Tuk Tuk and always bargain good price first.
Scott: I’ve heard that Tuk Tuk’s can be pretty dangerous – are you sure I won’t end up in hospital or in serious need of a doctor?!?!
Khun Aran: Maybe you will so I will teach you how to ask for both!
Hospital is rong payabarn Doctor is Mor
Scott: Khun Aran you are a wicked man – I think I’ll get eight shirts from you – nine is too expensive!
Khun Aran: bpairt?!?!? Only bpairt?!?! Khun Scott – my lesson is very good no?
I think gao shirts – nine shirts! And ‘too expensive’ is paeng mar
Scott: Laughing – ok ok - you’ve got a deal gao shirts it is! Some may say you are a daylight robber Khun Aran – hey what if I am robbed or I need the police?
Khun Aran: Laughing - Ba! You are mad Khun Scott!! Police is tam ruad wat or you can yell ‘Stop thief” which is kamoui. Khun Scott, you are a nice man – you dress well, you smile and you are very polite. I don’t think you will need the police and I think you got a very good price for your lesson and shirts!
Scott: I didn’t really need gao t-shirts – one or two would have been fine – but I did need the lesson. How do you say one, two three and four?
Khun Aran: neung, sorng, sahm, see
Scott: Neung, sorng, sahm, see. Khun Aran, one last thing…. I’m heading to Chang Mai in a few days and I’ve heard that it can get a bit wild around the Golden Triangle - how do I say “Don’t shoot – those drugs aren’t mine!”
Khun Aran: Laughing loudly – Khun Scott – you watch too much tv – but I will tell you – ya ying yapuak nee mai chai kong pom krap
Scott: Ok so ya ying yapuak nee mai chai kong pom krap. Khun Aran, the market is closing, how about I buy you a beer – which way to the bar?
Khun Aran: You are too kind – “Which way” is pai yang rai and a beer would be very good – we can practise your Thai!
We're Carbon Neutral
