Useful Thai Words

Speaking Thai

Thai is the national and official language of Thailand and the native language of the Thai people, Thailand's dominant ethnic group. There are four regional dialects - northern, north eastern, central and southern - with central Thai being the most widely spoken and understood. Some words and phrases are used only in certain social situations and often vary according to geogrpahy. Other ethnic groups and pockets of Thais in remote areas speak languages unrelated to Thai.

There are five tones in the Thai language with differing inflections conceivably giving a new meaning to a word (which may cause confusion if mispronounced. Don't let that stop you though - Thais appreciate the effort!).

It is believed that the Thai language originated in southern China close to Vietnam. Words from Pali, Sanskrit and Khmer were introduced into the language following the adoption of Buddhism; the written language is based on the Brahmi script with influence from the Khmer language.

Thai is a gender-based language: remember to use kha if you're a woman or kap if you're a man when you say 'please' and 'thank you'.

Here are some words and phrases to help get you started.

Greetings

Useful Phrases

At a Restaurant

Looking for cool travel trips? See Phuket Travel Tips

Here's the Do's and Don'ts of Thai Culture

For more information on Thailand and Phuket, see General Information

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