Bargaining at Thai markets: the words and the tone

Where bargaining is expected, and where it isn't

Markets selling clothes, bags, souvenirs and crafts expect a little back and forth, particularly in tourist areas where the first price has room built in. The same goes for unmetered transport when you agree a fare up front.

It is not done, and will land badly, at:

• Food stalls and restaurants. Prices are fixed and usually tiny. Asking for a discount on a plate of noodles is somewhere between odd and insulting.
• 7-Eleven, supermarkets and shops with price labels. If there's a ป้ายราคา bpâai raa-khaa (price sign), that's the price.
• Metered taxis. The meter decides. Your job is to make sure it's on, which is covered in Thai for the airport, taxis and Grab.
• Fresh markets. At a ตลาดสด dtà-làat sòt the fruit and vegetables are sold by weight or by the bag at a stated price. You can ask which is cheapest; you don't haggle over oranges.

The tone: light, smiling, never aggressive

This matters more than any word on the page. A Thai market seller expects a smile, a bit of play and no pressure. Raised voices, hard stares and walking off in a huff don't get you a lower price. They end the conversation. A grin and a hopeful ลดได้ไหม lót dâai mǎi work far better than a flat แพงไป phaeng bpai.

Two things to keep in mind. First, the amounts are usually small for you and not small for the seller, so bargain for the fun of it and stop when it stops being fun. Second, if you agree a price, you buy. Haggling down and then leaving is the one thing that genuinely annoys people.

The words

Men end sentences with ครับ khráp, women with ค่ะ khâ. Add yours to every line below; the khráp and khâ guide has the detail.

Thai	Romanisation	Meaning
ขอดูหน่อย	khǒr duu nòi	may I have a look
เท่าไหร่	thâo-rài	how much
แพงไป	phaeng bpai	too expensive
ก็จริงนะคะ แต่แพงไปหน่อย	kôr jing ná-khá, dtàe phaeng bpai nòi	that's true, but it's a bit expensive (woman speaking)
ลดได้ไหม	lót dâai mǎi	can you lower it?
ได้	dâai	can / yes
ไม่ได้	mâi dâai	cannot
อันไหนถูกที่สุดครับ	an-nǎi thùuk thîi-sùt khráp	which one is the cheapest? (man speaking)
อันนั้นแพงกว่านี้	an-nán phaeng kwàa níi	that one is more expensive than this
ขอบคุณค่ะ	khòp-khun khâ	thank you (woman speaking)

The second "too expensive" line is the one to learn if you learn only one. It agrees with the seller first, then objects gently. That's exactly the register Thai bargaining runs on. There's a full page on how to say how much in Thai, with the tones drawn out.

Things the seller might say

You won't catch everything, and you don't need to. These come up often enough to be worth recognising.

Thai	Romanisation	Meaning
ลดพิเศษ	lót phí-sèet	special discount
ครึ่งราคา	khrêung raa-khaa	half price
ราคาใหม่ถูกกว่า	raa-khaa mài thùuk kwàa	the new price is cheaper
ซื้อ 1 แถม 1	séu nèung thǎem nèung	buy one get one free (on a sign)
แม่ค้าแถมส้มให้	mâe-kháa thǎem sôm hâi	the seller threw in an orange
ถูกเลย	thùuk loey	really good value

That last pattern, แถม thǎem (to throw in extra), is common: a seller who won't drop the price will often add something instead. Take it with thanks. It's a yes in a different shape.

The numbers you'll hear

Prices come back fast and in Thai. The Numbers & money (baht) lesson in the Survival Pack takes you through counting with audio. These are the pieces to recognise first, and how prices are phrased.

Thai	Romanisation	Meaning
บาท	bàat	baht
สอง	sǒng	two
สี่	sìi	four
แปด	bpàet	eight
เก้า	kâo	nine
พัน	phan	thousand
สิบบาท	sìp bàat	ten baht
อันละสิบบาทค่ะ	an lá sìp bàat khâ	ten baht each
ขวดละยี่สิบบาท	khùat lá yîi-sìp bàat	twenty baht a bottle
ส้มถุงละสี่สิบบาท	sôm thǔng lá sìi-sìp bàat	oranges are forty baht a bag
สองร้อยบาทค่ะ	sǒng rói bàat khâ	two hundred baht
สองพันบาทครับ	sǒng phan bàat khráp	two thousand baht

Notice the shape: the item, then ละ lá (each, per), then the price. Once you hear that pattern you can pick the number out even when the rest goes past you. If it does go past you, hold up your phone calculator. Sellers do it too.

One tone to get right: nine and old

Numbers are where a wrong tone costs money. Nine and old differ only by tone, and both come up at a market.

And if you're buying clothes, the word for shirt and the word for mat are another pair:

Thai people are generous listeners and context rescues you often, but not every time. A couple of minutes with the Thai tones guide and the free Pronunciation Lab, which draws your pitch against a native reference and scores how close it is, pays for itself at the first stall.

How a typical exchange goes

1. Pick the thing up, smile: ขอดูหน่อย khǒr duu nòi.
2. Ask the price: เท่าไหร่ thâo-rài. Listen for the number.
3. If it's high, keep smiling: ลดได้ไหม lót dâai mǎi.
4. The seller names a lower number, or says ไม่ได้ mâi dâai, or throws something in.
5. Agree and pay, or say ขอบคุณค่ะ khòp-khun khâ and move on. Either way, you both end up smiling.

Questions travellers ask

How do I say how much in Thai?

เท่าไหร่ thâo-rài, with your polite ending. It works at a stall, a shop or a taxi, and it's the single most useful question on a trip.

How do I ask for a discount in Thai?

Smile and say ลดได้ไหม lót dâai mǎi, can you lower it? If the answer is ไม่ได้ mâi dâai, cannot, that's the price.

Is it rude to bargain in Thailand?

Not at markets selling clothes, souvenirs and crafts, where a little friendly haggling is expected. It is rude at food stalls, in shops with price labels, in 7-Eleven and in metered taxis, where prices are fixed.

How much should I bargain down?

There's no fixed rule. Ask once, politely, and take what comes back. Treat it as a friendly exchange rather than a negotiation to win, and stop when it stops being fun for both of you.

Do I need to understand Thai numbers to bargain?

It helps a lot, because prices come back in Thai. Learn the shape of a price, the item then "each" then the number then baht, and the basic numbers from the Survival Pack. When a number goes past you, the phone calculator is normal and nobody minds.

More for your trip

Learn enough Thai in two weeks · Ordering street food · Your first 48 hours in Bangkok · Airport, taxis and Grab · All the essential phrases · Thai pronunciation guide