Thai Language Lesson for Travelers - The Basics - Ep.1

Pailin Chongchitnant • June 15, 2018

Jump to video!

Changing things up this week! Several people have asked me to do a Thai language lesson, so here it is! Since Thailand is probably a place many of you want to visit (for visit again, for some of you!) this will probably come in handy sooner or later. Being a tourist in a country whose language you don't speak can be frustrating, and with just a few words in your pocket, not only can it help you communicate, it can also help to break the ice with the locals—Thai people love it when we see foreigners actually try to speak in Thai. It shows that you're making an effort, and it might just get you that little bit of help you need 🙂

There will be a whole series of Thai lesson videos coming up, so this first one goes over all the basics, and the next couple will tackle words and phrases that are useful when eating around Thailand. Let me know if you have suggestions on other videos around Thai language and culture!

Here are all the words and phrases I went over in the video

But first, some ground rules:

  1. Thai language is tonal, so pay attention to the tone I use to say the words as well.
  2. To add politeness, simply tack these words on to the end of your sentences: ka (for female speakers) and krub (for male speakers). And yes, you should always be polite when talking to strangers! You can drop them when speaking to close friends.
  3. There is no "correct" way to write out a Thai word in English. There are so many sounds in Thai that can't be written out using English letters, so these spellings are all just approximations of what it sounds like so don't get hung up on the spelling, just use it as a guideline. The same applies for all the food names!
  4. We drop the pronouns "I" and "you" from our sentences often, especially when the context is obvious. Even in the sentences below where I do write them with I/you, you can drop them and the sentence would still make sense if it's obvious in the situation who you're referring to.

Hello/goodbye: Sawaddee ka/krub
Note: You might have seen goodbye translated as "la gorn" but that word is used more in written language and is not used in everyday speaking. It's literally like saying "goodbye" in English, when was the last time you used that when talking to someone!

Thank you : Kob kun ka/krub

Okay, I'm gonna stop writing out ka/krub on every phrase from this point onward, so just mentally add them 🙂

I'm sorry/excuse me : Kaw toad

It's okay/don't worry/no problem : Mai pen rai

How are you? (Literally, "Are you well?"): Sabai dee mai

I'm fine : Sabai dee

I = Pom (male), Chun (female)

You = Kun

What's your name? = Kun cheu arai

My name is .... = Chun/pom cheu [your name]

I'm not Thai = Chun/pom mai chai kon thai

Yes = Chai; No = Mai chai (literally "not yes").
Note: these are only applicable for is/am/are questions, such as "Are you from Canada?" or "Your hotel is on Silom road, is that right?" So essentially "chai" is a way to say "correct" or "right". When people ask do/did/done questions, as in "Did you eat yet?", we don't answer with a yes/no, but instead we state the answer in a complete sentence, i.e. "I ate already". Or if someone says, "Do you want this?" We would reply "I want." But as a tourist, chai/mai chai is generally useful enough to get you by.

Do you understand? = Kao jai mai

Please  = There is no Thai equivalent for please! So simply add ka/krub to your sentences to be polite 🙂

Watch The Full Video!

Tom Kha Gai ต้มข่าไก่ (Thai coconut chicken soup)

By Pailin Chongchitnant • May 7, 2022
Tom yum goong maybe the most famous soup of Thailand, but its milder creamier sister, tom kha gai , is my personal favourite. This comforting Thai coconut chicken soup recipe is infused with the classic Thai herbs: lemongrass, galangal, and makrut (kaffir) lime leaves. It's so easy yet so loveable that when someone asks, "I'm new to Thai food, what should I try/make first?" Tom kha gai is my answer.

No-Bake Icebox Mango Pie (Filipino Mango Royale)

By Pailin Chongchitnant • May 6, 2022
If you love mangoes, and you love mango desserts, Mango Royale, aka Mango Float, is an absolute must-try; right after mango and sticky rice , of course! It's a frozen Filipino dessert that takes advantage of peak-of-the-season mangoes, and uses only 5 ingredients. There's no baking involved, and it's so easy it's essentially fool-proof!

How to Save Your Basil - Thai Basil Stir Fry Sauce Recipe

By Pailin Chongchitnant • April 22, 2022
I LOVE all kinds of basil, but I don't love how quickly it goes bad and that it doesn't freeze well. So I came up with this recipe as a way to use up any amount of basil you have on hand . It's an easy and versatile sauce that only uses pantry staples, and can be stored in the fridge for at least a week. Reheat it and pour onto any cooked protein, or use it as a stir fry sauce - or heck, you can even use it as gravy for your mashed potatoes. It can also be made vegan. The possibilities are endless!

No-Machine Soft Ice Cream Bars - Thai Tea Flavor

By Pailin Chongchitnant • April 8, 2022
Imagine this: soft and creamy ice cream bars that you didn't need to whip or churn. All you have to do is cook the ice cream base, pour it into a mold, then cut it into pieces. And it's so soft your teeth will glide right through it as you take a bite, and it's wonderfully chewy. Yes, chewy.

3-Chili Thai Basil Fried Rice Recipe

By Pailin Chongchitnant • March 25, 2022
I wanted a fried rice recipe that really celebrates the flavours of chilies - not just their heat. This fried rice features not one, not two, but three different types of chilies, combined with the fragrance of Thai basil to tie it all together! And no, it doesn't make this dish overwhelmingly spicy, and you can indeed customize the heat level while still preserving all the delicious chili flavour. It's not something I created out of thin air, but a traditional Thai dish (with a couple of tweaks from me)!

What is Oyster Sauce And Which is the Best One?

By Pailin Chongchitnant • March 8, 2022
If you love cooking Asian food, oyster sauce is probably already in your kitchen. But do you know if the one you have is a "good one”? And is the expensive oyster sauce you bought (or didn't buy) worth the splurge?

Tom Yum Soup (Tom Yum Goong) Recipe

By Pailin Chongchitnant • March 3, 2022
With over 3 million views on YouTube, this recipe is one of the most popular, and an OG, on Hot Thai Kitchen. This world-famous tom yum soup is universally loved; and with this authentic recipe I promise you can make it as good as, if not better than, the ones in restaurants. It's one of the first dishes I learned to make as a child because it's so easy, making this a great first Thai dish to try!

Authentic Thai Green Curry Chicken

By Pailin Chongchitnant • March 1, 2022
Thai green curry chicken is my most popular recipe on the YouTube channel with over 4 million views . If you want a completely authentic recipe, and one that maximizes deliciousness, this is it right here. It is one of the best known dishes of Thai cuisine, and despite its complex flavours, it is actually quite easy to make at home. It's also gluten free, and adaptable for vegans!

Pad See Ew with Rice Vermicelli

By Pailin Chongchitnant • February 21, 2022
Pad see ew is one of the most well-known and well-loved Thai dishes, but most people only know of the more common version of pad see ew that uses fresh wide rice noodles (ho fun). This version however uses thin rice vermicelli, and it's the one that I actually grew up eating in Thailand. It’s an incredibly fast dish to make; from the time I get up to cook to the time I sit down to eat, it takes only 20 minutes! You can even watch me prep and cook it all up in real time in the video tutorial below just to see how fast it really is!

Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken with Nuoc Cham

By Pailin Chongchitnant • February 7, 2022
Easy, delicious, and versatile; what else could you ask for in a chicken recipe? Lemongrass chicken is a staple menu item in Vietnamese restaurants in Canada, and one that my husband gets all the time - which is why I was inspired to recreate it. It is so quick to prepare, kid-friendly, can last you the whole week in the fridge (yay meal prep), and you can grill or broil it!
More Posts
Share by: