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| This is a tonal monosyllabic language.
The same word can be said in five different ways - normal or middle tone, low, rising and
falling. Like English it
is read from left to right. but that 's where the similarities end. Some English sounds
like "th" and "z" don 't appear at all, while some Thai sounds are not
commonly used in English either.
There are no plural in Thai, nor
are there tenses as such. A word or two is usually added to determine the past, present or
future. If you run into difficulties, remember to speak slowly and clearly, stick to the
simple present tense and don 't use slang or idioms.
In Thai there is a "politening"
word attached to the end of anything you say. For men it is "krup" for women it
is "kha" .The words have have little if any direct translation but a Thai will
think very highly of you if you use it. |
Select a category of words and phrases:
Time
and Dates | Places | Directions| Travel
| Shopping/Dining
Numbers | Basic Words
|
Thank you |
kop khun (krup/kha) |
|
Never mind |
mai pen rai |
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Excuse me |
khor thod |
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Hello |
sawat-dee (krup/kha) |
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Goodbye |
la kon |
|
Do you understand? |
kao jai mai |
|
Don't understand |
mai kao jai |
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please speak slowly |
phoot cha-cha |
|
Can't speak Thai |
phoot Thai mai dai |
|
How much |
tao rai (krup/kha) |
| Not too spicy please |
khor mai phet |
Fish |
plaa |
| No sugar please |
mai sai nam taan |
Spicy prawn soup |
tom yam kung |
| This is too spicy |
pehet kern pai |
Fried rice |
khao paad |
| Chicken |
gai |
Water |
nam |
| Pork |
moo |
Coffee |
ga-fae |
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Days of the Week
|
Directions |
| Monday |
wan chan |
I want to go... |
yaak ja pai ... |
| Tuesday |
wan angkaan |
Where is ... ? |
.... yoo nai ? |
| Wednesday |
wan phut |
Turn left |
leow sai |
| Thursday |
wan paruhat |
Turn right |
leow kwaa |
| Friday |
wan suk |
Stop here |
yut tee nee |
| Saturday |
wan sao |
Slow down |
cha-cha |
| Sunday |
wan a-tit |
Go straight |
trong pai |
| To day |
wan nee |
Be care ful |
ra wang |
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Order Thai Food
Tom Yum Kung : Spiced
Sour Soup with shrimp.
Kang Som : Seafood or chicken , vegetable ragout with
sour and sweet flavor.
Kang Keow Wan Kai : Green and sweet cooked with chicken.
Kaeng Mat Sa Man : Rich beef or chicken curry with sweet potato.
Kaeng Ka Ri : A mild flavoured Indian type curry made with
chicken beef or lamb with potatoes, tomatoes and onions.
Kang Liang : Thai style soup with vegetables.
Tom Khaa Kai : Chicken with galingale in coconut milk soup.
Khai Tom : Hard boiled eggs.
Khai Luak : Soft boiled eggs.
Khai Dao : Fried eggs.
Khao Phad : Fried rice with choice of pork, chicken or seafood.
Phad Phak : Fried vegetables with pork, chicken or seafood.
Phad Priew Wan : Sweet and sour fried vegetable with pork,
chicken or seafood.
Do & Taboo
in Thailand
Getting Along in Thailand
Thailand is justly celebrated for its tolerance and hospitality,and the average
tourist will have no difficulty in adjusting to the local customs. All the same, as when
coming into anyunfamiliar society, a visitor may find it helpful to be aware of certain
do's and don't's and thus avoid giving accidental offense. Basically, most of these are
simply a matter of common sense and good manners-not really all that different from the
way one would behave in one's own country-but a few are special enough to be pointed out.
The Monarchy
The Thai people have a deep, traditional reverence for their Royal Family, and a
visitor should also be careful to show respect for the King, the Queen, and the Royal
Children. In a cinema, for example, a portrait of the King is shown during the playing of
the royal anthem, and the audience is expected to stand. When attending some public event
at which a member of the Royal Family is present, the best guide as to how to behave is
probably to watch the crowd and do what it does.
Religion
Thai law has a number of special sections concerning religious offenses, and
these cover not only Buddhism, the religion of the majority of the people, but also any
other faiths represented in the Kingdom. It is, for instance unlawful to commit any act,
by any means whatever, to an object or a place of religious worship of any community in a
manner likely to insult The religion. Similarly, "whoever causes any disturbance at
an assembly lawfully engaged in the performance of religious worship of religious
ceremonies" is subject to punishment, as well as "whoever dresses or uses a
symbol showing that he is a priest or novice, holyman or clergyman of any religion
unlawfully in order to make another person believe he is such person."
In less legal language, here are a few tips on what to do and what not to do on a visit to
a religious place:
Dress neatly. Don't go shirtless, or in shorts, pants, or other unsuitable attire. If you
look at the Thais around you, you'll see the way they would prefer you to be dressed --
which, in fact, is probably not very different from the way you'd dress in a similar place
back home. It's all right to wear shoes while walking around the compound of a Buddhist
temple, but not inside the chapel where the principal Buddha image is kept. Don't worry
about dirt when you have to take them off; the floors of such places are usually clean. In
a Muslim mosque, men should wear hats and women should be well-covered with slacks or a
long skirt, a long-sleeved blouse buttoned to the neck, and a scarf over the hair. All
should remove their shoes before entering the mosque and should not be present if there is
a religious gathering. Buddhist priests are forbidden to touch or to be touched by a woman
or to accept anything from the hand of one. If a woman has to give anything to a monk or
novice, she first hands it to a man, who then presents it. Or in case of a woman who wants
to present it with her hand, the monk or novice will spread out a piece of saffron robe or
handkerchief in front of him, and the woman will lay down the material on the robe which
is being held at one end by the monk or novice.
All Buddha images, large or small, ruined or not, are regarded as sacred objects. Hence,
don't climb up on one to take a photograph or, generally speaking, do anything that might
show a lack of respect.
Social Customs
The don'ts of Thai social behavior are less clearly defined than those concerning
the monarchy or religion-especially in a city like Bangkok where Western customs are
better known and more widely accepted. However, what is acceptable in Bangkok may not be
in the countryside where the old ways are still strong. Here are a few things to keep in
mind:
Thais DO NOT normally shake hands when they greet one another, but
instead press the palms together. In a prayer-like gesture called a wai. Generally, a
younger person WAIS an elder, who returns it. Watch how the Thais do it, and you will soon
learn. It is considered rude to point your foot at a person, so try to avoid doing so when
sitting opposite anyone, and following the conception that the foot is a low limb; DO
NOT point your foot to show anything to anyone, but use your finger instead.
Thais regard the head as the highest part of the body both literally and figuratively. As
a result they DO NOT approve of touching anyone on that part of the body;
even in a friendly gesture. Similarly, if you watch Thais a social gathering, you will
notice that young people go to considerable lengths to keep their heads lower than those
of the elder ones, to avoid giving the impression of "looking down" on them.
This is not always possible, of course, but it is the effort that counts. Public displays
of affection between men and women are frowned upon. You may see some very Westernized
young Thai couples holding hands, but that is the extent of the displaying of affection in
this polite society. Losing your temper, especially in public, will more than likely get
you nowhere. The Thais think such displays denote poor manners, and you are more apt to
get what you want by keeping a cool head and concealing your emotions. DO NOT
be surprised if you are addressed by your first name; for instance, Mr. Bob or Miss Mary
instead of by your surname. This is because Thais refer to one another in this manner,
usually with the title "Khun" (Mr., Mrs., or Miss) in front. Follow the customs
of any country as far as possible, and you will make more friends during your stay. The
more friends you make, the more you will want to return to Thailand.
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