Phonetics guide

Five different tones are used in Thai. For the purpose of these pages words are broken up into syllables and each syllable has it's own tone. To indicate the appropriate tone one of the following letters is used in front of each syllable. The mid tone is indicated by the absence of a letter and is pronounced without any inflection in the middle of the vocal range.

(h) high
(l) low
(r) rising
(f) falling
(!) an exclamation mark used after a syllable indicates the syllable is pronounced quickly

Some consonants in Thai do not have an exact English equivalent but are somewhere in between two English letters. Where this occurs I have used both of the English letters to indicate this. Examples are:

bp where the sound is neither b or p but somewhere in between and pronounced quite explosively, such as bpii for year/s.

dt where the sound is neither d or t but somewhere in between, such as (h)dto! for table.

Nouns and classifiers

a pen = (l)bpahk-gah
one pen = (l)bpahk-gah (l)neung (r)darm

a watch = nah-li-gah
one watch = nah-li-gah (l)neung reu-un

I have two pens = (r)phom mii (l)bpahk-gah (r)sawng (r)darm

a book = nahng!-(r)siew
one book = nahng!-(r)siew (l)neung (f)lem!

a computer = khawm-pu-to
one computer = khawm-pu-to (l)neung (f)khrueang

These are just a few examples of different classifiers - (r)darm, reu-un, (f)lem!, (f)khrueang. Goong says there are hundreds but one of my books mentions there are around 80 - I don't know the exact figure. The difficulty lies in remembering which is the correct classifier for the object in question.

a red pen = (l)bpahk-gah (r)sii daeng
one red pen = (l)bpahk-gah (r)sii daeng (l)neung (r)darm

a big house = (f)bahn (l)yai!
one big house = (f)bahn (l)yai! (l)neung (r)lahng

Colours

(r)sii dam = black
(r)sii (r)khao = white
(r)sii daeng = red
(r)sii (h)nahm! dtahn = brown
(r)sii (r)kiew = green
(r)sii (h)nahm!-ngun! = blue
(r)sii (r)leu-ung = yellow

(r)sii (r)leu-ung (l)awn = light yellow
(r)sii (r)leu-ung (h)kem = dark yellow

I have three red books, two green watches and five brown pens.
(r)phom mii nahng!-(r)siew (r)sii daeng (r)saam (f)lem!, nah-li-gah (r)sii (r)kiew (r)sawng reu-un lah! (l)bpahk-gah (r)sii (h)nahm! dtahn (f)haa (r)darm

Asking for things

a can of coke = (r)coke (l)neung gra-(r)bpawng!

a cup of coffee = gah-fae (l)neung (f)tu-ay

(r) phom (f)dtawng gahn gah-fae yen! (h)khrap!

(f)dtawng gahn = to need yen! = cold

ow! (want) can be used instead

(r)phom ow! gah-fae yen! hkrap!

(r)phom (l)yahk (r)dai gah-fae yen! = I would like a cold coffee

ka-(r)nohm!-bpang = bread

eat = gin! (informal); tahn (polite); (h)rahp!-bpra!-tahn (very polite)

(r)pohm yaak tahn ... = I like eating ...

(l)phat (l)phak! (f)ruam mit

(l)phat = fried
(l)phak! = vegetables
(f)ruam mit = a mixture

(f)tom yam (f)ruam mit = spicy soup with a mixture of ingredients

(r)kreung gang (l)gai!/(f)goong!/(h)ta!-leh = spicy chicken/shrimp/seafood

orange juice = (h)naam (f)som kun!
lime juice = (h)naam ma!-now kun!
watermelon juice = (h)naam dtaang moh kun!
apple juice = (h)naam ah!-puhn! kun!
pineapple juice = (h)naam (l)sahp!-bpa-(h)roht! kun!

frozen ice lime drink = (h)naam ma!-now bun!

tea = (h)nahm! chah
can = gra-(r)bpawng!
bottle = (l)ku-ut

I'd like a cup of cold tea, two bottles of coke and fried rice
(r) phom (f)dtawng gahn [(r)phom (l)yahk (r)dai] chah yen!, (r)coke (r)sawng gra-(r)bpawng! lah! (f)khaao (l)phat

a bottle of fish sauce = (h)naam bplaa (l)neung kheuadt

I'd like two pieces of bread, a bottle of fish sauce, three yellow books and a blue notebook
(r)phom (l)yahk (r)dai ka-(r)nohm!-bpang (r)sawng (h)chin!, nahng!-(r)siew (r)sii (r)leu-ung (r)saam (f)lem! lah! sa-(l)moot! (r)sii (h)nahm!-ngun! (l)neung (f)lem!

notebook = sa-(l)moot!
two notebooks = sa-(l)moot! (r)sawng (f)lem!

desk / table = (h)dto!
two tables = (h)dto! (r)sawng dtu-ah

chair = (f)gow!-ee
two chairs = (f)gow!-ee (r)sawng dtu-ah

ruler = (h)mai bahn-(h)taht!
two rulers = (h)mai bahn-(h)taht! (r)sawng (f)lem!

pencil = din!-(r)saw
two pencils = din!-(r)saw (r)sawng (f)thang

room = (f)hawng!
two rooms = (f)hawng! (r)sawng (f)hawng!

In this room there are four white tables, three pens, two notebooks, a computer, three books, a clock and a chair
nai! (f)hawng! (h)nii mii (h)dto! (r)sii (r)khao (l)sii dtu-ah, (l)bpahk-gah (r)saam (r)darm, sa-(l)moot! (r)sawng (f)lem!, khawm-pu-to (l)neung (f)khrueang, nah-li-gah (l)neung reu-un lah! (f)gow!-ee (l)neung dtu-ah

this = (h)nii
that = (h)nahn!
this room = (f)hawng! (h)nii
that room = (f)hawng! (h)nahn!
in that room = nai! (f)hawng! (h)nahn!