Thai For Beginners

Thai for Beginners
Thai for Beginners

Jacob Y. de Groot
Prince of Songkhla University, Phuket Campus

2010
Text: Copyright Jacob Y. de Groot 2010

Illustrations: Copyright Jacob Y. de Groot 2010
Jacob Y. de Groot has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs
and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.
PSU Thai for Beginners
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Introduction
V
IX
Lesson 1: Introduction to language, grammar and script
1.1
1.2
1.3
1.4
1.5
1.6
1.7
1.8
1.9
Introduction
The Thai language
The Thai alphabet
The alphabet and the five tones
Diacritics and punctuation marks
Writing Thai
Our transcription method
Thai grammar and script
Exercises
Lesson 2: Questions and answers
2.1
2.2
2.3
2.4
2.5
2.6
2.7
Introduction
The Thai sentence (1)
Cultural notes: Khunna, Decha and Bunkhun
Characteristics of the Thai language
Exercises
Answers to exercise 1
Lesson 3: Introducing yourself
3.1
3.2
3.3
3.4
3.5
3.6
Introduction
Introducing yourself
Idioms, polite gestures, greetings
The verb to be
Exercises
Answers to the exercises
Lesson 4: Two friends
4.1
4.2
4.3
Introduction
Dialogue
The tones 1: the mid tone and the low tone
3
4
5
13
19
20
20
24
24
27
29
29
34
36
36
41
42
43
45
45
51
53
55
56
59
61
62
68
V
4.4
4.5
4.6
Grammar and idioms: Words for and; the word ;

long loan words from foreign languages
Exercises
Lesson 5: In the morning at the university
5.1
5.2
5.3
5.4
5.5
5.6
5.7
5.8
Introduction
Dialogue1
Dialogue 2
Idioms
The tones 2: The mid tone and the high tone
Grammar: Head nouns; Classifiers; Degrees of comparison;
Manners of speech
Exercises
Lesson 6: A relaxing weekend in Hua Hin
6.1
6.2
6.3
6.4
6.5
6.6
6.7
Introduction
Dialogue
The tones 3: The mid tone, the rising tone and the falling tone
Idioms; Personal pronouns; Particles, interjections and stopgaps
Grammar: and as directional verbs
Exercises
Lesson 7: Joy! Wake up!
7.1
7.2
7.3
7.4
7.5
7.6
Introduction
Dialogue
Idioms: The polite final particle; names, relation terms
and functions used as personal pronouns; the phrase ;
Writing I: The consonants -
Exercises
Lesson 8: Welcome

8.1
8.2
8.3
8.4
VI
Introduction
Dialogue
Grammar: Repetition and addition: the Thai sentence;
Idiomatic expressions;
Writing II: The consonants -
69
71
71
73
75
75
84
87
88
88
93
94
95
97
97
105
106
108
110
110
113
115
115
125
127
129
130
133
135
135
140
142

8.5
8.6
Exercises
Lesson 9: Meeting family at the airport
9.1
9.2
9.3
9.4
9.5
9.6
9.7
9.8
9.9
Introduction
Dialogue
Idioms
Grammar: Leaving out the subject; the negation:
Rehearsal and additional constructions
Cultural notes
Writing III: The consonants -
Theoretical overview of the five tones
Exercises
Answers to exercises 1 and 2
Lesson 10: At the restaurant
10.1
10.2
10.3
10.4
10.5
10.6
10.7
10.8
Introduction
Dialogue
Idioms
Grammar: Meanings of the word ; intensifying or
mitigating negations; the causative and its negation; Saying no
Negative conditional clauses
Cultural note
Writing IV: The consonants -
Exercises
Lesson 11: Stuck in traffic again
11.1
11.2
11.3
11.4
11.5
11.6
11.7
11.8
11.9
Introduction
Dialogue
Idioms
Grammar: The imperative mood and its negative;
the passive voice
Cultural notes
- Writing V: The vowels and diphthongs
- Writing VI: The triphthongs
- Writing VII: Unwritten vowel sounds (inherent vowels)
Exercises
143
145
147
149
149
156
158
165
166
168
169
171
173
175
175
185
186
194
195
196
198
201
203
204
219
220
222
223
224
225
225
226
227
VII

Lesson 12: Out on the town in Bangkok
12.1 Introduction
12.2. Dialogue
12.3 Idioms: Spoken language: Stopgaps, abbreviations
and link words
12.4 Cultural notes
12.5 Irregularities in Thai spelling and class modifiers
12.6 Writing VIII: The script and the tones; further instructions
in reading and writing
12.7 Exercises
12.8 Answers to exercise 1
VIII
229
231
231
244
246
248
250
257
257
Introduction
Thai is a member of the Tai subgroup within the Tai-Kadai language family. Tai languages
are spoken in an area that stretches from south-western China and North Vietnam to northeastern India. Thai is by far the largest language within the Tai subgroup. Languages closely
related to Thai are Lao, the national language of Laos, and Shan, the language spoken in the
Shan state in Burma. From the eighth century, Tai speakers migrated from their homeland in
southern China towards the areas now dominated by them in present-day Thailand, Laos and
Burma. In Thailand, they replaced the former inhabitants of the area, the Mon and the Khmer,
almost completely.
Sukhothai, the first Thai nation state, was founded in 1238 AD. The kingdom was conquered
in 1376 by the young Thai kingdom of Ayutthaya, which had been founded in 1350. Four
hundred years later, in 1767, Ayutthaya fell to the Burmese. From the chaos, the Thai people
arose under General Taksin, who subsequently led the country from 1769 until 1782, and
founded a new capital: Thonburi. The present Thai kingdom, named Siam until 24 June
19391, was founded in 1782 by Chao Phraya Chakri. He moved the capital from Thonburi to
Bangkok, on the other side of the Chao Phraya River. As Buddha Yodfa Chulalok, or Rama I,
Chao Phraya Chakri became the first king of the Chakri Dynasty, which rules Thailand up to
this day. The present King Bhumibol Adulyadet is the ninth Chakri Monarch.
Within the Thai language, there exist four main dialects: Central Thai, North-eastern Thai
(Isan), Northern Thai (Kham Muang) and Southern Thai (Ti). The national language of
Thailand, and therefore the most prestigious dialect, is Central Thai (phaasa klaang), which
is spoken as a mother tongue in the 26 provinces of the Chao Praya basin, the northernmost
part of the Malay peninsula and the northern coast of the Gulf of Thailand. To the east, the
area includes the provinces Trat, Chantaburi and Sa Kaew on the Cambodian border, to the
north the provinces Prachinburi, Nakhon Nayok, Saraburi, Lopburi, Chai Nat and Suphanburi; to the west the provinces Kanchanaburi and Phetburi, and the southernmost province
where Central Thai is spoken is Prachuap Khiri Khan. The national capital, Bangkok, lies
right in the middle of this area. Central Thai is taught from the first grade of primary school
throughout the country to every Thai child, and thus every Thai who has been to school can
speak and understand it. Through this course, you will learn this dominant central dialect of
the Thai language. From now on, the language will be called Thai.
Thai is spoken as a first or as a second language2 by around 60 million people, most of whom
live in Thailand. Through migration, a large number of Thais live in the United States. In
Europe, significant numbers of Thais live in Great Britain, Germany, the Netherlands and
France. Lively Thai communities also exist in Australia, Malaysia, Singapore and Japan.
The official name of the country was Siam until 24 June 1939, when it was changed into Thailand; The
country was called Siam again in 1945, until the name Thailand eventually became official again on 11
May 1949.
2
If one would consider Isan, Kham Muang and Ti as separate languages. 99 % of the speakers of these
dialects also speaks and understands Central Thai. Within the large Chinese communities in the cities,
there is nobody who doesnt speak Central Thai as a first or a second language. The Mon communities in
Kanchanaburi, Ratchaburi, Ayutthaya, Lopburi and Bangkok are mostly Thai monolingual. Around
50,000 of the 120,000 Thai of Mon origin still speak Mon at home (especially the Mon in Bangkok). The
Khmer community around Surin, Si Saket and Buri Ram (around a million people) is bilingual.
IX

This practical Thai course is comprised of 60 lessons divided into three unequal parts. The
first part, Thai for Beginners is a twelve-lesson elementary introduction to the Thai language. In this first part, you will be offered sufficient learning material to gain a basic knowledge of modern Thai. For beginners, an important part of the learning process is mastering
the Thai script. Without being able to read and write, it is simply impossible to learn Thai
well. In the first part of the course, emphasis is also given to important grammatical features
as sentence construction and the all-important basic vocabulary. After conclusion of Thai for
Beginners, you will be able to communicate with Thai people on a basic level, as well as be
able to read and write simple texts in Thai.
In the next 36 lessons, Intermediate Thai, your knowledge will be augmented and improved
towards an advanced level. Finally, the intermediate course is followed up by a twelve-lesson
course called Thai for Advanced Students, in which the finesses of the correct usage of spoken and written Thai will be further explained. After completion of the whole course, you
will be able to converse fluently in the language and understand it proficiently. You will also
be able to read modern Thai texts (novels, newspapers and magazines), and you will be sufficiently equipped to independently further your mastery of the Thai language.
Each lesson in the course exists of:
An introduction;
A text, called dialogue, written in Thai, followed in the course for beginners by a combined transcription and literal word-for-word translation (a word-for-word translation in
English is given under each transcribed line of text). In the course for intermediate students a transcription and word-for-word translation is still given in lessons 1-12, but in an
appendix at the end of each lesson. Word-for word translations - without transcription are given up to and including lesson 32 for intermediate students. After that, only translations in natural English are given. All dialogues in the course are meant as practical reading exercises, but function in the mean time as listening exercises. To this course belong
13 CDs, recorded with native speakers renditions of the dialogues of every lesson;
A Thai-English vocabulary list of all new words appearing in the dialogue. Up to and including lesson 12 for intermediate students, the vocabulary lists are provided with a transcription of each Thai word in phonetic script. The vocabulary lists appear in a spoken
version on the CDs belonging with the course;
A translation of the dialogue in natural English;
A theoretical part, consisting of one or more articles on language or culture. Articles on
language are on script and writing, grammar, idiom and vocabulary. These linguistic articles are supplemented with short essays on Thai society, customs and culture;
Tone exercises: In lessons 4 through 6 for beginners exercises are given to familiarize
you with the five tones of the Thai language;
Exercises, consisting of translation exercises, fill-in exercises or questions. For part of the
exercises a key is given. The rest of the exercises is meant to be corrected by a teacher in
a classroom situation or as homework given;
The key to part of the exercises.
1. Introduction
The introduction offers some short background information about the events about to take
place in the dialogue. When the dialogue is a sequel of the previous lessons dialogue, a
summary of prior events is given. The introduction also mentions which grammar and culture
articles the lesson includes, and it prepares you for changes in format of a new series of lessons.

2. Dialogue
2.1. Form of the dialogue
In lessons 4 for beginners up to and including lesson 30 for intermediate students, the text
part of each lesson consists of dialogue, introduced and connected by paragraphs in prose.
These dialogues and connecting texts are written in Thai script. In the first 23 lessons of
which a dialogue is a part, a concession is done to the beginning student: In Thai, traditionally no space is used between words; all words in a sentence are written in an uninterrupted
sequence of characters. Only between clauses and sentences is a ligature () found. This
ligature often appears approximately at the same points in a text where writers of the Latin
script would place a period, colon, semicolon or comma, but beware - not always and exactly.
In view of the training you must undergo in word pattern recognition, the words will be written separated by a space in all dialogues of the lessons up to and including lesson 12 for intermediate students. From lesson 13 for intermediate students on, the sentences in the dialogues will be written long and without spaces, as is usual in a Thai written text.
In the beginning of the course, emphasis is laid on actual dialogue: conversation between
people. A large part of the texts in the dialogue are, therefore, written in dialogue format:
Name of the character that speaks:
Spoken words without quotation marks.
As the course - and you along with it - develops, descriptive parts in prose will become of increasing importance within the dialogue. They will eventually substitute all text in dialogue
format after lesson 31 for intermediate students. After this point, conversation will still be an
important element in the lessons, but will be written between quotation marks, as in a novel.
Finally, in the last few chapters of the course for advanced students, some media articles have
been reproduced as reading exercises. The text of these articles is not available on CD, and
has to be considered as a preparation on further reading outside the framework of the course.
In the articles, the Thai variant of short descriptive reportage style is offered against the general language of the dialogue format and the narrative style in the later lessons.
The texts meant for reading and listening at the beginning of each lesson are indicated with
the nominative dialogue during the entire course; whether they are indeed mainly in dialogue format, or whether they are in fact prose texts with dialogue between quotation marks.
On the CDs, real dialogue as well as prose with dialogue within quotation marks is presented
as a radio play: the narrative texts and the voices of the characters are read and acted by different voice actors.
2.2. Transcription and translation
Transcription method: The transcription of the Thai script in this course is loosely based on
existing methods, (notably IPA International Phonetic Alphabet, and the Mary Haas transcription) but has been adapted to the needs of the non-linguistically schooled speaker of
English. Some signs in the transcription script will require a short period of habituation, such
as the sign c, which is used as the transcription of the sound of the Thai letter ; a voiceless unaspirated alveolo-palatal affricate. The IPA symbol for it is: , and it is a sound similar
to the sound one would get if one would pronounce the ch in change, but without the aspiration (the puff of air that follows the sound), which in English is always inherent to the chsound. The Thai language also knows this aspirated variant of this phoneme (the voiceless
aspirated alveolo-palatal affricate; noted in IPA as ), which is in fact so similar to the ch
in change that an English speaker could use this English ch to pronounce the Thai characters for the sound , which are written , and . In our transcription system, ch is
XI

therefore maintained as transcription of all Thai -sounds. Equally, for the transcription of
the close back unrounded vowel (IPA) - which doesnt exist in English or any other Western European language, but which in Thai has a short and a long variant (written and
respectively) - the easy to remember symbols ue (short) and ue (long) have been chosen.
The mid central rounded vowel (IPA), which occurs in French in words like je and ce,
and in Thai in words like (short) and (long) is transcribed as eu (short) and eu
(long). Thai vowels with equivalents in English are, for instance : e (as in lane, main,
may), which in the transcription appear in transcription as e (short; Thai: ; ) and ee
(long; Thai: ), and for IPA (as in met, cat. Short; Thai: ; ), and (as in man,
dad. Long; Thai: ), IPA transcription is maintained; these phonemes are thus transcribed
as (short) as (long).
In the transcription, the five tones of Thai are indicated with diacritics: The accent gue ()
indicates the high tone, the accent grave () the low tone, the accent circonflexe () the falling tone, and the hek or caron () the rising tone. The mid tone doesnt get any diacritic
(o).
With this simple but effective transcription system, which is explained completely in lesson 1,
care has been taken that while learning the Thai alphabet during the initial stage of your study,
you are not also overwhelmed with too many unknown characters from, for example, the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). The transcription system used in the course is fast and easy
to learn with a minimal effort.
... And dont forget: once the Thai alphabet has been completely mastered, the transcription
script should immediately be discarded.
Transcription and word-for-word translation: In lessons 4 through 12 for beginners, the transcription of the dialogues is given directly under the Thai dialogues. Under every transcribed
line, a literal translation of each transcribed word is given in a one-to-one or word-for-word
translation. The transcription is meant to provide the beginning student with an immediate
hold on the pronunciation of the matter which is read or listened to. In the mean time, the
word-for-word translation under the transcription shows the meaning of each separate word
or morpheme, and offers you an insight in how the Thai sentence is constructed. In lessons 1
through 12 for intermediate students, a combined transcription and word-for-word translation
of the dialogue has been added to each lesson as an appendix. A word-for-word translation
(without the by then redundant transcription) still follows each dialogue up to and including
lesson 32 for intermediate students. From lesson 33 for intermediate students at the latest, you
are supposed to understand Thai well enough to be able to follow each lesson without the
help of a word-for-word translation.
Translation: Until the end of the course, a translation in natural English is given of each dialogue. This translation tries to stay as close as possible to the contents and atmosphere of the
original Thai text. Because of the completely different character of source- and target language, it will sometimes be impossible to transfer all finesses of the Thai language into English. In some instances, footnotes are used to explicate sayings or puns, or to clarify a cultural
reference.
2.3. Content of the dialogue
The course is meant to make it as pleasant as possible for you to learn the Thai language. The
dialogues in each lesson are therefore arranged as a collection of short stories and novellas.
The adventures of a small number of main characters are used as a framework to offer you an
instructive and, in the meantime, as attractive as possible tour around the Thai language.
Main protagonists in the course are:
XII
Joy Jintana Chakraphet is a student of English and French at Chulalongkorn University.

She is intelligent, curious, adventurous and pretty. Joy comes from a wealthy and socially
respected family. Her father is a pilot with Thai Airways, her mother a TV-personality.
Joys parents are acquainted with many persons of high standing. In lesson 10 for intermediate students, Joy becomes a fashion model, and this work brings her into contact
with several secondary characters. Joy has an older brother named Sua.
Nikki Wolf is also a student at Chulalongkorn University. She has a Dutch father (a successful expatriate) and a Thai mother. Nikki likes to shop and to go out. Her character is
more traditional than Joys, but Nikki loves to follow her friend in all kinds of adventures. At the beginning of the course for intermediate students, she starts to date Joys
brother Sua.
Maew is from North-eastern Thailand. She is a student at Ramkhamhaeng University.
Her father is a Colonel of Police in Bangkok. She has a brother, Krit, who is friends with
Joys brother Sua and with Vincent (see below). Maew has a quieter and more subdued
character than her friends, but she takes them to places where the two Bangkokian girls
might not go on their own. During the intermediate course, she starts dating Vincent.
Sua Surasak Chakraphet is Joys elder brother. He is a recent naval engineering graduate. He takes his sister and her friends often out on trips in Bangkok and on short holidays. He really likes to do this, because he has designs upon Joys friend Nikki. From
lesson 7 of the intermediate course on, Sua and Nikki are a couple.
Vincent Wolf is Nikkis cousin, a Dutchman. Sua and Maews brother Krit often take
him out to bars and night spots in Bangkok. He also often functions as a chaperone and
driver for Joy, Nikki and Maew when they go on holiday. Vincent is an interested observer who speaks Thai fluently already. Eventually he moves into a relationship with
Maew, and marries her.
The Thai main protagonists have been designed as modern young Bangkokians: intelligent,
well educated, curious, eager to travel and explore, and born in the educated classes of the
population. The foreigner, Vincent, functions now and then as an inquirer on one or the other
thing, but his Thai is more than fluent (on the CDs, Vincents voice is provided by a native
speaker of Thai). These five characters appear in a large number of different situations, and
go through a couple of interesting, sometimes exciting adventures during the course.
On the one hand, the stories in the dialogues describe regular situations and places in which,
sooner or later, you will certainly find yourself as well. On the other hand, the adventures of
the protagonists are used to introduce you to themes like politics and social problems, and to
literary styles such as the ghost story and the crime story; both very popular in Thailand.
Also, certain historical events will be introduced within the dialogues.
Other characters that play a role in more than one lesson are Joys parents, Nikkis father,
Maews brother Krit, fashion photographer Wasan Charupakorn, Maews uncle Wirote, former child-prostitute Jiap, Chintamani, the ghost of a Princess from Ayutthaya, Police Colonel
Samrueng Dechakrachang, gunman for hire Manas Chatuwong and former communist rebel
Wirachai Na Pomphet.
3. Vocabulary list
All lessons except lesson 1, which doesnt contain any dialogue or reading texts include
one or more vocabulary lists. With each dialogue belongs a main vocabulary list, which follows behind the Thai dialogue and auxiliary translations (transcriptions and word-for-word
translations), and precedes the English translation of the dialogue. New words from the dialogue are arranged in order of appearance in the text. Up to lesson 12 for intermediate students, every Thai word is accompanied by a transcription. From lesson 13 for intermediate
students on, transcriptions are only given of words with an irregular or ambiguous spelling,
and words which contain exceptions on the tone rules.
XIII
4. Learning how to read and write

The first lesson of the course consists of an outline of the Thai alphabet. The consonants and
vowels are given, as are the consonant classes and tone markers, and the tone rules are explained. Punctuation marks and diacritics are introduced and the transcription method is explained. Lesson 1 contains all basic information on language and script, and should be used
as reference material while studying the following lessons.
In lessons 2 through 6, a small but useful vocabulary is built up, and the very basics of Thai
grammar are explained. The correct pronunciation of the tones will be practiced through tone
exercises. In lessons 7 through 11 for beginners, you will be made thoroughly acquainted
with the alphabet and with the way the Thai write their language.
The alphabet is discussed as follows:
In lesson 7:
The consonants , , , , , , , , , , and ;
In lesson 8:
The consonants , , . , , , , , and ;
In lesson 9:
The consonants , , , , , , , , and ;
In lesson 10:
The consonants , , , , , , , , , and ;
In lesson 11:
The vowels
In lesson 12 for beginners, the theory of the consonant classes and the tone rules are repeated
intensively, and the most common spelling anomalies are given. Eventually, by means of a
list of 32 sample words, in which all consonants, vowels, consonant classes, tone rules, tone
markers, diacritics and a choice of anomaly spellings are represented, it is clarified in detail
how the combination of characters, diacritics and rules are used to represent the spoken word
in written text.
It is not so that you will be effortlessly able to read any Thai text after having studied the first
12 lessons of the course. First of all, you will not yet be able to recognize Thai letters in a
blink of the eye, as you are used to with Latin characters. And secondly, even if you were,
your vocabulary is still not large enough to immediately recognize a word or at least the
beginning and the end of it in a Thai text. The start has been made, though, and through the
exercise which is offered in an increasing degree of difficulty during the next part of the
course, you will quickly make progress. After having progressed to lesson 11 or 12 of the intermediate course, you will be able to read the Thai texts (still printed with spaces between
words) without much difficulty. Four or five lessons further, the natural way of Thai writing
(without spaces) wont be too difficult any more.
5. Grammar
As every language, Thai uses a system of rules and principles that defines the structure of
words, phrases and sentences. In the articles on grammar in this course, this system is clearly
and concisely described, and explained with plenty of grammatical model sentences and examples.
In offering the learning material on grammar, thought has been given to what you will likely
need most urgently to make yourself understood in your new language. On the other hand, attention is given to the grammatical oddities which make Thai so different from an IndoEuropean language as English. It is necessary to emphasize those differences at an early
stage, so that you will learn to use those structures correctly from the beginning, and later reproduce them as an automatism. The earlier you will learn the differences between your
mother tongue and Thai, the better you will later be able to use the language fluently and correctly.
XIV

With this set-up, you are made acquainted with the basic grammatical rules of the language at
an early stage- a knowledge that will enable you to speak grammatically correct Thai at a
grass-roots level in a relatively short time. In the meantime, you will not be spared any matter
which might initially cause you to recoil, but in which a timely immersion will mean a great
profit to you later.
Initial grammatical subjects include sentence structure, the use of nouns, adjectives and verbs
(under which all possible translations of the verb to be). Also, attention is given to grammatical and idiomatical phenomena in Thai, which are almost or completely unknown in
English, such as classifiers, the rich choice in (polite, neutral and familiar) personal pronouns,
and the remarkable use of the words - to go and - to come as direction markers in
Thai.
From lesson 1 for intermediate students on, when you are sufficiently intimate with the script,
tones and basic grammar of your new language, all other grammatical features of the Thai
language will be explained.
The language in which the grammar articles are written is kept as clear and simple as possible. Linguistic vernacular outside the simplest grammatical terminology is explained. In all
cases where examples can illustrate an issue more clearly, models or frames are given. Sample sentences further explain the matter.
In many cases, the grammar article in a lesson will conclude an aspect of Thai grammar, but
sometimes a grammatical subject is spread over two or more lessons. Related subjects are
covered in consecutive lessons. Some subjects discussed on a basic level in the first twelve
lessons will be repeated and expanded in the intermediate section of the course. Some examples are:
In lesson 1 for intermediate students, the character and use of adjectives in Thai is explained. In lesson 2, the matter is expanded in an article on composite adjectives. Finally,
in lessons 3 and 4 the comparison is covered.
In lesson 5 for beginners, youll be made acquainted with the existence and the use of
classifiers. Subsequently, youll learn more classifiers along the way by continuing
reading the dialogues. Finally, in lesson 10 for intermediate students, attention is again
directed towards the subject, and a list is given of the most frequently used classifiers.
In lesson 11 for beginners, the imperative mode and its negative are discussed. In lesson
17 for intermediate students, the subject of the negative imperative is expanded. Finally,
in lesson 27 for intermediate students, a list of example sentences is given with imperatives and incentives in several gradations of urgency and politeness.
Through gradual expansion of the learning matter, it is avoided that you are forced to learn
everything about a subject at once. Besides, by repetition and expansion of important or difficult subjects, you will understand and remember the matter better than when you learn it in
just one go.
6. Idioms
The idiom of a language consists of phrases of figurative meaning and figures of speech. Sayings and proverbs also belong to these categories. Often, idioms have an anomalous grammatical form. The adage goes that only if one has mastered the difficult translatable idioms of
a language, one may call oneself a fluent speaker of it. As an idiom-rich language, this goes
maybe even more for Thai than for other languages.
In English, sayings and proverbs are often fossilized, and sound somewhat old fashioned
and banal. In Thai, there also exist such truisms, but most sayings are adaptable. In popular
language, maxims are often adapted according to the circumstance in which one wants to use
XV

them. People dont only use them in their fixed forms, but vary them, and play word games
with the adages, which then often convey very subtle messages. It is in your best interest to
get acquainted with the basic forms of sayings and proverbs, on which all the variants theyll
hear are based. Due to the short words of the language, the idioms sound snappy and vivacious. Alliteration, reduplication, internal rhyme and metre are also often used to make an idiom sound even better.
Articles on idioms are found spread throughout the course, but the pith of the matter can be
found in lessons 33 through 36 (for intermediate) and 1 through 12 for advanced students.
Next to the development of reading and writing Thai on an advanced level, a lot of attention
is given to the study of Thai idioms in those lessons.
7. Cultural information
While a language course might not be the ideal place to educate students in culture and customs of a country or people, language is not complete without a basic knowledge of the culture of the area where the language is spoken. In the course, a few of the most conspicuous
traits of the Thai people, the Thai state and Thai society are described and explained. It must
be pointed out emphatically that none of the many festivals or ceremonies that make the
country famous is discussed, nor are cultural expressions as visual art, music or literature.
Notes are made on cultural phenomena that cannot be helped being observed on a daily basis,
that might interest people or leave them in wonder. Therefore, an article on Thai nicknames
can be found in this course, and another about nobility in Thailand. There is a piece about the
places where young Thai people like to go on holiday, another article is about non-lingual interaction and the traditional Thai greeting, the (). Also, cultural background information is given in the explanation of not directly translatable concepts, such as in a cultural note
on the different kinds of ghosts and supernatural beings one can find in Thailand.
The further you advance in the course, the better your Thai will become, and the less reason
there will be to explain Thai culture in English. The explanatory function is gradually taken
over by the dialogues themselves, in which phenomena are explained in plain Thai. For instance, in the dialogues of the last chapters of the course the preparations for a Thai wedding
are described, while the dialogues of lessons 1 through 6 for advanced students of the course
takes place against the background of the student revolution of October 1973.
8. Tone exercises
After a brief introduction to basic grammar and script, in the lessons 4 through 6 for beginners you will learn the five tones of Thai by examples and exercises. Tones are sometimes
unknown to and often underestimated by the foreign student of Thai. As phonemes
though, tones are just as important for the definition of the meaning of a word as consonants,
vowels and diphthongs. The tone exercises are printed in the lessons in transcription script,
and are to be found in spoken form on the appropriate CD. It is of great importance to be able
to pronounce and hear the tones correctly as mid (level), low, rising, falling or high. After the
special tone exercises in the lessons 4 through 6, your ear will be continuously trained in the
appreciation of tones by listening to and repeating the dialogues and vocabulary lists of every
lesson on the CDs.
9. Writing exercises and tests
Exercises in the course - which can also be used as tests - are of two kinds. In each lesson
there is a section in the exercises on which the answers are given. These exercises are mainly
designed for those of you who study the course independently. Answers to the second part of
the exercises are not given in the course. These exercises are primarily designed for students
XVI

who study the course with a mentor or teacher. Exercises of the second kind take a little more
effort to complete; they also often ask you to formulate your personal opinion. Exercises in
creative writing are frequently part of the tests from lesson 1 for intermediate students on.
From the beginning of the course, you will be forced to use Thai. Initially, you will still be allowed to use the transcription script in answering questions and filling in exercises (before
you have learned the whole alphabet through the several stages offered in the beginners
course), but in lesson 11 for beginners, you are asked for the first time to provide a translation
of a number of sentences written in Thai script, while in lesson 12 for beginners, the answers
on the exercises have to be given in both Thai and transcription script. From lesson 1 for intermediate students on, the answers on all exercises must be given exclusively in Thai script.
In the part of the exercises on which the answers are not given, you will be forced to translate
from English into Thai, or at a later stage, to think directly in Thai. The formulation of the
exercises is therefore put in English, in order to keep you from the temptation of copying
Thai words from the questions into your answers. Apart from supplying the right answer to
the question, you also have to think about your right use of grammar and vocabulary. An extra, excellent exercise is formed through letting you search for words you dont know in the
lessons, the vocabulary lists or in your dictionary.
In the exercises and tests not only the vocabulary and grammar given in the lesson concerned
are rehearsed and tested. For most exercises, youll have to reach back for information given
in earlier lessons as well. In order to be able to answer each lessons questions in good Thai
sentences, you must always be on top of all grammar and vocabulary already explained. Obviously, also in the creative writing exercises your written language skills are tested on all
levels.
11. Vocabulary lists and appendices
Two extensive vocabulary lists have been compiled for this course. The first is a list which
contains all words used in the first 24 lessons of the course: lessons 1 through 12 for beginners; and lessons 1 through 12 for intermediate students. Every Thai word in this vocabulary
is provided with a transcription and a comprehensive translation into English.
The main vocabulary list follows at the end of the course for advanced students. The Thai
words in this list have not been transcribed. In both vocabularies, the number of the lesson in
which each respective word appears for the first time is given in square brackets behind the
entry.
Appendices are on the following subjects:
Appendix 1:
The alphabet, the tone rules and the consonant classes.
Appendix 2:
The alphabet song
Appendix 3:
Classifiers
Appendix 4:
List of common abbreviations
12. Thanks
My thanks go to Prince of Songkla Universitys Faculty of International Studies (FIS), and
Dean Supachai Sangpunya, who supported the idea of producing and publishing a comprehensive Thai language course for use at university level. Further thanks to Ass. Prof. Chitralada Sangpunya, who gave me the opportunity to teach Thai to our foreign students. Thanks
to all my students for pointing out my inconsequences, typos and mistakes while studying
from earlier editions of this work. And my special thanks to Ajarn Alexandra Gonzales, Ajarn
Morgan Lake and Ajarn Scott Lithgow, who edited my English. Last but not least thanks to
all my Thai friends and colleagues, who were always happy to answer any question on their
language I could think of.
XVII
THAI FOR BEGINNERS

LESSON 1
Introduction to language, grammar and script

1.1
Introduction
1.2
The Thai language
1.3
The Thai alphabet
1.4
1.5
1.6
Writing Thai
1.7
1.8
Thai grammar and script
1.9
Exercises
Thai for Beginners
Thai for Beginners
1.1
Introduction
If you want to learn Thai well, you will encounter some barriers which you didnt meet when
you learned French or Spanish in secondary school. Thai is not an Indo-European language. It
does not resemble English. Thai has taken some loan-words from Chinese, some from Malay,
and another few hundred from Pali, Sanskrit, and Khmer. Even if you have made a thorough
study of those languages, it wont help you with recognizing their meaning in Thai. In the
course of your study of the language, youll discover a significant number of loan-words from
English, but initially, youll be thoroughly swamped with information which youre badly going to need in learning to manage the language, but which you might not consider useful at
first sight. The experience of every foreigner who has taken on this effort is: that after a short
period of intensive study of a lot of theory, a stage will follow in which one will have become
able to express oneself in Thai in a satisfying, adult way, without having to fall back into tourist-Thai that is: without picking up wrong habits which are difficult to get rid of later. After
this second stage, during which one makes oneself familiar with the language up to a level of
semi-fluency (through practical conversation and reading childrens books and other simple
texts), another phase of learning usually follows, in which one deepens ones knowledge of the
language by reading newspapers and magazines, watching films and television programs, and
having profound conversations with Thai friends. After that, a specialization in a scientific, religious or philosophical field might be something just for you.
This 12-lesson beginners course has been written with the intention to lead you through the
first stages of learning the Thai language.
The contents of this first lesson are offered for your review. The subject matter, which will
probably seem rather intricate to a beginning student when browsing through this lesson, is not
meant to learn by heart immediately at this stage, nor will you be expected to be able to apply
everything of it actively and immediately. Gradually, the contents of the first lesson will be repeated, rehearsed and expanded over the next eleven lessons. This lesson is intended as an extensive introduction to the Thai language and the Thai writing system, and functions, next to
the appendices, as fundamental back-up material that you may find convenient to use as a reminder during the course of your study.
Thai for Beginners
1.2
The Thai Language
Thai is a member of the Tai-Kadai family of languages. Thai is spoken in Thailand, where it is
the national language. Lao, the national language of the Laotian Peoples Republic, is closely
related to Thai. In the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in the Peoples Republic of
China, the northern Tai language Zhuang is spoken. Furthermore, a large ethnic group in
Burma, the Shan, speaks a Tai language. Tai languages are also spoken in Northeastern India,
Northern Vietnam, and Cambodia, where smaller groups use languages related to Thai as their
mother tongue.
Different linguists maintain different theories about the origin of Thai and the relationship of
Thai with other languages. But there is historical evidence which points to the fact that the
Thai people, and with them their language, originate from southern China, from where they
were driven south beginning in the ninth century C.E. (A.D.); first by the Han-Chinese, and
later by the Mongols. In the area that stretches from contemporary Laos, North and Northeast
Thailand, and the Shan State in Burma, Thai centers developed, which were reigned by warlords. Those sovereigns ruled over areas peopled with Thai, as well as Khmer, Mon and other
ethnic groups. The first founding of a genuine Thai nation state took place in the eleventh century, culminating in the first great Thai kingdom, Sukhothai, with King Ramkhamhaeng the
Great as its most influential ruler. The oldest still existing inscription in the Thai language is
from that period. The Kingdom of Ayutthaya took over the function of Sukhothai as seat of a
ruler who exacted tribute in exchange for protection in the late middle Ages. After feuding
with the Burmese for hundreds of years, in 1767 Ayutthaya lost a decisive battle and was burnt
to the ground. The Burmese didnt only demolish palaces and temples, but also all libraries in
the area. From Thai as it was written before 1767, only stone inscriptions remain. The Burmese didnt stay, though. A general called Taksin pushed them back. Taksin built his capital in
Thonburi, and was king for a while, but the first ruler of the Chakri Dynasty, the still ruling
lineage of Kings, soon followed. The site of the capital city was moved to Bangkok on the
other side of the Chao Phraya River. In 1782, Bangkok became the new capital of a new Thai
state called Rattanakosin, after the ruling dynasty.
Foreigners had used the name Siam for the Thai Kingdom of Ayutthaya for a long time, and
it stuck during the first few decades of the Rattanakosin Dynasty as Syam. Thai used this
name with foreigners from the 1850s onwards to identify themselves and their country. The
name Siam appeared on banknotes and stamps and in international correspondence. In 1939,
the name of the country was officially changed to Thailand.
Sources of written Thai (Siamese) are numerous since the founding of Bangkok. Although a
modern, reasonably educated Thai would have great difficulties reading inscriptions from the
time of King Ramkhamhaeng, he would be able to read the language after the founding of
Thonburi, just as easily as we would read an original edition of a novel by Swift or Defoe. Just
as in English, nothing substantial has changed in the Thai language during the last two hundred
and some years.
Thai is a tonal language and can be typified as an isolating language, just like most other tonal
languages, such as Mandarin and Burmese. The language shows some fusional traits through
loan morphemes and loan constructions from, for instance, Pali and Khmer. Modern Thai is
written in a syllabic letter script, just like Sanskrit (Devanagari script), and Khmer. The first
forms of Thai writing were based on italic Khmer, or handwritten Khmer, which in its turn has
been developed from Indian scripts. The Thai script is ultimately, via the just mentioned italic
Khmer, and just like the Burmese and Mon scripts, most directly based on the Pali-script.
4
Thai for Beginners

From the shape of some of the Thai letters, one can still see their distant relationship with their
Devanagari cousins.
1.3
The Thai alphabet
The Thai alphabet consists of a set of 44 consonants ( -) and

a set of 32 vowels (-), including diphthongs ( - ) and triphtongs
( - ), which are formed with 18 different characters.
This number includes four of the consonant character signs ( - , - , -
and - ), which are used either independently, or in combination with other characters as vowel-, diphthong- or triphthong signs. Apart from this, a few characters indicate a
consonant sound in combination with a vowel sound (- (m), ri, reu or rue, (rue), (lue)
and (lue)). You will see that some characters are used often in Thai written texts, others less
frequently, and some hardly ever. There are even two consonants ( - and -
), which are never used anymore, but are still officially part of the Thai alphabet. Only in
handwritten texts from before circa 1870 these two letters still occur.
cd 1a
track 1
1.3.1
The 44 consonants
All 44 consonants have a name. When orally spelling a word, that name is mentioned after
each consonant occurring in the relevant word. This might remind one of the corny English
primary school writing primers in which A stands for Apple, et cetera, but is rather more comparable with the sign code which is used in air traffic control towers and in the military, in order to avoid misunderstandings and accidents. Some consonants are very similar in sound and
usage, and can be easily confused when not pronounced together with their names.
In the first vertical column you will find the Thai consonant, then next to it by the same consonant together with the noun after which it is named. In most cases, the name of the consonant
starts with the relevant consonant, but there are also consonants which are only found back
somewhere in the middle of the noun after which they are named.
In the following column, you will find the transcription of the sound of the consonant as it is
pronounced at the beginning of a syllable (standard pronunciation), with (in parentheses) the
transcription of the name of the consonant.
In the next column you will find the pronunciation of the consonant at the end of a syllable
(end pronunciation). The apostrophe () behind a so-called stop (k, p or t sound) indicates that the sound is unreleased. This means that the consonant is formed in the mouth at
the normal point of articulation, but not released with a puff of air. If you want to get an idea
about how these unreleased stops sound, you may keep in mind how the first t in the word
otter sounds, or the first p in upper, or the first c in soccer. The apostrophe behind
stops will, by the way, not be used in the rest of the course after unreleased stops at the end of
syllables. The unreleased pronunciation of stops in those places is a rule on which there are no
exceptions. The unwritten stop, known as glottal stop at the end of a syllable sounds as the
sound, sometimes transcribed by in phonetically written Cockney, in words such as it (i),
traffic (traffi) and matter (maer). It is transcribed as .
5
Thai for Beginners

In the last vertical column, the class to which the different consonants belong is indicated with
the letter L for the Low Class, The letter M for the Middle Class, and the letter H for the High
Class consonants. The class of a consonant is essential to the written representation of tones in
the Thai language.
The Thai Consonants:

Letter and Name Transcription
Pronunciation
Begin Syllable End Syllable Class
( - )
chicken
( - )
egg
kh
bottle
(obsolete)
- -
water buffalo
kh
person
(obsolete)
temple-bell
kh
snake
ng
ng
plate
cymbal
ch
elephant
ch
chain
t; s 1
tree
ch
- -
woman
dancers crown
goad
pedestal
th
- -
name of a
th, some-
as th: L
giantess
times d
as d: M
- -
old man
th
novice
Meaning Name
Thai for Beginners
Meaning Name
Pronunciation
child
turtle
bag
th
- -
soldier
th
flag
th
mouse
- -
leaf
fish
bee
ph
lid, cover
tray
ph
tooth
p, f 1
- -
junk ship
ph
horse
giant
ship
monkey
- -
ring
- -
pavilion
hermit
tiger
chest, trunk
h,
Also: class-modifier
kite
Thai for Beginners
- -
Meaning Name
Pronunciation
basin, bowl, tub
oo, o, a;
class-modifier
vowel-bearer 4
owl
o, oo
Notes on the consonants:
For loanwords from English, many speakers pronounce these letters at the end of a
word as in English; so as s and f.
The Consonant Class Modifiers; or , when placed before a Low Class consonant,
modify the original consonant into a High Class (in the case of ), or into a Middle
Class (in the case of ) consonant. In many cases, this is important for the notation of
the tone of a syllable. The letter is a Class Modifier in only four words: - ja dont, - jak - to want, - thing, and - to stay, to live. The
letter is used considerably more often as a Class Modifier.
On the end of a syllable, is only used in combination with the mark kn ( ). A

krn is a sign above a last consonant of a word, which signifies that this marked
consonant is not pronounced (see 1.5.; Punctuation Marks).
When seen alone, a written is pronounced as oo, o or a. also acts as the
bearer of other vowels. It takes the vowel sound of the vowel that accompanies it.
can only be the bearer of the vowel, when the vowel is in the initial position in a
syllable. In the vowel-list in 1.3.2., you will see act as a bearer of every vowel which
is described in the lesson. For writing a single vowel-, diphthong- or triphthong-sound,
use must be made of the vowel-bearer .
Observations:
(joo jk) and (woo wn) are, just as in English y and w, so-called semivowels. They
can be found at the end of a syllable, but in such cases they usually form a diphthong or
triphthong together with other vowels. Between two consonants, the pronunciation of becomes a diphthong, ua, like for instance in the word (). At the end of a sylla
ble, is pronounced as w, as in the word low. For instance: - - cat. At the

end of a syllable, is pronounced as y, as in the English boy. For instance: - to sell.
You will probably have noticed that some of the above consonants do not exist in the same
way as they do in English. The notion that a sound ng at the beginning of a syllable can
exist, is for some people quite confusing and therefore a sound which they find hard to
reproduce. To pronounce the sound, you could start with saying banger (as the popular
British sausage), but leave out the ba-part of the word. Replace the final r with an n,
and youll pronounce ngen (), which means money or silver in Thai.
In English, we know the aspirated consonants ch (as in church), k (as in kettle, cat),
p (as in pet) and t (as in talk). We find the non-aspirated varieties of those consonants
back in other languages: Such as in the Malay word cuci (non-aspirated ch), the French
word concorde (non-aspirated k), the Spanish word palabra (non-aspirated p) and the
8
Thai for Beginners

Italian word tenente (non-aspirated t). In Thai, the aspirated as well as the non-aspirated
varieties of these sounds exist, and they are distinctive. This means that, in Thai, they are
not varieties of the same sound, but distinctively different phonemes. This in its turn means
that aspiration or non-aspiration in a consonant can define the meaning of a morpheme.
Compare for instance: (kj - chicken) and (khj - egg), (con - poor) and (chon to collide), (tk - to hang to dry, to expose) and (thk - to chip, to hew, to graze
(of a bullet)), ( - label, sign, signboard, bus-stop sign) ( - to be defeated)
You will have noticed that there are three (still actively used) letters for kh in Thai, three
for ch, two for t, four for s, two for j, two for n, six for th, two for f, two for l,
two for h, two for d and three for ph. A reason for this luxury is that Thai is a
tonal language, and in a syllabic letter-script, there must be enough letters in an alphabet to
note those tones down. To simplify notation, all consonants must be divided in three
Registers or Classes; High, Middle and Low. By designing consonants of which the NonClass characteristics are equal, but which, by their membership of those different classes,
can control the tone of the syllable they lead, the Thai have developed a basic instrument
with which it is possible to note down the tone of a Thai syllable very adequately. The
division in classes of the consonants is therefore one of the reasons for the many consonants
with the same non-Class characteristics. Another reason for the multitude of consonants is
that some letters arrived with early loan words from Pali and Sanskrit, that stood for sounds
which do not (longer) fit in the Thai pronunciation system. Examples are the retroflex t-s
(,) and post-alveolar s-es (, ), the aspirated bh () and the palatal n (). These
letters simply lost their distinction from others, as they were gradually completely
integrated in the Thai phonemic system. and became equal to ; retroflex plosives
and moved in the direction of and , aspirated, voiced became unvoicedas , and
palatal equal to . The Laotian script, which is from a far more recent date than the
Thai, but is based on Thai and older Thai scripts, has not so many superfluous consonants.
Like in every language which already has had its own script for a number of centuries,
many Thai words have an anomalous spelling. In this course, all anomalies in spelling will
be pointed out to you. A number of words, for instance, start with clusters of initial
consonants, like (th + r), (c + r), (s + r) or (s + r). is pronounced as s, as
c, and as well as are pronounced as s. The combination is pronounced as a
( - - karma) of an ( - - scissors). These are, as you can see, not
real clusters, but fixed combinations of consonants with an irregular pronunciation. Furthermore, the tones in some words are pronounced differently from how they should be pronounced according to the rules for writing tones down. This can be either due to modern
developments in the living language (such as in the case of the tones for the word
( - I (spoken by women)), which is actually pronounced in modern Thai), or
just without any obvious reason (such as in the word - thief, which is actually
written as (). In the vocabulary in the lessons, an anomalous spelling or
pronunciation has been marked with an asterisk (*), and the correct pronunciation is given
in the transcription-script
Thai for Beginners

cd 1a
track 2
1.3.2
The 32 vowels (including diphthongs and triphthongs)
A vowel or a diphthong can be written behind, in front of, under, above or around a consonant.
The sound element that makes a diphthong a triphthong always follows the last element of the
diphthong, so triphthongs are not considered at this juncture. In the following list, always
functions as the bearer of the vowel or diphthong, and has no sound value of its own. It takes
the sound qualities of the vowel- or diphthong sound it bears. Beware of the fact that can
also be part of a diphthong. In those cases, as bearer is obviously followed by as part of
the diphthong. A word written as is pronounced as aa (ah). If were substituted by a
consonant with an independent sound value, like (non-aspirated t), the word would be ;
taa (tah). In the following list, the spot where stands can be taken by any consonant, and
defines the space that must be occupied by a consonant for a script sequence to make sense. A
written sound, be it vowel or diphthong, is called - (also:s;s ) in Thai. In
the transcription, the tone of the vowels and diphthongs in the list have been ignored, as the
tone of a syllable is dependent on the class of the consonant it starts with, as well as its ending.
The Thai vowels, dipthongs and triphthongs
10
and vowel/diphthong
name
transcription
pronunciation
(open syllable)
+ consonant
sar
(open syllable)
sar
+ consonant
sar -
(open syllable)
Thai for Beginners

and vowel/diphthong
name
transcription
pronunciation
+ consonant
(open syllable)
+ consonant
...
...
; 3
...
...
; 4
; 4
; , 5
; 5
l 5
11
Thai for Beginners

Notes on the vowels, diphthongs and triphthongs:
The short a/ - sound is written with a - () - in open syllables (for instance - / ). In

closed syllables, the short a is written with
() it is written + consonant
(for instance - ).
The short e/e - sound is written in open syllables (for instance - ). In closed syllables, the
short e is written + consonant (for instance - ).
The eu - sound is written in open syllables (for instance - ). In closed syllables, the eu sound is written + consonant (for instance ).
The diphthong ua is written in open syllables (for instance - ). In closed syllables, the diphthong ua is written with (woo wn) + consonant (for instance - ).
The combined consonant-vowel ( - ; ; ) is pronounced as when paired
with the letters , , , or , as for instance in - , - , and
- . It is pronounced as when paired with the letters , , , , or ,
as for instance in - , - , - . In only one word, the

character is pronounced as reu: (). ( ) is used as an independent syllable in
words like (), (). () and () are not used anymore, but, when still productive, their use was based on the same principles as that of and .
The inherent vowels: short o, short a and long oo

Inherent vowels are vowels, which are not represented by a character. In words that exist of
two written consonants, the inherent vowel is a short o. For instance:
nk
bird
to press, to push
bt
chapter, part
mt
ant
In polysyllabic words, an inherent, unwritten a is pronounced between consonants which are

not accepted clusters in Thai:
brain
power
size
to win
great
guava
In some cases, an inherent vowel is pronounced long. This rule is valid in stressed syllables.
The inherent vowel is thus pronounced oo. See for instance:
nkhoon
city
moon
immortal
used as an independent, unstressed short syllable at the beginning of a word is pronounced as

short a. In these cases, dont confuse its function with that of class-modifier as mentioned in
1.3.1., in which sits at the same initial position in a word. See for instance:
rooj
meerk
12
tasty
ngn
grape
America
phst
privilege
Thai for Beginners

Notice that in the above examples, is an unstressed syllable consisting of a single sound and
a single letter. The tone of () is low according to the tone rules. In practice, unstressed initial syllables are often pronounced in a mid tone ().
in initial, stressed position in front of a syllable starting with is pronounced as oo.
beautiful
lady
in initial position in a closed syllable (whether final stop or nasal), is pronounced as o. See
for instance:
to bake, to roast
to refrain
to keep in the mouth
breast
Long and short vowels:

The difference between long and short vowels is, just like the difference between aspirated and
non-aspirated consonants, distinctive in Thai. Compare, for instance, the following words:
()
he, she
()
white
()
moon
()
plate
()
clear
()
late
()
to can, to be able
()
thread, cord
()
1.4
I (male speaking)
()
thin, skinny
Thai is a tonal language. When King Ramkhamhaeng the Great devised the first real Thai alphabet, he designed an alphabet that was based on the sounds of the language: not on the
meaning of concepts, like Chinese script, which consist of ideograms. He also developed a
script that could represent the tonemes of his language clearly and correctly. For the design of
his characters, he drew from examples in non-tonal languages, such as Khmer and Pali. Khmer
had consonant registers for inherent vowels, which might have made the King hit upon the
idea to developed consonant registers for tones. Thus, three consonant registers were created.
The registers or classes, as we call them most often stayed as the language developed, and
additional tonal signs were designed when the language changed over the centuries from a
three-tone system into a five-tone communication device. A Thai from King Ramkhamhaengs
Kingdom of Sukhothai would not be able to read the modern script (and if you havent studied
it, its difficult to make out the letters in the Sukhothai script), but the principle had stayed the
same. A three-register, or three-class consonant system still exists.
To reduce the tone of a written syllable from the way it is written, youll need to take four factors into account:
13
Thai for Beginners

1. The end-sound of the syllable; (stop (unreleased k, p or t, or glottal stop), nasal,
semivowel or vowel)
2. The length of the vowel in the syllable
3. The Class (or register) of the first consonant at the beginning of the syllable
4. The presence of a Tone Mark above the first consonant of the syllable or in a consonantcluster, above the last consonant in that cluster and, if so, which one.
1.4.1
The Tone Markers
Below are the signs for the four tone markers ( - wnnjk), along with their names,
with (oo ng) as their bearer. In stead of (oo ng), any consonant can be the bearer of a
tone mark:
maj ek
maj trii
maj th
maj cttawaa
For an older generation of Thai, the tones are often called after the tone marks. This is not very
convenient for foreigners as you will see later, because maj ek and maj th produce different tones dependant on the class of consonant over which they are written. It is easier, especially at the beginning of your study, to refer to the tones according to the second column of
Thai terms which are given below:
1.4.2
14
The Names of the tones
1. mid tone:
sang saaman
() or
sang klaang
()
2. low tone:
sang ek
()
or
()
3. falling tone:
sang th
()
sang tm
or
sang long
()
4. high tone:
sang trii
()
or
sang sung
()
5. rising tone:
sang cttawaa
or
sang khen
()
()
Thai for Beginners
1.4.3
The Three Consonant Classes (or Consonant Registers)
The following eleven consonants are HIGH Class Consonants:
( )
( )
( )
( )
( )
( )
( )
( )
( )
( )
( )
The following nine consonants are MIDDLE Class Consonants:
( )
( )
( )
( )
( )
( )
( )
( )
( )
The following twenty-four consonants are LOW Class Consonants:
( )
( )
( )
( )
( )
( )
( )
( )
( )
( )
( )
( )
( )
( )
( )
( )
( )
( )
( )
( )
( )
( )
: obsolete consonants
( )
( )
15
Thai for Beginners
1.4.4
Reference Diagram for the Tone Rules

class of initial consonant
end of
syllable
no tone mark
high
middle
low
any ending, except

k, p, t or
rising
mid
mid
k, p or t after a long
vowel
low
low
falling
short vowel; k, p or t after a short vowel
low
low
high
with maj ek
low
low
falling
with maj th
falling
falling
high
with maj trii
high
with maj cttawaa
rising
Explanation of the reference diagram for the tone rules: Suppose you want to find the tone
for the word . It is a monosyllabic word consisting of a ( ), a ( ), and a
( ). First you start looking in de column headed end of syllable what characteristics are
valid for your word. It ends on a ( ), which is a stop. Next, you are going to look what
vowel your word uses; is it short or long? Youll find out that ( ) is a long vowel, so
you have a word with a long vowel, ending in a stop. The next, and in this case the last piece
of information you need is the class of the initial consonant. Your word starts with (
), which is a low class consonant. Now, under the heading class of initial consonant, you
will find that a syllable starting with a low initial consonant, containing a long vowel and ending in a stop, will have a falling tone. Finding the tone for words with a tone marker is easier.
Just look at the column class of initial consonant and go directly to the tone marker in question. A tone marker overrules all other tone rules!
16
Thai for Beginners
1.4.5
The consonant class modifiers and
By placing a () - a high class consonant - in front of a low class consonant, this low
class consonant is upgraded to become a high class consonant, itself, and thereby endowed
with all the characteristics of a high class consonant. itself is not pronounced in these cases,
and has the sole function of modifying the low class consonant into a high class consonant. By
placing an () - a middle class consonant - in front of a low class consonant, this low
class consonant is upgraded to become a middle class consonant, and thereby endowed with
all characteristics of a middle class consonant. itself is not pronounced in these cases, and
has the sole function of modifying the low class consonant. Look at the following examples:
. . .
- mouse
HIGH CLASS consonant modifies LOW CLASS consonant into a HIGH CLASS consonant. The word is pronounced according to the tone rules valid for words which
start with a HIGH CLASS consonant, and thus with a rising tone (see the diagram for the
tone rules).
. . . .
- betel nut
start with a HIGH CLASS consonant, and thus with a low tone (see the diagram for the
tone rules).
. . . .
face
start with a HIGH CLASS consonant, and thus with a falling tone. (see the diagram for the
tone rules). Observe that the tone marker ( - ) is placed over the , not over
the modifier ().
. . . .
to want
MIDDLE CLASS consonant modifies LOW CLASS consonant into a MIDDLE

CLASS consonant. The word is pronounced according to the tone rules valid for
words which start with a MIDDLE CLASS consonant, and thus with a low tone. (see the
diagram for the tone rules).
. . . .
to stay, to be busy to

words which start with a MIDDLE CLASS consonant, and thus with a low tone. Observe
that the tone marker ( - ) is placed over the , not over the modifier (). (see
the diagram for the tone rules).
Attention: As mentioned in 1.3.2, ( ) doesnt always modify or upgrade low class

consonants when placed at the beginning of a syllable in front of a consonant. It more often
17
Thai for Beginners

functions either as a short or long in front of this consonant, or as an independent vowel syllable (short , short or long ). See examples there.
1.4.6
Spelling anomalies
Remember that a tone is a fixed phoneme (element that defines the meaning of a word) in
every Thai word. If you pronounce the tone wrong, you pronounce the word wrong. The meaning of a word can change completely if you change the tone of that word. As other languages,
Thai has its fair share of exceptions of pronunciation- and spelling-rules. The most striking
anomaly concerning the pronunciation of tones is: the tone of unstressed initial syllables syllables in which no vowel is written or syllables existing only of a short a () or a short u
() are often not pronounced in a low tone, like the diagram shows, but in a mid tone. There
are some more discrepancies between spelling and pronunciation which cannot all be mentioned here. In the vocabularies in the lessons and in the appendices, all words with a pronunciation that differs from its spelling are marked with an asterisk (*). The correct pronunciation
is given in the transcription script.
1.4.7
Consonant clusters and tone marks in consonant clusters
The tone rules valid for the initial consonant of a syllable determine the tone of that syllable. In
syllables, which start with more than one consonant (a consonant cluster), the tone rules which
are valid for the first consonant in that cluster determine the tone of the syllable. Let us take,
for example, the word (klp); petal, segment of fruit. This monosyllabic word ends
with a stop ( - boo bajmaj, at the end of a syllable pronounced as p (unreleased p). The
last consonant pronounced before the vowel (long ; - ) is the loo ling (), a LOW class consonant. A syllable starting with a LOW class consonant, with a long vowel, and ending in a
STOP (in this case: p) is pronounced in a FALLING tone. In other words; if the word would
be , it would be pronounced as lp, in a falling tone. But the initial consonant of the cluster with which the word starts, is koo kj (), a MIDDLE class consonant, and koo kj is
the consonant which determines the tone of the word. The second consonant in the cluster
loo ling, a LOW Class Consonant changes class, as it follows directly upon a MIDDLE Class
consonant, and looses, as it were, its right to determine the tone of the syllable it is part of.
Eventually, we are looking at a word that starts with a MIDDLE Class consonant, with a long
vowel and a stop (p) at the end. Following the tone rules, it is pronounced in a LOW tone.
is thus pronounced klp, in a LOW tone.
The tone mark, which further determines the tone of a word, is always written above the consonant in the closest position to the vowel; the one after which the vowel is directly pronounced. But although written above the second consonant, the tone mark APPLIES TO the
FIRST CONSONANT in the cluster. Let us analyze the word (tru); very early in the
morning to prove our point: Without its initial consonant (too tw - MIDDLE class),
should be pronounced in a FALLING tone (), because is a LOW class consonant, and the
maj ek ( - ) with which it is adorned would compel any word or syllable with an initial
18
Thai for Beginners

LOW consonant to be pronounced in a falling tone. But although maj ek sits above the second consonant in the cluster, the first consonant, , determines the tone of the syllable, and so,
maj ek refers to . A MIDDLE class consonant as with a maj ek as an initial consonant
thus determines that the word must be pronounced with a LOW tone (tru).
1.4.8
Stressed and non-stressed syllables
Just as English words, Thai words are built up from stressed as well as non-stressed syllables.
Non-stressed syllables without vowel characters have already been briefly mentioned in 1.3.2.
We have seen that in short, non-stressed, initial syllables without vowel characters (oo ng
(), pronounced as short o or a), the tone of these syllables automatically becomes MID in
spoken Thai. In non-stressed syllables with vowel characters, the tone also automatically becomes MID. For instance, in the word (rj; what?), the tone of the first syllable normally becomes MID. If is pronounced in anger or surprise (what?!), the first syllable
of the word is usually stressed, and correctly pronounced in a LOW tone. Also in other, polysyllabic (loan) words we encounter mid tones in non-stressed syllables, where we would expect low or high tones if we adhere to the tone rules. The correct tones for the pronunciation of
the word (mhwtthjlj - university) are, for instance: high-rising-high-highmid-mid. Most commonly though, the word is pronounced as mhwtthjlj: mid-risinghigh-mid-mid-mid. In the transcriptions of dialogues, vocabulary lists and other texts, the tones
of words are given as they should be pronounced. On the CDs, youll be able to listen to the
actual, daily life pronunciation of the tones.
In the vocabulary lists, words with an illogical anomalous pronunciation are marked with an
asterisk (*).
1.5
The Thai script makes use of some punctuation marks which are important for the coordination
between speech and script:
The sign over the is a (kn) or ( ); It indicates that the consonant under it, and in some cases part of the whole consonant
cluster at the end of a word is not pronounced. The kn occurs in loanwords
from Pali, Sanskrit, and English, such as ( - teacher), ( - art),
( - style)
The sign over the is a (mj tj khu). It shortens the vowel in the
syllable over which main consonant it is placed (for instance: - lk -small).
The (peujjn noj) shortens a long, well known word (for instance: the
Chulalongkorn - University () is known as Chula () in
short.
19
Thai for Beginners
The (peujjn jj) is equivalent with the western etcetera - symbol (&c.)
The (mk) signifies that the word on which it follows has to be pronounced
twice (for instance: - - often).
Colons (:), semicolons (;), question marks (?), quotation marks (-)exclamation marks (!) and
thought dots (...), are officially not part of the Thai alphabet, though occur quite often in novels, flyers and other modern Thai texts.
1.6
Writing Thai
In a Thai sentence, words are written behind each other without spaces. In places where in
English a comma or a full stop would divide clauses and sentences, in Thai a space is left
open. Fast word recognition is essential to the fluent reading of Thai. In elementary school,
Thai children learn how to read in primers with texts in which separate words are still separated by a space. This is done to make a child recognize the appearance of separate words as
fast as possible, in order to enable them, when they start reading books which are written
inanadultmanner, to separate the words in its mind more easily. In this course we shall use
the same principle. Until lesson 24, the words in a Thai sentence will be written separately
from each other, like in English, by a space. By the time you reach that chapter, your vocabulary will be sufficiently large to recognize words you already know. Youll also be able to determine patterns of words you dont know, yet, in a sentence written in Thai-style, so you can
easily find those words back in the vocabulary lists provided with each chapter.
1.7
In this course, we shall use an easy method for transcribing Thai sounds. The method will take
a minimum of time to get accustomed to for speakers of English. With the help of this method
and with the pronunciation- and exercise CDs youll learn to pronounce Thai phonemes
quickly and accurately. The system is based on the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), but
beware, it has been amended to be optimally serviceable for the Thai language without using
IPA characters that might be too obscure for the general learner.
Transcription of the consonants:
Thai consonant
Transcription for final use

(end of the syllable)
k (unaspirated)
k (unreleased)
, ,
kh (aspirated)
k (unreleased)
ng
ng
20
Transcription for initial use

(begin of the syllable)
Thai for Beginners

Thai consonant
Transcription for initial use

(begin of the syllable)
Transcription for final use

(end of the syllable)
c (unaspirated)
t (unreleased)
ch (aspirated)
t (unreleased)
, , ,
t (unreleased)
j (the English y-sound)
t (unreleased)
th (aspirated) or d
t (unreleased)
(unaspirated)
t (unreleased)
(aspirated)
t (unreleased)
, ,
, , , ,
th
p (unreleased)
p (unaspirated)
p (unreleased)
, ,
ph
p (unreleased)
j (the English y-sound)
h, or none
none
o, a, transcription of the
o, oo
glottal stop*
none
none
(aspirated)
vowel borne by , or none
N.B.: The glottal stop is a sound we know well in English, but for which no written sign is in daily
use. We hear the glottal stop at the beginning of words, which begin with a vowel. If we say all or
21
Thai for Beginners

ever Just before we utter the sound written as a and e in these examples, we open our glottis to
release air in order to say the words we want to say. If we do this the other way around, and close our
glottis to stop the flush of air from our lungs, we would pronounce a glottal stop after a vowel; we
would pronounce the . Speakers of Cockney do it all the time. For each stop at the end of a word, be it
p, t or k, a genuine Cockney substitutes . The glottal stop is comparable with the pronunciation of the
c in the word action (an unreleased k, formed against the soft palate; a so-called velar stop), but is
pronounced deeper down the throat: Instead of pressing the uvula against the soft palate, which you do
when you pronounce a velar stop, the air flow in pronouncing the glottal stop is stopped by closing
your glottis.
In Thai, the glottal stop occurs at the end as well as at the beginning of a syllable. In this course, the
sound is transcribed with where it is not automatically produced by English speakers. It will not be
shown at the beginning of each syllable starting with a vowel, as both English and Thai speakers
automatically pronounce a glottal stop before releasing an initial vowel. The glottal stop sign will be
shown when a glottal stop always occurs at the end of or in the middle of a certain lexeme ( - l,
- kw-). In a few words, the glottal stop is optional (for instance in - c, c; - n, n). In
the transcription of dialogues, words with an optional glottal stop will be transcribed as most appropriate given the circumstances in the texts.
Transcription of vowels, diphthongs and triphthongs
a, a
aa
i, i
ii
ue, ue
ue
u, u
uu
ee
22
Thai for Beginners

vowel / diphthong
transcription
oo
eu
eu
eu, eu
ia
ia, iia
uea
uea, uea
ua
ua, uua
am
aj, aaj
aj, aaj
aw
euj, euj
r, re, r, rue, rue, reu
rue
le
lue
23
Thai for Beginners

Transcription of the tones
Tone indicators are written over the vowels of each syllable, when applicable.
1.8
Mid tone
---
Low tone
---
Falling tone
---
High tone
---
Rising tone
---
Thai Grammar and Script
In this course, all aspects of Thai grammar will be elaborately explained. In Thai, there are no
cases, no articles, no noun genders, and no verb conjugations. The order of the sentence is
Subject-Verb-Object, or Subject-Verb-Adjunct. Certainly, the Thai language offers enough pitfalls and challenges, such as the script, the tones, polite particles, question particles, classifiers,
an initially confusing time indication system and a very large amount of idiomatic expressions.
But Thai grammar is relatively easy to master.
The Thai script doesnt have a different set of capital letters. There is no difference in form between lower case letters, capital letters, italics and handwritten letters. There is just one alphabet, although many typefaces have been designed (the Thai are enthusiastic graphic designers).
1.9
Exercises
To accustom yourself to the forms of the Thai script, write every letter of the alphabet (consonants and vowels) down a number of times, until you get the feeling youre writing the letter
right. If you would like to learn the sound that goes with the letter immediately, as well, feel
free, although nobody will expect you to master the whole alphabet after this mere introduction. The letters of the alphabet will be thoroughly repeated in the next eleven lessons, and after lesson 12 youll be able to read and write Thai without cribbing. It must be emphasized
once more that is important to get the form of the Thai letters into your subconscious. It is a
simple fact that, without learning how to read and write, youll never learn Thai well.
Write the letters as follows:
24
1. You start with the little circle, which you will find on every consonant, except two, and on
many of the vowels. The circle is called (hu) in Thai; head. The following three
Thai for Beginners

letters, which consist of two components, have two hu;
- joo jng
- thoo thaan
- soo rues
Two consonants dont have any hu:
When writing the letters without hua, start with the left-most open end of the letter. When
writing and , start left-below and left in the middle respectively.
2. When the hua is complete, draw the rest of the letter without taking your pen from the
paper, until finished.
3. The following vowel signs have no hua:
, , , and
When writing these characters, most Thai start in the upper left corner of the , and draw
the curved line through until it reaches the lower limit of the x-height.
When writing the characters ( ), ( ) and ( ), start at the right, and draw
the lower line of the little half moon to the left; then draw the upper line of the little half
moon back to the right. After that, add the little vertical strokes.
5. The character ( ) has a little circle, but this doesnt count as a hua, because the
vowel sign is formed in the same way as the characters under 4. First the little half moon is
drawn, then the little circle.
To show you how what a Thai sentence looks like, here is an example sentence with vowels in
front of, behind, under, after, above and around the consonants, tone marks, high-written vowels and diphthongs; spaces between clauses and punctuation marks. Notice that the manner of
the parts of letters, vowels, tone marks et cetera, stick out above and under the standard letter
height:
2545
Good Luck!
25
Thai for Beginners
26
Thai for Beginners
THAI FOR BEGINNERS

LESSON 2
Questions and answers

2.1
2.2
2.3
2.4
2.5
2.6
2.7
Introduction
Cultural notes
Characteristics of the Thai language
Exercises
27
Thai for Beginners
28
Thai for Beginners
2.1
Introduction
In lesson one you have been introduced to the basics of the
Thai script and the fundamentals of the Thai language. In
this lesson, you actually start learning Thai. Just like a
linguist on the first day of his fieldwork, you will learn to
ask some simple but important questions and see some
possible answers.
You will notice that the study texts, and every word in the
word lists, are offered to you written in the Thai script as
well as in the transcription system. This is done to offer
you a written reference of every Thai word and sentence
you will learn before you have actually mastered the Thai
script after lesson 12. It is recommended that you repeat
the sections written in Thai from time to time, as in the
beginning of your study your reading and writing skills
will probably lag behind your speaking and listening skills
for a while. Fast word recognition is the basis of learning
to read Thai fluently. As has been made clear in section 1.6., Thai script doesnt use as much
punctuation as written English, and words in a sentence are written after each other in fluent
rows, without spaces between the words. In this course, Thai texts will be written in the true
Thai way starting from the 25th lesson (in Intermediate Thai Part 2). Until that lesson, Thai
words are written separated from each other, like in Thai primary school primers. This is done
to let you gradually reach the point where youll recognize words as separate entities of form
and meaning from what at first will first seem like endless rows of curly characters. Exercises
in word recognition are, from now on, an essential part of the course. Starting from lesson
seven, when youll know enough words to be able to actually follow a written text, the alphabet will be repeated step by step, and youll learn more about the tricks and pitfalls of the Thai
system of writing. In the first few lessons of the course, you will learn how to speak basic
Thai, and you will start building up your fundamental knowledge of grammar and idioms.
cd 1a
track 3
2.2
The affirmative sentence: word order

Thai is an SVO-language; this means that an affirmative sentence consists, in principle, of a
Subject, a Verb, and an Object, and is also built up in that order (Subject-Verb-Object); just
like English.
cj kin
Joy (girls name)- to eat- rice
Joy eats (rice)
The interrogative sentence: the question particle

The word order of a question is the same as that of an affirmative sentence. Because Thai is a
tonal language, a question is not indicated by intonation as in English (in which every word
can be made into a question by using a rising intonation (O.K.? Yes?), but by means of a question particle, which is a fixed word appearing at the end of a question. There are two basic
question particles:
29
Thai for Beginners
maj
used in general questions
rue
used in rhetorical questions, or in questions in which the only possible

answers are yes or no. (yes-no questions)
The question particle is, just like the rising intonation in English (in spoken language) and the
question mark (in written language), always placed at the end of a sentence.
Joy eat rice [question particle]
cj kin maj
Is Joy eating (rice)?
Older-brother/sister eat already [question particle]
ph kin lw rue
Have you (has elder brother) eaten
rice already?
Demonstrative and relative pronouns

Like in every other language, including English, demonstrative pronouns in Thai are used to
indicate things. Demonstrative pronouns should not be confused with relative pronouns. Where
in English, the demonstrative pronoun and the relative pronoun can sometimes be easily confused (That is a book; The book that I read), the difference between Thai demonstrative
pronouns and relative pronouns is clear and lies in the tone Look at the following questions
and answers:

What is this?
n
What is this?
khue
What is this?
n pen
What is that?
nn
What is that?
nn khue
What is that?
nn pen
What is that over there?

nn

nn khue

nn pen
This is a book.
nngsue
This is a book.
khue nngsue
This is a book.
n pen nngsue
That is a pen.
nn pkk
That is a pen.
nn khue pkk
That is a pencil.
nn pen
30
Thai for Beginners

What are these?
n
What are these?

n khue
What are these?

n pen
What are those?

nn
What are those?

nn khue
What are those?

nn pen
What are those (over there)?

nn

nn khue

nn pen
Those (over there) are houses.

nn bn
Those (over there) are fields.

nn khue n
Those (over there) are people.

nn pen khon
These are notebooks.

Those are erasers.

Those (over there) are girls.

Those (over there) are tables.
Those are chairs.
These are clothes

Who is this?
()
()
Who is this?
()
()
Who is this?
()
Who is that?
()
Who is that?
()
Who is that?
()
Who are they?

(Who are these people?)
()
Who are they?

Who are they?

()
()
()
()
()
31
Thai for Beginners

Who are they?
(Who are those people?)
Who are they?

Who are they?

Is this a person?
Is this a dog?
Is this a girl?
This is a person, isnt it?
This is a dog, isnt it?
This is a girl, isnt it?
Yes, that is a person.

Yes, that is a dog.

Yes, that is a girl.
No, that is a dog.
No, that is a cat.
No, that is a boy.
This is a book, isnt it?
No, this is a notebook.

No, this is a pen.
Now, compare the demonstrative pronouns shown above with the relative pronouns in the next
sentences, and notice that the tone of the relative pronoun is different:
This school is good.

This person is thin.

That dog bites.

That cat is cute.

That house is red.

That country there is rich

That city there is beautiful

That star there is far (away)

32
This chair is old.

-
Thai for Beginners

The Plural
A plural is not usually indicated in Thai, but when necessary, the fact that something is plural
can be indicated by group words, such as ( - group) and ( - group),
which are placed in front of the demonstrative or relative pronoun.
Who are those people?
cd 1a
track 4
Are those dogs?

No, those are cats.

Vocabulary
to eat
rice
food
1. already; 2. and after that, next
this, these (relative pronoun)
this, these (demonstrative pronoun)
, , *
1. what, which; 2. something
to be (as in: this is a...; this is called a...)
1. to be (as a fact); 2. to exist; 3. to

become; 4. to be alive
that (demonstrative pronoun)
that (relative pronoun)
that over there (demonstrative pronoun)
that over there (relative pronoun)
book
pen
pencil
house
field, cultivated land, rice paddy
man, person
notebook
eraser
33
Thai for Beginners
girl, woman
table
chair
clothes, clothing
1. who; 2. someone
these (plural, demonstrative pronoun)
these (plural, relative pronoun)
those (plural, demonstrative pronoun)
those (plural, relative pronoun)
dog
question particle for an open question
yes
yes?; isnt it?; isnt that true?
no; not
1. no (not yes); 2. not to be (is not)
cat
man, boy
school
man, person, human
house
country
country, city
star
rich
beautiful
2.3
far
Cultural notes: Khunna, Decha and Bunkhun, and

your place in Thai society
In almost every sentence a Thai says, he or she can make clear in which relation he stands to
the person he is speaking to, and even to which social class he belongs. Immediately, or almost
immediately, it becomes clear in which relationship the speakers stand to each other, and how
34
Thai for Beginners

people should behave towards each other. The different social groups existing within society
are not just relatively superior or inferior in comparison with each other, although social
status is very important in Thai society. More abstract social aspects are called khunn ()1,
moral goodness and virtue, and detch (, ), the power to change chaos into order, are
just as important. One finds khunna in the monks in the temples, but also in the simple
farmer who supports his extended family, in the honest civil servant, and the just policeman.
One finds decha in ones King, ones boss, in the man who holds power and uses it for the
good of mankind: The Abbott in the temple whom all monks and villagers revere, the head of a
family, the 2, the Police Colonel at the police station.
In earlier times, relationships were simpler. A farmer worked the land of his Lord, and was
thus assured of protection against enemies and intruders. Today, an employee works hard and
is polite to his chief, expecting goodwill, a fair treatment and promotion. Such a relation between ruler and subject is called a patron-client relationship in sociology. In Thai it is better
known as a bunkhun () relation; a relation for which a mutual feeling of dependency
and duty is the basis. One could see Thai society as a strictly hierarchical society, which on the
other hand forms a community in which everyone fulfils his duty, and each is dependent on the
other. One could easily think that a foreigner would only awkwardly fit into this system.
It is a fact, though, that the Thai have been touched by foreign influences since the beginning
of their state-formation. The Dewaraja or God-King principle as legitimacy of royal power
had been loaned from Khmers and Indians. Buddhism arrived both from China and via Sri
Langka and the Malay Peninsula. And the tendency to form city-states had been taken from the
Thai homeland in Southern China. Also, instead of enslaving or destroying conquered peoples,
the Thai assimilated and absorbed them. This benevolent attitude has actually done the Thai a
world of good.
Apart from the strong international policy of nineteenth- and early twentieth century kings,
early diplomatic ties with the important political powers of the time have been a guarantee for
the fact that Thailand, as one of only a few countries in Asia, has never fallen prey to Western
colonialism and expansionism.
In Thailand, you will not be called to account as a representative of Dutch or French colonialism or a scion of the British Raj. Nor will you be seen as a superior or inferior being in ethical,
military, intellectual, or any other sense.
In Thailand, you shall always be recognizable as an occidental, but you shall, if you learn the
language well and adhere to social rules, not stay the odd one out for long. Typical for the Thai
mentality in this aspect, is the fact that popular Thai actors, social reformers and sportsmen of
mixed parentage are always proudly presented as being Thai, although one of their parents (or
grandparents) is a Westerner. Also Thai of a mixed Thai-Chinese, Thai-Indian, Thai-Khmer or
Thai-Malay heritage will always consider themselves - and will be considered by others - as
Thai.
Not to be confused with the word khun you (polite). This word is related to
khunn, but has slightly deviated from its original meaning. You might compare it with the formal,
old fashioned Your Grace in English.
Leader of a village or a rural community.
35
Thai for Beginners
2.4
Characteristics of the Thai Language
Thai is a tonal language with five distinctive tones. Tones co-define the meaning of a morpheme (a morpheme is the minimal distinctive unit of form and meaning in grammar). In principle, Thai is an isolating, or analytic language (like Mandarin, Burmese, Vietnamese and
Lao), but it has some lexical derivation by means of prefixes and infixes in Khmer loan words.
Furthermore, fusional influence is visible in loan constructions (both ancient and modern) from
languages such as Pali and Sanskrit. Thai has thus become a tonal language with a relatively
complex morphology.
Thai can be classified as an SVO (Subject-Verb-Object)-language, just like English. Adjuncts
follow the subject. There is no inflection. Tenses are indicated with auxiliary words such as
then, before and in the future, not by verbal conjugations. Thai doesnt know articles,
genders or cases
On the other hand, Thai has dozens of personal pronouns, all in use, and scrupulously utilized
in accordance with the status of the speakers. Thai has five tones, and, on the whole, very few
Thai words sound in the least bit like English words with the same meaning. Thai has a beautiful writing system, but it differs greatly from the Latin alphabet and cannot be learned in a day
or two. Thai has four or five different language levels; from a special vocabulary that is only
used when speaking to, or referring to the King, via levels of polite, social and familiar language to a coarse and impolite, intimate language which is only used among close friends, and
which can hurt when it is used towards strangers.
But most of all, Thai is a melodious and intriguing language, spoken by many nice people in a
beautiful country.
cd 1a
track 5
2.5
Considering its construction, an affirmative sentence in Thai looks in principle exactly like
one in English: After the Subject follows a Verb, and after the Verb follows an Object. Note,
though, that adjuncts and adjectives follow the noun, like in French.
36
1.
This is a dog.
this - to be - dog
2.
This is a lovable dog.
this - to be - dog - loveable
3.
I hit the dog.
I - to hit dog
4.
I hit the dog that bites me.

I - to hit - dog - that - to bite - I
Thai for Beginners

In informal speech, the words and (see 2.2.) are often omitted.
1.
That is a beautiful girl.
that - girl - beautiful
2.
This is a good bicycle.
this - bicycle - good
An interrogative sentence is formed exactly as an affirmative sentence, but a question particle is placed after the last relevant word of the sentence. The question particle (also called
question marker) is generally the last word before the polite particle (see lesson 3).
In general questions, the question particle () is added. Fortuitously, this question particle has a rising tone in standard Thai, so a question with () does indeed sound as a
question in western ears. This is indeed accidental: In other Thai dialects, as for instance Isan
or Lao, the question particle has no rising tone. But the fact that a standard Thai question with
the question particle sounds like a question can help you to recognize questions during the
first weeks of your study.
1.
Is this a Chinese?
/

this - to be - man - China - question particle
2.
Is this gold?
/

this - to be - gold - question particle
An interrogative sentence, of which the answer should be yes, or in which the speaker
would take a positive answer for granted, is formed with the question particle (). In
English, this type of question would usually be formed by adding isnt it?, arent you?,
wouldnt he?, etc. to a statement, or or what? behind a question.
1.
Are you crazy or what?
you (familiar) - crazy - question particle
2.
Are you calling that a dog?
that - dog - question particle
3.
That is difficult, isnt it?
that - difficult - question particle
A rhetorical question is a question, of which the positive answer is supposed to be wellknown to everyone. It is formed with the question particle (), preceded by the word
(); yes; it is.
1.
This is a dog, isnt it?

/

this - to be - dog - yes - question particle
37
Thai for Beginners
2.
This is a girl, yes?

/

this - to be - girl yes - question particle
The negation of - is - . This word is also used for the general
negation no. Linguists like to describe the word as one of the possible translations of the
verb to be. could then also be translated as is or it is. , in any case, has very
much the same meaning as it isnt. It is the negation of any question asked with the question
particle , a particle for a question on which an affirmative answer is more or less expected.
The auxiliary verbs - and - (to can, to be able to) are placed just after the
negation : mostly at the end of a sentence. At the end of a sentence they are placed just in
front of the question particle and the polite particle.
1. He can speak Thai. (He can make himself understood)
he - to speak - Thai - to can

2. He can speak Thai. (He has a good command of it)

he - to speak Thai - to can
3. He can speak a little Thai.

he - to speak - Thai - to can
a bit - a little
Note that: - and - both mean to can, to be able to. For a natural skill, like
speaking ones mother language, or swimming like a fish can swim, one would rather use the
word pen than the word dj. For a skill that had been achieved through study or practice,
like swimming, playing chess or speaking a language that has been learned after childhood, the
word dj should be used. Example 1 is ambiguous. In speaking about a Thai, it would mean
Of course he can speak Thai; he is Thai. Directed towards a foreigner, it could mean that he
manages reasonably, but has not arrived at the level of pen; he doesnt control the language
completely, yet.
Both - and - pen, by the way, have a number of other meanings. For - pen, you
already know the meaning to be. - means, except to can, also to get, and is a particle to indicate opportunity in the past.
The verb - pen in its meaning to be cannot be negated by just putting - (no, not)
in front of it. The negation of - pen in its meaning to be is - . The verb (to be) is negated in the same manner. (see the examples hereafter).
There are no plural forms of the noun in Thai. To indicate plural and variety, one may repeat
the noun, or one adds a noun to the singular, which indicates a plural form (in 2.2. you find
some examples with the group-noun - ). During this course you will learn more about
these group-nouns and other classifiers.
38
Thai for Beginners

In written language, the reduplication of a word is indicated with the sign ( -
).
In a negative sentence, the negation-particle - (no, not) is always in front of the
part of the sentence that is negated:
1. This is not a dog.

this - no/not - to be - dog
2. He can not speak Thai.
(verb phrase is negated)

he - to speak - language - Thai - no/not - to can
3.. This house is not beautiful.

(adjective3 is negated)

house - this - no/not - beautiful
4. What he says is not true.
(adverb4 is negated)

thing that he to say no/not - true
5. I am not going to Bangkok.
(verb is negated)

I shall no/not to go Bangkok
(noun phrase is negated; - pen or - is negated as - .)
Please note: () is always placed in front of the auxiliary verb (), with which it
forms a fixed combination in certain negations. It doesnt matter in which of her meanings the
word is used. Note: () does not appear in front of every auxiliary verb!
He can not speak. ( is to can, to be able)

he - to speak - no/not - to be able
He gets no money. ( is to get)

eu

he - no/not - to get - money
The use of demonstrative pronouns () and (), and relative pronouns () and
() is sometimes ambiguous. Although the words are still used as described in 2.2, their
meanings sometimes overlap. The demonstrative pronouns are often pronounced in a high
tone, especially in informal language just as the relative pronouns.
Thai adjectives and adverbs are often, more correctly, called static or stative verbs (see lesson 3).
39
Thai for Beginners

Pronunciation; a short remark about r and l
Many Thais do not pronounce the r as a trill, or even at all. If an r occurs in a word, people
often say l instead. People who, due to their profession, have to talk beautifully can pronounce the r perfectly well (listen to the television anchormen and -womens rolling rsounds), and they are not the only ones who effortlessly produce a perfect trill if they want.
The informal Bangkok dialect, one of the most prestigious dialects in the country, does not
recognize the r-sound, so many people make do without it. In the North, the standard Thai r
becomes h, in the dialect of the Northeast (Isan) and in Laotian, the r does not exist either.
If you want to pronounce a good r, make it rolling or flapped. An English r wont do. If
you cant say r, please use l.
cd 1a
track 6
Vocabulary
1. I (man speaks); 2. hair (on the head)
hit
bite
he, she
1. to can; 2. to get; 3. particle for perfect past tense
1. to be; 2. to be able to; to can
to speak
language
Thailand (Thai)
The Netherlands (Dutch)
a little
England (English)
France (French)
Spain (Spanish)
Russia (Russian)
China (Chinese)
Japan (Japanese)
Indonesia (Indonesian)
N.B. The language of a country or the name of a language is normally preceded by the word
(: language). English is ( ). Chinese is
( ). The name of a country is mostly preceded by the word (: country). China is ( ), Russia is ( ); Indonesia is
( ). In spoken conversation you will often hear the name
of language as well as country without or in front.
40
Thai for Beginners
Can he speak Thai?
I cannot speak English.
Hell go to England
For , also the word () is used, especially in (

:Thailand). The word can mean country as well as city.
2.6
Exercises
a.. Translate the following sentences into English:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
b. Translate into Thai. Use the transcription script.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Is this a dog?
That is a boy.
Those people, are they girls?
Who is that?
That cat over there.
a. Learn all words from lesson 2 by heart. Repeat the alphabet in Lesson 1.
b. Translate into English:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
c. Translate into Thai. Use the transcription script:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
This dog is beautiful.

Yes, that is a man.
Who are those girls over there?
These are pens, arent they? No, these are pencils.
Are these tables?
41
Thai for Beginners

d. Make sentences.
Make ten good Thai sentences with the words in the wordlist. Note with every word you
use why it should be in the position within the sentence where you have put it. You may
take the sentences from 2.2. as examples, but please try to build your sentences as
originally as possible.
2.7
a. 1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Can he speak Thai?

Are those cats beautiful?
That dog over there bites.
This is a house, isnt it?
This is not a man.
b. 1.
2.
3.
(,)
(,)
(
,)

4.
5.
42
Thai for Beginners
THAI FOR BEGINNERS

LESSON 3
3.1
3.2
3.3
3.4
3.5
3.6
Introduction
The verb to be
Exercises
43
Thai for Beginners
44
Thai for Beginners
3.1
Introduction
In this lesson you will learn how to introduce yourself. You will learn how you get acquainted
with other people, and how other people introduce themselves to you. The first ice between
you and the Thai will be broken.
cd 1a
track 7
3.2
This is Jintana Chakraphet.
(Her) nickname is Joy.
She is 21 years old.
She studies English and French.
She is a student.
NB. Jintanas surname can be pronounced as well as . In Thai, there exist more
words which can be pronounced in slightly different manners. Especially in complex loan words and
surnames, pronunciation is sometimes not fixed, and more than one pronunciation is often accepted.
45
Thai for Beginners
This is Surasak Chakraphet.
(His) nickname is Sua.
He is 24 years old.
He has just graduated.
He is an engineer.
This is Kanya.
Her nickname is Noi.
She is 19 years old.
He is Mr. Peter Wolf.
Everyone calls him:
He is 40 years old.
He is a Dutchman.
He works in Thailand.
Good day. (woman speaking)
My name is Jintana.
Good day. (man speaking)
I am Peter Wolf.
Vocabulary

46
She is a servant.
Mr. Peter.
cd 1a
track 8
to introduce
1. body; 2. oneself
1. each other; 2. particle of

reciprocity
first
particle for mild emphasis,
introduction; the act of

introducing
or confirmation of the
Thai for Beginners
preceding statement
particle for mild emphasis
in questions
particle for affirmative
emphasis
this (demonstrative
pronoun)
this (relative pronoun;
shortened form of demonstrative pronoun)
1. name; 2. to be named
to play
he, she (3e person

singular)
nickname
twenty
twenty-one
to study
student
twenty-four
just; a moment ago
to end, to finish, to
complete
university
engineer
()
servant, resident domestic
servant
1. you (2nd person

singular); 2. he, she
(polite, towards elders and
superiors)
1. you (polite); 2. honorific used in front of the

first name of people
(compare to Mr.; Mrs.,
Miss)
every person; everyone
1. to call; 2. to call out;
47
Thai for Beginners
forty
The Netherlands
1. to do; 2. to make
1. work (n); 2. party (n)
3. to address; 4. to demand
to work
in, at, on (adjunct of
place)
1. city, town; 2. country
Thai
Thailand
hello; good morning;

good afternoon; good
evening
polite particle for women
in affirmative sentences
I (woman speaking)
polite particle for men
I (man speaking)
* Irregular pronunciation: Written with a long aa; pronounced with a short a.

Thai names and nicknames
Apart from his official given name, almost every Thai has a nickname, which is used far more
often than his official name. The official first name - hardly ever more than one is printed in
front of his family name on his national identity card and in his passport, and is only used for
official occasions. The nickname is intended for daily use. The official given name is often a
name based on beautiful Sanskrit and Pali terms, and always indicates quality: piety, beauty,
strength, intelligence, wisdom The nickname is generally monosyllabic and not always
flattering. Many Thai go by names as Fat, Dented, Silent, Little, Tiny and Very Tiny.
Other nicknames are animal names. People can be called after any animal, from mighty beasts
like the tiger and the elephant, to the bear and the cat and the rat, to animals like the grasshopper, the chicken, and the mosquito larva. Furthermore, names of expensive and beautiful things
are used as nicknames (Diamond, Crystal, Gold), names of flowers (Lotus, Blossom, Rose),
and names of fruits (Apple, Rambutan, Rose Apple). Sometimes ones features as a newborn
baby cause one to be nicknamed Red or Black, Or Flabby. A baby with widely opened
eyes will be called Eyes, a child with a flat face Flat. Often, the characteristics, which
someone is named after, dont fit in with reality when one grows up, but a nickname often
stays.
5
48
The word is one of the very few words in the Thai language that is written with the lettercombination for the sound .
Thai for Beginners

In the seventies and eighties English words and names of Western status symbols were popular
as nicknames. There are people who are called Cartoon and Benz. In the last decades of the
20th century people also started to give their children real English names as given names. There
are Thai men who are called Joe and Thai girls who are called Jane. Famous actors and actresses of mixed blood became well known by their foreign given name, like Willy MacIntosh
and Marsha Wattanaphanit. There are now plenty of Thai children who are called after their
parents idols, and who carry the name Willy of Marsha as a nickname or a given name.
Another foreign name that was already popular in the eighties is Linda. Linda Kathancharoen
was a very popular actress in those days. There are now many people named Marisa, James
(after James Wattana, the snooker-player), Tiger (after Tiger Woods) and even a fair number
of people named Jackie (Jackie Chan, though not Thai, is a popular actor here).
Thais who carry an official given name consisting of only one or two syllables, such as Krit,
Buppha or Mali, sometimes dont feel the need to use a nickname. Most Thai names,
though, consist of three or four syllables, and because given names are often used as personal
pronouns (1st, 2nd and 3rd person singular), the constant repetition of your own name and that of
your discussion partner during a dialogue would make a conversation needlessly long. Polysyllabic nicknames, which also exist, are often shortened to one syllable in their turn. Grasshopper () will be shortened to . Cartoon () will become under
friends.
The official number of names from which one could choose when naming ones child, has always been more or less finite, but today no official registrar will be amazed when a Thai couple decides to give their child an English, French, or Japanese official first name. Where until
after the Second World War (when a last large group of Chinese arrived in Thailands harbors)
it was good form for immigrants to adopt a Thai name even before naturalization, today parents can give their child any name they wish.
There is still a small group of aged Thai citizens that goes through life with only a single,
monosyllabic name. This group has been born before 1925 when the King ordered all his
subjects to take a surname in desolate areas in some of the least inhabited provinces of the
Kingdom.
Most Chinese-Thai now carry Thai names. In the 1950s most Chinese families exchanged their
Chinese name for a Thai one. Their surnames are often poetic and flowery; their first names
are often classically Thai a bit old-fashioned. The Sino-Thai who have not taken a Thai surname can be recognized by their monosyllabic surname, which is preceded by the word ,
- clan.
Forms of address
The polite way to address a Thai is () + first name. In Britain, Mr. Peter Wolf would
be called Mr. Wolf by strangers, vague acquaintances and his personnel. In Thailand he
would be called Khun Peter. Strangers with a higher or equal status as the speaker are also
addressed with , but without the surname. To attract someones attention, one says:
/ ( / ). People with an obviously higher status, such as (high) police officers, professors, ministers, etc., one addresses with () in front of the first name
of the person in question. Young children (and girls up to an age of about 17) can be addressed
as - - mouse, or, if one is about the same age as their parents, as - - child. A
general and neutral way to address people is by using the words - - older brother or sis-
49
Thai for Beginners

ter and - - younger brother or sister. Relatively elder people are addressed as -
- younger brother or sister of father, - - younger brother or sister of mother, - older brother of father or mother of - - older sister of father or mother.
The ways in which Jintana Chakraphet (Joy) could be addressed, (if one knew her first name)
would be as follows:
in the birth register
by vague acquaintances
(younger than she) (older than she)
()
()
by acquaintances
by friends and
family
stands for: - - miss. The forms of address in parentheses would be less frequently used alternatives.
Ones surname is used a lot less in Thailand than in Western countries. In all kinds of directories, people are alphabetically arranged according to their first name. Even close friends are
sometimes not even sure of each others surname. Some families, though, regard their surname
in high esteem. A family name can be old or famous, and sometimes indicates that one has
royal blood running through ones veins. Sometimes, a new surname is chosen as a sign of the
fact that one has broken with his past or family. A surname can also be changed to change
ones luck in life. Given names are changed even more often.
A nickname can be changed in accordance with ones profession. Many guides and other people working in the tourism industry are no longer called Narong, Saowalak, Preecha or Siriporn, but David, Suzy, Ken and Charlie.
There are countless manners to transcribe Thai names in Latin script. In Thailand most people
transcribe their language, and also their name, according to their own insights and tastes. Although the Royal Council for Language ( - ) advises in
matters of transcription, the average Thai doesnt care about that. In this course every name
will be transcribed according to our transcription system. In the translations, names are Latinized in recognizable ways. The girls nickname (), for instance, will be transcribed in
the way most girls who bear that nickname, or as Joy would transcribe it. The same is valid
for the boys name (), which would be transcribed as Surasak.
Vocabulary
name
nickname
real (given) name
surname
50
miss (abbreviated: )
Thai for Beginners

cd 1a
track 9
Some examples of nicknames and their literal meaning:
tiger
1.talkative; 2. small, tiny
small, little; few
red
dimpled, dented
glass, crystal, gemlike
frog
bear
Some nicknames are typically given to boys, like (), some are typical for women, like
(). Names such as () and () can be used by both men and women.
Some examples of nicknames which are not originally Thai are:
Janie, Jane
Benz (from Mercedes)
Nikki, Nicky
3.3
Bird
There are several ways in which you can greet, or introduce yourself to a person in Thailand.
Your choice of words and your body language during the greeting are important in order to establish your status with regard to the other person. First of all, there is the ( - ). A person
who makes a brings the palms of his hands together and rises them above his head, his
forehead, his nose-bridge, under his chin or in front of his chest. The higher he raises both his
hands, the more respectful is the greeting. If one brings a with the hands above the head
or at forehead-level, one sometimes goes down on ones knees, inclines the upper body deeply
forward and reaches the hands amply above the head. The gesture of the is not only a
greeting, but also a gesture of respect. The aforementioned deep -s youll often see on
Thai television, used during visits by politicians, high military personnel, and common people
towards members of the Royal Family. Probably, youll never meet a member of the Royal
Family as most Thais never will. But there is a likely chance that youll meet a politician or a
general. These people are treated with not nearly as much awe as the King or the Crown
Prince, but it will do no harm to practice the high for a bit. You keep your body up
straight, your elbows against the sides of your chest, and you bring your hands, with palms and
fingers pressed together, up to your face, the ends of your thumbs touching your brow, so that
your fingers reach a point a little higher than the top of your head. Then, you bring your upper
51
Thai for Beginners

body slowly forward, and bow your head. Youve just made a high . Lower -s are
made in a similar manner, but with the hands lower and less bowing of the head and less lowering of the upper body. The fingertips can reach the level of the eyebrows, the nose bridge,
the nose point, the lips, the chin, and the neck. The lowest is made with the hands at
chest level. The higher the status of the person you , the higher your hands reach and the
deeper you bow.
You dont everybody. W-ing to high or to often, or w-ing the wrong people can be
seen as an insult. The people you may think youre playing a game with them or that
youre being sarcastic. You dont servants, cashiers or children; and certainly not beggars; Those people have already a difficult life as it is. W-ing someone who is younger than
you can shorten that persons life, they say. It is something completely different when you answer a of a younger person with your own. Someone who s you first, s you
high. Your return will be lower (there are of course exceptions; when you didnt see a
person of high status coming towards you, and he s you suddenly, your should be a
of the appropriate level). Some people, such as the King, never , and neither do
monks. If a child s you, you dont back. A smile will do as an answer. Might it ever
come so far that youre being arrested, please feel free to every police officer you meet in
the process, even the lowest cop. Your hardly has any influence on your punishment, but
a policeman softened with a polite might be more easily inclined to buy a few soft drinks
or snacks for you while youre in custody.
The can, but doesnt necessarily have to, be accompanied by a spoken greeting. When a
greeting is exchanged, this will mostly be ( / ; good day/
morning/afternoon; respectively female and male speech), in some situations followed by /

( /), and the name of the person spoken to.
The polite particles , ( - female speech, affirmative) ( - female speech, interroga-
tive) and (male speech) always come at the end of a sentence, and indicate that one considers the status of the person spoken to is equal to or higher than ones own. The polite particles mentioned above are the three basic varieties of the particle. In colloquial and very polite
language there are more. Note that women may use two standard polite particles, which only
differ from each other in tone; an affirmative one with a (short) falling tone, and an interrogative one with a high tone. The male polite particle always has a high tone. Also note that the
use of the polite particle is not dependent on the fact whether you speak to a man or to a
woman; it is dependent on your own sex. If youre a man, you use (). If youre a
woman, you use () in affirmative sentences, and () in interrogative sentences. In

the early stages of your study, you might find it easy to use these particles to everybody you
meet except children, beggars, and servants. In the end, your experience will teach you to
whom to be polite and to whom politeness is an unnecessarily extended favor.
Attention: The particles ()and () can also be used as an affirmative answer on

a question: They can be used for the word Yes.
52
Thai for Beginners
3.4
The verb to be
The Thai language has more than just one word for the verb to be In most dictionaries, youll
find four translations for the Thai verb to be. These are (),(),() and
().
These words are used as translations for the English verb to be in different circum-
stances.
The verb () is the translation for to be if talking about static, or certain facts. The
verb () used in the description of objects, persons, situations and the like.
() can also mean to exist, to be alive or to become. Moreover, () can be used
to describe functions or professions ( - - he is a soldier),
types of people, or things ( - - to be a poor person, to be poor),
and situations ( - - (it) is a problem).
The verb () also means: to suffer from an illness. The sentence
means: he suffers from a cold; he has a cold.
He is a Dutchman.
( - - of (preposition))
( - - disease; - -
Janie is a younger sister of mine.

leprosy)
He suffers from leprosy.
The verb () means to be in the sense of: to be present, to stay. () can also
indicate a static situation, which can be translated as still, or to be busy doing...:
He is in England; Hes staying in England
He is (busy) working.
The verb () means to be in the sense of namely; the fact is that. The verb
() indicates a certainty; a definition:
This is a house.
- - country, state. Is usually placed before the name of the country, but is often
omitted in speech. Another word for country is - , which can also mean city.
53
Thai for Beginners

The meaning of the verb () overlaps () in several situations. () is
usually used in definitions and declarations. often determines a fact over which no discussion is possible, and classifies stricter than . The sentence
() - This is (a) crime is somewhat stronger than
( ), and more determined as a statement than (
). In many cases, the difference between ()and () is a matter
of sense or feeling. Furthermore, the verb is often used as a stopgap in case of
uncertainty: (... - I dont know; Er; Eh). In many cases, the difference
between the verbs ()and () are erasable.
Remember: The verbs () and () dont occur in negative sentences. Both
these verbs are both negated with ( ); and not with: * (* ) or *
(* ).
But there are a few exceptions in the negation of the verb (), ( )
may be used, but ( ) is a correct negation in some idiomatic phrases (
- - its no problem; - - it doesnt matter.)
Normally, the verbs (),() and () are negated with the phrase
( ):

(
)
(
)
(
)
The first two question sentences mean: Is that a cat?, the third one means: That is a cat, isnt
it? The answers are all: no (that is not a cat).
The verb () means to be in the sense of: it is so, it is. In many cases this word
can be translated with yes:
This is a cat, isnt it?

It is (yes)
In many situations, it is the Thai equivalent for yes as a confirmative answer to questions.
Situations in which is used as our verb to be are rather scarce, and often idiomatic.
()
- this is it, isnt it? is an example of the use of the verb ()

which is coherent with the use of such a verb in English.
There is still another translation of the verb to be, and that is: to not translate it.
54
Thai for Beginners

Especially in common oral language and simple statements, the verb to be is omitted:
This is a cat
It is red
This phenomenon is also common in other languages of Southeast Asia. Linguists who
study these languages consider all Thai nouns and adjectives as verbs: Stative or static
verbs. In linguistics, a static verb is a verb of which no imperative can be formed. According to this theory the noun () means either cat or to be a cat. The adjective
() would mean either red or to be red.
In the following sentence:
that (is a) cat)

The noun (- cat; to be a cat) thus carries the verb to be with it.
In the following sentence:
That cat is red
The adjective (- red; to be red) thus carries the verb to be with it.
3.5
Exercises
a. Translate into English:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
b. Translate into Thai. Use the transcription script.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Jintana is a student.
Surasak is 24 years old.
Mr. Wolf works in Thailand.
Kanya is 19 years old.
Surasak just graduated.
Good afternoon, my name is Peter Wolf.
Everyone calls me Peter.
I am an Australian.
c. Learn all new words in this lesson by heart. Repeat the words from the previous lessons.
55
Thai for Beginners

d. Arrange the following sentences into the right order :
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
e. Translate into Thai. Use the transcription script:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Mr. Wolf is a Dutchman.

He works in Thailand.
Jintana is a student.
Surasak is an engineer.
That is a crime!
He speaks a little Thai.
f. Make the following sentences interrogative and negative:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
3.6
a. Translation into English:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
This is Jintana.
He/She is a Thai.
Good day. (man speaking)
My name is Peter.
He/She is twenty-one years old.
This is Surasak Chakraphet
He is an engineer.
Kanya is a servant.
b. Translation into Thai (in transcription script):

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
56
(a Thai would say: )
Thai for Beginners

6.
7.
8.
d. 1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
e. 1.
( )
2. -
()
3.
()
4.

5.

6.
f. Interrogative:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Negative:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
57
Thai for Beginners
58
Thai for Beginners
THAI FOR BEGINNERS

LESSON 4
Two friends
4.1
4.2
4.3
4.4
4.5
4.6
Introduction
Dialogue
The tones 1: the mid tone and the low tone
Grammar and idioms
Exercises
59
Thai for Beginners
60
Thai for Beginners
4.1
Introduction
In order to teach you how to speak and later how to read Thai in a natural manner, every
lesson will from now on start with a text in the form of a dialogue, accompanied by a description of setting and situation. The dialogues are written in the language that the average Thai
uses every day: spoken language. The spoken language, which you will learn in this course, is
the language as spoken in Bangkok, which is understood all over the country. Here and there
you will be made acquainted with a word originating from another dialect, but which will be
recognized and understood by every Thai.
The dialogue will first be given in Thai script. During the start of your study, this will be of little use to you, but you will learn how to read very rapidly, and rereading the first dialogues of
the course in Thai script will be an excellent exercise for when you have become more advanced. Please try to direct your attention not only to the transcribed texts, but also to the
original Thai. Although it is possible to learn a little Thai without learning to read and write, it
is of the greatest importance to be able to write the script well and read it fluently if you really
want to learn the language well. Try to recognize letters and words by using the lists of consonants and vowels, and the reference diagram for the tone rules given in lesson 1. From lesson 7
on, when youll have built up a basic vocabulary and know the basic principles of Thai grammar, youll begin to learn to read and write Thai properly. When youve studied lesson 12,
youll be able to read not too difficult Thai texts (with the help of vocabulary lists, of course)
rather fluently.
Men and women in Thailand have a slightly different vocabulary and they use their language
differently from each other; not only through their use of different personal pronouns and polite particles, but also in their general manner of speech. Timbre and intonation, the rhythm of
speech and the use of vocabulary are distinctly different between the sexes. You will see that,
in the first lessons, women will play the lions share of the roles in the dialogues. This method
has been chosen because women are often more meticulous in their speech, and generally pronounce the tone of a word more clearly. For the gentlemen among you, it is therefore better to
initially adjust your hearing to womens voices and a female pronunciation, before you start
practicing your male Thai language usage. Later in the course, there will be enough male roles
in the dialogues to help you perfect your male pronunciation.
If you have a Thai partner, youll undoubtedly take over figures of speech, turns of phrase and
expressions from him or her. Remember though, that boys and girls speak rather differently in
almost all matters and situations. Keep this in mind, if you dont want people to inadvertently
hold you for a ktheuj7.
Furthermore, in Thailand there exist - like everywhere else in the world - differences between
the speech of the highly educated and the less highly educated. There is political, military and
scientific jargon, teenage language, argot and slang. There is true language, false language and
the language of Buddhism. Elderly people sometimes still speak the Thai of the forties or fifties, which is, among other features, characterized by a series of archaic personal pronouns.
Generally, Thai people use more sayings and idiomatic expressions in their language than
Westerners. You will thus be duly introduced to all kinds of idioms and proverbs. Also of importance is a vocabulary of special words which are only used in reference to the King and the
Royal House: ratchsp. You shall have to learn this vocabulary well enough to be able to
understand news items about the Royal Family on radio and television, and to take part in
conversation when you have an audience with the King.
7
h (): transvestite or transsexual. In Thailand, transsexuality is not frowned upon like in the West.
Sex change surgery stands on a very high level in Thailand, and h are actually found in all professions and all
social strata. In speech, h always use the language characteristics of their new sex.
61
Thai for Beginners
cd 1a
track 10
4.2
Dialogue
Two friends.
[ ]
62
Thai for Beginners

Transcription and word-for-word translation of dialogue 4.2.
[ * .]
[Friend woman/girl two *person (classifier)]
>
Joy with/and Nikki two girl (young woman) have age 21 year . He/she all two (both) to-be >
>
student at Chulalongkorn University. Joy learn language English and language French >
>
To-stay/busy-to-do at/in faculty humanities. Part/as-to Nikki to-be student faculty economy. After
from (after) >
>
he/she to-hear lecture subject which/that to-learn to-finish already, Joy and/with Nikki
also/rather to-meet each-other at/in >

Shop coffee (caf) side front university ...
( * .)
(Nikki to-enter to-come in shop, in moment that/which Joy *situation-particle to-drink sweetice-coffee to-stay/busy-to-do. )
:
Joy:
( ) . .
(to-wave hand) hey Nikki. I to-stay here.
: . * .
Nikki: Aha! Joy to-come long (time) already *question particle.
:
Joy:
. * .
I to-come just-now only/self. Nikki to-want to-drink something *question particle.
: ( ) * .
Nikki: (towards (to) child to-serve) to-take Fanta red bottle one *emphasis particle. younger
brother/sister.
:
Joy:
. . .
Nikki, you not/no comfortable or no. Why face red red.
: . * . .
Nikki: Face red [question particle]. Probably to-be because weather warm *anticipation part.
Hungry/thirsty water really.
:
Joy:
. . . .
Yes. Day this weather warm much. Night/evening this to-shall free (not busy)[question
part.]. Have appointment with someone/who or no/not.
63
Thai for Beginners
: . * .
Nikki: I free (not busy). To-shall to-go to-go-out each-other/together *question part..
:
Joy:
cd 1a
track 11
. * .
I also/rather free (not busy) same each-other/together. So/Thus to-go to-go-out
together/each-other good [*comparative part.].
Vocabulary
dialogue (in a lesson, in a play)
1. with; 2. and
two
girl, young woman
1. to have; 2. to be present
age
twenty-one
year
1. he; 2. she (3rd person singular)
1. all; 2. complete(ly), the whole
both; all two
1. to be; 2. to can, to be able to
student (at Chulalongkorn University)

1. in, at; 2. place
Chulalongkorn
university
learn, study
language
English
and
French
1. to dwell, to be (at), to stay; 2. to

exist, to remain; 3. to be alive;
4. particle to indicate continuous
action
1. faculty; 2. faction, group
humanities (also: - see
64
Thai for Beginners
1. as for, as to...; 2. part
economy
after
to listen, to hear
1. speech; lecture
(school) subject
to finish, finished
1. already; 2. further, next
also, likewise, as well
to meet
reciprocal particle: each other,

together
store, shop
coffee
1. side; 2. faction; 3. one of a pair
1. front side; 2. in front
to enter
to come
in, inside, within
moment
while
situation particle; busy to do ...
to drink
iced coffee with sugar, no milk
to wave (wave hand)
hey
I (informal)
here
aha!; ah!; hey! (expresses surprise)
long (in time expressions)
1. or; 2. question particle for yes/no

questions
just now
dialogue)
65
Thai for Beginners
1. only, just; 2. self
to want
1. something; 2. what?
informal question particle for gen-
to speak, to talk, to say
child
teenager who serves in a restaurant
1. to take; 2. to want
Fanta
red
bottle
one
emphasis particle: yes?, all

right?, O.K.
1. younger brother or sister;

2. form of address to people
younger than the speaker
1. you (informal); 2. she (3rd pers.

singular, mainly for women)
no, not
1. comfortable, cozy; 2. happy,

relaxed; 3. healthy
or not (question particle for yes/no

questions)
why
1. face; 2. front side
1. probably; 2. possibly; 3. may;

4. maybe, perhaps
weather
warm, hot
()
probably; seemingly
to be hungry; to crave (for)
()
to be thirsty (to crave for water)
really, truly; indeed
yes
()
66
eral questions (compare: )
Thai for Beginners
day
this
today
1. a lot; 2. many; 3. very
evening; night
this evening; tonight
1. shall, will; 2. particle for future

tense
1. free; not busy; 2. vacant, unoccupied; 3.; idle, free; 5. empty

appointment
1. who (interrogative pronoun);

2. someone
1. to go; 2. to
(comp. )
1. to go out; 2. to travel; 3. to make

a trip
question particle for a general

question
1. the same; 2. also, too
then, in that case (abbreviation of

- , -)
1.together, each other; 2. particle of

reciprocity
better (good + particle for

comparative degree)
Translation dialogue 4.2.

[Two friends]
Joy and Nikki are two twenty-one year old girls. Both of them are students at the Chulalongkorn University. Joy studies English and French at the faculty of Humanities. As for Nikki, she
is a student at the Faculty of Economics. After they have followed the lectures of their subjects, Joy and Nikki meet each other in a coffee bar. [literally: coffee shop] in front of the University.
(Nikki enters the coffee bar, while Joy is drinking ice coffee)
Joy: (waves her hand) Hey, Nikki! I am here!
Nikki: Ah! Have you been here long already?
Joy: I just came in. Do you want to drink something, Nikki?
67
Thai for Beginners

Nikki:
Joy:
Nikki:
Joy:
(speaks to the waitress) Ill have a bottle of red Fanta, please.

Nikki, are you not feeling well or what? Why is your face so red!
Is my face red? Thatll be because the weather is so hot. Im really thirsty!
Yes, today it is really hot. Are you free tonight? Do you have an appointment with
someone or not?
Nikki: I am free. Shall we go out together?
Joy: Im free, too. In that case wed better go out together.
4.3
The tones 1: The mid tone and the low tone
Thai is a tonal language. For a native speaker of a non-tonal language it might take you a little
while to get used to the notion that tones are morphemes in your new language. But with the
help of the CDs, which accompany this course, you will learn the tones quite fast. Furthermore, you should take the effort to listen to your Thai friends and acquaintances when they
speak, and try to imitate them as often as possible. Listen to the lessons on the CDs, try to get
used to the sound and the tones of the language, and imitate them aloud. In the following exercise you dont have to pay attention to the meaning of the words. Some have no meaning.
cd 1a
track 12
68
Tone exercise 1: The mid tone and the low tone
Thai for Beginners
4.4
Grammar and idioms
Words for and

The words () and () can both mean and. The word (), though, also means
with. () is used in situations in which two objects or persons are obviously closely
linked. () means and, next, then, and after that, and apart from that, and is used
in situations or persons which do not obviously belong together. In English, a more or less
comparable rule is valid in the use of and as a conjunction in common phrases connecting
things or people that are closely and obviously linked (like: a knife and fork), whereas in
phrases where the link is less obvious, the determiner a would be used after and (like: a
knife and a spoon). Examples:
Joy and Nikki

(two good friends)
Rice and curry

(always belongs together)
Coffee and Fanta

(two different drinks)
To go home and to the beach

(first ... and also ...)
Women and Men

(apart from each other)
Women and men

(together)
The word () means, among other things, and, next, then, and eventually. It is
used, just like () to indicate an order of action, often in combination with (, ) rather, also, too, as well as, then, next. The words () and () overlap
each other in meaning and use.
she to-go Bangkok to-come next return house

She came back from Bangkok and went home.
to-get-in car and to-get-in train and too to-descend

ship
By car and by train and also by ship.
must to-put-in salt sugar and pepper

(You) have to put salt, sugar and pepper in it.
he to-put salt sugar and then (also) pepper

He put in salt and sugar and also pepper.
69
Thai for Beginners

The word () is a particle that indicates reciprocality. You could translate it as together,
each other or with each other. It can also be used to indicate a certain measure of diversity.
he/she to-go to-buy thing kan

They are going to buy things together.
he/she to-speak kan

They talk to each other.
people to-come to-ask money kan much

Many different persons came to ask money.
Long loan words from foreign languages: It might have struck you that Thai, for a language
that is essentially monosyllabic, has a fair number of long, polysyllabic words. These words,
which are mainly loans from the classical languages Pali and Sanskrit, are often academic
words and are used in connection with subjects as education, science, religion and politics.
Modern loan words are mainly from English. Loan words that might even be considered older
than the Pali- and Sanskrit influences, are from Khmer, Mon, Chinese and Malay. As in the
short, Thai words, every syllable of the long loan words has its own fixed tone; but in a polysyllabic word, tones around the fixed tone of the syllable have a certain influence on the preceding and following syllable. In Thai words, an unstressed syllable is often pronounced in a
mid tone, as we have seen in the example ( becomes ), in which the first syllable, a, is practically always pronounced in a mid tone, although it should get a low tone according to the tone rules. Examples of polysyllabic loan words from Pali and Sanskrit in this
lesson are, for instance:
commonly pronounced as:
university
economy
humanities
Notice the mid tone of the syllable ma in the word , which should get a high
tone according to the tone rules; the mid tone tha in the word , which should be a
low tone according to the tone rules; the mid tone ma in , which should get a
high tone; and the mid tone syllables in , which should, strictly according
to the tone rules, be low tones.
70
Thai for Beginners
4.5
Exercises
1.
Translate into English:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
2.
Seek at least ten words from the Thai version of lesson 4.2. that you can read with the assistance of the explanation of the Thai alphabet in lesson 1. Identify all letters of the words, and
transcribe them in the transcription script. Give reasons why the words are pronounced as you
think they are.
4.6
1. Nikki studies (learns) at Chulalongkorn University.

2. Joy is 21 years old.
3. a. Are you not feeling well? (man speaking to Nikki).
b. Is Nikki not feeling well? (man speaking about Nikki).
4. a. Good morning, afternoon etc. (woman speaking). Would you like something to drink?
(speaker to Joy).
b. Good morning, afternoon etc. (woman speaking).Would Joy like something to drink?
(speaker about Joy).
5. Are you free tonight?
6. Shall we go out together?
7. Do you want to drink anything or not??
71
Thai for Beginners
72
Thai for Beginners
THAI FOR BEGINNERS

LESSON 5
In the morning at the university
5.1
5.2
5.3
5.4
5.5
5.6
5.7
5.8
Introduction
Dialogue1
Dialogue 2
Idioms
Grammar
Exercises
73
Thai for Beginners
74
Thai for Beginners
5.1
Introduction
In this lesson youll be further acquainted to Thai life and language through two simple dialogues, introduced with short outlines of their setting in uncomplicated Thai. Youll start to
make yourself more and more familiar with the pattern of a Thai sentence. Furthermore, a
number of typical idiomatic expressions and descriptions of grammatical features in the Thai
language will be offered in this lesson.
The Thai language doesnt hold any basic large grammatical features, such as cases like in
Russian or German, or verb conjugations as in French. The difficulties within the Thai language lie for the greater part in quite unsuspected corners, such as in the use of adverbs of
time, which are supposed to be placed in a fixed position within a sentence. Without the starting student of Thai knowing, a change of position of a single adverb can change the whole
meaning of an expression.
You will also carry on with your tone exercises in this lesson. Youll probably have heard or
read somewhere that the correct tone of a word doesnt really matter very much in Thai, as its
meaning will always become clear from its context within the sentence, but this is not always
the truth8. In any case, it is necessary to be able to pronounce your tones correctly if you wish
to learn to speak Thai fluently or even understandably. So pay attention to the tone exercises
and listen to the dialogues while you read them.
It is also of the utmost importance to learn all words in the vocabulary lists thoroughly. The
larger your vocabulary in the first stadium of your study, the more youll be able to say when
you really start communicating with Thai people.
5.2
cd 1a
track 13
Dialogue 1
In the morning at the University
..

The word (), for instance, means closeby, and the word () means far away; The
difference in pronunciation lies only in the falling tone of the word and the mid tone of the word .
75
Thai for Beginners
Transcription and word for word translation of 5.2.; dialogue 1
.
Part (time) morning at/in university.
- . . >
Maew to-be student. She/he no/not1 can2 (1 & 2 here: emphatic negative) learn university same
together/each-other with Joy and Nikki. >
.
>
Maew to-be student at/in university Ramkhamhaeng. Ramkhamhaeng to-be university >
76
Thai for Beginners
. >
open that/which large much/many. And all/every people/person to-enter to-come to-learn tocan by no/not to-must to-pass >
. - >
[noun particle] examine apply-for-entry. Only to-have/to-be-present diploma school >
. ... >
secondary-school also/rather enough. But if to-want to-finish academic-degree >
- . - : >
It/that difficult also/as-well. Therefore people/person Thai often/like-to speak/say that: >
. . >
Ramkhamhaeng to-enter easy. but to-exit difficult. Maew to-be Child Ram(khamhaeng) >
. - >
[tense indicator] two year more-than already. And she/he to-be-certain (certain-heart) that
she/he shall to-finish >
.
[noun particle] to-study to-can.
- >
Part (time) morning Maew to-chat to-be-busy/to-stay with friend [reduplication mark] >
( >
In/at pavilion Roi Et (Roi Et to-be name pavilion to-rest for child Ram(khamhaeng)
which/that to-come >
) .
From province Roi Et same/like Maew).
:
Yui:
. . . >
Hey Maew . To-want to-eat patongko [question particle]. Yui (I) to-have water tea
also. >
.
To-take/to-want [question particle (shortened)].
: . .
Maew: Thank you (idiom). Maew (I) to-have/to-be-present water orange already.
:
Yen:
. >
Maew (you) still/yet to-associate with girl self-willed [classifier for persons] that tostay/still or no/not. >
- .
Person (classifier*) that/which face-eyes (appearance) same/like movie-star [emphatic
particle].
:
Yui:
. >
And (further) girl child half [classifier for persons] that [emphatic particle]. To-be
friend Maew >
77
Thai for Beginners
.
also yes [question particle].
: . - .
Maew: Oh, yes. She/he to-be friend I since time/era child [reduplication mark].
:
Yui:
.
Group she/he to-be child Ram(khamhaeng) also or no.
: . .
Maew: Not yes (no). Group she/he to-be child Chula(longkorn University).
:
Yen:
. . >
Haha! To-know [question particle]. When week that/which finished/already team soccer [possessive particle] we/us to-win >
.
Chula(longkorn) five against zero.
.
Maew Yui and Yen to-laugh together noise loud.
cd 1a
track 14
Vocabulary
cat; here: nickname for a

girl: Maew.
1. to be; 2. to can
student
1. cannot; 2. here: hasnt

the same, identical, similar
with
1. object, good, thing; 2. to belong

to, of
Ramkhamhaeng (University)
1. to open; 2. open
large, big, great
1. many, much; 2. very (adverb)
78
open university
and
every, each
person, man, people
Thai for Beginners
to enter, to come in, to get into
to learn
1. to come; 2. direction-marker for

action/movement towards speaker
or subject
1. to can; 2. particle to indicate an

action in the past, or a taken opportunity
by, through, by means of
no; not
(to) must
pass; here: to pass an exam
(entrance) examination
1.only; 2. to the extend of; 3. up to
1. to have; 2. to be present; there

is, there are
diploma, certificate
school
1. enough; 2. as soon as
if, in case
to want; to wish
to end, to finish; to conclude;

to graduate
university degree
it; that
difficult, hard
()
1. the same ( - as: - ); 2. also;
3. ( - to resemble, to be
alike)
1. like, as; 2. loud; 3. celebrated,

famous; 4. to sound (to ring, to
break out (of a sound)
therefore, thence, hence; accordingly, so
1. often, frequently; 2. likely

79
Thai for Beginners
1. to speak; 2. to say
1. to say; 2. to scold; 3. conjunction:

verbs of speech (to say, to
judge etc.), and verbs like to
think, to suspect etc. are mostly
followed by .
easy
1. to exit, to go out; 2. out; 3. to

give (out), to issue; 4. to set off, to
leave, to start going; 5. to put forth,
to vent; 6. to draw, to make out
now, in this time
Child of Ram(khamhaeng), student at Ramkhamhaeng Univ.
two
year
1. more (than); 2. particle for the

comparative degree
1. already; 2. to come to an end, to

be finished, to be over; 3. particle
for registration of a certain fact;
4. (and) afterwards
he, she (3rd person singular; short
to be certain (certain heart, sure

heart)
to end, to finish; to conclude;

to graduate
study; the act of studying
in the morning (unit of time +

morning)
1. place; 2. land, soil; 3. space, site;

4. preposition of place: in, on, at
to chat
1. to stay, to remain; 2. to be (at, in,

on); 3. to live, to dwell, to reside;
4. to exist; 5. to be living; 6. particle to indicate a continuous action
friends (several different)

80
3rd person plural (for )
Thai for Beginners
pavilion, kiosk, public (covered)

resting place
Roi Et, a city and province in

Northeastern Thailand
1. in, inside; 2. amidst
to rest (pronunciation also:

)
for (the benefit of), to
province
hey!; here! (exclamation)
round, chubby; Here: nickname

of a girl
deep-fried dough sticks, eaten as a

fast breakfast
tea (leaf)
* ()
water
tea water; brewed tea
also
to take
do you want ...? (informal; short

form of the question particle)
thank you/thanks
orange; tangerine
orange or tangerine juice
cool; Here: nickname of a girl
1. still, yet
to associate ( - : to
associate with)
girl, young woman
naughty, self-willed, opinionated
1. person, people; 2. Here: classifier for people
that
81
Thai for Beginners
1. no; 2. not, nothing; 3. for nothing, in vain; 4. plain, empty,

without additions
appearance, complexion
movie star, also pop star
()
particle to emphasize the message

in a sentence
person of mixed blood
()
variation on (, ); concerning (and) as for
yes
isnt it?; question particle for a

question on which an affirmative
answer is expected
Oh...
I (informal. Currently mostly used

by women, but until the recent past
also by men; Still not exclusively a
female personal pronoun)
since
era, time, period
childhood, early adolescence
they (plural)
Child of Chula(longkorn
University), student at
Chulalongkorn University
Haha!
to know
do you know?; have you heard?

(informal)
1. once, when; 2. at (a certain time)
week
last
team
soccer
we, us
82
1. children (several); 2. young

(of a child)
Thai for Beginners
to win
five
1. against; 2. per
zero
to laugh
sound
1. loud; 2. to sound; to make sound
Translation 5.2; dialogue 1

In the morning at the university
Maew is a student. She doesnt study together with Joy and Nikki at the same university.
Maew is a student at Ramkhamhaeng University. Ramkhamhaeng is an open university, which
is very large. And everyone can come and study here without having to pass an entrance examination. You need a diploma from secondary school, thats enough. But ... if you want to get
an academic degree there, its just as difficult (as at another university). Thai people often say:
to enter Ramkhamhaeng is easy, but to get out (graduate) is difficult. Maew has been a
Child of Ram for two years, now. And she is certain that she will finish her study, too.
In the morning at the university, Maew chats with her friends in the Roi-Et-pavillion (Roi
Et is a rest-pavillion for Children of Ram who come from Roi Et province, like Maew.
Yui: Here, do you want to eat Patongkoo? Ive got tea, as well, do you want some?
Maew: Thanks, Ive got orange juice already.
Yen: Do you still associate with that naughty girl, or not? The one who looks like a movie
star?
Yui: And that mixed blooded girl. Shes a friend of yours, too, isnt she?
Maew: Oh, yes. They have been my friends since childhood.
Yui: Are they also Children of Ram, or not?
Maew: No, they are Children of Chula (they study at Chulalongkorn university).
Yen: Haha. Do you know what? Last week, our soccer team beat Chula 5 to 0.
Maew, Yui and Yen laugh heartily.
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cd 1a
track 15
5.3
Dialogue 2
Do you want to buy anything else?
Transcription and word-for-word translation of 5.3; dialogue 2

To-want to-buy what/something more/else [question particle].
. >
Afternoon day one Maew and/with Joy to-meet each-other at/in in-front-of Ram. Girl entire
two to-want
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Thai for Beginners
- , - . - >
To-buy clothes in/at market opposite Ram, because clothes there cheap and good. Apart-from >
- . . - .
textiles and clothes, still/yet to-have/to-be-present book, notebook to-record and other-other tosell also.
: . .
Maew: Joy. To-want to-buy what/something more/again [question particle].
:
Joy:
.
Place this to-have/to-be-present shop to-sell medicine [question particle].
: . .
Maew: To-have/to-be-present [emphatic particle]. Joy (you) to-suffer-from something [question particle].
:
Joy:
. . .
Not to-be something. To-ache head without-any-reason. To-want to-buy medicine toalleviate pain.
: . .
Maew: Maew (I) to-have/to-be-present aspirin in bag. To-want to-eat [question particle].
:
Joy:
. .
To-go/to to-buy water together first. Place that to-have/to-be-present water sugarcane
to-sell.
: . .
Maew: Joy (you) no/not to-take water plain [question particle yes/no questions]. Place this tohave/to-be present to-sell.
:
Joy:
cd 1a
track 16
. .
Yes. To-eat medicine first good [particle comparative degree].
Vocabulary
to want, to desire, to wish
to buy
1. what; 2. anything (in questions)
1. more; 2. again; 3. yet
shop
because
afternoon
()
to meet, to encounter
1. face; 2. in front of
85
Thai for Beginners
the part of Ramkhamhaeng Road in

front of the university
both, both of them
clothing
market
1. cheap; 2. correct; 3. particle for

the passive voice
good
inexpensive and good
except; besides; apart from
thing (compare with ()

and ())
textile
notebook
to want
1. what ? (interrogative pronoun)

2. something
1. once more; 2. still more; 3. yet;

4. besides
here (literally: place-this)
to sell
medicine
pharmacy (shop to-sell medicine)
particle to emphasize the previous
to suffer from something (illness)
it is nothing, it doesnt matter
to be in pain
head

86
1. and other things; 2. et cetera
1. without any reason; 2. just like

that; 3. for free; 4. indifferent;
5. idle
painkiller, analgesic
aspirin (from English)
bag
Thai for Beginners
to eat, to consume, to use, to drink
1. water; 2. juice
()
1. together; 2. each other
1. first; 2. before; 3. earlier
sugarcane juice
to sell
to have for sale; to be available (for

sale)
plain (drinking) water
yes
better (good plus particle comparative degree)
Translation of dialogue 5.3.

Do you want to buy anything else?
One afternoon, Maew and Joy meet each other in front of Ram (the part of [ street] Ramkhamhaeng that stretches out in front of the university). The two girls want to buy
clothes at the market in front of Ramkhamhaeng University, because the clothes there are inexpensive and good. Besides textiles and clothes, there are also books, notebooks and other
things for sale.
Maew:
Joy:
Maew:
Joy:
Maew:
Joy:
cd 1a
track 17
Maew:
Joy:
Do you want to buy something else?

Is there a pharmacy around here?
Of course. Is something the matter? (Are you ill?)
Its nothing. I just have a headache. I want to buy a painkiller.
Ive got aspirin in my bag. Do you want some?
Lets buy some water (something to drink) first. Over there, theres sugarcane juice
for sale.
Dont you want plain water? They have it for sale right here.
Ill take that, Id better have an aspirin first.
5.4
Idioms
to buy, to purchase for money
to take, for example an order in a restaurant,

goods at a market, a drink at a stand
1. to ask (for); 2. to order (polite)
to steal ( - * also means thief)

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Thai for Beginners
cd 1a
track 18
to sell (also ones country, ones body)
to be for sale, to have for sale
5.5
(The mid tone is also called the level tone. Dont confuse the mid tone with middle class
consonants)
In this tone exercise you can listen to the mid or level tone, and to the high tone. Listen
carefully to the words and repeat them one by one. The meaning of these words is not important; some have no meaning.
5.6
Grammar
1. Head nouns
A head noun is used in compounding. Compounding is the joining of two or more words together to form a new word. The first word of the compound is a head noun, which may be
followed by either one of two attributes; a noun (noun attribute) or a verb (verb attribute).
The noun attribute and verb attribute either restricts or qualifies the meaning of the head
noun.
Examples of common head nouns and their attributes are:
vehicle + fire
(noun + noun)
train
room + water
(noun + noun)
bathroom
soldier + ship
(noun + noun)
sailor (in the navy)
place + earth
(noun + noun)
lot, piece of land
machine + to fly
(noun + verb)
airplane
water + to drink
(noun + verb)
drinking water
shop + to wash + to iron (noun + verb + verb ) laundry shop
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Thai for Beginners

Some head nouns have a verb and an object as attributes. Examples are:
expert + to photograph + picture
photographer
medicine + to alleviate + pain
painkiller (medicine)
shop + to sell + thing
shop
Two other important head nouns in Thai are: () and ():

a.
() means in fact work, duty, task, and is used as a head noun for the formation
of nouns with dynamic verbs and with other nouns. As a rough translation of the word
(), we can use work of, or task of when it is used in combination with a
noun, and act of when the head noun is used in combination with a verb:
house
country
craft
homework
politics
craftsmanship
the act of working; the

work
the act of controlling;

the control
to work
to control
to keep,

to maintain
the keeping; the

maintenance
to attack
the act of attacking; the

attack
b.
() means case, matter, substance, and is used as a head noun in combination with abstract static verbs:
to know
knowledge
to see
opinion
(to be) brave
courage
(to be) good
(to be) beautiful
goodness, virtue
beauty
(to be) glad
gladness, joy
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Thai for Beginners

Note: Some verbs can be preceded by () as well as (). These are verbs,
which in some cases can be earmarked as dynamic, and in other cases as static:
to dream
to see
dreaming as an action
the dream, the illusion
the action of seeing, looking
the opinion
2. Classifiers: A first introduction

There is a certain group of words - called classifiers - which are used frequently in Thai. A
classifier is a linguistic pointer, which indicates the semantic class to which a group of nouns
belongs. Classifiers are thus in fact sort name-words; indicators of people, animals or things
as part of a collection of comparable items or beings. A classifier can be used for the following:
a. To specify a noun within a semantic group;
b. To specify a noun in a list or summing up;
c. To replace nouns in certain constructions;
Classifiers are roughly comparable in use and function with English words as slice (a slice of
bread), head (20 heads of cattle) or pack (a pack of cigarettes). Also, in the expressions a
(or per) piece, and please give me five slices, a Thai would use a classifier for the words
piece and slices. Where English only knows a limited number of this kind of words, the
Thai language uses a whole range of classifiers.
A classifier can be either a repetition of the noun it specifies, or a specific word, which is not
used in any other context but as a classifier. Furthermore, some classifiers have - apart from
their semantic use as a classifier - their own meaning as a noun, which has little or nothing to
do with the noun for which they are used as a classifier (such as piece in English). Sometimes, a classifier may specify the character, shape or status of a noun. There are, for instance,
classifiers that specify the contents of a book, classifiers that identify round or flat objects, and
classifiers that are only used for kings and monks. There are about eighty or ninety classifiers
which are still in use. About fifty of them are frequently met with in daily speech.
Classifiers are thus used in the following manner:
a. As a sort- or class-indicator for a noun which is used in combination with a demonstrative pronoun in one sentence
In these constructions, the classifier appears behind the noun:
90
car [classifier for cars] this good

This is a good car.
car [classifier for cars] this red
This car is red.
Thai for Beginners

b. In summing up persons, animals or things
Here, classifiers are used to emphasize the difference and variety between things, animals or
persons of one kind. After it has become clear about what or whom one is talking or writing,
the original noun to which the classifier is referring can be left out:
. . to-have/to-be-present car [classifier for cars] color red . to-have/to-be-present [classifier

for cars] color green . and to-have/to-be-present [classifier for cars] color white also
[classifier for cars] one
There is a red car, a green one, and also a white one.
c. In combination with numerals
Classifiers are placed after the cardinal numeral:
I to-see man four [classifier for people]

I see four men.
he to-have car two [classifier for cars]
He has two cars.
The cardinal numeral - - one may also be placed behind the classifier:
I to-see car [classifier for cars] one

I see one car; I see a car
- (one) is here often translated with the English indefinite article a.
The classifier is always placed before the definite ordinal:
car [classifier for cars] first

The first car.
The classifier is placed in front of adjectives such as - - a single, - next, in front, and - - last:
I (man speaking) to-have car [classifier] a single

Ive got (only) one car.
We shall to-get-on bus [classifier] in-front
We shall get on the bus in front (the first bus).
book [classifier] this to-be [classifier] last
This is the last book.
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Thai for Beginners

c. If, within a given situation, it is perfectly clear about which subject one is talking, a classifier can replace a noun completely.
Classifiers, which replace nouns, are placed in stead of the noun (see also the example in 2.b):
[classifier for cars] that no/not beautiful

That one is not beautiful (speaking about cars).
[classifier for animals] that no/not loveable

That one is not loveable (speaking about, for instance, a cat or a dog).
[classifier for books] that amusing

That one is amusing (speaking about a book)
3. The degrees of comparison

The comparative degree is formed with the particle (), a word that, in itself, can be
translated with more or more than, but when placed in another position within the sentence,
means till, until, by the time. The superlative degree is formed with the word (),
which means last, to end, beyond: or, more correct and in written language: ( ).
In spoken language the expression: ( ) is used for the superlative degree:
good
better
better (spoken language)
best
best (spoken language)
4. Manners of speech.
You already know the word in the meaning of to be. Another meaning of is: to
have a disease, to suffer from something.
- Im having a cold
- a cold
- he/she is suffering from dysentery
- illness, disease
- dysentery
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Thai for Beginners

( ) is used in dialogue 5.2. in the sense of on the contrary, certainly not:
-
Maew [on the contrary not] learn university same each-other with Joy and Nikki On the contrary, Maew doesnt study at the same university as Joy and Nikki.
N.B.: The word () can also be used as a particle to indicate a past event, which still has
a certain influence on the present, or to indicate an opportunity, which has been taken. The
word doesnt mean to be able in these contexts.
- I [hasnt happened] to-go
- I havent gone
( ) means: it doesnt matter, it doesnt bother me, it is o.k.. This expression is one of the most famous in Thailand, and can be used in many different situations.
To prevent another person to loose face, a small offense is forgiven with a mild
. Are you feeling a bit down hill? - . Have you forgotten
something? - . But dont say - on a funeral (although there are many Thai who would gladly play down the futility of life with the expression), but: ( ); broken heart; my heart is broken, Im desolate, Im sorry.
5.7
Exercises
Exercise1
Answer the following questions in Thai. Write your answers in the transcription script.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
. ( - - to learn, to study)
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Exercise 2
Listen to tone exercise 5.5., and repeat each word.
Exercise 3
Learn all new words in lesson 5 by heart.
Exercise 4
Write in the transcription-script a story of about a hundred words. Use the words and the
grammar you have learned thus far. Give a translation in English.
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Thai for Beginners
5.8
(In this stadium, you dont have to be able yet to read the Thai script. The answers are also
given in Thai script for later reference.)
1.
2.
. .
3.
4.
5.
6.

.

. .
( - - serious, severe)
7.
8.
94
. .

Thai for Beginners
THAI FOR BEGINNERS

LESSON 6
A relaxing weekend in Hua Hin

6.1
6.2
6.3
6.4
6.5
6.6
6.7
Introduction
Dialogue
The tones 3: The mid tone, the rising tone and the falling tone
Idioms
Grammar
Exercises
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Thai for Beginners
96
Thai for Beginners
6.1
Introduction
Thai people love to go sight-seeing during their vacations and holidays: a day at the beach, a
weekend in the mountains, a trip to the parental village in the countryside; a trek through the
jungle, or a visit to a town or area with a certain culinary specialty. Thai people dont like to
travel alone. On bus stations and train terminals you can recognize the holiday-goers and daytrippers by the happy demeanor they display while waiting for their transport in small, colorfully dressed groups: teenagers and students in shorts, T-shirts and caps; groups of friends in
leisure clothing; families with children and bags full of presents for the family
( ) - to go on a trip is fun!
cd 1a
6.2
track 19
Dialogue
A relaxing weekend in Hua Hin
[ ]

97
Thai for Beginners
.
To-relax in/at Hua Hin in/on day end week.
. . . >
Joy and older-sibling Sua. Older-sibling man belonging-to Joy. Go to-make-pleasure-tour
Hua Hin together. >
. . . >
He/she to-lead Nikki. Maew. and friend older-sibling Sua older-sibling Khing go/to also. >
>
Young-man young-woman all five [classifier f. people] to-get-in car to-travel in/at station totransport >
. . >
to-send line south in/at Bangkok. When to-arrive Hua Hin. Group he/she to-descend car in/at >
- . - >
market and to-walk to-go in/at beach. Older-sibling Khing to-know hotel that/which >
- .
Cheap and good to-stay behind garden tree coconut at/in edge beach.
:
Khing:
98
. - . . .
That how. Hotel Jet Pee Nong. Hotel to-appear good really indeed. To-see [shortened question particle].
Thai for Beginners
:
Maew:
.
Expensive [question particle][polite particle (f.)].
:
Joy:
. . >
No/not expensive [modifying sentence particle]. But if money Maew (you) not
enough. Joy (I) >
.
shall to-offer/to-issue to-give/to first.
- - - - >
Friend entire group to-enter to-go in hotel and to-inform-about person-in-charge to-welcome
(receptionist) >
.
that price room per how much.
:
Joy:
- >
To-have/to-be-present room three place-sleep (bed) with/and room two >
- .
place-sleep (bed) [question particle] [polite particle f.].
Recept.:
Recept.:
. >
To-have/to-be-present [polite particle f.]. Room three person and/with room two >
.
person price the-same together [polite particle f.].
:
Maew:
.
Price how-much [polite particle f.].
Recept.:
Recept.:
.
Day per seven hundred Baht [polite particle f.].
:
Maew:
( - ) . >
(to-talk softly with Joy) Expensive quite. Maew to-take money to-come only eight >
.
hundred Baht merely.
:
Joy:
. . .
It doesnt matter (idiom) [modifying sentence particle] Maew. Joy (I) to-shall
to-offer/to-issue to-give/to (my)self. Friend group together.
:
Sua:
. . . >
To-take two room [polite particle m.]. Room girl one. Room boy one. >
- .
All right (idiom) [question particle].
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Thai for Beginners

Recept.:
Recept.:
- . - >
to-invite/please to-register first [polite part. f.]. You to-shall to-pay time-this (now) >
. >
Or time exit from hotel [polite particle f.]. >
cd 1a
track 20
:
Sua:
- . .
I (man speaking) to-shall to-pay price room moment-this (now) indeed [polite
particle m.].Place this to-accept card credit [question particle][polite particle m.].
Recept.:
Recept.:

To-accept [polite particle f.] To-make-pleasure-tour to-let/to-give pleasant [emphatic particle] [polite particle f.].
:
Sua:

Sure [polite particle m.].
Vocabulary
weekend
to rest, to relax (also: )
Hua Hin; a seaside resort on the

coast of the Gulf of Thailand
elder sibling (elder brother; elder

Sister)
elder brother
1. thing, object; 2. to belong to
1. to go (in a direction away from

the speaker or the subject of a
sentence); 2. to (direction)
to go out; to go on holiday or
vacation for pleasure; to make a
pleasure tour
other
1. together, collectively; 2. each
to lead; to guide; to bring along

(said only of persons)
Khing (nickname - from English)
1. also; too; as well; likewise; 2. by,

with, by means of
100
(possessive pronoun. E.g.

- - dog
belonging-to he - his dog)
Thai for Beginners
young man
young woman
1. completely, wholly, entirely;

2. all, whole, entire; 3. every(thing)
of something; 4. also, as well; 5. both,
five
all five (of them)
1. to go out; 2. to leave; 3. from,

away from; 4. Go away!
1. to ascent; 2. to get in, to board (car,

bus, plane)
1. car; 2. vehicle; 3. cart, van,

wagon, carriage
bus which serves routes between

cities
station

2. transportation
1. to transport, to deliver;
1. line, route, road; 2. late, delayed
1. south, southern; 2. under,

beneath
1. when, while, at, in (time); at the

time; as soon as; 2. time, moment
1. reach; 2. until; 3. about,

concerning
they (plural)
1. to descend; 2. to get out, to get of

(car, bus, plane, train)
1. market; 2. center of a village or

small town
to walk
beach
to know, to be acquainted with
hotel
1. cheap; 2. correct, right; 4. to hit,

To touch; 5. grammatical element
in passive constructions
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Thai for Beginners
good, fine, well, nice, satisfactory,

virtuous, favorable
1. behind; 2. classifier for houses,

tents, mosquito-nets; 3. back (bodypart); 4. afterwards, after, later
garden
tree
coconut
edge, rim, border; margin; shoreline
Look!, There!, There it is!
Jet Pee Nong, hotel in Hua Hin
1. to look, to look at; 2. to watch; to

stare, to observe; 3. to appear, to
seem; 4. to consider, to judge
to look well, to look good
greatly, quite, extremely, fully

1. extraordinarily; 2. quite, extremely
you see?
expensive
no, not
modifying sentence particle;

is a particle used to: 1. soften a statement or to mellow an order; 2. to reassure someone; 3. to express mild
surprise or amazement; 4. to express
mild annoyance
not at all
if, in case
1. money; 2. silver
1. enough; 2. as soon as
1. to come out, to go out; 2. out,

outwards; 3. to pay, to spend; 4. to
leave; 5. to issue; 6. to sprout, to
flower; 7. to set going; 8. to result;
9. to follow from, come from
1. to pay, to spend (for someone);

2. to lend, to advance
1. completely, wholly, entirely;
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Thai for Beginners
group
to inquire, to ask (for information),

to question
receptionist, officer, clerk; person

in charge
to welcome, to receive. (comp.:
- 1. to confirm;
2. to guarantee)
1. to say, to speak; 2. to criticize, to

scold, to admonish; 3. that (conj.)
price
room
each; every; per
how much; how many
1. to have; to possess; to own 2. to

be present; there is; there are; 3. to
exist; 4. to happen; to occur; 6. to
enjoy (rights, prestige)
bed, place to sleep
1. (together) with; 2. and
the same
day
per day; each day
seven
hundred
Baht (Thai monetary unit)
softly, lightly, quietly
...
to take (something) into the direction

of the subject or speaker
as much as ..., to the extend of ...
eight
eight hundred
merely, only
2. all, whole, entire; 3. every(thing)

of something; 4. also, as well; 5. both,
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Thai for Beginners
it doesnt matter (idiom)
1. self; 2. own; 2. alone
1. group, mass, crowd; 2. flock
1. to take; 2. to bring; 3. to want
1. woman, girl; 2. female
one (numeral)
1. man, boy; 2. male
O.K., all right (idiom)
1. to invite; 2. to bid welcome;

3. please
register
to register
first, before
you (neutral polite form of address)

will, shall, should, would
to pay
1. period, time, point in time;

2. group; installment; paragraph;
3. portion, group
now
1. to go out from... ; 2. to depart;

to check out
cash (money)
friends together in a group
to pay in cash
card
credit card
1. enjoyable, cheerful, nice; entertaining, amusing; 2. to have fun, to

enjoy oneself
have a nice stay; have a nice trip
1. sure; 2. certainly
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Thai for Beginners

A relaxing weekend in Hua Hin.
Joy and Sua, Joys elder brother, are making a trip to Hua Hin together. They take Nikki,
Maew and a friend of Suas, whose name is Khing, with them. The five young men and
women take the bus from the Southern Bus Station in Bangkok. When they arrive in Hua Hin,
they get out at the market and walk to the beach. Khing knows a good and inexpensive hotel
which is situated behind the coconut gardens at the edge of the beach.
Khing:
Maew:
Joy:
There, you see? Hotel Jet Pee Nong. The hotel looks very good indeed, you see?
Is it expensive?
Its surely not that expensive. But if you dont have enough money, Ill pay for you
first.
The group of friends enter the hotel, and they inquire at the receptionist desk how much a
room costs.
Joy:
recept.:
Maew:
recept.:
Maew:
Joy:
Sua:
recept.:
Sua:
Recept.:
Sua:
cd 1a
track 21
Do you have a room with three beds and a room with two beds?
Yes, we have. A room for three persons costs the same as a room for two persons.
How much is that?
Seven hundred Baht a day.
(speaks softly to Joy) That is really expensive. I have only taken eight hundred Baht
with me.
That really doesnt matter, Maew. Ill pay that for you. We are friends, arent we?
Well take two rooms; one for the girls and one for the boys. Is that all right?
Would you please register first? Would you like to pay now or when you check
out?
Ill pay for the rooms now. Do you accept credit cards here?
Yes, we do Have a nice stay.
We certainly will.
6.3 The 5 tones:

The mid tone, the rising tone and the falling tone
In tone-exercise 6.3. youll be able to compare the mid tone with the rising and the falling
tone. Listen carefully to the tones and repeat the words. The meaning of the words doesnt
matter here. Some have no meaning.
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Thai for Beginners

Now listen carefully to the following words on the CD, and notice the difference between the
high, low and falling tones in short syllables. The use of a glottal stop (the closing of the glottis
or vocal cord region after the pronunciation of a short vowel is optional):
cd 1a
track 22
6.4
Idioms
1. Personal pronouns and other terms of address.

The Thai language knows dozens of personal pronouns. You already know a couple of them,
but following here is a list with some additions. By choosing the correct personal pronoun (the
word for I as well as the words for you, he or she) one indicates ones own status towards ones conversation partner. If you are not sure of the status of the person you are talking
to, you should use the polite neutral combination - (I man speaking); - (I
woman speaking) for the first person; - (you) for the second person and -
(he/she) for the third person. For these and other personal pronouns and their use, please
look at the following diagram:
1st person
-
2nd person
-
3rd person
-
Nickname (e.g.
- )
Nickname (e.g. )
Nickname (e.g. )
- 2
()
()
-
-
- 3
Intimate/rude1
Intimate/friendly;
used with friends,
intimate colleagues
etc.
Intimate/old fashioned
Intimate/modern
- )
Intimate/friendly
- )
--
--
Polite
Respectful
106
-
-
3 5
Intimate/friendly
(plural)
Thai for Beginners

Notes on the diagram:
1
2
4
5
These personal pronouns are extremely insulting if you use them to others than your most
intimate friends.
the pronoun - has been replaced by - as the most common personal
pronoun for men a few decennia ago. Women still using - towards people they
dont know nowadays are mostly of exceptionally high status. In an old fashioned way,
- can still be used as a non-status dependent personal pronoun between friends.
- is normally written as , although in normal speech the tone of the word is
high (). In modern literature and in comics the word is often written as it is
pronounced: . is also used as a first person personal pronoun, mostly by young
women. its is paired with - you.
- is mostly a plural pronoun, but it is used as first person singular, as well.
In informal speech, the plural particle - is often omitted.
2. Particles, interjections and stopgaps

1. Particles for toning down an expression like - , - and - are put at
the end of a sentence. They change an order into a request, soften an expression that might
otherwise come over too harshly, and ease the tone of a reproach. They may also indicate
contradiction, or imply an incentive.

can leuj

You may.; Its O.K. if you do that.

no/not can leuj

You cant do that. (its actually
forbidden)

To-smoke cigarette place this no/not to-can
rok

You cant smoke in here, actually.
I (man speaking) myself rk

Its only me.

no [in contrast to] easy same that you
think rok

Its not as easy as you think, dont you
know?
In some cases, - rather strengthens the essence of an expression:

No/not to-have someone beautiful as-much-as
you rok
There is really nobody whos as pretty as

you.
2. Polite particles are either used to make an expression more polite, or to soften it. Polite articles are used towards elders and people who possess a higher position on the social standard than the speaker. Polite particles are also used as charms. Many couples use polite
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Thai for Beginners

particles to each other after a lifetime of marriage (though it must be admitted that others
absolutely dont), and a person may use more polite particles than usual if he wants to borrow some money from his father. A husband who wants to make up a quarrel with his wife
will use polite particles in the process. Also, if you want something simple, but youre too
lazy to get it yourself, a polite particle might help:
- .
darling [polite part. m.]. pour-hot-water tea to-give a-little [polite part. m.] Darling, would you mind terribly to make me a cup of tea?
As you already know, a polite particle indicates the sex of a person. People of the third
sex, of whom there are many in Thailand, use the polite particle which corresponds with
the sex they wish they had; not the one which corresponds with their actual biological nature. Of course, people who have undergone a sex-operation use the polite particle which
corresponds with their new biological nature by right.
3. Incentive particles and emphatic particles intensify an expression. Like most particles,
they are difficult to translate directly into English. In this course, you will learn through
practice and repetition how to add them automatically to certain idioms. Examples of often
used incentive and emphatic particles are:
The particles - - - and - - are different variants of a particle that
emphasizes or nearer defines orders or other expressions of urgency. Appear at the end of
the sentence, just in front of the polite particle.
- - go; go ahead; please go.

The particles - and - can express compulsion or impatience:
- - please go now!
- - is a particle that adds friendly emphasis to an expression. It can also soften a

prohibition or a reproof. It is used as an informal or intimate question particle. Appears at
the end of a sentence, just in front of the polite particle:
- - you shouldnt do that.
- - shall we go, then?

- - is a particle which expresses incentive and instigation. It can also indicate the
confirmation of an agreement. In another sense, it can mark the subject of a conversation in
informal speech. The particle is often pronounced as () or (), and also
written that way in popular literature and comics. Appears at the end of a sentence, in front
of the polite particle:
- - O.K. lets go (as agreed).
- . Taxes... I dont like to pay them. ( - - taxes is marked as the subject of the
conversation)
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Thai for Beginners
6.5
Grammar
The use of the verbs ( - to go) and ( - to come) as directional verbs

() - to go and () - to come, have, except from their use as intransitive verbs, another function as directional verbs. As directional verbs, both words can mean to and from.
Other than in most western languages, the concepts of direction are relative in Thai. and
change their meaning dependent on the position of the speaker or the subject of the sentence. In any action that involves a movement away from the speaker, the direction is indicated
with (); in any action that involves an action towards the speaker, the direction is indicated with ():

he to-walk to-come/towards to-seek I
He walks towards me.

I to-walk to-go/towards to-seek he
I walk towards him.
In these sentences, the words () to go and () - to come are directional verbs,

which follow on the principal verb in the sentence. As you see, the use of () - to go and
() - to come are determined by the position of the speaker.

He to-send letter to-go/towards Bangkok
He sends a letter to Bangkok.

Maew to-send letter to-come/towards to-give Joy
Maew sends a letter to Joy.
In the first sentence; , the action is seen from the viewpoint of the
principle subject in the sentence, . He sends a letter to Bangkok, so as a directional verb,
the word must be used; as the action is away from the principal subject.
In the second sentence, we can only conclude that either Joy is speaking in the first person singular, the sentence has been written by Joy, or the writer of the sentence has had Joy in mind
as the principal person in the sentence; as Joy is the person to which the directional verb is
modified. She is the principal subject in the sentence. Although in grammatical terms, the subject of the sentence is Maew, the action is towards the person from whose point of view the
world is seen in this sentence. As you can see, it is not the grammatical subject of the sentence
which determines whether the directional verb to be used will be or .
The directional verbs () and () are mostly used in combination with verbs as
( - to walk); ( - to send); ( - to return); ( - to move);
( - to telephone) ( - to take); ( - to take, to lead) and ( - to
change).
Also when () - to go and () - to come are used independently as a principal verbs,
their use is dependent on the position (whereabouts) of the principal subject of the sentence:
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Thai for Beginners

he to-go travel-for-pleasure Hua Hin
Hes going on a holiday to Hua Hin.
(hes not yet there, but hell go)
6.6

he to-come to-eat in shop I
Hes eating in my restaurant.
(hes sitting in my restaurant; hes come to me)
Exercises
1.
Translate the following sentences into Thai. Use the transcription script used in the course.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Ill take two rooms. How much are they per room?
I would like to pay when I check out. Is that possible?
The beach here is very beautiful.
I dont have enough money with me. Can you advance it for me?
Im going on a holiday to Bangkok.
The receptionist says: 700 Baht.
Ill pay with a credit card.
Hotels in Thailand are not expensive.
Hes getting on the bus to Hua Hin.
She gets off at the market.
2.
1. Write a short story in Thai (about 50 words). It doesnt matter what you write about. Use
the transcription script.
2. Listen to tone exercise 3 on the CD without looking in your book, and note down the tones
you hear.
6.7
(In this stadium, you dont have to be able yet to read the Thai script. The answers are also
given in Thai script for later reference.)
110
1.

/ . .
2.

/ . .
3.
4.

. .
Thai for Beginners
5.

/ .
6.

- :
except also and too, - can
7.
mean with, by means of as well

/ .
8.
9.
10.
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Thai for Beginners
112
Thai for Beginners
THAI FOR BEGINNERS

LESSON 7
Joy! Wake up!
7.1
7.2
7.3
7.4
7.5
7.6
Introduction
Dialogue
Idioms
Exercises
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114
Thai for Beginners
7.1
Introduction
In this lesson well have a look into the home of a modern Thai family in Bangkok. The Chakraphet family consists of father Udom, mother Thanida, son Surasak (Sua) and daughter Jintana (Joy). The family lives in a roomy and luxurious house at Soi Sainte Louise 3 in the district of Thung Mahamek, on the edge of the old centre of the city. The home is built on land
that has been the property of the Chakraphet family for almost two hundred years. The residence consists of an old edifice, crafted from teak and meticulously preserved. Next to it
stands a large, modern, and very comfortable private house. The old building is used for parties, ceremonies and receptions; the new quarters were built when Udom and Sunisas first
child was on the way. It is a cool building with high rooms, a broad gallery with impressive
staircases, and a lot of imported marble. Son Sua and daughter Joy both have their own
apartment with shower, toilet and kitchenette, where they can study, rest and receive their
friends. In the main kitchen of the house theres always something cooking, and within the
fenced compound, between the many garages, residences, and smaller buildings which have
fallen into disuse, red jasmine bushes, mahogany and teak trees offer nesting places for birds
not found elsewhere in the metropolis. There is a pond with carp, turtles and lotus flowers, and
a marble fountain. The chauffeur/guard and the cooks/maids a small family consisting of father, mother and daughter have their own comfortable quarters in a separate building. Naaj
Udom, Naang Sunisa and their son Sua drive their own cars, all kept in mint condition by their
chauffeur.
Joy hasnt taken the effort yet to obtain her driving license, but there is a fourth car, which is
always at her disposal to take her to and from the university. Joy, though, is someone who
seems to prefer a more perilous form of transport; the motor-taxi
cd 1b
7.2
track 01
Dialogue
Joy! Wake up !
[ ]
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Thai for Beginners
.
Joy to-wake-up to-can already.
. . >
Joy still to-sleep to-stay. But Joy to-must to-go university already. Mr./mrs. mother >
.
therefore to-come to-awaken Joy.
: . . . >
Mother: Joy [affectionate particle]. Joy [affectionate particle] . To-wake-up to-can already
[modifying sentence particle]. >
.
Eight oclock already [modifying sentence particle] child. >
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Thai for Beginners
:
Joy:
. . >
Oh. If sort that (like that) Joy (I) to-must to-hurry to-wake-up already [emphatic
particle] mother. >
.
Joy (I) to-have exam period-of-time ten oclock morning [polite particle f.].
: . . >
Mother: [Expression of surprise]. Child why while night this no/not to-sleep since head evening (early in the evening). >
.
to-bathe water fast.
:
Joy:
. .
[expression of mild annoyance]. Joy (I) to-go on-time certainly.
. . . >
Joy to-get-up and to-enter to-go inside room water. Joy to-bathe water. To-wipe body to-smear
cream. To-comb >
. . .
hair fast fast.Joy to-dress body. She to-put-on suit/uniform student Chula(longkorn University).
. . . .
Skirt colour black with/and shirt/blouse colour white. Joy to-put-in book. pen. and notebook
to-keep inside bag.
. . . . >
Afterwards to-descend to-go side below.Mrs./mr. Mother of Joy. And older-brother/sister man
of Joy. Older brother Sua >
. . >
[auxiliary verb indicating action going on] To-eat food to-stay/to-be-busy already. Mrs./Mr.
Father of Joy no/not to-stay/to-be-present. >
- .
He to-go-out to-go to-work already.
:
Joy:
. . >
Good morning [polite particle f.] Mr./Mrs. mother. Hello older-brother/sister Sua. >
- .
Mr./Mrs. father to-go to-work already [question particle yes/no question].
: . . >
O.B. Sua: Wow. To-die already (expression of surprise; slang). Younger-brother/sister
to-wake-up morning/early >
. .
To-can also [question particle yes/no question]. Capable really [modifying
sentence particle].
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Thai for Beginners
:
Joy:
. .
[expression of mild annoyance]. Older-brother/sister Sua to-wake-up late to-beable-to [question particle yes/no question] not (nothing).
: . .
Mother: Joy. To-come to-eat rice first.[incentive particle]child.
:
Joy:
. .
No/not to-have/to-be available time already [polite particle f.]. Joy (I) to-must tohurry to-go already.
: . .
Mother: Joy to-shall to-ride motorcycle to-go [question particle yes/no question]. Dont
[modifying sentence particle]
.
It dangerous [emphatic particle].
:
Joy:
cd 1b
track 02
. .
It doesnt matter (idiom). No/not see dangerous [modifying sentence particle]
Vocabulary
1. chapter; lesson; 2. actors lines;

3. character (in a play, movie);
4. footprint
1. to learn; 2. to report to a superior
lesson
1. place, dwelling place; 2. space,

site; 3. office, department; 4. spot,
site, place; 5. space, place, room;
6. that, which (in clauses); 7. to,
that ( -
first
one
house
family
118
you
- nice to meet (get to know)
, Thai family name (lit.: wheel of

diamonds)
1. activity, task, work; 2. substavating particle for dynamic verbs
conversation
Thai for Beginners
to converse
1. small, unimportant, negligible;

2. volubly, glibly, effusively (of
speech); 3. nickname for girls
to sleep
1. to live, to reside; 2. to be present;

3. to be busy doing something (continuous tense particle)
but
he, she (3rd person singular)
to must
to go
already
therefore, consequently; so
to come
1. to awake (s.o.), to wake s.o. up;

2. to arouse
1. to wake up; to get up; 2. to be

awake
to can, to may
mother
informal polite particle; variant of
mild incentive particle (modifying

sentence particle)
eight
o clock (in it is 7 o clock)

morning
expression of mild shock, surprise,

annoyance: oh!
if; in case
1. as, like; 2. sort
1. like that, as such; 2. a sort like

that; 3. like it is
that; relative pronoun, and shortened demonstrative pronoun

119
university
//
Thai for Beginners
that; demonstrative pronoun
to hurry, to hasten
polite particle for women, mostly

used in interrogative sentences
polite particle for women, mostly

used in affirmative sentences
1. to have, to possess, to own; 2. to
to examine, to test (often used as a

noun: examination)
ten
1. child; 2. classifier for small,

round objects and fruits
why
1. once, when; 2. when; 3. at the

time; 4. while
yesterday
no, not
sleep
1. on time; 2. to catch up (with);

3. prompt(ly); 4. there still is time
to...
to be on time
time
to bathe, to take a bath, to shower
1. water; 2. juice (of fruits)
1. fast; 2. (too) early
fast, quick; 2. hasty, hurried
expression of mild annoyance,

surprise or indignation (real or
feigned)
to will, to shall; indicator of future

tense
in time
certain
120
be present; there is, there are; 3. to

happen, come about, to occur; 4. to
enjoy (prestige, rights)
Thai for Beginners
and (such as in a sequence of time,

or a logical order of cause and effect)
1.to enter, to go in, to get in; 2. to

join;
in, inside
room
water
bathing room; toilet
1. to stay, to remain; 2. to be (at, in,

on); 3. to live, to dwell, to reside;
4. to exist; 5. to be living; 6. parti-
large
to be connected to; to stick; to glue

1. also; 2. with
to wipe, to wipe of, to wipe dry
to wipe oneself of, to towel
1. to rub to smear on, to anoint;
cle to indicate a continuous action;

7. to be busy doing ...
2. to paint ( - )
cream (cosmetic)
1. to comb; 2. comb
1. hair (on the head); 2. I (man

speaking)
1. to load, to pack, to hold; 2. to

wear, put on, have on (clothes);
3. to put in; 4. to fill; 5. to add; 6. to
fix, to set, drive in (a nail); 7. to
apply (make-up etc.)
suit, uniform, set of clothes
students uniform
abbreviation for Chulalongkorn

University (spoken language)
skirt
black
shirt, blouse
white
3.
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Thai for Beginners
book
pen
notebook
1. to keep, to preserve; 2. to uphold;

3. to place, to put; to set, to lay; 4. to
Grow (beard, hair); to keep (hairstyle); 5. to keep, to maintain;
6. auxiliary verb used after verbs of
action (i.e. ( - to keep),
put something into something with

the intention to safely put it away
bag
to descent, to go down (stairs)
1. floor; 2. class; 3, level; layer
lower; down, downstairs
first floor
1. You; 2. Mr., Sir; 3. Mrs., Madam
mother (respectful)
1. of; belonging to; 2. thing
older sibling
man, boy
older brother
to eat (polite, written language)
food
father
father (respectful)
1. You (very polite); he, she (very

polite)
1. out; 2. to go out; 3. to issue, to

offer; 4. to put forth; 5. come of the
press, publish; 6. to set off; 7. to
start of, to get going
to go
122
( - to maintain),
( - to deposit, to place) to indicate that the action is done for future
reference
Thai for Beginners
to do
1. work; 2. party
to work
already
good morning, good day, good

afternoon, good night, hello, good
bye
good morning; good day etc.

(woman speaking)
1. or; 2. question particle for a

yes/no question
expression of surprise, excitement
to die
1. Uh oh!; O, jeez!; 2. dammit!
1. smart, capable, competent;

2. versatile; 3. be good at, be adept
at
1. much, many; 2. very (adverb; as

in very good)
really, actually, indeed, truly, in

fact
really, truly, indeed
1. really, indeed; 4. utterly, completely, entirely; 5. excessive, over; 2. to

surpass, to exceed; 2. after; 3. to
outstrip, to overtake
really indeed
1. ever; 2. once; 3. to be accustomed to
late, too late
rice
to eat rice; to eat
first
incentive particle
1. to have; 2. there is, there are;

3. to consist of; 4. to happen
must, shall, necessary, should,

ought to
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Thai for Beginners
ride (horse, motorcycle, bicycle)
motorcycle; motor-taxi
1. once more; again; 2 another;

3. more, still more; 4. besides, in
addition
dont! (warning or mild reproof)
dangerous
it doesnt matter, its no problem,

its all right; glad to be of service,
with pleasure, youre welcome
1.to see; 2. to think, to be of the

opinion
(I) dont think, (I) am not of (that)

opinion

Joy, wake up!
Joy is still asleep. But she has to go to the university already. So her mother has come to wake
her up.
Mother:
Joy:
Mother:
Joy:
Hey, Joy! Joy, sweety, you have to wake up, you hear. Its eight o clock already.
Oh! Then I really have to get up fast. Ive got an exam at ten o clock.
Oh dear, child! Why didnt you go to sleep early yesterday? Take a shower, quick.
Oh please! Ill be on time for sure.
Joy gets up and hurriedly enters the bathroom. Joy takes a shower; she towels herself dry, applies cosmetic cream and combs her hair quickly. Joy dresses herself. She puts on her Chulalongkorn University students uniform; a black skirt and a white blouse. Joy puts her books,
pens and notebooks in her bag and goes downstairs. Joys mother and Joys older brother Sua
are having breakfast already. Joys father isnt there. He has gone to work already.
Joy:
Good morning, mother. Hello brother. Has father gone to work already?
Sua:
Wow! What have we here!? Could you get out of bed this early? Very well done!
Joy:
Please come on, Sua! Dont you ever oversleep?
Mother: Joy, come an have something to eat first, darling.
Joy:
Im out of time. Ive got to hurry already.
Mother: Are you going to take a motor taxi? Dont do that. Its dangerous, you hear!
Joy:
That doesnt matter. I dont think its dangerous at all.
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7.3
Idioms
1. The polite final particle

Polite final particles are an inextricable part of Thai language and Thai manners. Polite particles can be used to make a statement polite, or instead of the word yes. They appear at the
end of many sentences pronounced by the average Thai. Only the speech of the most exalted
persons, such as the King, or the members of the Sangha (the Buddhist clergy) is devoid of polite final particles.
You have already encountered the two most common polite final particles; the male polite particle , and the female polite particles (for affirmative sentences) and (for interrogative sentences). In the course of your study, you will discover some variants on these standard polite particles. In simple dictionaries, these variants are not mentioned. Youll hear them
spoken between your Thai friends, in movies, and youll find them written in modern Thai literature.
() () (, ) () ; (; ) -
() () -
Very polite; Male. Used by subordinates towards very high

superiors. Is known to be used tongue-in-cheek between close
friends and lovers.
Polite; Female. Used after someones name to attract the attention
of a the person in question. Also used as an answer to a call; Yes?
Used towards a lover, it indicated affection.
Informal; Male and Female. Used by superiors to inferiors, and by
parents to children. Used by lovers, it indicates affection.
Informal. Used after names of children, inferiors, friend and lovers.
Used as an answer to a call by men and women (compare ()).
Short variant of both (), (), and (). Used in
informal speech towards inferiors and among equals. The first
variant, (, ) is usually used by men (a glottal stop is often
audible). The second variant (- without stop) is mostly used by
women.
Elegant version of , used by men towards superiors.
Politer version of . Used by men to superiors. Nowadays used
more often than a few year ago.
There are other variants on the polite particle, which you will be introduced to in due time.
Some of them are regional, like the Northern () and (), used in respectively interrogative and affirmative sentences by women.
2. Names, relation terms and functions used as personal pronouns
You already know that in Thai, nicknames are used as personal pronouns for the first, second
and third person. If Joy talks about Nikki, she uses Nikkis nickname. But also when Joy
speaks to Nikki, she can use that nickname. To indicate herself, she uses her own nickname,
Joy:
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Thai for Beginners

Nikki (you) to-want to-go to-watch movie with Joy (I) [question particle]
Do you want to go watch a movie with me?
Between good friends, family members and lovers, the nickname is often used as a personal
pronoun for the 1st and the 2nd person singular.
Kinship terms as () - older brother or sister, () - younger brother or sister,
() - father, () - mother, () - older sister of father or mother, () - older
brother of father or mother, () - younger brother or sister of father, () - younger
brother or sister of mother, () - fathers father, () - fathers mother, () mothers father and () - mothers mother can also be used as personal pronouns (1st and
2nd person) either or not preceded by the honorific ( - Mr./Mrs.).
Formerly there were also other terms used for the honorific (). These included:
() - Mrs., () - Mr., and () - Miss, which is shortened .
Nowadays, these are only used in written form in official documents. () is also a term
for you, used among young men, although the use of this word is wearing away a bit.
Persons who hold a profession with a certain status, like a teacher or a university professor, are
often addressed to by the name of their profession, with or without the additional honorific
() or ():
()
teacher; schoolmaster
()
professor, lecturer, master
Military personnel is addressed by rank in formal situations, with or without the additional
() or ():
()
Commander
Captain
Sergeant
3. ( ) and ( ).
In Thailand you will often hear the phrase: ( )
( ) is, as many foreigners love to say, the Thai philosophy of life. The
phrase means it doesnt matter, everything is fine, dont mention it, pleased to be of service. The phrase has survived the junta government of the nineties, which used it a lot along
with the expression - - there are no problems), while at that time
there were a lot of problems. ( ) is used in situations in which one, by
making another remark or by getting angry, could loose face. Do you bump into someone by
accident and you excuse yourself, you will be answered with: ( ). Has
someone forgotten something, and does he offer his apologies? ( ). In the
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Thai for Beginners

dialogue, Joys mother advises Joy against taking a motorcycle taxi to the university. But for
Joy, this is ( ). She has no problems with motorcycle taxis. Shell take one
anyway.
The same expression in Isan (Northeastern Thai) is ( ), and is sometimes
used by Bangkokians and other non-Isan people, too, because it sounds so friendly.
7.4
According to legend, the Thai alphabet has been designed in the 13th century by King Ramkhamhaeng the Great. He developed the letters from the italic Khmer script, which, in turn,
was derived from the Indian Pali script. The alphabet has 44 consonants and 32 vowels and
diphthongs. With the help of the Writing-paragraphs you will gradually learn how to write
and read. The faster youll be alphabetized in Thai, the faster the language will become completely accessible to you, and the faster you will learn to speak Thai well.
You should initially concentrate on the shape and the pronunciation of the consonant. Forget
for the moment that all dialogues have been written in Thai script from the beginning of the
course. This has been done to offer you a reference to everything you have learned until you
master the script completely.
The Thai script is a little more intricate than for instance the Latin and Cyrillic scripts, but it is
quite possible to master it completely in a couple of weeks. After lesson 12, youll be able to
read the dialogues in the first lessons from the Thai script effortlessly.
Every consonant in the Thai script has a name. The letter , for instance, is called (
), after (); chicken; the letter is called ( ), after ();
egg), and so on9. Because of the fact that many consonants, when pronounced out of context,
sound identical or almost identical to each other, names of streets and persons, difficult words,
etc., are spelled by mentioning their respective letters and the word after which the letter is
named.
Thai consonants are divided in three classes: Low Class, Middle Class, and High Class. The
class of the first consonant of a syllable is one of the factors which determines the tone in
which that syllable is pronounced.
Many consonants are pronounced differently from their original pronunciation when they are
pronounced in a final position. Plosives (p, ph, t, th, k, kh, c, ch) become unreleased stops (p,
t, k), as do all alveolar fricatives (all s-es; - , , , - are pronounced t in final position).
Palatal and lateral approximants, as well as trills (j (), l, r) become nasals (n). Other consonants simply dont occur or are never pronounced at the end of a syllable (, , ).
Over the next few chapters, youll gradually get more acquainted with the Thai writing system.
Again: It is very important to learn it. Youll never be able to speak Thai fluently if you are
unable to read the language. And by learning the script, youll be able to deduct the correct
Note for total clarity: If you write , you havent written the word chicken, but just the letter which is
named after the word chicken. Chicken () is written: .
127
Thai for Beginners

pronunciation of 99,9 % of all new Thai words you encounter in any text (yes, there are a few
exceptions).
Consonant
Name of the Consonant
Pronunciation at
initial position of
a syllable
Pronunciation at final position of a syllable
(-)
k (unaspirated)
k (unreleased)
(-)
kh (aspirated)
k (unreleased)
(-)
No longer in use
No longer in use
(-)
kh (aspirated)
k (unreleased)
(-)
No longer in use
No longer in use
(-)
kh (aspirated)
k (unreleased)
(-)
ng
ng
(-)
c (unaspirated)
t (unreleased)
(-)
ch (aspirated)
t (unreleased)
(-)
ch (aspirated)
t (unreleased)
(-)
Only with kaaran ()

in loan words
(-)
ch (aspirated)
Does not occur
The meaning of the names of the consonants:
128
chicken
egg
Thai for Beginners
now written as:
bottle
water buffalo
now written as
man; person
temple bell
snake
plate
cymbals
elephant
chain
tree
7.5
Exercises
Exercise 1
After reading dialogue 7.2, answer the following questions in Thai. Write your answers in the
transcription script:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Does Joy wake up on time?

Who wakes her up?
What must Joy do quickly?
At what time does Joy have an exam?
What does Joy take with her in her bag?
Is Sua awake already?
Does Joy have time for breakfast?
Why doesnt Joys mother want her daughter to take a motorcycle taxi to the university?
What does Joy think about that?
Does Joy have a father?
Exercise 2
After reading dialogue 7.2 carefully again, answer the following questions in Thai. Write your
answers in the transcription script:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Why does Joy have to hurry?

To which school does she go?
Is Joys brother older or younger than Joy? How do you know?
What does Joy do in the bathroom?
Why does Joy have to dress in a university uniform? Explain your answer.
How does Sua tease his sister?
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Thai for Beginners

7.
8.
9.
10.
What does the Chakraphet family eat for breakfast in the morning?
Where is Joys father?
Do you think that Joys mother is protective of Joy? How do you know?
Has Joy taken a motorcycle taxi to the university before? How do you know?
Exercise 3
Write down the letters you have learned in this lesson a couple of times. Pronounce the sound
of the letter and its name every time you write it down. Do this until you have the feeling you
know the letters by heart, and then write them down again, twenty to thirty times. After that,
pronounce each letter again while looking at its form. Dont forget to pronounce the difference
between the aspirated and the non-aspirated sounds. After the pronunciation exercise, write
each letter down again a few dozen times:
7.6
(At this stage, you dont have to be able yet to read the Thai script. The answers are also given
in Thai script for later reference.)
1.
.
1.

. . .
2.
Joys mother wakes Joy.
.
2.
130
No, Joy doesnt wake up on time. She wakes up late.
Thai for Beginners

3.
Joy has to get up quickly and take a bath.
.
3.
4.
Joy has a test (an exam or test paper) at ten o clock in the morning.
.
4.
5.

() .
Joy puts her books, notebooks and pens into her bag.
6.
Yes, Sua is awake already.
.
5.
.
6.

. .
7.
No, Joy has no time to eat breakfast.
.
7.

. .
8.
Joys mother thinks it is dangerous.
.
8.
9.
Joy doesnt think its dangerous at all.
.
9.
10.
Yes, Joys dad has already gone to work.
.
10. . .
131
Thai for Beginners
132
Thai for Beginners
THAI FOR BEGINNERS

LESSON 8
Welcome
8.1
8.2
8.3
8.4
8.5
8.6
Introduction
Dialogue
Grammar
Writing II: The consonants -
Exercises
133
Thai for Beginners
134
Thai for Beginners
8.1
Introduction
In this lesson, some attention is given to spoken Thai, but the lions share of the subject matter
will be about some phenomena that occur within Thai grammar, which foreign students might
find alien. Although basically a Subject-Verb-Object Language, you have seen that in many
cases the word order within a Thai sentence derivates from the word order in English and other
European languages. Apart from that, there exist a large number of idiomatic expressions,
which must be learned by heart. In this lesson youll get closer acquainted with some of the
most striking and most often used expressions in the Thai language. During the rest of the
course, many more will follow. Later, when you know more idioms, sayings and locutions,
youll be able to play with them subtly, changing them according to location and context, and
use them to make language jokes, as the Thai like to do themselves.
In the dialogue, a young traveler arrives at Suwarnabhumi, Bangkoks International Airport.
cd 1b
track 03
8.2
Dialogue
Welcome
[ ]

135
Thai for Beginners
- .
Happy to-welcome.
.
.
At/in airport Suwarnabhumi . Vincent Wolf to-give book to-walk way/raod with/to police(man)
border.
:
Officer:
.
Good day/morning/afternoon etc. [polite particle m.].
:
Vincent Wolf:
.
Good day/morning/afternoon etc. [polite particle m.] You/Sir/Madam.
:
Officer:
.
You to-be person Netherlands yes [question particle][polite particle m.].
:
Vincent Wolf:
.
[polite particle m.]1 I (man speaking)2 {1 and 2: formal polite yes for men}.
:
Officer:
.
You to-come to-travel in/at land Thai how-many day [polite particle m.].
:
Vincent Wolf:
. .
I (man speaking) to-come to-visit family three week [polite particle m.]. I
to-come to-visit family also.
:
Officer:
. >
You to-speak language Thai able [emphasis particle] [polite particle m.].
to-come to-travel often
.
[question particle][ polite particle m.].
136
Thai for Beginners
:
Vincent Wolf:
>
I (m.) to-come to-make-pleasure-tour country Thai two occasion already >
.
[polite part. m.]. But I (m.) to-speak language Thai still no/not skilful >
. >
so-much/how-much [polite part. m.]. I (m.) just to-start to-learn language >
.
Thai [polite particle m.].
:
Officer:
cd 1b
track 04
. . >
Happy to-welcome [polite particle m.]. To-be-ready already. Please/toinvite to-pass-through [polite particle m.]
Vocabulary
to converse, to talk to, to talk

with
dialogue, conversation
1. at, in, on; 2. particle for the

formation of ordinal numbers;
3. place, site; 4. land, soil; 5. that
(relative pronoun); 6. that, which
(conjunction); 7. office, department
harbor, pier
airplane; aircraft
airport
border, frontier
Suvarnabhumi, Bangkoks
international airport
to give
passport
(, )
1. to; 2. for; 3. old, aged;

4. overripe; 5. strong (tea)
Immigration Officer;
Customs official;
good morning/afternoon/
evening/night; hello; bye
137
Thai for Beginners
polite particle (man speaking)
1. you (polite); 2. he, she; 3. Sir,

Madam
you (polite-neutral)
1. to be; 2. to be able to; 3. to

be alive; alive
person, man, woman, human

being
The Netherlands
yes
question particle for general

questions
yes, isnt it?; thats right, isnt it?
formal polite particle (m.)
1. to come; 2. to arrive; 3. direction indicator towards speaker or

subject
1. country; 2. city
Thailand
how many
day
three
week
1. to visit, to call on, to see

(persons); 2. excellent,
brilliant, supreme, outstanding
family
1. to talk, to speak; 2. to say
language
Thai (the Thai language)
1. be good at, be adept at; 2. be

expert in skilled; 3. to be able,
capable, competent; 4. to be
clever
1. to go out; 2. to go on a trip;
to go on a holiday
often, regularly
138
Thai for Beginners
I (man speaking)
to come and visit (a place)
two
time; occasion
1. still, yet; 2. more, still more;

3. besides, in addition to;
4. (as negation)- not yet
no, not
1. how many, how much;

2. that much
just, just now (short/spoken
language for )
to start, to begin
to learn
welcome (idiom)
1. to be ready; 2. to be in
order; 3. to be neat, to be tidy;
4. to be well-mannered
1. to invite; 2. please, go ahead
to pass, to cross; 2. undergo,

experience, go through; 3. by,
after, through, by means of

Welcome
At Suvarnabhumi Airport, Vincent Wolf hands over his passport to the immigration officer.
Officer:
Vincent Wolf:
Officer:
Vincent Wolf:
Officer:
Vincent Wolf:
Officer:
Vincent Wolf:
Officer:
Good morning, Sir.

Good morning, Sir.
You are a Dutchman, arent you?
Thats right, Sir.
How many days will you stay in Thailand?
Ill stay for three weeks, Sir. Ive come to visit my family, too.
You speak Thai well. Do you come often?
I have visited Thailand twice already. But I dont speak Thai that well, yet.
Ive just started learning Thai.
Welcome. Everythings in order. Please pass through.
139
Thai for Beginners

cd 1b
track 05
Basic conversation: Rehearsal and additional constructions.

I (man speaking)
I (woman speaking)
I (woman and man; informal)
Hello
Good day (man speaking)
Good day (woman speaking)
My name is... (man speaking)
My name is... (woman speaking)
I come from...
...
/ ...
Im going to...
...
I live in... / stay at...
...
Ive come on holiday in...

(man speaking)
Ive come on holiday in...
(woman speaking)
...
...
/ () ...
/ ...
...
...
8.3 Grammar. Repetition and addition: The Thai sentence.

1. In principle, Thai has the same word order within a sentence as English: Subject-VerbObject (direct or indirect):
I hit him: - . I give him: - .
2. Because Thai is a tonal language, there is less opportunity to indicate stress with intonation,
or to add a rising intonation to an interrogative sentence, like in English. (Intonation does
exist in spoken Thai, but at this stage you dont have to pay attention to it, yet.)
An interrogative sentence is indicated by means of a question particle. The question particle
appears at the end of the actual sentence, in front of the polite particle. Two fundamental
particles can be distinguished: (, which is a question particle for open questions) and
(, which is a particle for questions on which one expects either a yes or a no for an
answer):

He to-be person good [question p. ()]

He to-be person good [question p. ()]

Is he a good man?

Are you sure that he is a good man?
3. A supposition, which will almost certainly be acknowledged, is expressed in a question

with the question particle - - yes [question particle].
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Thai for Beginners

He to-be person good [question p. ( )]

He is a good man, isnt he?
4. In a sentence in which there is a direct object as well as an indirect object (or recipient), the
indirect object commonly follows directly behind the direct object:

He to-give passport official/officer to-check person to-enter country
He gives his passport to the immigration officer.
To emphasize the act of giving, like in dialogue 7.2, the following construction can be used:
Place the word () - to give, in front of the direct object, and the word (, ) with, to, or (, ) - to in front of the indirect object (recipient):

()
He to-give passport with/to official/officer to-check person to-enter country

()
He to-give passport to official/officer to-check person to-enter country
Note: The words and are both often pronounced as () in common
spoken language.
5. The word * () means: how much in, for example, the expression:
( ) - price how much (how much does it cost). In a negation,
() means so much. See for example the following sentences:

picture this beautiful [question particle]

Is this picture beautiful?

picture this no/not beautiful so-much

This picture is not so beautiful.

you to-have money [question particle]

Do you have money?

no/not much so-much

Not so much.
Idiomatic greetings

( ) means welcome. One often sees it written on wooden signs at

the entrance of shops, hotels, beach clubs and nightclubs. The spoken expression is encoun141
Thai for Beginners

tered a bit more rarely, but when spoken out loud, it means of course more.
( ) means, literally, have you eaten already, or not?
In the countryside you will be regularly greeted with these words. Dont take them too literally, because if you answer no, there is a big chance that youll be invited for lunch. In fact,
the phrase is a greeting, a word of welcome, and mostly more sincerely meant than
(
ally.
), which sounds rather more formal even if pronounced to you person-
( ) means something like Are you fine?, Everything all right? As
an answer, a confirmative answer is expected: ( ). I am fine, all is well.
8.4 Writing II. The consonants -

Consonant
142
Name of the Consonant
Pronunciation at Pronunciation at
initial position of final position of
a syllable
a syllable
t (unreleased)
t (unaspirated)
t (unreleased)
th (aspirated)
t (unreleased)
- -
th (aspirated) or d t (unreleased)
- -
th (aspirated)
t (unreleased)
t (unreleased)
t (unaspirated)
t (unreleased)
th (aspirated)
t (unreleased)
Thai for Beginners
girl, woman
Thai theatrical crown
goad
pedestal
name of the spouse of King Thosakan (Dasakanth or

Rawana); the ten headed demon from the Ramayana (or
Ramakian, as the Thai version of the epic is called).
old man
Buddhist novice; young monk
child
turtle
8.5
bag, sack
Exercises
Exercise 1
After reading dialogue 8.2, answer the following questions in Thai. Write your answers in the
transcription script:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
What is the name of Bangkok International Airport? ( - - Bangkok)

Is Vincent polite to the immigration officer? ( - - polite)
How does the immigration officer know that Vincent is a Dutchman?
How long will Vincent stay in Thailand? ( - - how long)
What is Vincent going to do in Thailand?
Is the policeman friendly to? ( - - to speak friendly,
informally)
7. Does Vincent speak Thai well?
8. How does the immigration officer welcome Vincent to Thailand?
Translate the following sentences. Write your answers down in the transcription script:
1. Good afternoon, Sir/Madam. (use the polite particle)
2. I am an Englishman.
143
Thai for Beginners

3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
I dont speak Thai well, yet.

Welcome Sir/Madam.
I come to Thailand often.
My name is Vincent.
Ive come to visit my family.
You may pass through.
Exercise 2
Put these sentences in the right order, and translate:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Fill in (a word may be used more than once):
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
...
... ... ...
... ...
... ...
... ...
... ...
... ...
... ...
Exercise 3
Write down the letters you have learned in this lesson a couple of times. Start at the highest or
left-most little circle ( - ). Pronounce the sound of the letter and its name every time you
write it down. Do this until you have the feeling you know the letters by heart, and then write
them down again, twenty to thirty times. After that, pronounce each letter again while looking
at its form. Dont forget to pronounce the difference between the aspirated and the nonaspirated sounds. After the pronunciation exercise, write each letter down again a few dozen
times.
The letters - ( ) and the - ( ) exist of two parts. Start with the upper
part, and put the lower part under it later. In writing each letter, relax your hand, and put your
pen on the paper in the same way as you do when you write your name.
144
Thai for Beginners

1.
The airport in Bangkok is called Suwarnabhumi.
1.
2.
Yes, he talks politely.
2.
3.
He has seen Vincents passport already.
3.
4.
Vincent stays for three weeks.
4.
5.
Vincent has come to visit his family.
5.
6.
Yes, the policeman speaks friendly.
6.
145
Thai for Beginners

7.
Vincent doesnt speak Thai very well, yet.
7.
8.
He says: Welcome.
8.
Translation of the sentences

1.
2.
3.
4.
/ .
5.
6.
7.
8.
146
Thai for Beginners
THAI FOR BEGINNERS

LESSON 9
Meeting family at the airport

9.1
Introduction
9.2
Dialogue
9.3
Idioms
9.4
Grammar
9.5
Cultural notes
9.6
Writing III: The consonants -
9.7
Theoretical overview of the five tones in Thai
9.8
Exercises
9.9
147
Thai for Beginners
148
Thai for Beginners
9.1 Introduction
Bangkoks Suwarnabhumi Airport (the name is pronounced ) is one of the
most important air traffic hubs in Asia. Every year, tens of millions of travelers touch down at
Suwarnabhumi; either arriving at their destination, or to board a connecting flight to an Asian,
European or American city. Suwarnabhumi is also a transshipment airport for millions of tons
of goods per annum. For most travelers, Suwarnabhumi Airport is the first impression they get
of Thailand. It is an easily accessible airport with excellent road connections to the most important tourism- and business centers in Bangkok, and it has air connections to many provincial capitals. The arrival hall is large, modern and luxurious. After you have collected your
luggage and passed through customs, you may rest for a while in one of the many bars and restaurants at the airport, before continuing your journey by bus or by taxi to one of the bustling
centers of Bangkok.
In this lesson youll learn some kinship terms. Moreover, youll of course enlarge your active
practical vocabulary. But especially your knowledge of Thai grammar will be refreshed and
extended. Youll learn more about the art of negating, and youll learn how to express yourself
towards friends and family members in a practical, informal manner.
cd 1b
9.2
track 6
Dialogue

149
Thai for Beginners
.
To-come to-meet family at/in airport .
- >
At/in field to-fly Suwarnabhumi Mr. Peter Wolf with child-girl (daughter) Nikki and friend
friend of/belonging-to Nikki . Joy >
. . - - .
And Maew . to-come to-meet Vincent at/in room to-receive passenger incoming/import .
150
:
Nikki:
. .
Father [polite part. f.] . I to-see he/she to-come already .
:
Peter Wolf:
. ( ) . ! !
Yes . He/she to-come already (to-wave hand) . Vincent! Vincent! [emphatic
part.] !
:
Joy:
. .
Which [polite particle f.] . Person which?
Thai for Beginners
:
Nikki:
. .
Person tall tall handsome handsome that why (you see) . That older-sibling
man belonging-to Nikki .
:
Joy:
.
He/she handsome really really .
:
Maew:
. .
Really really also . He/she to-be child belonging-to Mr./Mrs. uncle Nikki
yes [question particle].
:
Nikki:
. . .
Yes. To-look [emphatic part.]. He to-come already .
:
Vincent :
. . >
Good day [polite particle m.] uncle Peter. Hello Nikki. To-wait long(time) >
.
[question part.] [polite part m.] .
:
Peter Wolf:

No/not long(time) at all.
:
Vincent :
.
Mrs. Aunt Thanida no/not to-come [question particle yes/no question]?.
:
Nikki:
. .
Mrs./Mr. Mother no/not to-come [polite part. f.]. She/he not/no free .
:
Peter Wolf:
. >
To-have/to-be-present girl more two person to-come to-meet Vincent
[emphatic part.] >
. .
This Miss Jintana . And miss Paweena.
:
Joy:
( ) . >
(to-greet-with-a-wai Vincent) Good day [polite particle f.] I [f.] >
.
to-be-called Joy [polite particle f.]
:
Vincent :
( ) . >
(to-greet-with-a-wai to-answer) I Vincent [polite part. m.] . >
.
Happy that [part. for opportunity] to-know [polite particle m.] .
:
Maew:
( ) >
(to-greet-with-a-wai Vincent as well) I [f.] to-be-called Maew
. .
[polite part. f.]. Good day [polite part. f.].
151
Thai for Beginners
:
Vincent :
. . >
(Expression of surprise) . To-greet-with-a-wai I (m.) also [question
particle for yes/no questions] . >
.
Thank you [polite part. m.] that to-give honor I (m.).
:
Peter Wolf:
. . -- >
Haha . Girl three group this polite too-much a-little. A-moment-ago still topraise >
.
Vincent to-say/that handsome also .
:
Vincent :
. . >
Haha. Thank you much [polite particle m.]. You every three also >
.
beautiful much [polite particle m.]
Vocabulary
1. to receive; 2. to meet; to
welcome
airport
Land of Gold, name of

Bangkoks International Airport
1. lord, master; 2. Mr. ...

3. Personal pronoun 3rd person singular, used between
young men (familiar)
with; and
and
friend
building; hall
traveler, passenger
1. entering; 2. imported
father
I (normally used by women;

a couple of decades ago also
used by men; informal)
1. to see; 2. to be of the
opinion
152
Thai for Beginners
1. already; 2. then, afterwards,

later; and then...
to wave (with the hand)
variant of - or
-
where, which place
1. high; 2. tall (in height)
handsome (only used for men)
that (demonstrative pronoun)
short for - how
older brother
1. thing; 2. of, belonging to,

owned by (possessive
pronoun)
really, truly
child; son or daughter
1. you (polite); 2. Mr., Mrs.
uncle (older brother of

mother or father)
1. to see; 2. to look
modifying sentence particle

for emphasis
to wait (for)
long (time)
1. to pass, to surpass, past;

2. consequently; 3. in the
least, at all (after a negative);
4. under any circumstance;
5. utterly
younger brother or sister of

father: uncle, aunt
1. or; 2. question particle for

yes-no questions
mother
polite particle for affirmative

sentences (woman speaking)
he; she
153
Thai for Beginners
free, not occupied
1. to have; 2. be present;
3. there is, there are; 4. to
contain; 5. to happen
woman, girl
1. more; 2. again; 3. other,

another; 4. else; 5. besides;
6. yet
two
particle for light emphasis

(modifying sentence particle
this (demonstrative pronoun)
1. young woman; 2. miss;

3. Miss (term of address)
1. a greeting performed by
bringing the palms of both
hands together and raising
them to a position between
the chest and the crown of
the head (according to the
social status of the person
greeted)
1. place; 2. which, that (relative pronoun) 2. land, soil;

3. space, site; 4. preposition
of place: in, on, at
1. to can, to be able; 2. to get,

to obtain, to acquire; 3. to
may, might; 4. particle for
the past perfect tense; 5. particle to indicate opportunity
1.to know, to understand, to

realize; 2. to know, to be
acquainted to
1. together; 2. each other
exclamation of mild surprise,

indignation or grievance
1. also, too; 2. moreover;

3. with, by means of
154
thank you
to be honored, to receive
honor
Thai for Beginners
this (relative pronoun or

shortened demonstrative
pronoun)
[sound of laughter]
polite
a little too...
just now, a minute ago
yet, still
1. to praise; 2. to admire;
3. to flatter
1. to say; 2. that (introducer

of a subordinate clause); 3. to
criticize; 4. to scold, to abuse
(verbally)
Thank you very much
1. beautiful; 2. pretty,
attractive, lovely (only said
of girls); 3. smooth, successful; 4. fine, nice
all three of them
Translation of conversation 9.2

At Suvarnabhumi Airport, Mr. Peter Wolf, his daughter Nikki and Nikkis friends Joy and
Maew have come to meet Vincent in the arrival hall.
Nikki:
Dad, I see him coming already.
Peter Wolf:
Yes, hes coming already (waves), Vincent! Vincent! Hey!
Joy:
Where? Which one is he?
Nikki:
That tall, handsome man over there! Thats my cousin.
Joy:
He is really handsome.
Maew:
As you say! Hes a son of your fathers brother, isnt he??
Nikki:
Exactly! Look there. Hes coming already.
Vincent:
Hello Uncle Peter. Hello, Nikki. Have you been waiting long?
Peter Wolf:
Not at all.
Vincent:
Hasnt Aunt Thanida come with you?
Nikki:
Mom hasnt come. She isnt free.
Peter Wolf:
There are two other ladies who have come to pick you up, Vincent. These
are Miss Jintana and Miss Paweena.
Joy:
(greeting Vincent with a wai) Good afternoon, my name is Joy.
Vincent:
(greeting back with a wai) Im Vincent, pleased to meet you.
Maew:
(greeting Vincent with a wai, as well) My name is Maew, pleased to meet
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Thai for Beginners
Vincent:
Peter Wolf:
Vincent:
you.
Well! Are you waiing me as well? Thanks a lot for the honor you bestow
upon me.
Haha! These girls are a little too polite. A moment ago they said they
thought you were so handsome.
Haha! Thanks a lot. You three are all very pretty, too.
9.3 Idioms
1. Also for young men and women the polite predicate khun - is used. In English, we
could translate it with Miss in the case of young women; for young men, there is of course
no equivalent but Mr.

2.
Mr. Surasak
Mrs. Thanida
Miss Jintana
- - means to say, to speak, to remark, and also to criticize, to reproach, to

reprove, to admonish.
- - What are you saying?
- - Mother reproaches him.
- - also functions as a relative pronoun which introduces a dependent clause, as the

English that. In some cases Thai uses () where in English a comma would be
sufficient.
- - Jintana said
that I had to come quickly.
- - He answered
that he wasnt dressed, yet.
- - I dont
know whether he will come or not.
- How could she ever know who he was?

Verbs which can be followed by () are, for example:
()
to be afraid
( )
- to be worried
( )
to understand
()
- to speak
to think
()
156
()
- to call
Thai for Beginners
( )
( ) -
to remember
()
- to know
to compliment
()
- to feel
()
to believe
()
()
to hear
()
( ) - to mean
to know (formal) ()
()
to be certain
to say
()
()
- to suspect
- to hope
- to see, to think
3. Ways to say too, too much, a little too... in Thai:

adjective +

food it salty
The food is too salty.
verb +

he to-put-in oil
He put in too much oil.
adjective +

child [class.] this fat
This child is much too fat.
adjective +

work busy to-go to-go-out to-can
The work is too busy, so I cant go out.

he to-have age
He is too old.

to-be-present mosquito
to-sleep to-can
There are too many mosquitos to be able to sleep
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Thai for Beginners
9.4

fish [class.] this small
This fish is a little too small.
Grammar
a. Leaving out the subject

In English, the presence of a subject in a sentence is almost always compulsory, but in Thai, a
sentence can very well do without. When it has become clear whom or what is the subject of a
sentence, it may be conveniently left out. Sometimes it is already clear from the beginning of
the situation that a sentence doesnt need a subject. Especially personal pronouns are often
seen as superfluous in spoken conversations.

Where did (you) just come from?

(I) just came from the market.

I to-shall to-go market . shall not to-go to shop to-cut hair
Im going the market, (I) shall not go to the hairdresser.

she to-be child beautiful .and/already to-have character good too
She is a beautiful child, and (she) also has a good character.

to-look/to-see car [class.] that [emphatic part.] . beautiful [emphatic part.]
Look at that car! (Thats) really a beautiful one!
b. The negation; rehearsal and additional constructions
In lesson 2 you have seen how a simple sentence can be made into a negative statement,
and in the dialogues you have already encountered many examples of affirmative and
negative sentences. In this lesson, well pay some more attention to possible forms of the
negation.
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Thai for Beginners

1. The negation of - and - ; ( to be):
() in its meaning of to be is used as the determiner of a noun or a noun
phrase:

This pen dog
-
- this is a dog

politics pen affair filthy
-
- politics is a dirty game.
(literally: politics is a dirty affair)

he pen friend I
-
- He is my friend
In neutral situations the negative of - in its meaning of to be - is (

) - no, not (literally: not yes, not to be):

This dog
-
- this is not a dog

Politics affair filthy
-
- politics is not a dirty game

He friend I
-
- He is not my friend
In contradictions of assumptions or presuppositions, the negation (

) is often used:

He uncle I
-
- He is not my uncle (other than you might
have supposed)
An exception to this rule is the famous Thai phrase ( ); an idiom

meaning never mind.
in its
meaning to suffer from an illness is negated as :

He cold
-
- He doesnt have a cold
() means to be equal to, namely and can be seen as almost analogous with
(). It is used when giving explanations and definitions. The negative of
() is always ( ) not yes, no. The word () itself cannot be
negated:
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Thai for Beginners
2.

this khue dog
-
- this is a dog

This not/no dog
-
- this is not a dog
The negation of a single verb

A sentence with only one verb in it is negated by placing () in front of the verb:
- I come
- I dont come
Compound verbs are also negated in this manner:
- She agrees
- She doesnt agree
( - - literally: to see also - to agree)

3.
The negation of the resultative verb

In Thai there exist a number of compound verbs that exists of a first verb indicating an
action, and a second indicating the result of that action. The second verb in such a
combination is called a resultative verb.
These combinations are negated by placing () in front of the second element of
the compound verb:
- he sleeps (he to-lay to-sleep)
- he cant sleep (he to-lay not to-sleep)
- she hears (understands) it (she

to hear to-go-out)
- she doesnt hear (understand) it

(she hears not to-go-out10)
- I eat (it) all (I eat finish; end)
- I dont eat (it) all; I cant eat all of

it
4.
The negation of the auxiliary verb and the predicate

The negation of auxiliary verbs, and with them, the predicate, can follow two patterns
in Thai. A number of auxiliary verbs is negated following pattern A, but most are negated following pattern B:
10
160
actually means out, to go out, but can be translated in this instance with successfully: She hears (it)
successfully: She not only hears it, but understands it, too.
Thai for Beginners

Pattern A. () + auxiliary verb + predicate:
The following auxiliary verbs are negated following negation pattern A. Some are
frequently used in combination with: () - will, shall. The use of () is,
however, not compulsory:
- to be accustomed too; ever, once
-
- ()
- should, ought
- ()
- should, ought; worth doing
- ()
- to want, to wish
- to must
Examples:

.
I ever to-go Bangkok already, but yet no/not to-go Chiang Mai .
Ive been to Bangkok once, but Ive never been to Chiang Mai.

- -- - .
You should to-exercise merely a little. No/not should to-sit to-do-nothing .
You should do some more exercises, not just sit around and do nothing.

- . -
You ought to-speak good-good with younger-sister/brother. No/not ought scold she/he
the-whole day.
You should talk nicely to your little sister, and not call her names all day long.

- - ,
You to-want to-go party, or no/not to-want to-see face Mr. Peter again.
Do you want to go to the party, or dont you want to see the face of Mr. Peter again?

.
Jintana to-must to-do to-follow that I to-say .No/not to-must to-think something to-take
self.
Jintana (you) must do (it) like I say. You mustnt think for yourself.
Pattern B. auxiliary verb + () + predicate:
The following auxiliary verbs are negated following pattern B. Some may be used in
combination with () - will, shall. In some cases, the use of () - will,
shall is compulsory:
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Thai for Beginners
- ()
- probably; certainly
- will, shall (indicator of future tense)
- ;
- ()
- to look like
- ()
- seemingly; it seems
- ()
- almost, nearly, practically
- ()
- to have a tendency towards; often, frequently,

always
- inevitable; certainly, necessarily
- * ()
-
- maybe, probably
- ()
- could be; maybe
- must
Examples:

. () .
Phairote to-go, but Anong () no/not to-go.
Phairote shall probably go, but Anong shall probably not go.

. .
You to-bathe water [question part.] [polite part.]. I (m) no/not to bathe.
Will you take a bath? I wont take a bath.

() .
It to-look like () no/not to-work.
It looks like its not going to work.

() . .
Rain - no/not to-fall. You to-go to-bathe sunlight rather to-can.
It doesnt seem its going to rain. Go can go sunbathing.

() .
I () not to-dare to-believe ear belonging-to body self.
I almost didnt (dare to) believe my ears.
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Thai for Beginners

() - .
This to-be affair which () not to-happen often.
This is something which normally doesnt happen very often.

() .
He/you () not ever rich thing certain.
He shall certainly (inevitably) never become rich.

() .
I () not to-go.
I shall probably not go.

() .
He () not to-like to-eat rice sticky.
Maybe he doesnt like sticky rice.

.
You not to-tell to-give he/she to-hear.
You must not tell it to him.
(Compare this sentence with the last example for pattern A.)
Pattern C. predicate - (mj) auxiliary verb:
For verbs, which express ability or permission, a third pattern is used: () is
here: to can, to be able, () is to can and () to be capable (auxiliary
verb indicating potential or stamina):

he/she to-speak Thai not to-be-able

He cannot speak Thai.
The auxiliary verb (here: to be able) is negated, and with it the whole predicate.

I to tell to/to-give you to-hear no-not to-be-able

I cant tell (it) to you.
The auxiliary verb (here: to can) is negated, and with it the whole predicate.

she to-walk to-go/to not to-be-capable-of

She is not capable to walk (to it).
The auxiliary verb (to be capable) is negated, and with it the whole predicate.
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5.
Negative sentences with - mj mii (not present, not available)

A statement can be made negative by placing (mj mii) in front of the noun:
not to-be-available train to-go/to Roi Et

There is no train to Roi Et.
not to-be-available person to-come to-visit I

Nobody comes to visit me.
( ) is also used to negate the pronouns () - someone, () something and ( ) - somewhere:

not to-be-available someone to-know

There is no one who knows. (Nobody knows.)
not to-be-available something to-happen

There is nothing that happens (Nothing happens;
nothing has happened.)
not to-be-available somewhere that shall to-sleep

to-can
There is nowhere we can sleep.
Individually, without subordinate clause, ( ), ( ),

( ) and ( ) have the following meaning:
164
not to-be-available/ not to-be-present

(It) is not (there). (We dont have it)
not to-be-available someone

There is nobody.
not to-be-available something

There is nothing
not to-be-available somewhere

There is nowhere, there is no place...
Thai for Beginners
9.5
Cultural notes
a. Being flattered; sincere compliments or licking boots?

In Thailand everybody is always complimented with his or her appearance. Women are called
() - beautiful, and men () - handsome. Older people are flattered with remarks as ( ) - still beautiful and ( ) - still handsome. People in Thailand are also called beautiful and handsome when they look healthy
or when they dress well. If youre not a leper and your face is not grossly misshapen, you will
also receive these nice compliments. Members of your own sex as well as those of the opposite
will make them, but compliments alone dont intend to invite you to take any liberties towards
the one whos paying you the compliment. Nor is the compliment intended to try to get something out of you, or even to toady. One pays compliments out of politeness or respect.
Exceptions are of course found everywhere. You might be rightfully suspicious if a trinket
salesman in a tourist trap copiously praises your appearance, your language skills and intellect.
He might do this solely because he wants to sell you his trinkets. On the other hand, sincere
compliments can be expected when you are building up a relationship with a Thai. Compliments become pet names. And sincerely spoken sweet words obviously imply an invitation to
closer contact.
b. The () - wai (Thai salute)
The wai is a gesture of polite salute. It consists of your two hands, palms pressed together,
brought in front of your chest, chin, nose, forehead or even higher. The higher your hands are,
the more respectful your wai. In a good chest-wai, your elbows are pressed against the sides
of your body, the your fingertips reach about to your chin, and you bow your head a little, so
lips or nose (almost) touch the tips of your stretched fingers. In higher wais, also try to keep
your elbows as close together as possible without making it look like youre forcing yourself.
If you bow your head in one of the higher wais, bow it from the neck; dont move your
whole torso.
In the utmost of wais, people crawl towards a monk or a monarch on knees and hands, and
alternately cover the floor in front of the dignitarys feet with their palms, and bring them high
wais with the hands well above their heads. To laud monks, this is done three times, after
which a normal posture is assumed. In the case of royalty, the wai is made a single time, but
is often held as long as the royal audience might last.
You cannot only wai to low, and thus not accord the honor fit for a persons status (be wary
of politicians, senior policemen and army generals), but also too high. It brings bad luck to a
young child if it is wai-ed by an older person. A laborer would consider a wai from his boss
sarcastic and insulting, and a beggar would feel ridiculed when honored with a wai
c. Respect for status and age
Thai society is hierarchical. This comes forth from the principle of bunkhun to which has
been referred in lesson two. Simply said, a person of lower social class is at the disposal of
someone from a higher social class, while members of the higher classes should feel the compulsion to be honest and good towards their underlings. At the top of the Hierarchical pyramid
stand the King, the Royal Family and the Sangha; the top of the Buddhist clergy. Under this
exalted summit come the nobility, the abbots of important temples, the high military and the
economically powerful (the rich). Under them follow politicians, civil servants
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Thai for Beginners

and administrators. Politicians regularly break through from one social stratum to another. This
always causes a lot of heartache, and has even led to bloody repression.
A separate group is formed by scientists and scholars, professors, teachers and artists, who
have no traditional, economic or political power, but enjoy a lot of prestige, as they are important for the maintenance of Thai culture, art and science.
Within a family, grandparents, parents, older uncles and older aunts have more to say than
their younger children, cousins, brothers and sisters. A successful younger uncle can count on
receiving more respect from his cousins than his older brother whos always drunk, but he
himself as well as the younger generation will still salute his failed older sibling with an appropriate wai.
Within a company, the hierarchical organization is always very strict, but even young managers will be polite towards an older man who has been the bosses driver for twenty years.
Thai society is in principle patriarchal, but in the last twenty years, more and more women
have gained top positions in management and administration. Especially in the academic
world, women have made great progress. These women receive the respect they deserve, also
from their younger male subordinates.
Traditionally, the house and the market are the domain of women. Thai men discuss domestic
affairs with their wives, and in the countryside there are still men to be found who hand their
salary over to their wives, who manage the financial side of the household. In the towns and
cities, young couples often administer their finances together, especially when both partners
earn an income.
As a foreigner, it is safest for you to speak politely to every Thai whos older than or at least as
old as you, until it becomes clear what the actual status is of the person to whom youre speaking.
9.6
Writing III. The consonants -

Name of the
Consonant
Consonant
166
Pronunciation at
initial position of
a syllable
Pronunciation at
final position of
a syllable
th
t (unreleased)
th
t (unreleased)
p (unreleased)
p (unreleased)
Thai for Beginners
ph
p (unreleased)
does not occur
ph
p (unreleased)
f ; p (in loan words)
ph
p (unreleased)
soldier
flag
mouse
leaf
fish
bee
lid, cover
footed tray
tooth
Chinese junk (kind of ship)
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Thai for Beginners
9.7
Theoretical overview of the five tones
To exercise the correct pronunciation of the tones, you should listen to the CDs that go with
this course, or listen carefully to a patient native speaker who is willing to teach you tonality in
Thai. The diagram below is therefore only meant as a mnemonic device:
English description
Thai name
Sounds like:
Flat tone or
middle tone

( )
This tone sounds almost level, and sounds like a

somewhat resigned utterance in English. Like the
word leave in the sentence: Ill just leave then
Low tone

( )
This tone lays a little beneath the normal timbre of

the voice, like in Ah What a pity
Falling tone

( )
This tone goes from a little above the normal timbre of the voice to relatively low, like in: Look, I
already told you that
High tone

( )
This tone starts from a little higher than the normal

timbre of the voice to a relatively high pitch. Like
in Oh, can I have a cookie, please!
Rising tone

( )
This tone rises from relatively low to relatively

high, and sounds like the intonation of a question in
English: Is this a horse?
In predicting fate and fortune, youll see that (), or Khmer script is often used...
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Thai for Beginners
9.8
Exercises
Exercise 1
Answer the following questions. Try to formulate your answers in correct Thai and write them
down according to the transcription method used in the course:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Where is Mr. Wolf waiting for his nephew Vincent? (Vincent is the nephew ( ) of uncle ( - ) Peter.)
Who is the first to see Vincent coming? (the first person: - )
What do Nikki and her friends think of Vincent?
Did Peter Wolf and the girls have to wait a long time?
Why hasnt aunt Thanida come as well?
How do Joy and Maew greet Vincent?
What is Peter Wolfs reaction on their greeting?
How does Vincent compliment his cousin and her friends?
Exercise 2
Translate the following sentences into Thai. Write them down according to the transcription
method used in the course:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Uncle Peter is waiting for Vincent.

Vincent is from the Netherlands.
Uncle Peter lives in Bangkok.
He arrives at the airport. ( - - to arrive)
Nikki calls Vincent her older brother. ( - - to call)
Miss Paweena greets Vincent with a wai.
She looks at the people.
He sees the airport.
Exercise 3
a. Put these sentences into the right order, and translate:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
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Thai for Beginners

b. Fill in the right word, and translate:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
... .
... .
... .
... .
... .
... .
... .
... .
Exercise 4
Write down the letters you have learned in this lesson a couple of times. Start at the highest or
left-most little circle ( - ). Pronounce the sound of the letter and its name every time you
write it down. Do this until you have the feeling you know the letters by heart, and then write
at its form. Dont forget to pronounce the difference between the aspirated and the nonaspirated sounds. After the pronunciation exercise, write each letter down again a few dozen
times.
Relax your hand, and put your pen on the paper in the same way as you do when you write
your name.

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Thai for Beginners
9.9
1. Answers to the questions:

1.
.
2. .
.
3. .
.
4. .
.
5. .
.
6. .
.
7. .
.
8. .
.
2. Solution of the translation exercise

1.
.
2. .
.
3. .
.
4. .
.
5. .
.
6. .
.
7. . or:
. or:
8. .
.
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172
Thai for Beginners
THAI FOR BEGINNERS

LESSON 10
At the restaurant

10.1
10.2
10.3
10.4
10.5
10.6
10.7
10.8
Introduction
Dialogue
Idioms
Grammar
Cultural note
Writing IV: The consonants -
Exercises
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174
Thai for Beginners
10.1
Introduction
Thailand is famous for its delightful cuisine. Large parts of the country are very fertile, and
Thai rice ( - - jasmine scented rice) is known all over the world
for its delicate taste and scent. Traditionally, in each Thai dish the five main flavors (sweet,
salty, sour, spicy and bitter) should be represented in their ideal proportions. The cuisines of
the four main regions (Central, North, Northeast and South) differ clearly from each other.
Dishes from the South and the Northeast, for instance, are often very spicy. Southern cuisine
uses a lot of fish and other sea products. In the North, more vegetables are used, and also some
spices which do not occur in other regions. The Northeast, the region called Isan, is famous
for its grilled chicken, pork and meat dishes, preserved vegetables, fermented fish and spicy
sauces. In Isan, people also have a taste for edible insects like giant water bugs, grasshoppers
and larvae, which are nowadays also sold at the markets in Bangkok and other cities. In the
Southern and Central regions, the basis for every meal is dry, steamed rice. Whereas in the
North and Northeast, sticky rice is preferred. The Thai have cold water with their food or one
of the many available fruit juices. Also, excellent Thai beer is available everywhere. Thailand
produces several brands of soda water and many kinds of soft drinks. Products from the Coca
Cola Company and Pepsi can be bought at all general stores and restaurants. Coffee is grown
in Southern Thailand and tea in the mountains of the North.
cd 1b
10.2
track 8
Dialogue
At the restaurant

175
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176
Thai for Beginners

.
In/at a restaurant .
>
Mr. Peter Wolf to-lead daughter Nikki with nephew Vincent and friend friend of Nikki Joy >
.
with Maew to/to-go to-eat rice in shop food .
:
Nikki:
>
Older sibling Vincent to-think towards {to long for} food Thai [question part.] >
.
[polite particle f.] .
:
Joy:
>
Father Joy (I) to-say that era/time this to-be-present shop food Thai >
- .
many/much already in Europe .
:
Vincent :
.
Mr./Sir father of Joy ever to-go to-make-a-trip in Europe [yes-no question
part.].
:
Maew:
- - - . >
Father of Joy to-work to-be pilot of airline Thai . He (polite) >
. .
to-go/to-come every place every place already . Joy ever to-go to-make-a-trip
Europe to-come already also .
:
Joy:
. >
[expression of relativity] . Joy ever go/to London occasion one when Joy age >
- . .
fifteen year . Joy (I) to-stay two day and/already also to-return .
naaj peeteu:
Mr. Peter:
( ) . >
( to-call child to-serve) Younger sibling . To-ask menu a-little >
.
[emphatic part.].
.
Child to-serve to-walk to-come and to-send/to-hand-over list food to-give/to person per [classifier for books, notebooks etc.].
:
Vincent :
. >
Joy to-shall to-eat what [informal question part.] Joy to-like food spicy >
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Thai for Beginners
.
[question part.] .
:
Nikki:
. >
Yes yes . Joy to-love to-eat food spicy until water ear water eye >
. >
to-flow to-know [question part.]. Because grandfather (mothers father) of Joy >
.
to-be person Bangladesh .
:
Joy:
- . . >
No (not yes) . He to-come from Sri Lanka [polite part. f.]. But that not >
- .
to-have-something-to-do-with at-all a-bit a-little .
:
Mr. Peter:
- >
Nikki dont to-take family person big of friend to-come to-make-jokes >
. .
[mitigating part.]. Order food together good [part. comparative degree] .
, >
Mr. Peter to-call child to-serve (young waiter/waitress) to-come again/yet time/occasion , >
.
and to-start to-order food .
:
Mr. Peter:
. . . >
To-take shrimp to-soak water fish . Tiger to-cry . Minced-meat-salad pork/pig >
- ... . .
meat waterfall ... Already (and) to-take what more Joy Maew Vincent .
:
Joy:
>
To-take orange to-pound and chicken to-roast also to-can >
.
[question part.] [polite part. f.] .
:
Nikki:
-- . >
To-ask rice sticky and rice beautiful good-as-well . Curry yellow to-be-present >
.
[question part.] younger sibling .
178
:
waitress:
.
To-be-present/to-have [polite part. f.] .
:
Vincent :
. .
to-take to-come also indeed . Maew to-take what again/more [polite part. m.] .
Thai for Beginners
:
Maew:
. >
which to-order to-come Maew (I) to-like every thing [polite part. f.]. >
.
every thing it tasty.
dk :
waitress:
- .
You to-shall to-receive drink (n.) which [question part.][polite part. f.]
:
Mr. Peter:
. >
To-ask beer Singha bottle (class.) one [emphatic part.] younger-sibling . And >
.
Vincent with group girl girl what-about [polite part. m.] .
:
Vincent :
- . >
I to-shall to-take beer Singha also . To-ask bottle large [emphatic part.] >
. .
[polite part. m.] . Joy to-shall to-drink what [polite part m.]
:
Joy:
.
Joy (I) to-take iced-black-coffee . And/already Maew with/and Nikki to-drink >
.
what [reciprocal part. (what about)].
cd 1b
track 9
Nikki:
.
To-take water/juice coconut [polite part. f.].
Maew:
.
To-ask tea cold glass..
Vocabulary
(large) restaurant (elegant

language)
to take, to lead (persons)
to eat
rice
to eat (literally: to eat rice)

shop
restaurant (common
language)
to eat (elegant language)
food
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Thai for Beginners
in this time, contemporary
to say
Europe
a lot; much; many
ever
1. to go out; 2. to go on
holiday
1. to go out; 2. to
go on holiday
to work
to work as ...
to fly
pilot
of, belonging to; here: for
airline
to and fro, again and again
everywhere (idiom)
...
to (just) come from
exclamation expressing mild

surprise or mild irritation
London
one time (also: )
1. when; 2. if
age
fifteen
here: particle to form past

tense
(ever) stayed

()
to come back
child
to serve
young waiter or waitress
180
(also: )
Thai for Beginners
1.younger sibling; 2. informal

form of address for a person
younger than the speaker
...
(I) would like... (when

ordering)
menu
particle for mollification or

light emphasis
to walk
to walk in the direction of the

speaker or the subject
1. to send (to); 2. to hand

over (to)
list
menu
per person
classifier for books,

notebooks, knifes and
oxcarts
to shall; particle for direct

future tense
intimate variant of
to like
spicy, hot
so that; until
*,
water
(1)
eye
earwax (ear water)
tear, tears
to flow, to stream
until (it) drives you (her,

him) to tears; until breaking
out in tears
because
grandfather (mothers father)
(), ()
(2)
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Thai for Beginners
grandfather (respectful)
Bangladesh
to know
You (honorific; very polite)
Sri Lanka
not to be concerned with, not
to be involved with
to have nothing to do with
...

to have nothing to do with

each other
1. to pass, to surpass ; 2. as
a consequence; 3. in the least,
at all (in negative sentences);
4. cannot but; 5. (might) as
well
dont (in an order or a

suggestion)
dont come up with; dont

use (something for
doing/saying something)
family
older family members
to make jokes; to make fun;

to joke
to order
1. together, each other; 2. all

together
better
...
to call (someone) to come

over
1. to call
time, occasion
to begin
sticky rice
steamed white rice
1. subsequently; afterwards;
2. then; 3. indicator for an
idea or a consequence;
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Thai for Beginners

4. quite, rather; 5. yet,
nevertheless; 6. whatever;
7. whether
1. also, too; 2. (also) all

right, lets take (do; fix)
too11
curry
Southern Thai fish curry
all, every
everything
to order (in the direction of

the speaker or the subject)
all, every; everything
tasty, delicious
1. much, many, a lot; 2. very
1. to take; to get; 2. to
receive
1.machine; 2. tool; 3. article,

thing; 4. instrument
drink, beverage
beer
Singha beer; a popular beer

brewed in Thailand
bottle
...
and what about

(group of) girls, young ladies
big, large
iced black coffee
coconut juice
iced milk tea
11
another; 4. else; 5.as well;

6. yet
is a particle used when suggesting a compromise or a solution, or that implies that a decision
has been made.
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Thai for Beginners

In the restaurant
Mr. Peter Wolf takes his daughter Nikki, his nephew Vincent, and Nikkis friends: Joy and
Maew out to dinner (lit. out to eat) in a restaurant.
Nikki:
Joy:
Vincent, did you miss the Thai food?

My father says that there are a whole lot of Thai restaurants in Europe
nowadays.
Has your father ever been on a trip to Europe, then?
Joys father works as a pilot for Thai Airways. He has already been
everywhere. Joy has also been on holiday in Europe, once.
Oh, Ive only been to London once. When I was fifteen years old, Ive stayed
there for two days and then came back.
(calls the waitress) Miss, we would like to have a menu.
Vincent:
Maew:
Joy:
Mr. Peter:
The waitress walks toward them and gives each of them a menu.
Vincent:
Nikki:
Joy, what are you going to have? Do you like spicy food?
Yes, yes! Joy likes food thats so hot that the sweat runs out of her ears and
the tears run down her cheeks. Because Joys grandfather is a Bangladeshi, did
you know that?
Hes from Sri Lanka, but that has really nothing at all to do with it.
Nikki, dont make jokes about your friends elder family members, will you?
Wed better order something to eat.
Joy:
Mr. Peter:
Mr. Peter calls the waitress once more, and starts to order their food.
Mr. Peter:
Well take kung chae nam plaa, suea rong hai, laap muu, nuea nam tok
and eh What else are you going to order, Joy, Maew, Vincent?
Can I take som tam and kai jaang, too?
We would like sticky rice and some steamed rice would be O.K., too. Do you
have kaeng lueang?
Yes, we have.
Then, well take that, too. Maew, whatll you have?
I like everything that you ordered already. Everything is delicious!
Would you like anything to drink?
I would like to have a bottle of Singha beer, miss. And you, Vincent? And
what about you, ladies?
A Singha beer, too, please. I would like a large bottle. What would you like to
drink, Joy?
Ill have an iced black coffee. Maew and Nikki, what about you?
Ill have coconut milk
A glass of iced milk tea please.
Joy:
Nikki:
Waitress:
Vincent:
Maew:
Waitress:
Mr. Peter:
Vincent:
Joy:
Nikki:
Maew:
184
Menu
( )
raw, de-shelled shrimps, smothered in lime

juice and fish sauce, served with chilies, mint
and lemongrass.
( )
crying tiger; very spicy dish of grilled strips
Thai for Beginners

of meat, marinated in ginger, chilies and lime
juice.
( )
very spicy salad of minced, lightly fried pork,

with chilies, lime juice, fish sauce mint and
spring onions.
( )
waterfall meat; grilled strips of meat marinated

in lime juice and ground black pepper, fried and
sprinkled with pounded, dry-fried rice.
( )
spicy, fresh salad of grated green papaya with

chilies, pickled field crab and fermented fish
paste.
( )
also ( ) or ( ); chicken
marinated in garlic, coriander root, black
pepper and fish sauce, grilled over a low
charcoal fire.
( )
sticky rice. A special type of rice, steamed in

plaited bamboo steamers over an earthen pot
with boiling water. Popular in Northern and
North-eastern Thailand.
( )
steamed white rice (often (

), jasmine rice)
( )
a Southern Thai curry of fish, squash,

pineapple, green beans and green papaya. Very
spicy.
( )
Singha beer; strong Thai beer with a hoppy

taste.
10.3
Idioms
( ) He has been everywhere

and to every place: () and () both mean place. By the use of both words,
rhythm and alliteration enliven the expression. Compare the English expression busy as a
bee.
() means you, he or she. As a personal pronoun in the second person, it is an informal pronoun used between equals. As a personal pronoun in the third person, it is used to refer
to friends. It can also be used to refer to older persons one is familiar with.
() to ask. The word is also used in placing orders in a restaurant, and is equivalent to
I would like a, A please Polite.
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Thai for Beginners
[() ] to take. This word is also used during ordering in restaurants, but is more
informal. Ill have.
() and (, ) both mean and. () means and, added to and is mostly
used to combine two things or persons which are not automatically associated with one another. (, ) means and; with, and is used to connect things and persons which are
felt as being more or less automatically connected to one another.
(; ), sometimes also written as (), always follows the predicate. There is no exact
translation into English. It often indicates a sense of being rid of or a sense of loss, and it influences the mood of the whole expression in which it is used. Sometimes the word can be translated with completely or at all, but in most cases it is untranslatable. ()/ () is one
of those words, or rather expressions (to be more exact) which makes us realize that the idea
behind the Thai language is in essence different from the idea behind English. There are more
than several of these untranslatable words and phrases which only indicate a mood or a certain
situation. You will encounter many more of them during your study.
Dont confuse this word with the homographic but heterophonic (always pronounced
), which has a whole range of meanings: to deteriorate, to spoil, to rot, to die (polite), to lose, to suffer, to be damaged, to waste, to use up, to spend, and to pay
he to-shall no/not to-come already

He will probably not come at all anymore.
She to-have boyfriend/girlfriend also

She has (alas) a boyfriend already.
To-kill it/him good [particle for comparative

degree]
It is better to kill him off.
The word is also used in combination with () - when and () - time (classifier), turn to indicate impatience or offence:
10.4
when to-shall to-go time

When shall we go at last?
Grammar
a. Meanings of the word ()

In the course of your study, you have encountered some meanings of the word ()
along with its position within a sentence. The following list sums them up:
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Thai for Beginners
1.
(): to can, to be able to. Auxiliary verb, placed at the end of a sentence, but in
front of the question particle and the polite particle:

.
I [f.] to-speak language Thai [polite particle f.].
I can speak Thai.
2.
(): to obtain. Placed in front of the object:

.
He/she to-work until to-change position/rank high to-go-up.
He worked until he got a better position.
3.
(): Indicates an action in the past. Placed in front of the verb phrase:

-- .
A-moment-ago he to-send letter go/to already.
He has just sent the letter out.
4.
(): Means: Yes, its possible.

.
to-do .
Yes, it can be done (I/you/he/she can do it)
b. The negation (continued)

1.
( ) + verb; ( ) + noun
The construction ( ) + verb is used to:

a. Form the negative of the past tense with verbs of action and statement:
I to-go/to work
I didnt go to work.
He to-speak/to-say thing/as that

He hasnt said that; He didnt say that
b. To contradict a supposition (in combination with () - no):
He to-stay house [question part. yes/no

question]
Is he home? (Is he in the house?)
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Thai for Beginners
No . to-stay
No, he is not there.
c. To negate the verbs () - to be named and () - to be:
She to-be-named Jintana

Her name is not Jintana.
He to-be white-foreigner
He is not a (white) foreigner.
The construction ( ) + noun is used to negate affirmative sentences in

Which the verbs () - to be, to be equal to and () - to be are used:
[classifier for animals] this

dog
This is not a dog.
I to-be person England

Germany
I am an Englishman; not a German.
2.
Intensifying or mitigating negations:

A negation is intensified or mitigated (softened) by putting in front of the clause
which is negated and the modifier (intensifying or mitigating adverb) behind it:
Intensifying modifiers are:
188

...
No/not ... certainly

certainly not
I no/not to-go certainly

Im certainly not going.

()
no/not ... absolutely

absolutely not

()
I no/not to-ask to-give/for absolutely

I certainly wont ask that (for you).

...
No/not utterly
utterly not (not at all)
Thai for Beginners
Person this no/not intelligent utterly

This man/woman is not intelligent at all.
(classifier)
... (classifier)
No/not even (classifier) single

Not even a single
No/not to-have/to-be-present someone tocome even [classifier for peope] single

Nobody came, not even a single person
(adjective)
... (adjective)
No/not even (adjective) a little

Not even a little
He no/not bashful even a-little single

Hes not even a little shy.
Mitigating modifiers are:

() ...
No/not (comparatively) ... so-much/how-much

Not very

()
I no/not (comparatively) to-love she so-much/

how-much
I dont love her so much.

() ...
No/not (comparatively) ... so-much/how-much

not very
Trip/outing no/not merry/cheerful much

The trip hasnt been much fun.

...
No/not (quite) ... so much

not quite so much; not very much
He/she no/not quite clever so-much

He is not very smart.
Notice that ( ) is also used without modifiers:
He/she no/not quite intelligent

He is not quite so intelligent; Hes not very
smart.
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Thai for Beginners

3. The causative and its negation
A causative can be compared to an English construction with to let, to make. In Thai,
causatives are formed with the verbs ( - to make), ( - to give, to let) or
( - to let). They are negated in a specific manner [Take notice: The words
() and () also have other meanings and functions]:
a. Subject (human or non-human) + () + (inanimate) Object + Verb:
He to-make mirror to-break

He makes the mirror break (He broke the
mirror)
Children to-make house dirty

The children made the house dirty.
Other verbs that can be formed according to this pattern are for instance:
...
to drop (to let fall)
...
to damage, to break (to make damaged)
...
to drop (to let fall (from somewhere)
...
to let slip
...
to spill (to let spill)
...
to break (to make broken (in pieces))
...
to lose (to make lost)
The negation of these verbs will usually indicate a past tense. Therefore, their negative
is formed by putting ( ) in front of (). The word combination
( ) here conveys both emphasis and a negative past tense:
He no/not to-make mirror to-break

He didnt break the mirror.
She no/not to-make milk spill

She hasnt spilled the milk.
b. Subject (human) + () + (animate) Object + Verb:

In the following constructions, () can mean: To make someone do something or
To force or engage someone to do something:

190
I to-shall you to-go also

I shall let you go, too.; Ill take you (there)
also.
Thai for Beginners
I you to-go to-buy thing

I let you do the shopping; (also in the sense of:
I let you decide what you need...)
The negative in this construction is formed by putting () in front of ():
I no/not you to-buy things

I wont let you do the shopping (also in the
sense of: I dont want you to)
() also occurs as a fixed part of certain verbs that indicate a sense of cause and
effect:
to cause
to lend
to rent out
c. The causative in combination with a specifying verb:

A specifying verb is a verb which links itself to a clause of specification, like in
English to say that (clause of definition). In combination with a clause of
definition, the word () is put behind the verb:
to say that
to ask to
to order to
to consent to, to allow to
to warn
to permit to
Note that negative specifying verbs use a double negative. The word is used to
emphasize the negative:
to refuse to
to forbid to
The negation of a specifying verb can be formed in three ways:

c.1. Subject (human) + Specifying Verb +
Verb Clause:
( ) + (Animate) Object +
He to-say I to-go/to Bangkok
He says (that) he wont let me go to
Bangkok.
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Thai for Beginners
I to-refuse you to-drink

liquor
I refuse to let you drink liquor.
c.2. Subject (human) + Specifying Verb + (Animate) Object + ( ) + Verb

Clause:
He to-say I to-go Bangkok

He says he wont let me go to Bangkok.
I to-forbid you to-drink liquor

I forbid you to drink liquor.
(Please notice the double negation in the last examples of c.1. and c.2. (to refuse +
no/not; to forbid + no/not)
c.3. Subject (human) + () + Specifying Verb + () + (Animate) Object +
Noun Phrase
I to-allow younger-sister
to-go/to market person single
I wont allow my sister to go to
the market alone.
d. Subject (human or non-human) + ( ) + Object + Verb:
This pattern indicates a certain intention or compulsion to do or cause something as a
result of the initial subject or phrase:
person/being stupid that I

to-ache head
That idiot gives me a headache.
weather warm she to-feel

comfortable
Warm weather makes her feel good.

In the negation of this structure, () is put in front of ( ):
192
weather warm no/not she to-feel

comfortable
Warm weather doesnt make her feel
good.
Thai for Beginners

4.
Saying No
Every question particle has its own negative answer. The most frequently used
question particles and their correct negative answers follow below:
Ending of the question:
, ,
negative answer:
... ()
... (, , )
() + verb
()
() + verb
()
...
( )
( )
...
()
( ) + verb
... ( )
()
...
() + verb
5. Negative conditional clauses

A conditional clause introduces an expression in which a condition is stipulated. The
first word of such a clause is a conjunction such as if, a word for which there are several expressions in Thai: ( ); ( ); (
). The words for if are often omitted. Negative conditional clauses use the following pattern:
- () ... - otherwise..., if not...

Otherwise I to-go before [emphatic particle]

Otherwise, Ill go first, all right?
() ... - if (you)
dont want to, (you) dont have to
No/not to-want to-go to-go-out then no/not

to-must to-come to-pick-up
If (you) dont want to go out, then (you)
dont have to come to pick me up.
()

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Thai for Beginners
- () ... ... - if (you) not ... then ...

No/not to-pay then to-help no/not to-can

If you dont pay, I cant help you (I cant do
anything for you)
- () ... ...- if not ... then ...

10.5
No/not one hundred then to-take fifty

If not a hundred, then Ill take fifty
Cultural note
Especially in urban areas, the Thais take their meals at roadside stands and restaurants just as
often as they eat at home. The food at the stands and the mobile restaurants at the markets, and
the ones youll find at fixed times of the day on their spots near universities, schools and office
buildings - is priced so reasonably, that one often pays less for a healthy and delicious meal at
a stall than for one at home, if one would buy the ingredients at the market and cook for oneself. The quality of the food in Thailand is always high: a stall-owner or hawker who sells bad
food would be out of business in a day.
There are restaurants of all sorts in Thailand, and their nature is often obvious at first sight. A
large building with a faade of real or fake timber, and adornments of buffalo skulls and
wooden Indians is a restaurant where they play Songs for Life ( -
). Every night, there will be a performance of a more or less famous Thai folk-rock
group. If you were lucky you could chance upon a session by veteran Songs-for-Life band:
Carabao of Caravan.
A long and narrow room with an open front, filled with formica tables and plastic chairs,
where young waiters hurry to and fro serving bowls and plates of food is not seldom a lunchor dinner spot where specialties are served by renowned cooks. Restaurants festooned with
colored lamps are often a bit more luxurious establishments where gentlemen are treated to a
selection of pretty female singers. In many cases, the singers can be bought out for a private
nocturnal adventure, but only if she approves of her temporary suitor. A visitor can lay claims
to the charms of the singer he thinks cutest by buying garlands of plastic flowers and placing
those around her neck.
European style cafes and pubs that are purely built for the convenience of imbibers of alcoholic beverages are rare in Thailand. The Thai do imbibe, for sure, but they always do this during a cozy outing with a group of good friends in an appropriate restaurant. Next to drinking,
eating (a lot) is one of the main purposes of such an undertaking. It isnt strange to enter a restaurant for supper and be seated next go a small gathering of gentlemen who have obviously
already been feasting in style since early afternoon. It will not only show by the behavior and
the purple faces of the group, but also by a great quantity of empty bottles, kept in serried
ranks under their table, as well as the puddles of melted ice, shrimp heads, crab shells, ashtrays
full of small bones and cigarette butts, and the tools of the Thai drinker: Ice bucket, ice clamp,
bottled water, soda, plenty of glasses and a large bottle of Maekhong.
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A large restaurant (a - ) is often a Chinese or a seafood restaurant. It often is much larger than a simple - , and it always has an extensive menu.
A phttaakhaan is an ideal place to invite a large company of guests, colleagues, business relations, family, Party Members, etcetera. It was a very good idea of Mr. Wolf to invite his
nephew and his daughter plus her lady friends to a restaurant like this.
10.6
Writing IV. The consonants -

Name of the
Consonant
Consonant
Pronunciation at
initial position of
a syllable
Pronunciation at
final position of
a syllable
1. vowel bearer
2. a-, o-, oo-
Only with kaaran
n
oo
Only with kaaran;
in loan words
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Thai for Beginners
horse
giant, ogre
ship
monkey
ring
pavilion
hermit
tiger
chest, box
male kite
large water vessel, basin, tub
owl
10.7
Exercises
Exercise 1
Answer the following questions. Formulate and write your answers down in Thai. Use the transcription method used in the course:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Who says that there are a lot of Thai restaurants in Europe?

Has Joy ever been to Europe?
Does Joy like spicy food?
Why is that, according to Nikki?
Which dishes does Mr. Wolf order?
Why doesnt Maew order any food??
What do Peter and Vincent drink with their meal?
And what is the order of the young ladies?
Exercise 2
Translate the following sentences into Thai. Use the transcription method used in the course:
196
1.
2.
3.
4.
Peter Wolf likes Thai food.

Joy walks towards Nikki.
In Bangkok the people love Thai food.
We are going to eat in a restaurant.
Thai for Beginners

5.
6.
7.
8.
Mr. Wolf orders food for his nephew.

Vincent really enjoys Singha beer.
Mr. Wolf works in Thailand.
Nikki likes good food.
Exercise 3
Put the words of the following sentences into the right order and translate:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Exercise 4
Fill in the right word and translate:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
... .
... .
... .
... .
... .
... ... ... .
... ... .
... .
Exercise 5
Write the letters you have learned in this lesson down a couple of times. Start at the highest or
left-most little circle ( - ). Relax your writing hand, and assume the writing pose you are
most comfortable in. Pronounce the sound of each letter - and its name - every time you write
it down. Do this until you have the feeling that you know the letters by heart, and then write
at its shape. After the pronunciation exercise, write each letter down again a few dozen times.
Relax your hand, and put your pen on the paper in the same way as you do when you write
your name.
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Thai for Beginners
10.8
Exercise 1
1. .

2. . .

3. . .
4. .

5. . . . .

198
Thai for Beginners
6. .
7. .

7. , ,

Exercise 2
1. .
2. .
3. .
4. .
5. .

6. .
7. - .
8. .
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Thai for Beginners
200
Thai for Beginners
THAI FOR BEGINNERS

LESSON 11
Stuck in traffic again

11.1
11.2
11.3
11.4
11.5
11.6
11.7
11.8
11.9
Introduction
Dialogue
Idioms
Grammar
Cultural notes
- Writing V: The vowels and diphthongs
- Writing VI: The triphthongs
- Writing VII: Unwritten vowels
Exercises
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Thai for Beginners
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11.1
Introduction
The Old Bangkok Hands among you probably remember: The traffic in Bangkok was legendarily chaotic, and commuters daily spent more time in a jam than actually moving, whether
they traveled by bus, car, taxi or tuktuk. Students who had to follow early lectures, civil servants and business people had to leave home as early as four or five o clock in the morning.
Breakfast was eaten in cars, and portable urinals were developed for use in the car when you
were semi-permanently stuck in a jam as usual. From nearby offices, one can often spot sweating gentlemen with briefcases, jogging towards their desks because they had to leave their
chauffeur-driven cars behind in the traffic, and would be unable to arrive on time at their meetings in any other way.
Many people say that the traffic problems started when, in the 50ies and 60ies, the khlongs
(the canals which gave had given Bangkok the moniker Venice of the East) were gradually
filled and transformed into roads. A boat is narrower than a car, and as the khlongs had been
easily wide enough to let the long-tail boats pass through, the narrow streets that were built in
their stead could simply not contain more than two lanes of motorized traffic. In those days,
money from several countries which intended to keep Thailand as an alley during the many
smaller and bigger wars fought in Asia, was streaming in, and Bangkokians bought cars avidly.
The traffic situation quickly worsened.
The existing system of soojs and troks developed from paths on land that connected
separate villages of which Bangkok still mainly consists. The names Bang Kapi (shrimp
paste village), Bang Na (village of fields) and Ban Mai (new village) still reminds us of
that fact. These paths were later transformed into lanes, roads and driveways to let the growing
number of vehicles pass. Shortcuts and connecting roads were built between the main thoroughfares. Some of these lanes, like Sukhumvit Soi 71 and Sukhumvit Soi 21 (Soi Asoke), are
now wide roads themselves, and have sois of their own.
Other sois eventually went the same way. Often the inhabitants of a soi would sacrifice part of
their land in exchange for a good infrastructure. Garden paths and driveways were asphalted,
and people saw to it themselves that their sois were well connected to at least two main roads.
Real Bangkokians knew all those alleys well. Shortcuts could be made that literally saved
hours of time on a day of bad traffic. However, as soon as one exited the sois and entered a
main artery like Sukhumvit, Ramkhamhaeng, Lat Phrao or Din Daeng Road again, one was
back in traffic and back in trouble again. In the nineties, the city of Bangkok became so congested that an answer to the traffic problem simply had to be found within short term. Streets
would have to be broadened, and new thoroughfares would have to be built, but it would cost
billions of Baht to buy all the property that would have to be bulldozed down to fulfill that aspiration. A more outlandish solution to the traffic problem was proposed: Bangkok should
have to be completely rebuilt in a different location. Meetings and conferences were held, but
in the mean time, Bangkokian commuters were not inclined to leave their Mercedes and Isuzu
Pickup trucks at home and take a bus or a taxi to work or shopping mall.
After many years of meeting, proposing and planning, a modern system of express ways (for
which a toll was charged) was built over the city, and a sky train was constructed. At almost
the same time, the Bangkok Metro (the subway) became operational. Bangkok had become a
sci-fi city which few people who had known the Krung Thep of the fifties would be able to
recognize.
There are still traffic jams in Bangkok, but they cannot be compared to those of the late eighties and the nineties. The traffic problem is past its peak.
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cd 1b
11.2
track 10
Dialogue
204
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205
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.
Car to-be-stuck again already.
>
Joy and/with Nikki [aux. verb continuous tense] shall to-go to-look-for Maew in/at house in
part time that car >
. - . - - >
to-be-stuck. Entire two to-ascend bus air-conditioned color orange. Because machine
air-conditioning >
, . >
Broken to-make to-give {to make that} air in car hot much. More (moreover) all people quite
crowded. Luck good that >
-- >
two girls to-get place to-sit while people part large to-must to-stand to-cling >
. - .
rail. or to-hold-tight backrest chair in-order-to no/not to-allow to-fall when car to-break .
, >
As-soon-as car to-descend from way express and to-move to-enter to-go direction road
Din Daeng.>
- .
girl all two also to-look to-see car to-be-stuck to-be direction long far-away.
:
When car to-stop sign (bus stop):
:
Nikki:
. . >
Hey. To-be-present/to-have child to-ascend to-come also. We sure to-must >
.
to-stand-up to-give child to-sit good [part. superlative degree] .
:
Joy:
. . . .
What? (what are you saying?) . I still/yet to-be-fatigued and to-be-tired to-stay
(here: particle continuous tense) onward/utterly. Lazy to-stand-up. To-give he/she
to-stand [instigating part.]. >
:
Nikki:
. . >
Joy to-say what [emphatic part.]. to-have thoughtfulness a-little [emphatic part.] >
- >
If child no/not to-have-opportunity to-sit child maybe [passive voice part.] to-fling >
.
to-fall-over to-fall and to-have-opportunity to-receive accident [emphatic part.] .
206
Thai for Beginners
:
Joy:
. . . - >
I (informal) not interested. [expression of surprise]. To-look [emphatic part.].
Child [classifier for people] this loveable >
. . - . . . >
extremely. [expression of surprise]. Pitiful. [exclamation of approval]. Mouse
to-come to-sit [question part.]. Group older-sister >
. .
to-shall to-descend already [emphatic part.] child. Nikki to-descend
together [instigating part.].
- . - >
Joy and/with Nikki to-descend from bus. Then/afterwards to-walk to-go to-buy ice-cream tocome person per >
. - .
[class.]. Group he/she slowly to-walk to-eat ice-cream finished in time two three minute.
:
Nikki:
. >
This Joy to-speak to-play {to joke} to-stay to-can. Presently person other to-shall
no/not to-understand that >
, . >
You to-speak to-play or to-speak real. To-know [question part.]. Person he/she toshall to-think that >
- .
you crazy or to-be witch.
:
Joy:
- . - .
Until to-shall to-be witch. But then to-be witch that beautiful the-same-as angel.
:
Nikki:
. .
To-talk-nonsense. Crazy already.
- .
Nikki about-to to-cross street by no/not to-look left right.
:
Joy:
. . ! >
Dont to-cross street at-this-point [emphatic part.]. Who then that/which crazy
[reciprocal part.] for-sure. Hey! We >
. - >
to-continue taxi from-now-on good [part. superlative degree]. To-sit car cool-cool >
. ! .
mood to-shall to-have-opportunity good to-increase. [expression of approval]! Taxi
meter to-come already.
. :
Joy to-wave hand to-call taxi. When taxi to-stop Joy to-open door front to-ask taxi:
207
Thai for Beginners
:
Joy:
.
To-go Lad Phrao Sangkhom Songkhroh lane three [question part].>
[polite part. f.].
- . >
Person to-drive car taxi to-look-at Joy with expression eye to-admire. He to-think that girl all >
. . >
two beautiful much. To-have/to-be-present girl beautiful to-sit to-stay in car. Although car toshall to-be-stuck also >
.
not to-make to-give irritated.
:
Taxi:
. .
Please/to-invite. Please/to-invite [polite part. m.].
. - >
Joy to-open door rear to-give Nikki to-enter to-go to-sit first. Afterwards to-ascend >
.
To-follow in-unison with to-hurry to-close door car.
:
Joy:
. . >
Fast a-little [incentive part.] older brother. We late much already. Ladphrao
Sangkhom >
.
Songkhroh lane three [incentive part.] older brother.
. >
Person to-drive car taxi to-nod face to-receive to-know. He to-look-at Joy and Nikki in mirror >
. : >
rear. Person to-drive to-smile and to-think in heart All two girl specialist good-to to-love
{lovely} good-to to-be-loving {charming} real [reduplication sign].
. >
About half hour to- taxi towards to-come {onwards, later} Taxi also/rather to-come to-arrive
house belonging-to Maew. Nikki to-descend from car >
.
.
in moment that Joy to-pay cost taxi to-give person to-drive. Joy to-give tip he/she one hundred
Baht also.
:
Joy:
! .
Here. I to-give tip one hundred.
. - >
Taxi to-receive money and [to thank with a wai] Joy. From that then to-step-on accelerator >
208
Thai for Beginners
. . >
Then to-drive off to-go (direction indicator). Joy to-see Maew to-walk to-come door fence. She
to-have color face {facial expression} >
.
sulky.
cd 1b
track 11
:
Maew:
! ! . >
Hey Joy! Nikki! Group you (you plural) why to-come late [emphatic part.] >
:
Joy:
.
Dont to-ask at-all [emphatic part.].
:
Nikki:
.!!
Well car it to-be-stuck. [emphatic part.][part. to emphasize the preceding
statement].
Vocabulary
car
1. to stick, to be stuck;
2. to connect
1. traffic jam; 2. to be stuck

in a traffic jam; to form a
traffic jam
once again, yet again
1. with; 2. and
1. to be busy doing...
(continuous tense); 2. power,
force
just about to ...
1. to seek, to look for; 2. to

accuse
in
period, part, phase, stage
time
while, on the moment
that ...
both
1. (to go) up; 2. to enter, to

mount
bus (for transport within the

city)
209
Thai for Beginners
1. to adjust, to tune; 2.to

level, to smooth; 3. to fine
1. air; 2. weather
air conditioning; air

conditioned
orange, tangerine
orange (color)
1. due to; 2. to be a result of;

to arise from
1. machine, apparatus,
engine; 2. mechanism
1. broken; 2. spoiled
to make that, to cause to

another; 4. else; 5. yet; 6. as
well
all, everything of, everybody,

total
all people
1. tight, compressed, dense;

2. crowded; 3. to jam
lucky; to be lucky
two
girl, young woman
the two young women
1. to can; 2. to obtain;
3. particle for past tense
1. place; 2. in, at; 3. for,

because; 5. that, the fact that,
what; 6. that, which (relative
pronoun)
to sit
seat, place to sit
while
1. a large part; 2. most of (...)
to stand
to hang, to swing, to cling
210
Thai for Beginners
rail; railing
1. or; 2. question particle for

a yes-no question
1. to hold, to cling, to clamp;

2. island
backrest, squab (of a seat)
chair
1. in order to, so that
to not allow; here: to not

cause
to fall, to topple, to fall down
1. when, while, at the time;

2. if; 3. first element in timephrases ( (formerly);
(last night))
break; to break (f. English)
1. just when, as soon as, just

after
1. to descend; 2. to get off (a

bus), to get out (of a car)
1. way, path; 2. way, means,

chance; 3. direction; 4. channel
(diplomatic, official); 5. quarters,
side (official, military)
1. urgent; 2. hasty; 3. express
express way (in Bangkok);

highway
1. to move, to run; 2. to
glide, to sail; 3. to solder, to
connect
street
Din Daeng; street and district

in Bangkok
1. to look, to look at, to

glance; 2. to consider; 3. to
take care
1. to see, to behold; 2. to have

vision; 3. to discern, to
211
(conjunction); 2. on behalf
of, for (preposition)
Thai for Beginners
long, prolonged, stretched
from far away
1. to stop; 2. to park
1. signboard, poster; here:

bus stop (short for
)
oh!; ah!
child
1. also; 2. with
1. probably, sure to, likely to

(auxiliary verb)
must
to stand up
better
what ?: exclamation of
surprise
to want
1. it; 2. 3e pers. Singular and

plural (derogative)
lazy
to be tired, fatigued (from

exertion)
to be tired, to be exhausted
1. to say; 2. to criticize, to
scold; 3. ..., that (relative pr.)
expletive particle (please)
good will, thoughtfulness;

heart, spirit, friendliness
1. a little, a trifle; 2. little,

few
1. incentive particle; 2. emphatic particle (hey, come on)
if
maybe, perhaps
1. particle to form the

passive voice; 2. inexpensive,
212
understand
Thai for Beginners
1. to hurl, to throw, to cast;

2. to brandish
to fall, to tumble over, to slip
to get, to receive, to obtain
accident
I (informal female; archaic

Informal for men)
short for: - ;
to be interested in
oh, dear
look at it! look there!
sweet, cute, pretty, lovely,

charming
really, truly, indeed
interjection of surprise,
blame
pitiful, forlorn, sad
here! Look here; here you are
1. mouse; 2. Personal
pronoun for the 1st , 2nd and
3rd person singular (for kids
and teenage girls)
group
we (as older sisters)
1. to descend, to go down;
2. to get out of; 3. to
diminish
short for - t; particle

to mark a command or a
request
particle to indicate plural or

reciprocity: together, each
other
to walk
to buy
ice cream (also )
1. each; 2. per person
cheap; 3. right
213
Thai for Beginners
bar, chunk (classifier for

ice cream cones)
they (3rd person plural)
slowly, calm, easy
finished (adverb)
in
three
minute
Joy, you...
to make jokes
...

...
... constantly (idiom)
1. moment, instant; 2. in a
moment, momentarily
other, different
other people
to shall, to will (indicator of

intention; near future)
to understand
to speak the truth; make no

jokes
short for: - you know?

to think
to think that
crazy
witch
as, equal to, the same
angel, fairy
to talk foolishly, to talk

nonsense
to cross
left
right

214
... maybe... but (still) ..., even

as, but still
Thai for Beginners
dont (often followed by

a verb)
here, at this spot
stronger form of -
(emphatic particle)
who then; who actually
particle to form plurality or

reciprocity; together, each
other
certain
1. hey; 2. ah, whatever
taxi
1. to connect, to join; 2. to go
on; to continue; 2. towards
1. to go on, to go further;
2. in the future
cool
1. mood, feeling, temper;

2. humor
better
metered taxi
to call
to open
door
1. front, in front; 2. face
front door
to ask
street in Bangkok (studded

with coconut trees)
street in Bangkok
(helpful community)
alley, street off a (through road)
shortened form of (general question

particle)
chauffeur, driver
215
Thai for Beginners
1. also; 2. with
expression in the eyes (way

of looking)
eye
to admire; to like
to think
1. to say; 2. to administer, to
scold; 3. that (conjunction)
beautiful
until; to; up to, towards, as

far as
...
even if ... however still...; in

spite of, still
to make that, to cause that

(causative)
irritated
1. please, go ahead; 2. to invite
behind
back door
1.to go; 2. to
first
1. (and) then; 2. (and) next;
216
3. and also
1. to follow; 2. according to
1. at the same time, in

unison; 2. ready, set
to hurry
to close
fast
(a) little; (a) few
expletive particle (please)
we
late, too late
older brother or sister (also used

as a personal pronoun/ term of
address (3rd person singular)
Thai for Beginners
to nod the head
to show that one understood

or heard what is said
mirror
rear-view mirror
to smile
to think by oneself (to think

in the heart)
lovely girl; cutie pie
lovely, charming, sweet

half, mid, midway
hour (as a unit of time)
1. thing; 2. of (possessive
pronoun), belonging to
while
to pay
costs, price, value, expense
tip (from English)
()
(one) hundred
Baht
to greet or thank someone

with a wj
after that
to put ones foot upon, to

step on, to tread on
accelerator, gas pedal
away, to go away
fence
1. also; 2. with
expression (on s.o.s face)
1. sullen, sulky, unsmiling,

2. stern
hey!; hullo!; ah...
you (plural)
emphatic particle: at all (in
217
Thai for Beginners
negations); very, utmost (in

statements)
emphatic particle (also - )
strong incentive particle
emphatic/incentive particle
Translation of dialogue 11.2

Joy and Nikki are about to visit Maew at home while there are traffic jams. The two girls take
an orange bus with air-conditioning. Because the engine of the air conditioner is broken, the
bus gets very hot. And it is completely filled with people. Luckily the two girls have a seat
while most people have to stand, hanging from hand-rails, or clinging to backrests of chairs, in
order not to fall when the bus breaks. When the bus drives down from the express way and
moves into Din Daeng Road, the girls can see a long traffic jam which reaches far into the distance. When the bus stops at a bus stop:
Nikki:
Joy:
Nikki:
Joy:
Oh! There are children getting on the bus. Wed better stand up to let the children
sit down.
What? I am still sore and tired. I dont want to get up. Let them stand.
What are you saying, Joy! Be a little nicer! If those children cannot sit down,
maybe theyll be flung all over the place and theyll get an accident!
Im not interested. Oi! Look at that child! How cute. Ah, poor thing. Here, why
dont you come and sit down. We are getting off already. Come on, Nikki, lets get
off.
Joy and Nikki get off the bus. Then they walk on and buy an ice cream each. They walk without haste for a few minutes eating their ice cream.
Nikki:
Hey, Joy, you can go on making jokes all the time, but in a while people wont
know whether youre joking or being serious, you know. People will think youre
crazy, or a witch!
Joy:
I may be a witch, but then Im a witch whos as pretty as an angel.
Nikki:
Youre talking rot. Youre crazy.
Nikki is about to cross the road, while neither looking left nor right.
Joy:
Dont cross the road here, girl! Whos the one whos crazy now? Eh! Wed better
take a taxi from here. In a cool car our temper will get better. Ah! There comes a
taxi-meter.
Joy waves her hand to call the taxi. When the taxi stops, Joy opens the front door and asks the
driver:
Joy:
Can you bring us to Lad Phrao Sangkhom Songkhroh Soi three?
The taxi driver looks at Joy with an admiring expression in his eyes. He thinks: those are both
very pretty girls. If there are pretty girls in my car, there might be a traffic jam, but at least I
wouldnt become irritated.
Taxi:
Get in. Please get in.
Joy opens the back door to let Nikki get in first. Then she gets in herself, while quickly pulling
the door of the car closed behind her.
Joy:
Well have to hurry a bit, driver. We are much too late already. Lad Phrao
Sangkhom Songkhroh Soi three, okay, driver?
218
Thai for Beginners

The taxi driver nods that he has understood. He looks at Joy and Nikki in the rearview mirror,
smiles, and thinks by himself: These girls are both really very pretty and cute.
In about half an hour, the taxi arrives at Maews house. Nikki gets out of the car while Joy
pays the fare to the taxi driver. Joy also gives him a hundred Baht tip.
Joy:
Here, I give you a hundred Baht tip.
The taxi driver takes the money and thanks Joy with a wai. Then he puts his foot upon the
accelerator and drives off. Joy sees Maew walking towards them to open the fence door. She
has an unsmiling expression on her face.
Maew:
Hey Joy! Nikki! Why are you so late!?
Joy:
Please dont ask
Nikki:
Well, there were traffic jams! Why else!
11.3
Idioms
emphatic particle; rather rustic. Listen to how

market vendors use it. Young urbanites might use
it jocularly.
particle used in front of a name. Intimate for

friends, but insulting when used in front of the
name of a stranger.
I This personal pronoun is used a lot by Thai

people, but as a foreigner you should use it with
care. It shows intimacy when used among friends,
but it is highly insulting when used to other persons. Towards strangers it is used in anger, and
on occasions where one deliberately wishes to insult someone.
you- This is the equivalent in the second person

singular of ()
neutral it, or he or she when youre talking

about your dog, cat, buffalo or other domestic
animal. Insulting when used in talking about
people you dont like. It is also the third person
singular equivalent of () and ().
There are Thais who dont like these three words,
and who therefore never use them.
1. clean; 2. clear of eyes and voice; and 3. cool,

terrific, way out. This slang word can mean
everything thats cool and nice. This last
meaning has been emphasized by a popular
motion picture, called , about a couple of
cleaning ladies who are recruited to be spies,
and get mixed up in all kinds of intrigues and
situations.
219
Thai for Beginners
ah, whatever, or hey!. A rather rustic

expression. Also jocularly used by the
Bangkokian youth.
Dont ask Used when one has just gone

through a terrible experience, after which the
whole story is usually told in full detail.
Thats how it is, thats how it went, or: Thats

why
left, the left side (also politically)
right, the right side (also politically)
11.4
Grammar
a. The imperative mood (and its negative)

The imperative mood is a grammatical mood that expresses direct commands or requests. It
is also used to signal a prohibition, permission or any other kind of exhortation. There are
two particles which are used in spoken Thai to form an imperative:
1.
- with as a longer, more emphatic variant - :
to-say
Say it
to-ask he/she [polite particle m.]

Ask him
to-say he/she
Say it to him/her
An imperative can also be formed by using the following pattern:

Predicate + reduplicated adjective/adverb:
to-do good good

Do it well
Or the following pattern:

Predicate + - + adjective/adverb:
220
to-arrange tidy
Arrange (it, everything) tidily
Thai for Beginners

2.
- (short for the written language variant - )

This particle can be translated with lets, shall we. With the help of this particle an
imperative can be formed, following the pattern: Predicate +
to-go/to market together

Lets go to the market
A negative imperative is formed by using the following pattern:

- + Predicate or - + Predicate
( - indicates a prohibition; - indicates either a prohibition or a strong

suggestion)
dont to-go/to market

Dont go to the market
to-forbid to-go/to market

You cant go to the market (I forbid you)
The negative imperative can be emphasized by adding adjuncts:
to-forbid to-go/to market under-no-circumstance
--
( - under no circumstance (idiom))

Under no circumstance you can go to the
market
Dont to-enter to-go/to absolutely-not
() -
(() - absolutely not (idiom))

You may absolutely not enter!
b. The passive voice

In Thai, the passive voice is unlike in English only used in phrases which bear a
clear negative meaning, and in phrases which in themselves seem positive, but which
one chooses to use in a negative connotation. The passive voice is formed by using the
pattern:
Subject + - + agent (if any)12 + predicate:
- also means right and inexpensive, cheap, but in passive phrases it must
be translated with by:

*
*
12
agent: acting indirect object
bag money belong-to I (m) to-steal

to-go/to
My wallet has been stolen.
221
Thai for Beginners
pig tiger to-eat

The pig is eaten by the tiger.
he to-choose to-be M.P.

He was chosen as a Member of
Parliament.13
Another pattern to form the passive voice is:

Subject + - + Predicate + - + agent:
- can often be translated with by
he deceive minor-wife
He has been deceived by his minor wife.
Finally, the passive voice can be formed with the word - , which means to
hit, and which is used in very negative passive sentences following the pattern:
Subject + - + Predicate:
he to-execute
He is executed.
The negative of the passive voice is formed by putting - - no, not in front of
the passive voice particle, or in front of - :
pig no/not tiger to-eat

The pig has not been eaten by the tiger.
he no/not to-deceive minor

wife
He has not been deceived by his minor
wife.
11.5
he no/not to-execute
He is not executed.
Cultural notes
For the reason mentioned in the dialogue, Thai people yield their seat to children in the bus.
With their short arms, children cannot reach the rails and straps which grown-ups can grab
when the bus moves through Bangkok traffic by fits and starts, abruptly breaking and acceler13
222
- * - Member of Parliament
Thai for Beginners

ating, swerving and twisting and wavering from lane to lane. It is a remarkable sight to see two
chubby kids in school uniform wearily eating sweets in their comfortable seats, while a venerable looking grandmother is hardly able to keep her foothold in the jolting bus.
Despite the fact that they sometimes take hours to reach their end stations, Bangkok busses are
very useful, as theyre inexpensive and theyll take you anywhere, even to areas which lie far
beyond the city limits. As every tourist knows, it is a true adventure everywhere on earth to
mount an arbitrary city bus and remain seated until the terminal has been reached. In Bangkok,
you can cross the city in half a day for the price of a few Baht, by getting on a bus and riding
from north to south or from east to west. Youll be able to see the sights and smell the fragrance of the great city just by remaining seated and enjoying the pleasurable rhythm of the
moving bus.
But remember; give up your seat for children. And nobody will blame you if you do the same
for elderly and handicapped people
The taxis in which one should agree upon a fare for the ride beforehand are nearly obsolete in
Bangkok. Taxis now all have a meter. But if you like bargaining, you can always take a tk
tk (. These three-wheeled motor taxis are ideal for short distances. They are not to be
found everywhere in Bangkok, though, and they cannot use the expressways. In smaller towns
you can still find trishaws or ( ). Motor taxis (normal motorcycles, on which you
take a seat behind the driver and cling on to the seat or the driver for dear life) operate everywhere in the city and can be found at the entrance areas of sois. They are principally meant to
be used by the inhabitants of those sois, and cost only little. For a little more, theyll take you
everywhere in the city. They can transport you from home to work and vice versa, for instance.
If youre stuck in a traffic jam again, you can leave your driver and car behind, and jump on
the back of a motor taxi. Via the sois and over the pavement their daredevil drivers bring you
to exactly where you want to be in a fraction of the time it would take a taxi. They are by far
the fastest and cheapest means of transport to any place in Bangkok; and also - especially out
of their sois - the most exhilaratingly dangerous.
11.6
Writing V; The vowels and diphthongs
In Thai, vowels are subordinate to consonants. They cannot exist without them. As vowels are
always written in connection with a consonant; they cannot be read or written alone. Although
the sound of a vowel connected to a consonant is always pronounced after the sound of the
consonant it is connected to, a vowel character can be written in front, above, behind or under
a consonant. Some vowels, and all diphthongs and triphthongs, are written with a combination
of several vowel characters, which are put around the consonant in front, above and behind
it. If a syllable exists of a vowel only, an empty consonant is used to write the vowel sound
(again: in front, above, behind, under or around it). This empty consonant, or vowel bearer, is
the .
In its role as a vowel bearer, has no sound of its own. and the vowel connected to it are
pronounced as the vowel and only as the vowel.
Remember that has more functions than one, though: It can be used on its own as a character
for the vowels and ; it is part of the vowel , and of the vowel , when written in an
open syllable. It is also one of the three elements of the diphthong .
223
Thai for Beginners

Loose vowels are usually written with as their bearer, and so are all vowels in the list below. When a vowel is used in combination with another consonant character, the vowel is pronounced after the relevant consonant.
vowel/
diphthong
()
example
pronunciation
()
vowel/
diphthong
example
pronunciation
()
()
()
()
()
()
**
**
**
***
* rare **very rare *** only used in a few words; one of them is: (Thai)
Writing VI: the triphthongs:
triphthong
224
example
pronunciation
triphthong
example
pronunciation
Thai for Beginners

Writing VII: unwritten vowel sounds (inherent vowels):
Inherent in a single, closed syllable:
Inherent in an open end-syllable:
Example: - - bird
Example: - - art
nasal consonant:
ing only of ( ):
Inherent in a syllable ending with a

Example: - - city
Inherent
- in successive syllables
written with only two consonants:
Example: - 1. brave;
2. celestial
Inherent - in successive syllab-
les written with only two consonants:
Example: - - inheritance
11.7
Inherent in open begin-syllable existExample: - - tasty
Inherent
bles:
in successive sylla-
Example: - - attractive girl

Semi-inherent -
in words starting
with -
Example: - - service,
to be of service
In Thai script, no full stops, commas and capital letters are used. Reading stops within and between sentences are indicated by a space between words which are otherwise connected to
each other without spaces. Question marks, exclamation marks, colons, semicolons and quotation marks are used in Thai texts, but are modern additions to the Thai set of punctuation
marks, just like brackets, dashes and ellipses. In modern publications, commas are sometimes
seen but are frowned upon by traditionalists. Generally accepted Thai punctuation marks include:
( )
This sign shortens a long word. For instance,

Bangkok has one of the longest official city
names in the world, but in daily speech the name
is shortened to , written in Thai as:
The name on Bangkok vehicle license
plates is (), without
()
The swirl over a consonant at the end of a word

means that this particular consonant, or the
consonant cluster at the end of this syllable is not
pronounced.
225
Thai for Beginners
()
De , placed behind a word indicates that

the word should be pronounced twice, in order to
express plurality or variety.
( )
Has the same function as the abbreviation etc.,

or the sign &c.: et cetera
11.8
Exercises
1. Translate the following sentences into English:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
2. Write down all the letters of the Thai alphabet about ten or twelve times. Pronounce the letter and its name while you write it down. You should be able to write every letter without
looking at examples to much.
3. Write down thirty words from the lessons you have learned so far. Explain with each word
how it is written, and why it is pronounced as it is pronounced. Write down their English translations.
4. Translate the following sentences:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
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Thai for Beginners

7.
8.
9.
10.

1. He/she is a Thai.
2. Bangkok is a city which is very beautiful.
3. Joy looks like a movie star.
4. Most people like to eat in a restaurant.
5. In Hua Hin is a nice beach.
6. Go ahead, please enter into our house.
7. Why are you not interested ?
8. At Ramkhamhaeng University are many students.
9. The rice has been eaten by the dog.
10. Who sells chicken eggs?
227
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228
Thai for Beginners
THAI FOR BEGINNERS

LESSON 12
Out on the town in Bangkok

12.1
12.2.
12.3
12.4
12.5
12.6
12.7
12.8
Introduction
Dialogue
Idioms
Cultural notes
Irregularities in Thai spelling and class modifiers
Writing VIII: The script and the tones.
Further instructions in reading and writing
Exercises
229
Thai for Beginners
230
Thai for Beginners
12.1
Introduction
Part of lesson 12 is again a repetition exercise. Some subjects that have been presented to you
in the course of the preceding lessons will be repeated, and tested against examples from reality. In this key lesson youll bring your ready knowledge of the Thai script to perfection, and
youll take another step ahead in reading proficiency. In this lesson, the transcription and
word-for-word translation of the dialogue will follow the dialogue in Thai for the last time. In
the next part of the course, the word-for-word translation will be attached as an appendix.
These appendices are meant as reminders, and practical help devices; they are not there to
learn your lesson from. Youll see youll need them less as your reading of the Thai script will
become more and more fluent. Eventually youll only be using the texts written in Thai and the
two translations provided within the lesson (the word-for-word and the free translation). New
words will be transcribed in the vocabulary lists. Words with an irregular pronunciation are
marked with an asterisk (*).
In the dialogue, Joy, Maew, Nikki, and Nikkis farang cousin Vincent are discussing ideas,
and preparing themselves for a night out on the town in Bangkok.
cd 1b
12.2
track 12
Dialogue
[ ]
231
Thai for Beginners
232
Thai for Beginners

Transcription and word for word translation of dialogue 12.2.
.
To-go/to to-make-a-pleasure-tour Bangkok .
. >
Joy Maew and Nikki to-want to-lead/to-take Vincent to-go/to to-make-pleasure-tour Bangkok .>
>
He/she/they all four [class. for people] to-meet each-other at/in house Joy at/in >
. -
Sainte Louise soi three street Sathorn South . Joy to-prepare snack and food-ingredient >
.
to-drink to-look-after friend friend.
:
Joy:
. . .
O.K. . Vincent ever to-come to-make-pleasure-tour Bangkok already. Yes [question
particle. Yes [question particle].
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Thai for Beginners
:
Vincent:
. - >
Yes. But then I (m.) ever to-go/to to-make-pleasure-tour only/but Temple Holy Emerald and >
. - .
Garden animal Dusit only. Because family-family to-lead I (m.) to-go/to Chiang Mai,
. . - >
to-go/to Hua Hin. And then to-go/to Ko Samet . Place [class. f. groups] beautiful >
- .
much but I (m.) yet no/not eve to-come to-make-pleasure-tour Bangkok really.
:
Nikki:
. - - . >
Yes. Then Vincent hardly [particle of opportunity] to-go where in city Bangkok . >
. .
Nikki to-lead he to-go/to where no/not can. Period that father to-say that Nikki
yet/still child to-remain.
:
Vincent:
- - . - .
Then you yet/still age little really. Yet/still no/not big/mature same now.
:
Nikki:
. .
[interjection of surprise, indignation]. You to-see likewise with father I (f.) again already [emphatic part.].
:
Joy:
. >
Dont to-be-absorbed-in to-speak to-play together only/at-all. We shall to-go >
- .
to-make-pleasure-tour where together good.
:
Maew:
. >
We worth-doing shall to lead Vincent to Museum Place Nation. Temple >
. . >
Bodhi (tree). Honored Place To-Sit Heavenly-abode-Cloud. Honored Supreme
...
Exalted Palace... >
:
Nikki:
- . . >
And-then to-go/to market to-set-the-time Jatujak. Siam Center. Behind >
. . - . >
Ministry . Open-Space City Happy. And-then to-go/to Sogo. Central Lad >
. .
Phrao. Bangkok to-have store various-kinds-of-merchandise many many [emphatic
part.].
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Thai for Beginners
:
Joy:
. . >
[interjection of surprise, mild indignation]. Nikki to-want to-go to-buy thing only. >
. >
Vincent to-be man to-know[question part.]. If we only but/only to-lead he to-go >
. - . >
To-buy thing. He maybe bored to-go/to where with us again. We ought-to shall >
- . >
to-lead he to-go/to to-admire museum Si-Uy at/in hospital Sirirath ... >
:
Vincent:
.
To-want to-lead to-go/to to-make-pleasure-tour hospital [question particle].
:
Joy:
. - . >
Yes already. Hospital Sirirath well-known story/matter museum Si-Uy. Name real >
. . >
To-be museum matter/affair medical Sirirath. To-be museum field/aspect forensicscience, >
-
but people Thai to-call that/to-say museum Si-Uy because inside museum
[classifier for places] this >
- . - .
he/they to-keep corpse dry of/belonging-to Si-Uy, criminal well-known [particle
superlative degree] of/belonging-to Thai(land).
. .
To-want to-go [question particle]. Vincent probably to-like to-go to-see [emphatic
particle].
:
Maew:
. >
Why we no/not to-take he to-go place other [reduplication sign]. Bangkok to-have
place which worthy-to >
. . >
to-be-interested-in more many. Example market water. Or we to-take he to-go towatch boxing Thai at >
.
field/stadium Lumphini rather to-can.
:
Joy:
. . >
Most top really [reduplication sign]. Or maybe Vincent to-want to-go to-go-out
Phatphong also. To-be place which >
.
to-roam-around to-go-on-a-trip period night which to-have/to-be-present market
to-make-an-appointment to-sell thing throughout night also.
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Thai for Beginners
:
Vincent:
. . - >
Phatphong [question particle]. I (m) once/ever to-hear already. No/not yes place
to-roam-around to-go-on-a-trip to-be-popular >
. . >
Of/belonging-to gentleman different nation [question particle]. Joy to-want to-shall
to-take/to-lead I (m) to-go/to why. No/not >
. .
To-must to-take/to-lead to-go/to at-all. Place other rather/also to-have/to-be-present
many.
:
Joy:
. . >
To-follow heart [emphatic part.] Vincent. And/already Maew with/and Nikki
still/yet to-have item to-propose other [question part.]. To-want to-take/to-lead >
.
friend to-go/to place other still/yet or not.
:
Nikki:
. . . . >
Yes. Joy to-forget temple dawn. Beautiful. Worthy-to to-visit much/very.
And/already we should to-take/to-lead Vincent to-go/to >
.
>
Tour canal Thonburi also. We to-descend boat tail long at canal Bangkok Noi
and/already rather/also >
.
To-admire house town/country from side/rim water.
:
Maew:
. . >
To-be idea which good [emphatic part.]. But dont to-forget that. Behind from (afterwards) to-go-on-a-trip ready in/at every day we should to-shall >
.
To-take/to-lead Vincent to-go/to to-eat rice in/at shop/restaurant special also.
:
Joy:
. - . >
Certain [reduplication sign] at-all. Thus to-fall down {to-agree} we to-shall to-go
to-go-on-a-trip market to-make-an-appointment Jatujak. Museum >
. . .
place of/place nation. Revered1 place2 to-sit3 {1, 2 and 3: palace} Vimanmek. Siam
Center. Temple bodhi-tree
- . .
Museum Si-Uy. And/already to-go/to temple dawn. And to-go tour canal Thonburi
also
.
And/already Vincent to-like to-listen song for life [question particle].
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Thai for Beginners

cd 1b
track 13
Vocabulary
1. to make a pleasure tour, to

go on holiday, to wander, to
roam about, to go (somewhere) for fun, to go out on
the town; 2. trip, journey
to go out on the town; to go

on holiday; to go (somewhere) for fun
1. to lead, to take (along), to

bring (someone) along; 2. to
carry (diseases)
1. to meet, to encounter; 2. to
find, to come across, to
discover
1. reciprocal particle, each

other; 2. collective personal
pronoun together
to meet each other, to see

each other
all four, the four of them
Sainte Louise Soi ...
soi, lane; side street of a

()
street, road, thorough-fare,

avenue
South Sathorn; street in

Bangkok
1. South, Southern;
2. beneath, under
1.to prepare; to make ready;

2. to get ready
snack(s)
drink(s)
1. to fte, to give a party 2. to

feed, to look after, to provide
food and shelter; 3. to rear, to
breed; 4. to adopt
1. O.K., all right; 2. to agree;

3. so...; 4. to fall down
(literal meaning)
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Thai for Beginners
1. ever, once; 2. to be
accustomed to, to be used to
1. but; merely, only (adj.,

adv.); 2. since, from (prep.)

those times
then, before, at that time, in

now, in this time
The Temple of the Emerald

Buddha in Bangkok
garden
zoo (animal garden)
Fourth Heaven; Name of a

district in Bangkok
only, that much, that many;

merely
1. because; 2. by reason of;

3. melodious, sweet
sounding
family, kinsfolk, relative
family members, relatives
Chiang Mai in Northern

Thailand
Hua Hin on the Gulf of

Thailand
1. then, afterward, subsequently;

2. and
island
Samet Island
sort of Eucalyptus tree
place, site, location, locality
group, class, species

(classifier for groups)
slowly, softly, gently,

without hurry, gradually
hardly, not much, not quite,

scarcely
1. where to?; 2. to go somewhere
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Thai for Beginners
cant go anywhere
in
1. yet, still; 2 (in negative

answers) not yet
...
to be still ... (young, fresh

etc.)
young of age (literally:

little age)
1. large, grown up;

2. to grow up
expression of surprise or
mild indignation
you (informal; mostly used

to address young women,
sometimes men)
/ to agree with/with each other
I - informal; mostly f., also m.

(old-fashioned)
again; once more
dont
to be absorbed in, to be only

busy with
1. but; 2. only, just
only (completely) be
absorbed in...
to play
to make jokes
1. at all (after a negative

statement); 2. beyond,
further; 3. to pass
1. worth doing; 2. ...-able,

...-ful; ( ()
dreadful, fearful ( - to be afraid) ( () loveable ( - - to love)
3. should, ought to;
4. emphasized form of ()
should, ought to
museum
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Thai for Beginners
1. place, site; 2. duty, honor,

rank; 3. thing, sort, kind
1. place, site; 2. of, belonging

to
1. nation, country; 2. race,

birth; 3. nationality; 4. rank,
caste
National Museum (The
Museum of the Nation)

temple
( )
Bodhi (Bodhi tree)
palace (literally: Honored

Seat)
Heavenly Abode in the Clouds
market
1. to make an appointment,
to date; 2. to set the time;
3. date, appointment
market held on a fixed day of

the week
Four Wheels; weekend market in Bangkok

Siam Center
Behind the Ministry, street

in Bangkok
Open Space in the Happy

City, antiques- and second
hand goods market in Bangkok
Sogo; large Department

Store
Central; large Department

Store
Coconut Slope; street in

Bangkok
firm, shop, store
The Royal Palace
(Honored Supreme Exalted

Royal Residence)

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Thai for Beginners
department store
very much, very many
to buy
to buy things, to shop
only
question particle (shortened)

if, in case
only
1. bored; 2. to be bored
ought to, should

ought to, should
1. to admire; 2. to praise
Si-Uy; an infamous killer
hospital
The oldest hospital in Bangkok
The Si-Uy Museum
medical; the medical

profession
forensic medicine
mummy
criminal
place, site, location
interesting
floating market
Thai boxing
boxing stadium
Lumphini (The Buddhas

birth place; name of a park
and a boxing stadium in
Bangkok)
Phatphong; famous red light

district in Bangkok
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Thai for Beginners
time, period
evening, night
the whole evening
1. to be popular; 2. to
admire
gentleman
foreign
proposal, suggestion
dawn, sunrise
should, ought to
to take, to lead, to bring
tour
Thonburi, a town across

the Chao Phraya river
from Bangkok
to board a ship, to get into

a boat
long tail boat
to site-see
waterfront
idea (from English)
ready
special
place, location, spot
touristic location
strange
interesting
in that case (shortened

form of (
))
to hear, to listen to
242
The Bangkok Noi Canal
touristic site
Thai for Beginners
to listen to songs
kind of Thai folk-rock
Translation dialogue 12.2

Joy, Maew and Nikki want to take Vincent out on the town in Bangkok. The four of them meet
at Joys home on Sainte Louise Soi 3, Sathorn Road. Joy has prepared snacks and drinks for
her friends.
Joy:
Vincent:
Nikki:
Vincent:
Nikki:
Joy:
Maew:
Nikki:
Joy:
Vincent:
Joy:
Maew:
Joy:
Vincent:
Joy:
Nikki:
So, Vincent, you have been on holiday in Bangkok before, havent you?
Yes, but then I only went to the Temple of the Emerald Buddha and the Dusit Zoo,
because my family took me to Chiang Mai, to Hua Hin and after that to Ko Samet.
Those are very beautiful places, but Ive never been out on the town in Bangkok,
really.
Yes, at that time Vincent hasnt been anywhere in Bangkok. I couldnt take him
anywhere, either. Dad told me I was still a child, then.
In those days you were still really young. Not as grown up as you are now.
Well, you just agree with my father again, dont you!
Dont just sit there talking away. Where shall we go together?
We should take Vincent to the National Museum, the Wat Pho, the Vimanmek Palace, the Royal Palace...
And also to the Jatujak weekend market, Siam Center, Lang Krasuang, The NaKhorn Kasem market. And also to Sogo, and Central Lad Phrao. In Bangkok there
are so many shopping malls!
Oh dear, Nikki only wants to go shopping. Vincent is a man, dont you know? If we
only take him out to go shopping, hell be bored and maybe doesnt want to go
anywhere with us anymore. We should take him to see the Si Uy Museum in the
Sirirath Hospital.
Do you want to take me out to a hospital?
Yeah. The Sirirath hospital is famous for its Si-Uy Museum. Its real name is the
Sirirath Medical Museum. It is a museum on forensic medicine, but Thai people
call it the Si-Uy Museum, because in this museum, they keep the mummy of Si-Uy,
Thailands most famous criminal. Do you want to go there? Youd probably like it,
Vincent.
Why dont we take him somewhere else, first. Bangkok has a lot of other interesting places. For instance the floating market. Or we could take him to see a Thai
boxing match at Lumphini Boxing Stadium.
Perfect! Or maybe Vincent would like to go out to Patphong also. Thats a
nighttime tourist attraction which has a market where goods are for sale all night
long.
Phatphong? Ive heard about that. Isnt that a favourite tourist attraction for foreign
gentlemen? Why do you want to take me there, Joy? You dont have to take me
there. There are a lot of other places.
Its up to you, Vincent. And Maew and Nikki, do you have some other suggestions?
Do you want to take our friend to some other places or not?
Yes. Joy, you forgot the Temple of Dawn. Its beautiful. Very much worth visiting.
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Thai for Beginners
Maew:
Joy:
12.3
And we should take Vincent on a tour of the canals of Thonburi, as well. Well
get on a longtail boat at Khlong Bangkok Noi, and well go and see the city from
the waterfront.
hats a very good idea. But dont forget that after weve finished touring every day,
well should take Vincent to dinner in a special restaurant, as well.
Of course well do that. So, everyone agrees that well go to the Jatujak-market,
the National Museum, the Vimanmek Palace, Siam Center, the Wat Pho... the Si Uy
Museum, and to the Temple of Dawn. And well take him on a tour through the
canals of Thonburi, as well... And, Vincent, do you like to listen to Thai folk-rock?
Idioms
Spoken language; stopgaps, abbreviations and link words.

In Thai, like in every language, there is a difference between spoken (or popular) language and
written (or official) language. The Thai popular and written languages mainly differ from each
other through their separate vocabularies and pronunciation. See, for instance, the short variants of the question particles, relative pronouns and demonstrative pronouns, which you are already acquainted to. Another phenomenon of the spoken language is that stopgaps and link
words are well represented in it. Stopgaps and link words are often short, rapidly pronounced
words which are used when a speaker wishes to emphasize something, has lost the direction of
his argument for a moment, or corrects a mistake. Because Thai exists mainly of such short,
rapidly pronounced words, in the ear of a beginning student, stopgaps and link words often
tend to disappear in the mush of the spoken language. In order to follow an argumentation, you
must sift the stopgaps, link words and other less important information from the bulk of the
message in order to stay focused. Therefore, you must be able to recognize them and to determine whether they are relevant for the information in a sentence or not. In the course of your
study you will automatically learn a lot of these sometimes meaningless but often significant
expressions. A few are mentioned below:
1. also, likewise, as well, too; 2. exactly; 3. rather; 4. then; 5. even
O.K., all right; its a deal
and then, and afterwards, and

also
1. at all (in negations), and then
( )
believe me; you can take that for

granted
always, again and again
a whole lot
shortened question particle

(abbreviation of - )
extended question particle (extension

of - )
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Thai for Beginners
shortened question particle
(abbreviation of - )
What are you saying?; What do

you mean?
()
now this again; there you are

again
from Jeez! (mild curse) to Well

well well, (expression of mild annoyance, surprise or disbelief)
Just leave it, Let it be
hey, look here, there! (to attract

someones attention, to point
something out, etc.)
Structures with ()
() means: already, afterwards, then, later. With the word () as a core,
there exist a couple of expressions which you will hear often in spoken language:
and then..., and afterwards
1. Go ahead, You can do..., is also good, we

can doas well; 2. Thats all...; 3. Thats how it
is...
1. Thats done; 2. Thats been it...
Its up to...; The choice is yours (hers, his)
Its up to you/him/her (it doesnt matter to me)
The words () and ()

() - only, merely, just. Within the sentence, the adverb () is placed
in front of the clause it modifies:
he to-be child
He is only a child.
you [class. for people] only

Only you.
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Thai for Beginners

- only, as much as (not more than) Within the sentence, the adverb
() is placed at the end of the clause it modifies:

It fifty Baht
Its only fifty Baht.
To intensify a statement, often both modifiers are used:
It fifty Baht
Its only fifty Baht.
Variations on -
As you already know means: it doesnt matter, never mind, Its O.K., youre
welcome. Variations on this theme are for instance the following phrases:
(I/you/he/she) think(s) its only a trifle
1. Its nothing; 2. Its worthless; 3. I (you, she)

dont have anything (dont suffer from any
illness)
The question particle (); the confirmation particle () ()

The particle () can be used as an informal question particle:
Shall we go ?
Can I eat this?; Shall we eat this?
Go now
You can eat
The particle () () is used to give an expression mild emphasis:
12.4
Cultural notes
A number of the interesting sites mentioned in this lesson are most visited by the Thai themselves and by foreign tourists in a lesser measure. The Thai love sight-seeing in their own
country: the combination of watching, strolling, eating and buying. Most of the places mentioned in the dialogue to which the ladies want to take Vincent can be found in regular tourist
guides. Below, is a list of places where youll find at least as many Thai visitors as foreign
tourists:
Chiang Mai
Hua Hin
246
: The capital of the North. A city with a pleasant

climate, full of century-old temples.
: Beach resort on the Southern peninsula. Favorite

weekend resort for Bangkok people, so also many Thai tourists.
Thai for Beginners
Ko Samet
Wat Phra Kaew
Dusit Zoo
National Museum
Wat Pho
Vimanmek Palace
Royal Palace
Jatujak Weekend market
Siam Center
Lang Krasuang
Nakhorn Kasem Market
: Beautiful tropical island for weekend trips from

Bangkok. Also nice for a longer holiday.
: The temple of the Emerald Buddha, situated

in the compound of the old Royal Palace, opposite the Wat
Pho, in Bangkok.
: One of the largest and most beautiful zoos

in Southeast Asia.
: Large museum with historic

artifacts and exhibitions about Thailands history. Houses the
famous Inscription of King Ramkhamhaeng, as well as a
large selection of other ancient inscribed posts and lintels.
Also statues from the Dvaravati, Sriwijaya and Lopburi
periods.
: Bangkoks oldest temple. Was built long before the

city became the national capital.
: Large teak palace. Once a residence

of King Chulalongkorn on Ko Si Chang. In 1910, the
structure was moved to Bangkok.
: The Chitralada Palace; the official

abode of the Royal Family of Thailand.
: An enormous market where almost
everything is sold and bought. Only on Saturdays and
Sundays.
: A large complex of shopping malls, department stores, shops, bars, restaurants and cinemas.
: Old quarter in Bangkok with shops in SinoPortuguese style.
: A neighborhood in Chinatown with a lot of

antique shops.
Sogo Department Store
: Very large, modern shopping centre (Amarin Plaza)
Central Ladphrao
: A large department store of the

Central Group.
Si-Uy Museum
Phatphong
: Forensic-medical museum. A museum

full of medical samples, under which the conserved body of
serial killer Si-Uy.
: The best known red light district in Bangkok.

With nightclubs, erotic shows, bars and a large night market.
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Thai for Beginners
12.5
Irregularities in Thai spelling and class modifiers
a. The consonant combinations , , and

Remember that there are spelling anomalies in almost every language. Words are not always
pronounced as they are written (English is famous for them), and different spellings can be
used to convey the same sounds. In the vocabulary lists, these aberrantly spelled words are
marked with an asterisk (*). Listed below are a number of the most noteworthy spelling
anomalies:
A number of words are spelled with the initial clusters (th + r), (c + r), (s + r) or
(s + r). These combinations are in fact not real clusters, bus combinations of consonants with
an aberrant spelling. The consonant combination is in fact pronounced either as the vowel
a, or as an:
- Is pronounced as: s
- Is pronounced as: c,
- Is pronounced as: a or an
- - (hair) style, form; - to know; - - sand; - shape, (slim) figure
- - real
- - majesty, glory, honor; glorious
- - necklace; - - to build;
- - 1. pool, pond; 2. to shampoo
- - karma; - - dharma;
- - scissors; - lecture
Attention! Not all of these consonant combinations are always read as stated above. Consider,
for instance, the following words: - - to torture; - man, human being; - - crocodile; - - to summarize; - - vowel;
- - arrow; - - ambassador.
b. The consonant class modifiers and

By placing a () - a HIGH CLASS consonant - in front of a LOW CLASS consonant,
this LOW CLASS consonant is upgraded to a HIGH CLASS consonant, and thus endowed
with all characteristics of a HIGH CLASS consonant. itself is not pronounced in these cases,
and has the sole function of modifying the LOW CLASS consonant. By placing an ()
- a MIDDLE CLASS consonant - in front of a LOW CLASS consonant, this LOW CLASS
consonant is upgraded to a MIDDLE CLASS consonant, and thus endowed with all characteristics of a MIDDLE CLASS consonant. itself is not pronounced in these cases, and has the
sole function of modifying the LOW CLASS consonant. Look at the following examples:
. . . .
several
tone rules).
248
Thai for Beginners
. . .
mouse
tone rules).
. . . .
. . . .
betelnut
start with a HIGH CLASS consonant, and thus with a low tone (see the diagram for the
tone rules).
-
face
start with a HIGH CLASS consonant, and thus with a falling tone. (see the diagram for the
tone rules). Observe that the tone marker ( - ) is placed over the , not on the
itself.
. . . .
to want

words which start with a MIDDLE CLASS consonant, and thus with a low tone. (see the
. . . .
to stay, to be busy to

words which start with a MIDDLE CLASS consonant, and thus with a low tone. Observe
that the tone marker ( - ) is placed over the , not on the itself. (see the
Attention: In other cases, the doesnt modify or upgrade low class consonants, but functions independently as a short of ; this a is not indicated by the vowel sign , and can be
called inherent.
privilege
to approve of, to consent
America
; tasty, delicious
249
Thai for Beginners
12.6
Writing VIII. The script and the tones. Further instructions in reading and writing
In lesson 1 you have seen the reference diagram for the tone rules of the Thai language. The
diagram indicates which elements can be of influence on the spoken tone of a written word.
Below, the reference diagram is reproduced once more:
Reference diagram for the tone rules:
class of initial consonant
end of
syllable
no tone marker
high
middle
low
any ending, except

k, p, t or
rising
mid
mid
k, p or t after a long
vowel
low
low
falling
short vowel; k, p or t after a short vowel
low
low
high
with maj ek
low
low
falling
with maj th
falling
falling
high
with maj trii
high
with maj cttawaa
rising
In the consonant lists in chapter 1, you have seen that there are three classes (or registers) of
consonants: HIGH, MIDDLE and LOW. You already know that these consonant classes have
not been created without a reason. The consonant classes are there to enable us to write any
possible Thai phoneme in any possible tone. Now that you have learned all Thai letters by
heart, you also know to which class every individual consonant belongs: HIGH, MIDDLE or
250
Thai for Beginners

LOW. As a reminder, below youll find the HIGH, MIDDLE and LOW class consonants once
more in their respective lists.
The Three Consonant Classes

The following eleven consonants are HIGH Class Consonants:
( )
( )
( )
( )
( )
( )
( )
( )
( )
- ( )
( )
The following nine consonants are MIDDLE Class Consonants:
( )
( )
( )
( )
( )
( )
- ( )
-
( )
( )
The following twenty-four consonants are LOW Class Consonants:
( )
( )
- ( )
( )
( )
( )
( )
- ( )
- ( )
251
Thai for Beginners
- ( )
-
( )
( )
( )
( )
: obsolete consonants
( )
( )
( )
( )
( )
- ( )
- ( )
-
( )
( )
( )
With the help of these lists and the reference diagram for the tone rules, you can determine the
tone of any written Thai word. You already know a substantial number of words, and youll
learn many more. Of course it wont be necessary to determine the tone of every syllable with
the tone rules (the consonant classes and the tone reference diagram) in hand. After a while,
youll recognize the letter pattern, or the word picture, however you would like to call it, just
as easily as you recognize the picture of the English words and sentences when you read this
text. It has been a long time since you had to read English letter by letter. Your reading skills
on this level might look far away for Thai, and indeed, youll have to look up a lot of new
words in vocabulary lists and dictionaries. But after a while youll be able to dream the tone
reference diagram, and youll develop a natural ability to identify the High-, Middle- and Low
characteristics of any Thai consonant youll see. After a short while, youll only need a fraction of a second to identify the class of a syllables initial consonant, its long or short vowel, its
ending and its tone marker and youll know in what tone that syllable is pronounced!
Reading tones in Thai script: Practice through examples.
By looking at 24 examples of written Thai words, you will now be led step by step through the
practice of reading written Thai in a practical way. You will see that the tones of each syllable
are almost always clear from the way a Thai word is written, and can be easily calculated by
the reader when taking the four factors which determine the tone of a syllable into consideration:
a.
b.
c.
d.
The class of the initial consonant of the syllable (HIGH, MIDDLE or LOW);
The length of the vowel of the syllable (LONG or SHORT)
The ending of the syllable (VOWEL (OPEN)/NASAL/SEMIVOWEL or STOP)
The tone marker ( , , or )
In short: If we want to know the tone of a written syllable, first of all, we look at the FIRST
CONSONANT of the syllable: In which class does it belong; HIGH, MIDDLE or LOW? Next, we
look at the VOWEL in the syllable: Is it LONG or SHORT? Then, we determine the ENDING of the
syllable: Is it a VOWEL (open syllable), a NASAL CONSONANT (m, n, ng) or a SEMIVOWEL (j,
w)? Or does the syllable end with a STOP (k, p, t or (glottal stop))? And last but not least, we
look at the TONE MARKER which is placed over the first consonant of the syllable, or - if the
252
Thai for Beginners

syllable starts with a cluster - over the last consonant pronounced before the first vowel. Remember that in clusters, the tone marker is placed over the second consonant in the cluster, but
counts for the consonant class of the first. The consonant class of the whole cluster is always
determined by that of the first consonant in the cluster.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Initial consonant: ; Class: LOW. Vowel: Inherent o; SHORT

vowel. Ending: ; consonant, STOP. Written is: ; HIGH
TONE. Meaning: Bird.
Initial consonant: ; Class: HIGH. Vowel: , LONG
vowel. Ending: ; SEMIVOWEL, no stop. Written is: ;
RISING TONE. Meaning: White.
Initial consonant: ; Class: HIGH. Vowel: ; LONG
vowel. Ending: ; SEMIVOWEL, no stop. Tone marker:
over HIGH consonant (). Written is: ; FALLING TONE.
Meaning: Rice.
Vowel: ; SHORT. - - Cluster acknowledged. Initial
consonant in cluster: ; Class: LOW. Second consonant in
cluster: ; LOW. Written is: ; MID TONE. Meaning:
Who, somebody.
Vowel: ; SHORT. - - Cluster acknowledged. Initial
consonant in cluster: ; Class: LOW. Second consonant in
cluster: ; Class: LOW. Tone marker: over second
consonant in cluster, but determinant for the first consonant in the
cluster; Tone marker counts for LOW consonant. Written is:
; FALLING TONE. Meaning: to covet, to desire.
Compound diphthong acknowledged ( + = ) First part of
diphthong: . Consonant: (without sound value;
bearer of diphthong ), class: MIDDLE. Second part of
diphthong: . Written is: ; MID TONE. Meaning: To take.
Compound diphthong acknowledged ( + = ) First part of
diphthong: . Initial consonant in cluster: ; Class:
MIDDLE. Second consonant in cluster: ; Class: LOW. Second
part of diphthong: . Tone marker over LOW
consonant (), but determinant for the first consonant in the cluster (),
a MIDDLE CLASS consonant. Written is: . Pronunciation
anomaly acknowledged; The word is: (with long ); LOW TONE.
Meaning: Empty; No; Plain, Undiluted; In vain.
Initial consonant: ; Class: LOW. Vowel: ; LONG vowel
Ending: ; consonant, STOP. Written is: ; FALLING TONE.
Meaning: Much, Many, A lot.
Vowel: ; long. Initial consonant: ; Class: MIDDLE.
Ending: ; SEMIVOWEL, no stop. Tone marker
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Thai for Beginners
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
254
over MIDDLE CLASS consonant (). Written is: ; RISING TONE.

Meaning: 1. Clear, Limpid; 2. Sparkling, Clean; 3. Very good,
Fantastic; 4. Cleaning lady
Initial consonant: ; Class: MIDDLE. Vowel: ; SHORT.
Ending: ; Consonant, STOP. Tone marker: over MIDDLE
CLASS consonant. Repetition sign (pajjaannoj) acknowledged.
Written is: ; HIGH TONE (twice). Meaning: the clucking of
chickens (onomatopoeia)
Initial consonant: ; Class: MIDDLE. Vowel: ;
LONG. Ending: ; consonant, STOP. Written is: ;
LOW TONE. Meaning: Baht; Thai monetary unit.
Initial consonant: ; Class: LOW. Vowel: . SHORT.
Ending: Glottal stop; STOP (unwritten). Written is: ; HIGH TONE.
Meaning: particle, used to emphasize statements
Initial consonant: ; Class: LOW. SEMIVOWEL ;
pronounced as between two consonants. Ending: ;
Consonant, stop. Written is: ; FALLING TONE. Meaning: to
parboil, to soft-boil; to scald.
Spelling anomaly acknowledged: Initial consonant cluster
and represent initial /s/; Class of both consonants:
LOW. Vowel: ; LONG. Ending: ; consonant, STOP.
Written is: ; FALLING TONE. Meaning: to know (formal
language)
and represent initial /s/; Class of : HIGH. Class of
: LOW. Vowel: ; LONG. Ending: ; nasal consonant; NO STOP. Tone marker over second consonant in written
consonant cluster representing /s/, but determinant for the first consonant in the cluster, (HIGH CLASS). Written is: ; FALLING TONE.
Meaning: To build
and represent initial /c/. Class of : MID. Class of
: LOW. Vowel: ; SHORT. Ending: ; nasal
consonant, NO STOP. Written is: ; MID TONE. Meaning: real,
really.
Compound diphthong acknowledged: ( - + - + = ia; iia).
First part of diphthong: . Initial consonant: ; Class:
LOW. Second part of diphthong: . Third part of diphthong:
. Ending: ; nasal consonant, NO STOP. Tone marker:
over LOW CLASS consonant. Written is: ; FALLING TONE.
Meaning: 1. To visit; 2. Very good, Marvelous, Cool, Fine.
Thai for Beginners

18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
Compound diphthong acknowledged: ( - + - + = , ).

First part of diphthong: . Initial consonant: ; Class:
LOW. Second part of diphthong: . Third part of diphthong:
. Ending: ; nasal consonant, NO STOP. Written is:
; MID TONE. Meaning: City, Country.
Vowel: ; LONG. Initial consonant: ; Class: LOW.
Ending: ; semivowel, NO STOP. Tone marker: over
LOW CLASS consonant. Written is: ; HIGH TONE. Meaning: Already, Then, Later.
Polysyllabic word acknowledged: First syllable: Initial consonant:
(as a vowel bearer; no independent sound value); Class: MIDDLE
Vowel: . First syllable pronounced as ; LOW TONE. Second
syllable: Vowel: ; SHORT. Initial consonant second syllable:
; Class: LOW. Second syllable pronounced as: ; MID TONE.
Written is: (correctly pronounced); (normal, informal
pronunciation). Meaning: Something, What; What?
Polysyllabic word acknowledged: Initial consonant of first syllable:
; class: LOW. Vowel: ; SHORT. First syllable pronounced as (); HIGH TONE. Second syllable: Initial consonant:
; Class: LOW. Inherent, unwritten vowel: o. Ending:
; nasal consonant, NO STOP. Second syllable pronounced as ;
MID TONE Written is: . Meaning: To like, To admire, To
favor, To be popular, To be favorite.
Polysyllabic word acknowledged: First syllable: ; Class: MIDDLE; pronounced as , or as a single vowel in an open
syllable; here pronounced as: , LOW TONE Second syllable: Initial
consonant: ; Class: LOW. Second letter: ; pronounced
as or in a closed syllable. Here: . Ending: ;
semivowel, NO STOP. Tone marker: over LOW CLASS
consonant, modified by preceding (MIDDLE CLASS) (Although
23.
24.
forms a syllable all by itself pronounced as it still functions

as a modifier for , which is also the initial consonant of the
second syllable, and reacts on as a MIDDLE CLASS consonant).
Second syllable pronounced as , LOW TONE. Written is: .
Meaning: Tasty, Delicious
Initial consonant: ; Class: low. Second letter: ; here
pronounced as vowel . Ending: ; nasal consonant, NO
STOP. Tone marker: over a low class consonant. Written is:
, FALLING TONE. Meaning: To mend, To repair.
Multi-syllabic Pali-Sanskrit compound loan word acknowledged.
First syllable: Vowel: . Initial consonant: ; Class: MID255
Thai for Beginners

DLE.
Inherent ; SHORT. First syllable pronounced as ; LOW

TONE. (Attention! is not part of the first syllable). Second
syllable: Initial consonant: ; Class: HIGH. Attention! The
second syllable uses initial vowel . Final consonant: ;
STOP. Second syllable pronounced as ; LOW TONE. Third
syllable: Cluster acknowledged. Attention! The final consonant of
the second syllable also acts as the first consonant of the initial cluster
of the third syllable: ; Class: MIDDLE. Second consonant of
the initial cluster of the third syllable: ; Class: LOW. Inherent,
unwritten ; SHORT. Third syllable pronounced as ; LOW TONE
(correct); tra; MID TONE (not emphasized). Fourth syllable: Initial
consonant: ; Class: MIDDLE. Special vowel sign acknowledged:
written twice is pronounced like . Final consonant:
; nasal consonant, NO STOP. Fourth syllable pronounced as:
; MID TONE. Written is: . Tones: LOW-LOW-MID-MID.
Meaning: agriculture.
Now you know all the characters and rules of the Thai script, you probably already recognize a
lot of words in the Thai dialogues which start off each lesson, certainly when you reread the
first few lessons with the knowledge you possess now. You know which consonants belong in
which class group, and you know how important the consonant classes are to determine (and to
write!) the tone of a word or syllable. You know which vowels are written in front, behind,
under, above and around a consonant. You know the difference between long and short vowels, and you know that there are exceptions on the tone rules. Something that you might or
might not be aware of, is that the Thai dialogues you have seen and read would look a bit
strange to the average Thai. The spelling and grammar are correct, but for a native Thai
speaker there is something unnatural about the texts. Because why are there spaces between
the words? His conclusion would of course be that this is a Thai language course for foreigners, and that spaces are inserted between words to facilitate word recognition by the farang
student.
becauseathaiwouldwriteallwordsinasentencedirectlybehindeachother onlywhereawriter
ofenglishwouldputaperiodoracomma athaiwouldleaveopenalittlespacebetweentwoletters also
thethaiwritingsystemdoesntuseanycapitalletters butsometimes quotationmarks questionmarks
andexclamationmarksareused!
This is not as difficult as it seems; youll get used to it very quickly. But at the start of your
study, it is convenient to exercise with texts that have been slightly adapted from real written
Thai by having spaces between the words. The lessons up to and including lesson 24 have been
adapted for the benefit of the foreign student. From lesson 25 on, youll be reading Thai as the
Thai read it.
It is recommended to look back regularly to the parts of the preceding lessons which are written in Thai script. This is very good for the development of your ability to recognize a Thai
word in just a glance; an ability that you have also acquired for English and other languages in
which you are proficient, although you probably wont remember when.
When youll look at the next lessons, you will see that from lesson 13 on, the transcription of
the Thai dialogue doesnt follow directly after the Thai text anymore, but will be given at the
end of the lesson, as an appendix. In this manner, youll be able to determine for yourself
whether you still need the transcription or not, without having it all too conspicuously on the
next page of your book. Try to use the transcription less and less as you proceed.
256
Thai for Beginners

It might seem like a big step, but remember: millions of people have learned reading Thai, and
so will you.
12.7
Exercises
1.
a. Answer the following questions in Thai. Write your answers down in the phonetic transcription script:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
What does Joy offer her friends?

Has Vincent already been in Thailand before this trip? Where?
Why couldnt Nikki show Vincent around when he was in Bangkok the last time?
Where does Maew want to take Vincent?
Do you think Nikki likes shopping? How do you know?
Where does Joy want to take Vincent?
Does Vincent want Joy to show him around Patpong?
What further suggestions does Nikki offer for sightseeing?
Where will the ladies eventually take Vincent?
Is Vincent partial to Thai folk-rock music?
b. Now try and write your answers down in Thai script.
2.
a. Answer the following questions in Thai. First write your answers down in the phonetic
transcription script, then in Thai script. Try to answer in grammatically correct Thai sentences:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Have you ever been to Thailand?

If so, where? If not, where would you like to go in Thailand?
What do you think of Bangkok?
Do you like Thai food?
How do you like Chiang Mai?
What do you think is special about the Wat Phra Kaew?
Which department store in Bangkok do you like most? Why?
In which hotel do you stay when you are in Bangkok? Why?
(to pass the night: - )
b. Choose thirty words from lessons 1 to 12. Explain with each word how it is written (which
consonants, which vowels, which tone markers, etc.), and why it is pronounced as it is.
12.8
1.
Answers to exercise 12.7.1
257
Thai for Beginners

2.
. .
. . .
3.

4.
. .
. .

5.
. .

6.

7.

8. .
.

9.
.
. . . .
. . .

10. .
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