Thai Phrasebook

Thai belongs to the Tai-Kadai language family and is a tonal language: The same word can have five completely different meanings depending on the tone. The most famous example:

"Mai" — one word, five meanings:

The Five Tones

• Middle Tone (สามัญ): Neutral, steady pitch — like a normal German declarative sentence.
• Low Tone (เอก): Starts low and stays low. Like a tired, resigned sigh.
• Falling Tone (โท): Starts high and falls. Like a firm German "No!" (from high to low).
• High Tone (ตรี): Starts high and stays high. Like a surprised question: "Really?!"
• Rising Tone (จัตวา): Starts low and rises. Like the German question intonation: "Really?"

Further Basic Rules

• Gender: Men end polite sentences with "kráp" (ครับ), women with "kâ" (ค่ะ). This is not optional — omitting it seems rude.
• No Plural: Thai has no plural endings. "Dog" and "Dogs" are the same word.
• No Conjugation: Verbs are not inflected — tenses are expressed through context words.
• Thai Script: 44 consonants, 32 vowels, no spaces between words. You don't need to learn it for a short vacation.

The Thai greeting is the Wai (ไหว้) — the palms are pressed together in front of the chest (like in prayer), and you slightly bow your head. The Wai is a greeting, thank you, and sign of respect all in one.

Wai Rules

• The higher the hands and the deeper the bow, the more respect. In front of monks: Hands at forehead level, deep bow. In front of older people: Hands at nose level. Among peers: Hands at chest level.
• As a tourist: You don't have to initiate the Wai, but you should return it if someone gives you a Wai. Exception: Children and service staff (waiters, drivers) — here you don't need to return it (a friendly smile and nod suffice).
• Common mistake: Do not Wai while holding money/items. Hands must be free.

Basic Greetings

Ordering food is one of the most important language situations in Thailand — and Thai restaurant operators are used to communicating with gestures and pointing.

Bargaining takes place in markets and small shops — and a few words of Thai make all the difference:

Numbers (indispensable!)

Composition: 25 = yîi-sìp hâa, 150 = nùeng rói hâa-sìp, 3,000 = sǎam pan.

Whether in a taxi, Tuk-Tuk, or asking for directions — these phrases help:

You should have these sentences ready in an emergency — write them on a card that you carry in your wallet:

Phrases that make everyday life easier and create goodwill:

Survival Tips for Communication

• Google Translate: The Thai translation is now surprisingly good, especially the camera function (hold the phone over Thai script, and it will be translated). The speech input/output also works reasonably well.
• Point & Smile: At the market, pointing works better than speaking. On the menu, pictures work better than letters. And everywhere, a smile works better than anything else.
• Hotel Business Card: Always take a business card from your hotel (written in Thai) — so any taxi driver can bring you back, even if he doesn't speak a word of English.
• 555 = "Ha Ha Ha": In Thai chats, "555" means laughter — because the number 5 is pronounced "hâa" in Thai. If a Thai writes "555" to you, they're laughing.