50 Essential Thai Phrases for Your Trip

My first trip to Thailand was in 2019. I had learned exactly zero Thai and assumed: "everyone speaks English there, right?" Wrong. In Bangkok you can get by — but in Chiang Rai, on the islands, and at local markets? Not a chance. The taxi driver picking me up from the bus station spoke no English. Neither did the vendor at the night market. And the pharmacist I desperately needed for a bout of food poisoning? Forget it.

You don't need to be fluent for a holiday — but with 50 well-chosen phrases you can handle a surprisingly large range of tourist situations. And here's the thing: Thai people genuinely appreciate the effort. The smiles you get back are worth every minute of practice.

All phrases in this article use Paiboon+ romanization with tone markers. The male ending (ครับ/khráp) appears first; women replace it with ค่ะ/khâ.

Basic greetings (1-8)

Use these all day, every day. Learn these first — they open doors. For a deeper dive into greetings, read our article on the meaning of sawasdee.

1. Hello — sawàtdii khráp/khâ — สวัสดีครับ/ค่ะ

2. Thank you — khàwp khun khráp/khâ — ขอบคุณครับ/ค่ะ

3. Sorry / excuse me — khǎaw thôot khráp/khâ — ขอโทษครับ/ค่ะ

4. Yes — châi khráp/khâ — ใช่ครับ/ค่ะ

5. No — mâi châi khráp/khâ — ไม่ใช่ครับ/ค่ะ

6. No problem / never mind — mâi bpen rai — ไม่เป็นไร

7. I don't understand — mâi khâo jai — ไม่เข้าใจ

8. Do you speak English? — phûut aangkrìt dâi mái? — พูดอังกฤษได้ไหม?

Transport: taxis, tuk-tuks and Grab (9-18)

Transport is where numbers matter most. Negotiating fares, stating destinations, asking whether the meter is running — it all adds up. Brush up on Thai numbers before you go.

1. I want to go to... — yàak bpai... — อยากไป...

2. How much is it? — tâo-rài khráp/khâ? — เท่าไหร่ครับ/ค่ะ?

3. Too expensive! — phɛɛng bpai! — แพงไป!

4. Can you use the meter? — chái mítdtəə dâi mái? — ใช้มิเตอร์ได้ไหม?

5. Stop here please — jàwt thîi nîi khráp/khâ — จอดที่นี่ครับ/ค่ะ

6. Turn left — líiao sáai — เลี้ยวซ้าย

7. Turn right — líiao khwǎa — เลี้ยวขวา

8. Go straight — dtrong bpai — ตรงไป

9. Is it far? — klai mái? — ไกลไหม?

10. I want to get off here — khǎaw long thîi nîi — ขอลงที่นี่

Eating & drinking (19-30)

Thailand is a culinary paradise — but only if you can order. These phrases will carry you through any restaurant, food court, or street stall. For the full guide, check out our article on ordering food in Thai.

1. I'd like this — khǎaw an níi — ขออันนี้

2. Not spicy — mâi phèt — ไม่เผ็ด

3. A little spicy — phèt nít-nɔ̀ɔi — เผ็ดนิดหน่อย

4. Delicious! — arɔ̀i! — อร่อย!

5. The bill please — chék bin khráp/khâ — เช็คบิลครับ/ค่ะ

6. Plain water please — khǎaw náam plào — ขอน้ำเปล่า

7. With ice — sài náam khɛ̌ɛng — ใส่น้ำแข็ง

8. No sugar — mâi sài náam dtaan — ไม่ใส่น้ำตาล

9. I'm vegetarian — phǒm/chǎn gin jee — ผม/ฉัน กินเจ

10. No MSG — mâi sài phǒng chuurót — ไม่ใส่ผงชูรส

11. Same again please — khǎaw mʉ̌ʉan dəəm — ขอเหมือนเดิม

12. To take away — klàp bâan — กลับบ้าน (literally: "going home")

Shopping & bargaining (31-38)

1. How much is this? — nîi tâo-rài? — นี่เท่าไหร่?

2. Can you lower the price? — lót dâi mái? — ลดได้ไหม?

3. Just looking — duu chəəi chəəi — ดูเฉยๆ

4. Do you have a bigger size? — mii sài yài gwàa mái? — มีไซส์ใหญ่กว่าไหม?

5. I'll take it — ao an níi — เอาอันนี้

6. No thank you — mâi ao khráp/khâ — ไม่เอาครับ/ค่ะ

7. Do you accept cards? — ráp bàt khree-dìt mái? — รับบัตรเครดิตไหม?

8. Do you have change? — mii ngəən thɔɔn mái? — มีเงินทอนไหม?

Hotel & accommodation (39-44)

1. Do you have any rooms available? — mii hɔ̂ɔng wâang mái? — มีห้องว่างไหม?

2. How much per night? — khʉʉn lá tâo-rài? — คืนละเท่าไหร่?

3. A room with air conditioning please — khǎaw hɔ̂ɔng ɛɛ — ขอห้องแอร์

4. What's the Wi-Fi password? — khǎaw rá-hàt waai-faai — ขอรหัสไวไฟ

5. I'd like to check out — chék-áo khráp/khâ — เช็คเอาท์ครับ/ค่ะ

6. The air conditioning isn't working — ɛɛ mâi tham-ngaan — แอร์ไม่ทำงาน

Emergencies & health (45-50)

Hopefully you'll never need these — but if you do, you'll be glad you learned them. The Foreign Service Institute (FSI) recommends that emergency vocabulary should be among the first things any language learner acquires.

1. Help! — chûuai dûuai! — ช่วยด้วย!

2. I'm not feeling well — mâi sabai — ไม่สบาย

3. I need a doctor — dtɔ̂ɔng-gaan mɔ̌ɔ — ต้องการหมอ

4. Where is the hospital? — roong-phayaabaan yùu thîi nǎi? — โรงพยาบาลอยู่ที่ไหน?

5. I'm allergic to... — phǒm/chǎn phɛ́ɛ... — ผม/ฉัน แพ้...

6. Please call the police — chûuai rîiak dtam-rùuat — ช่วยเรียกตำรวจ

Practical tips for your trip

1. Screenshot this list — or save the article offline. Markets don't always have Wi-Fi.

2. Practice the tones — these phrases only sound right when the tones are correct. Start with the 5 Thai tones.

3. Always smile — Thailand is the "Land of Smiles" for good reason. A smile with your imperfect Thai makes all the difference.

4. Master numbers first — if you only practice one thing, learn numbers 1-100. You'll use them everywhere.

Frequently asked questions

How much Thai do I need for a trip?

The 50 phrases in this article will handle 90% of typical tourist situations. You don't need grammar rules or the ability to read Thai script. Focus on pronunciation and correct tones — that makes far more difference than a large vocabulary with poor pronunciation. Read more about how long it takes to learn Thai.

Don't people in Thailand speak English?

In tourist-heavy Bangkok, Phuket, and Koh Samui you can get pretty far with English. But the moment you venture off the beaten path — local markets, bus journeys, smaller towns — English becomes limited. And even where English is spoken, your experience changes dramatically when you try Thai. Locals treat you as a guest rather than just another tourist.

What's the fastest way to learn these phrases?

Spaced repetition is the most effective method. At Pasaa you practice exactly this kind of practical phrase with native audio, tone recognition, and an algorithm that tracks what you know and what needs review.

Start today

Your trip will be twice as rewarding when you can speak even a handful of Thai phrases. And the good news: you need less than you think. Try a free lesson and practice the most important phrases with audio and interactive exercises. Or create a free account and build your vocabulary at your own pace.