Your first 48 hours in Bangkok, in Thai
A walk through the first two days, from the arrivals hall to a late foot massage, with the Thai you'd actually say at each step.
The short answer: your first two days in Bangkok run through about ten situations, and each one needs two or three phrases. Hello and thank you carry you through most of them. Add ขอมิเตอร์ครับ khǒr mí-dtêr khráp for the taxi, ไม่เผ็ด mâi phèt for your first meal, เท่าไหร่ thâo-rài for the market and ไม่เข้าใจ mâi khâo-jai for everything else, and you'll have a better 48 hours than most visitors. Men end sentences with ครับ khráp, women with ค่ะ khâ; the khráp and khâ guide explains it.
Hour 1: the airport
You land, you queue, you're stamped in. Signs are in English, so the first Thai you need is for people. You'll want cash before the taxi, and the public taxi rank is signposted; metered taxis are the normal way into town.
| Thai | Romanisation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ผ่านศุลกากรแล้วก็ออกได้เลย | phàan sǔn-lá-kaa-kon láew kôr òk dâi loey | through customs, then you can go straight out |
| มีเอทีเอ็มอยู่ใกล้ที่นี่ไหม | mii ee-thii-em yùu klâi thîi-nîi mǎi | is there a cash machine near here? |
| ขอโทษครับ ไม่เข้าใจ | khǒr-thôot khráp mâi khâo-jai | sorry, I don't understand (man speaking) |
Hour 2: the taxi
Say hello as you get in. Ask for the meter if it isn't already running. Show the hotel on your phone, or the hotel's address card in Thai, and say go here. Then sit back; the driver knows the way better than your map does.
| Thai | Romanisation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| สวัสดีครับ | sà-wàt-dii khráp | hello (man speaking) |
| ขอมิเตอร์ครับ | khǒr mí-dtêr khráp | meter, please (man speaking) |
| ไปที่นี่ | bpai thîi-nîi | go here |
| ผมพักที่โรงแรมครับ | phǒm phák thîi rong-raem khráp | I'm staying at a hotel (man speaking) |
| จอดที่นี่ | jòt thîi-nîi | stop here |
| ขอบคุณครับ | khòp-khun khráp | thank you (man speaking) |
The full ride, including directions for the last few hundred metres, is in Thai for the airport, taxis and Grab.
Hour 3: hotel check-in
Reception speaks English in almost every Bangkok hotel, so check-in itself happens in English. The Thai that counts here is the greeting and the thank you, said properly. Staff notice, and it sets the tone for the stay.
| Thai | Romanisation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| สวัสดีค่ะ | sà-wàt-dii khâ | hello (woman speaking) |
| รอที่ล็อบบี้นะคะ | ror thîi lóp-bîi ná-khá | wait in the lobby, please (what staff may say) |
| ที่โรงแรมมีอินเทอร์เน็ตฟรี | thîi rong-raem mii in-ther-net frii | the hotel has free internet |
| ขอบคุณค่ะ | khòp-khun khâ | thank you (woman speaking) |
Hour 4: the 7-Eleven
There's one within two minutes of your hotel. It's the lowest-pressure place in Thailand to try your Thai on a real person: the whole exchange is thirty seconds and the cashier has seen it all.
| Thai | Romanisation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| น้ำสิบบาทครับ | nám sìp bàat khráp | water is ten baht |
| ที่นี่รับบัตรไหมครับ | thîi-nîi ráp bàt mǎi khráp | do you take cards here? (man speaking) |
| สแกนคิวอาร์โค้ดค่ะ | sà-kaen khiw-aa-khôot khâ | scan the QR code (what the cashier may say) |
| ขอบคุณครับ | khòp-khun khráp | thank you (man speaking) |
No bargaining here. The price on the shelf is the price, which is one of the things the bargaining guide covers.
Evening 1: your first meal
Walk until you see a stall with a queue of locals and a couple of metal tables. Catch the cook's eye, say hello, and order one plate. Not spicy, if you want to sleep tonight. Then the two words that make the cook's evening.
| Thai | Romanisation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| เอาข้าวผัดไก่หนึ่งจานครับ | ao khâaw phàt kài nèung jaan khráp | one chicken fried rice, please (man speaking) |
| ไม่เผ็ด | mâi phèt | not spicy |
| ขอน้ำ | khǒr nám | water, please |
| เช็คบิล | chék bin | the bill |
| อร่อยมาก | à-ròi mâak | very tasty |
Everything else you might want at a stall, from noodle types to takeaway, is in ordering street food in Thai.
Night 1: a foot massage, and goodnight
After a long flight there are few better ways to end the day. Massage shops are everywhere, the menu is usually in English and Thai, and prices are fixed.
| Thai | Romanisation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| เอานวดเท้าครับ | ao nûat tháo khráp | I'll have a foot massage (man speaking) |
| เอานวดไทยค่ะ | ao nûat thai khâ | I'll have a Thai massage (woman speaking) |
| เจอกันพรุ่งนี้นะครับ | jer kan phrûng-níi ná khráp | see you tomorrow (man speaking) |
Morning 2: coffee and the weather
Find a coffee cart. The vendor will be glad of a customer who orders in Thai, and the weather is the national small talk, so learn one line about it.
| Thai | Romanisation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ขอกาแฟร้อนครับ | khǒr kaa-fae rón khráp | a hot coffee, please (man speaking) |
| ขอกาแฟเย็นสองแก้วค่ะ | khǒr kaa-fae yen sǒng kâew khâ | two iced coffees, please (woman speaking) |
| อากาศร้อนนะ | aa-kàat rón ná | it's hot, isn't it |
| ผมพูดภาษาไทยได้นิดหน่อย | phǒm phûut phaa-sǎa thai dâai nít-nòi | I can speak a little Thai (man speaking) |
That last line is worth saying early in any conversation. It sets expectations, buys patience, and is nearly always met with delight.
Midday 2: the Skytrain
Signs and announcements on the BTS are in English as well as Thai, so you won't need to speak. Listen instead: announcements come in Thai first, which makes every ride a free listening lesson.
| Thai | Romanisation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| บนรถไฟฟ้า | bon rót-fai-fáa | on the Skytrain |
| รถไฟเร็วกว่าแท็กซี่ | rót-fai rew kwàa tháek-sîi | the train is faster than a taxi |
| ห้องน้ำอยู่ที่ไหน | hông-nám yùu thîi-nǎi | where's the bathroom |
The toilet question has its own page.
Afternoon 2: a market
Pick something up, ask how much, and if the price feels high, smile and ask if they can lower it. If they can't, that's the price. Keep it light. The whole dance is in bargaining at Thai markets.
| Thai | Romanisation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ขอดูหน่อย | khǒr duu nòi | may I have a look |
| เท่าไหร่ | thâo-rài | how much |
| ลดได้ไหม | lót dâai mǎi | can you lower it? |
| ไม่เป็นไร | mâi bpen rai | no worries |
Late afternoon 2: a temple
Cover shoulders and knees, take your shoes off where the sign says, keep your voice down, and don't point your feet at a Buddha image. You won't need to say much. Reading the two signs you'll meet, and knowing the gesture, is the Thai that matters here.
| Thai | Romanisation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| กรุณาแต่งกายสุภาพเมื่อเข้าวัด | kà-rú-naa dtàeng-kaai sù-phâap mûea khâo wát | please dress modestly when entering the temple (a sign) |
| โปรดถอดรองเท้าก่อนเข้า | bpròot thòt rong-tháo kòn khâo | please remove your shoes before entering (a sign) |
| ไหว้พระก่อนนะ | wâai phrá kòn ná | pay respect to the Buddha first |
| วัดนี้สงบมาก | wát níi sà-ngòp mâak | this temple is very peaceful |
| พระพุทธรูปสวยมากครับ | phrá-phút-thá-rûup sǔay mâak khráp | the Buddha image is very beautiful (man speaking) |
The word for enter in those signs is a tone trap. Three words that sound alike to an English ear:
khâo · enter
falling
khào · knee
low
khǎo · he, she
rising
Thai people are generous listeners and context rescues you often, but not every time. The Thai tones guide explains the five tones; the free Pronunciation Lab draws your pitch against a native reference and scores how close it is.
Night 2: out, and lost, and found
You'll walk further than you meant to and the lanes will fold back on themselves. Being lost here is ordinary; ask anyone, show your hotel on the map, and the tourist police exist for exactly this.
| Thai | Romanisation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ผมหลงครับ | phǒm lǒng khráp | I'm lost (man speaking) |
| ขอถามหน่อย | khǒr thǎam nòi | may I ask something |
| สถานีตำรวจอยู่ที่ไหนครับ | sà-thǎa-nii dtam-rùat yùu thîi-nǎi khráp | where is the police station? (man speaking) |
| ตำรวจท่องเที่ยว | dtam-rùat thông-thîaw | tourist police |
| โชคดีนะครับ เดินทางปลอดภัย | chôok-dii ná khráp dern-thaang bplòt-phai | good luck, and travel safely (man speaking) |
Hour 48: checking out
Two days in, you've said hello and thank you forty times, ordered two meals and survived a market. That's more Thai than most visitors use in a fortnight. One more line at the desk.
| Thai | Romanisation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ขอเช็คเอาท์ค่ะ | khǒr chék-áo khâ | I'd like to check out, please (woman speaking) |
| ผมชอบเมืองไทยมาก | phǒm chôp mueang-thai mâak | I like Thailand very much (man speaking) |
How to have these ready before you land
- Work through the two-week plan, or at least the Survival Pack lessons Hello, thanks & being polite, Taxis, Grab & Bolt and Coffee & ordering food, saying each phrase out loud after the audio.
- Check your tones on hello, not spicy and how much in the free Pronunciation Lab. No signup, runs in your browser.
- Run this page in your head on the plane. By the taxi rank it will feel familiar.
Questions travellers ask
Do I need Thai for my first days in Bangkok?
Not strictly. English gets you through the airport, hotel and Skytrain. But a dozen phrases, said out loud, change how people treat you, and they make taxis, stalls and markets much easier.
What's the first Thai phrase to learn before landing?
Hello with your polite ending: สวัสดีครับ sà-wàt-dii khráp for a man, สวัสดีค่ะ sà-wàt-dii khâ for a woman. Then thank you, then ไม่เข้าใจ mâi khâo-jai, I don't understand.
How should I behave at a temple in Bangkok?
Cover shoulders and knees, remove your shoes where the sign asks, keep quiet, and never point your feet at a Buddha image. The signs you'll see are above, so you'll recognise them.
Is it safe to get lost in Bangkok at night?
In the normal tourist and residential areas, yes. Ask anyone for help, show your hotel on your phone, and the tourist police exist for exactly this. The phrase for I'm lost is above.
Where can I practise this Thai before I go?
The Thailand Survival Pack in the Ravela Thai app is 15 short spoken lessons, no Thai script needed, with the first 4 free on iPhone, Android and the web. The free Pronunciation Lab checks your tones in the browser with no signup.
More for your trip
Learn enough Thai in two weeks · Airport, taxis and Grab · Ordering street food · Bargaining at markets · All the essential phrases · Thai pronunciation guide
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Thailand Survival Pack: 15 lessons, spoken only, Thai audio on every phrase. The first 4 are free.
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