100 Thai Words to Survive
Your First 3 Months

Essential. Thai "normal spicy" will make you cry during week 1.

For when you want flavor without burning your mouth off.

Say this with a smile to any food cart cook. Instant friendship.

Iced coffee and smoothies come with 4 spoons of syrup unless you say this.

Useful if sensitive to flavor enhancers.

Said at any stall when taking food back to your room.

Point to the table and say this.

Bottled still drinking water.

Raise your hand gently and say this to pay.

"Jay" guarantees no fish sauce or meat stock whatsoever.

They ask this on every single transaction.

Cashier asks this for toasties and meals. Answer: "Wave krup/ka".

Once your Thai bank app is active, you use this everywhere.

Use cash until your Non-B bank account opens.

Needed for school reimbursements or tax forms.

What the clerk says when an item is sold out.

Point to shelf and say "ao an nee" (I want this one).

Commercial cylindrical ice with hole is 100% safe to consume.

If they forget to hand you a straw with your drink.

Carry a pack in your day bag everywhere in Thailand.

Essential when riding with songthaews or Grab drivers.

Remember: left is 'sai'.

Remember: right is 'khwa'.

Say politely to stop a songthaew or taxi right at your flat.

Tone matters: falling tone glai = near; flat tone klai = far.

Where you go for travel vans to Chiang Mai, Bangkok, or Tak.

"Pai Mor Chit 2", "Pai rong-rean" (Go to school).

Never accept a flat 500 THB fare in Bangkok when landing.

At petrol station: "Nam-man tem thang" = Fill the tank full.

Say this if a motorcycle taxi is speeding recklessly.

Call senior Thai staff "Phee + Name" (e.g. Phee Mai, Phee Min).

Affectionate term used for younger staff or interns.

How students, parents, and community members address you.

Cornerstone of Thai staffroom harmony. Never display anger.

What colleagues say when disappearing for an afternoon meeting.

Always say yes when Thai teachers invite you to lunch.

Short for phu-am-nuay-kan. Wai deeply with thumbs touching nose tip.

Say this after handing in grading sheets or signing forms.

Starts around 07:50 to 08:00 AM every school day.

Why Thai teachers won't tell you directly when something is wrong.

Text this to your apartment manager on LINE if water cuts off.

Common during heavy northern monsoon storms.

Needs a 400 THB filter clean or freon top-up.

Usually 100 to 200 THB a month in provincial apartments.

Usually 800 to 1,500 THB depending on AC usage at night.

Due usually between the 1st and 5th of each month.

Call building security or message landlord for spare.

"Chaang air" (AC tech), "Chaang fai" (electrician).

Never flush toilet paper down Thai pipes. Use the bin.

Coin machines on every corner (20 to 40 THB per load).

Ask politely at any market stall while pointing to an item.

Only use for clothes or multiple items. Never on food.

Twenty is "yee-sip", not "song-sip".

Matthew's Walking Street dinner budget = 200 THB (song roi).

Break 1,000 THB notes at 7-Eleven, not small fruit stalls.

Thai national currency unit.

Seller asking how many skewers or pieces you want.

Great at fruit stalls (mango, mangosteen, rambutan).

Asked when picking up papayas, watermelon, or pineapples.

Thai ATM machines charge 220 THB on international foreign cards.

Pharmacist will hand you paracetamol ("Yaa Para").

Common in weeks 2-3 as gut adapts. Buy electrolyte packets.

If fever lasts over 48h, WhatsApp Matthew for hospital trip.

E.g. "Phae penicillin" (Allergic to penicillin).

Happens from speaking loudly over classroom fans all morning.

For pollen, dust, or insect bites (cetirizine / loratadine).

Essential at dusk in schools and parks (pink bottle at 7-Eleven).

Provincial government hospitals are modern and low-cost.

Doctor evening clinics open 17:00-20:00 for quick prescriptions.

Required for sick leave at school and your work permit file.

Add to the end of every sentence if you are a male speaker.

Add to the end of every sentence if you are a female speaker.

The national mantra of Thailand. Smooths over any friction.

Said when passing someone closely or making a mistake.

Say it 20 times a day with a gentle nod.

Direct affirmation or negation.

"Dai mai?" = Can you? "Mai dai" = Cannot.

Said when grabbing your phone or checking a document.

When asked if you speak Thai: "Phut dai nit noi krup/ka".

Reassures your co-teacher after an explanation.

Search this + your town name on Google Maps for evening reset.

The town park loop from 17:00 to 18:30 is pure gold.

Free evening aerobic dance with speakers at every Thai park.

Watch locals play on park concrete courts. Great agility.

Used on Wednesday karaoke nights or drinks with teachers.

Kind question Thai teachers ask each other after events.

"Sanook" is the core principle of Thai everyday life.

Said when leaving the staffroom gate at 16:30.

"Pai thiao nai?" = Where are you traveling this weekend?

Said in northern November-January cool morning assemblies.

Always ask in Thai first. People appreciate the polite effort.

Accompanied with a polite smile and shake of the head.

Top 3 most used phrase by foreign travelers in Thailand.

Show your phone with Google Maps pin.

Motorbike tyre patches cost 60 to 100 THB at roadside shops.

The polite, non-panic way to ask any Thai bystander for a hand.