Thai (ภาษาไทย, phasa thai) sounds unfamiliar at first, but a short set of phrases goes a long way on a trip to Thailand. Below are greetings, shopping and bargaining, taxis, cafes, the pharmacy, emergencies and numbers, each in Thai script with the official Royal Thai General System of Transcription (RTGS). RTGS is what you see on road signs, but it does not show tones, so when it matters, show the Thai spelling.
How Thai sounds: 5 tones
The Royal Society of Thailand dictionary (ORST) lists 5 tones: สามัญ (saman), เอก (ek), โท (tho), ตรี (tri) and จัตวา (chattawa). There are 4 tone marks written above letters; the fifth tone has no mark. Tone changes meaning: ใกล้ means “near” and ไกล means “far”, yet both are written klai in RTGS.
What matters for a traveller:
- Say the whole phrase calmly, in context you will be understood even with imperfect tones
- Aspirated sounds (kh, th, ph in RTGS) differ from plain k, t, p: th is a t with a puff of air, not the English “th”, and ph is not “f”
- RTGS ignores tones, vowel length and silent letters (the Royal Institute of Thailand system, adopted by the UN in 2002)
Khrap and kha: the polite particles
Almost every sentence ends with a polite particle. It depends on who is speaking, not on who you are talking to.
| Particle | Thai | Who uses it and when (ORST dictionary) | Tone from the spelling |
|---|---|---|---|
| khrap | ครับ | men, at the end of any sentence and as “yes” | high (tri) |
| kha | ค่ะ | women, in statements and as “yes” | falling (tho) |
| kha | คะ | women, in questions and after si or na | high (tri) |
The two women’s particles differ only in tone: statement kha falls, question kha sits higher. Men have it easy: khrap works for questions and answers. Tones in this table follow Thai spelling rules and are given only for words in the ORST dictionary.
Two more short words you hear all the time, also told apart by tone:
| English | Thai | RTGS | Tone from the spelling |
|---|---|---|---|
| Not, no (before a word) | ไม่ | mai | falling (tho) |
| Question marker (at the end) | ไหม | mai | rising (chattawa) |
Mai phet (ไม่เผ็ด) means not spicy, while phet mai? (เผ็ดไหม) means is it spicy? You hear the difference only in the tone; in writing it is obvious.
Basic phrases
| English | Thai | RTGS |
|---|---|---|
| Hello, goodbye | สวัสดีครับ / ค่ะ | sawatdi khrap / kha |
| Thank you | ขอบคุณครับ / ค่ะ | khop khun khrap / kha |
| Sorry, excuse me | ขอโทษครับ / ค่ะ | kho thot khrap / kha |
| Never mind, no problem | ไม่เป็นไร | mai pen rai |
| Yes, that’s right | ใช่ | chai |
| No, that’s not right | ไม่ใช่ | mai chai |
| I don’t want it | ไม่เอา | mai ao |
| I don’t understand | ไม่เข้าใจ | mai khao chai |
| Do you speak English? | พูดภาษาอังกฤษได้ไหม | phut phasa angkrit dai mai |
| Please speak slowly | พูดช้า ๆ หน่อย | phut cha cha noi |
| Where is the toilet? | ห้องน้ำอยู่ที่ไหน | hong nam yu thi nai |
How to wai, who gets a lower bow and how to use khun with names is in how to greet people in Thailand.
Shopping and markets
| English | Thai | RTGS |
|---|---|---|
| How much is this? | อันนี้เท่าไร | an ni thao rai |
| What’s the price? | ราคาเท่าไร | rakha thao rai |
| Too expensive | แพงไป | phaeng pai |
| Can you give a discount? | ลดได้ไหม | lot dai mai |
| Can it be cheaper? | ถูกกว่านี้ได้ไหม | thuk kwa ni dai mai |
| Discount | ส่วนลด | suan lot |
| I’ll take this one | เอาอันนี้ | ao an ni |
| Just looking | ดูเฉย ๆ | du choei choei |
Bargaining is normal at markets and street stalls, not in shops and pharmacies with price tags. Prices come back in Thai numbers, so the table below helps. For common ways tourists lose money, see our guide to scams in Thailand.
In a taxi
| English | Thai | RTGS |
|---|---|---|
| Please turn on the meter | ช่วยเปิดมิเตอร์ด้วย | chuai poet mitoe duai |
| To the airport | ไปสนามบิน | pai sanam bin |
| How much to…? | ไป…เท่าไร | pai… thao rai |
| Straight ahead | ตรงไป | trong pai |
| Turn left | เลี้ยวซ้าย | liao sai |
| Turn right | เลี้ยวขวา | liao khwa |
| Stop here | จอดตรงนี้ | chot trong ni |
| Please drive slower | ขับช้า ๆ หน่อย | khap cha cha noi |
| Is it far? | ไกลไหม | klai mai |
It is easier to show the driver your hotel address in Thai or as a pin on a map. Booking a car and fares on Phuket are covered in taxis in Phuket.
At a cafe or restaurant
| English | Thai | RTGS |
|---|---|---|
| The menu, please | ขอเมนูหน่อย | kho menu noi |
| Not spicy | ไม่เผ็ด | mai phet |
| A little spicy | เผ็ดนิดหน่อย | phet nit noi |
| No ice | ไม่ใส่น้ำแข็ง | mai sai nam khaeng |
| Plain water, please | ขอน้ำเปล่า | kho nam plao |
| Vegetarian | มังสวิรัติ | mangsawirat |
| No meat | ไม่ใส่เนื้อสัตว์ | mai sai nuea sat |
| Delicious | อร่อย | aroi |
| Very tasty | อร่อยมาก | aroi mak |
| The bill, please | เก็บเงินด้วย | kep ngoen duai |
According to the ORST dictionary, มังสวิรัติ means food without meat, while เจ (jay) is stricter: no meat and no certain vegetables such as garlic. You see เจ on signs most in October, during the Vegetarian Festival covered in Thai holidays.
At the pharmacy and the doctor
| English | Thai | RTGS |
|---|---|---|
| Where is a pharmacy? | ร้านขายยาอยู่ที่ไหน | ran khai ya yu thi nai |
| Hospital | โรงพยาบาล | rong phayaban |
| I have a headache | ปวดหัว | puat hua |
| I have a stomach ache | ปวดท้อง | puat thong |
| I have a fever | เป็นไข้ | pen khai |
| I feel unwell | ไม่สบาย | mai sabai |
| Painkiller | ยาแก้ปวด | ya kae puat |
| I’m allergic to… (man / woman) | ผมแพ้… / ฉันแพ้… | phom phae… / chan phae… |
At a pharmacy, naming the active ingredient, such as ibuprofen or paracetamol, works better than describing symptoms. How pharmacies work and what needs a prescription is in pharmacies in Thailand.
Emergency phrases and numbers
| English | Thai | RTGS |
|---|---|---|
| Help! | ช่วยด้วย | chuai duai |
| Call the police! | เรียกตำรวจ | riak tamruat |
| Call an ambulance! | เรียกรถพยาบาล | riak rot phayaban |
| Urgent | ด่วน | duan |
| Fire! | ไฟไหม้ | fai mai |
| Where is the hospital? | โรงพยาบาลอยู่ที่ไหน | rong phayaban yu thi nai |
Numbers from the UK Foreign Office (FCDO), as of October 2026:
| Service | Number |
|---|---|
| Police | 191 |
| Ambulance | 1669 |
| Fire | 199 |
| Tourist police, English spoken | 1155 |
The tourist police also have the Thailand Tourist Police app, which works without a Thai SIM card (FCDO). What to do if you have been cheated is in scams in Thailand.
Numbers
| Number | Thai digit | Thai | RTGS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | ๐ | ศูนย์ | sun |
| 1 | ๑ | หนึ่ง | nueng |
| 2 | ๒ | สอง | song |
| 3 | ๓ | สาม | sam |
| 4 | ๔ | สี่ | si |
| 5 | ๕ | ห้า | ha |
| 6 | ๖ | หก | hok |
| 7 | ๗ | เจ็ด | chet |
| 8 | ๘ | แปด | paet |
| 9 | ๙ | เก้า | kao |
| 10 | ๑๐ | สิบ | sip |
| 11 | ๑๑ | สิบเอ็ด | sip et |
| 20 | ๒๐ | ยี่สิบ | yi sip |
| 100 | ๑๐๐ | หนึ่งร้อย | nueng roi |
| 1,000 | ๑,๐๐๐ | หนึ่งพัน | nueng phan |
| 10,000 | ๑๐,๐๐๐ | หนึ่งหมื่น | nueng muen |
Numbers are built from parts: 250 baht is สองร้อยห้าสิบบาท, song roi ha sip bat. Two quirks, both in the ORST dictionary: 11, 21 and 31 end in et (เอ็ด), not nueng, and 20 is yi sip, not song sip. Thai digits sometimes appear on signs and price tags, which is why they are in the table. At markets, sellers often show the amount on a calculator, which is the easiest way.
Learning Thai from scratch
If you want more than phrases, start with the script: tones make sense only once you know it, because a word’s tone depends on the consonant class, the tone mark and the syllable type. Thai has 44 consonant letters (two of them, ฃ and ฅ, are obsolete), vowels are written above, below, before and after the consonant, and spaces separate phrases rather than words. For meanings and pronunciation, the official Royal Society of Thailand dictionary is at dictionary.orst.go.th, in Thai.
If this is your first trip, check the Thailand entry requirements and Thailand etiquette, and get a local SIM with data for a translation app at the airport: how to buy a SIM card in Thailand.
FAQ
How do you say thank you in Thai?
ขอบคุณครับ (khop khun khrap) if you are a man, ขอบคุณค่ะ (khop khun kha) if you are a woman. The ORST dictionary describes ขอบคุณ as used between equals or by a junior to a senior, so it fits any situation: cafes, taxis, hotels.
How do you say hello in Thai?
One word covers hello and goodbye at any time of day: สวัสดี (sawatdi) plus the polite particle, so sawatdi khrap or sawatdi kha. It usually comes with a slight bow and palms pressed together, the wai, explained in our guide to Thai greetings.
How do you say not spicy in Thai?
ไม่เผ็ด, mai phet. If a little heat is fine, say เผ็ดนิดหน่อย, phet nit noi, a little spicy. Add khrap or kha at the end.
How do you ask for no ice?
ไม่ใส่น้ำแข็ง, mai sai nam khaeng, literally don't put ice. Plain still water is ขอน้ำเปล่า, kho nam plao.
Is Thai hard to learn?
For travel phrases, not very: there are no cases or verb conjugations and sentences are short. The two hard parts are the 5 tones, which change meaning, and the script with 44 consonant letters. The phrases on this page are usually understood even with imperfect tones when the context is clear, at a till or in a taxi.
Why are Thai words spelled differently in English everywhere?
Thai script does not map one to one onto Latin letters. The official RTGS system of the Royal Institute of Thailand ignores tones and vowel length, and many signs, menus and brands use their own spellings. When it matters, show the Thai spelling on your phone.
What is Thailand called in Thai?
ประเทศไทย, Prathet Thai in RTGS. Thais call Bangkok กรุงเทพฯ, Krung Thep.
Sources
- Royal Society of Thailand dictionary (ราชบัณฑิตยสภา), entries วรรณยุกต์, ครับ, ค่ะ, คะ, ไหม, ไม่, ขอบคุณ, ขอโทษ, สวัสดี, เอ็ด, ยี่สิบ, เจ, มังสวิรัติ
- UNGEGN Working Group on Romanization Systems. Thai (based on Principles of Romanization for Thai Script by Transcription Method)
- UN Digital Library. Principles of romanization for Thai script by transcription method, submitted by Thailand, E/CONF.94/INF.41 (2002)
- UK FCDO. Thailand travel advice: Getting help (emergency numbers)
- Tourist Police Bureau. 1155 hotline
- Transparent Language Thai blog. Politeness in Thai culture (ค่ะ and คะ), learning blog, supporting source
Found an error or outdated fact? Tell the editors, we will fix it and update the check date.