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.

Health and Illness (contd.)

Take one tablet, three times a day after meals
tahn (gin!) yah (l)neung med, (r)saam (h)krahng! (l)dtaw wan! (r)lahng! ah-(r)hahn

yah = medicine
med = the classifier for yah (medicine)
(l)dtaw wan! = per day
(r)lahng! ah-(r)hahn = after meals
(l)gawn = before

Take two tablets a day, one after breakfast and one before going to bed
tahn (gin!) yah (r)sawng med (l)dtaw wan! (l)gawn ah-(r)hahn (h)chao (l)neung med lae! (l)gawn nawn (l)neung med

Drink plenty of water
gin / (l)duem (h)naam (f)maak (f)maak

Stay in bed to rest
nawn (h)pahk-(l)paun! (f)maak (f)maak

(h)pahk-(l)paun! = to rest

week (7 days) = ah-(h)tit! or (l)sahp!-dah

Stop smoking!
(l)yoot! (l)soop boo!-(l)ree

(l)yoot! = stop
(l)soop boo!-(l)ree = to smoke a cigarette
boo!-(l)ree = cigarette

Stop drinking alcoholic beverages
(l)yoot! gin / (l)duem (l)soo!-ra or (l)yoot! gin / (l)duem (f)lao!

alcoholic beverage = (l)soo!-ra (formal) or (f)lao! (informal)

Have at least 8 hours sleep a night
nawn (l)lahp! keun (h)la! (l)bpaat (f)chua mohng pen (l)yahng (h)noi

'nawn' and 'nawn (l)lahp!', for the verb 'to sleep' are interchangeable
keun = night
pen (l)yahng (h)noi = at least

Take two tablets a day
tahn (gin!) yah wan! (r)sawng med

I think that you'll recover in a few days
(r)phom (h)khit! (f)wah khun! (l)ja! (h)kauy!-yang-(h)chua! nai (r)sawng-(r)saam wan

(r)phom (h)khit! (f)wah = I think that
(h)kauy!-yang-(h)chua! = recover
nai = in
(r)sawng-(r)saam = a few
dii (f)keun! = feel better (an alternative to (h)kauy!-yang-(h)chua!)
nai (f)mai! (h)cha = soon

Nothing serious
(f)mai! mii ah!-rai roon-rang

(f)mai! mii ah!-rai = nothing roon-rang = serious (f)mai! roon-rang = not serious (short version)

If you do not improve within a few days, please return to see me
(f)tah khun! (f)mai! dii (f)keun! phaai-nai (r)sawng-(r)saam wan (l)bproht (l)glahp! mah (r)ha (r)phom

(f)tah = if
phaai-nai = within (a time period)
(l)glahp! mah = return to (come back)
(r)ha = see

Don't worry, it's a common illness and you'll recover soon
(l)yah kang-won man pen ar-gaan (l)bpuay tam-ma-da lae! khun! ja dii (f)keun! nai (f)mai! (h)cha

(l)yah = don't
kang-won = worry
tam-ma-da = common
ar-gaan (l)bpuay = illness

At The Hotel

May I help you, sir?
mii ah!-rai (h)hai! (f)chu-ay (r)mai

I'd like to have a room for 2 weeks
(r)phom (l)yaak dai (f)hawng!-(h)pakh! sak (r)sawng (l)sahp!-dah (l)neung hawng!

(f)hawng!-(h)pakh! = room in a hotel
hawng! = the classifier for (f)hawng!
sak (r)sawng (l)sahp!-dah = for two weeks
sak (r)sawng deu-un = for two months

I'd like to have a room for tonight
(r)phom (l)yaak dai (f)hawng!-(h)pakh! (r)sahm!-(l)rahp! keun (h)nii (l)neung hawng!

(r)sahm!-(l)rahp! = for
keun (h)nii = tonight

I'd like a room for two nights
(r)phom (l)yaak dai (f)hawng!-(h)pakh! sak (r)sawng keun (l)neung hawng!

Single or double?
(f)hawng!-(h)pakh! (h)ti! mii dti-ung (l)diew (r)reu (f)hawng!-(h)pakh! (h)ti! mii dti-ung (f)koo

dti-ung (l)diew = single bed
dti-ung (f)koo = double bed
(r)reu = or

I want a room with a private bathroom
(r)phom (l)yaak dai (f)hawng!-(h)pakh! (h)ti! mii (f)hawng! (h)nahm (l)su-an dtoo-uh

(l)su-an dtoo-uh = private

Did you make a reservation?
khun! jawng wai (r)reu (l)yang!

jawng = to reserve
wai (r)reu (l)yang! = turns the phrase into a question
The 'wai' can be left in or dropped from the sentence.

No, I didn't
(l)yang! (f)mai! jawng

Yes, I did
jawng (h)la-ew

We have a room reserved for you
rao mii (f)hawng! (h)ti! jawng (f)wai (h)hai khun!

(h)ti! jawng = reserved
(f)wai (h)hai = for

What is the price of the room?
rah-kah (f)hawng! (f)tao!-(l)rai!

rah-kah = price
(f)tao!-(l)rai! = how much?

750 Baht a day
wan (h)la! 750 Baht
or
750 Baht (l)dtaw wan

Do you have anything cheaper?
Mii (f)hawng! rah-kah (l)took-(l)gwaa (h)ni! (h)mai!

(l)took = cheap
(l)took-(l)gwaa = cheaper
paang = expensive
paang-(l)gwaa = more expensive
paang (f)tii (l)soot! = most expensive

Are you checking in now?
khun! ja long-ta-bian-(h)kao!-(f)pak (r)dee-oh (h)nii (h)mai!

long-ta-bian-(h)kao!-(f)pak = 'check-in' although the English phrases 'check-in' and 'check-out' are also used in Thailand
long-ta-bian-ork = 'check-out'
(r)dee-oh (h)nii = now

How long do you plan to stay?
khun! (l)ja! (l)yoo naan (f)tao!-(l)rai!

(l)ja! = will
(l)yoo = stay

Where do you stay?
khun! (h)pak! (l)yoo (h)ti! (r)nai

Where do you come from?
khun! ma jaak (h)ti! (r)nai

Will you please sign the register
ga!-roo!-nah lohng! (f)cheu (wide-mouth)

ga!-roo!-nah = would you mind
lohng! (f)cheu = to sign one's name

Have the bellboy bring up my bags please
(l)bproht (h)hai! (l)dek!-(h)rab!-(f)chai nahm! gra-(r)bpow! (r)khawng (r)phom (h)keun! pai (h)duay!

nahm! = to bring
nahm! (h)keun! pai = to bring up
gra-(r)bpow! = bags / luggage
(r)khawng (r)phom = my
(h)duay! = also / too (goes at the end of a lot of Thai sentences)