The traveler's list
Thailand runs almost entirely on English in tourist zones — so no phrase here is strictly required. But a handful of them, said correctly, change how a trip feels: warmer service, fairer prices at markets, and the small satisfaction of ordering food without pointing at a picture. Below is the priority set, then a full guide for each cluster.
Hello
สวัสดีครับ
sa-wat-dee khrap
Men say ครับ (khrap), women ค่ะ (kha). Works all day. Pair with a small wai.
Thank you
ขอบคุณครับ
khob-khun khrap
A slight wai makes it warmer, especially to elders or staff.
Sorry / excuse me
ขอโทษครับ
kho-thot khrap
Apology and 'excuse me' to get attention both.
I don't understand
ไม่เข้าใจครับ
mai khao-jai khrap
Say it early and often — no shame in it.
Do you speak English?
พูดภาษาอังกฤษได้ไหมครับ
phoot phaa-saa ang-krit dai-mai khrap
I'll have this one.
เอาอันนี้ครับ
ao an-nee khrap
The single most useful ordering phrase. Point at the menu or the dish and say it. 'ao' = want/take. Women use 'kha'. For food specifically you can also say 'ao jan ni' (this dish).
Not spicy, please.
ไม่เผ็ดนะครับ
mai phet na khrap
The go-to phrase. Adding นะ (na) softens it into a friendly request rather than a command. Women say ไม่เผ็ดนะคะ (mai phet na kha). Note Thai 'not spicy' can still be mild by Western standards.
How much is it?
เท่าไหร่ครับ
thao-rai khrap
The single most useful money phrase. Point at the item and say it. Women say 'thao-rai ka'. You can also point and just say 'an-nee thao-rai' (this one how much).
Can you make it cheaper?
ลดหน่อยได้ไหมครับ
lot noi dai mai khrap
The natural way to ask for a discount at markets. Say it with a smile. Don't bargain in malls, supermarkets or restaurants with fixed prices. Women end with 'ka'.
Please use the meter.
เปิดมิเตอร์ด้วยครับ
poet mi-toe duai khrap
The single most useful taxi phrase. Say this the moment you get in. 'poet' (open) is how Thais say 'turn on' the meter. Women say 'ค่ะ' (kha). If the driver refuses, just get out and take another taxi.
Each phrase above belongs to a fuller guide — Thai script, romanization, the cultural note behind it, and a walkthrough of where it lives in Thailo:
Practice this before you land
These phrases aren't scattered across a phrasebook app — they're the actual first destinations of Thailo's journey. Arrival and Getting Around teach greetings, particles, and transport Thai; Money & Market adds numbers and haggling; Night Market Eats adds ordering and spice. Each is a short lesson with native audio, and you can say each phrase out loud for AI-graded practice.
In priority order: greetings and the ครับ/ค่ะ particles, "thank you," ordering ("I'll have this one"), numbers and haggling, "not spicy, please," and taxi basics ("use the meter"). That's roughly 30 phrases — every cluster below covers one of these in depth.
Both are fine. Bookmark this page and use it as a phrasebook mid-trip — every phrase has real Thai script and romanization. If you'd rather the phrases actually stick before you land, that's what Thailo's lessons are for: the same phrases, taught with audio and graded speaking practice.
Thailo is coming to iOS: these phrases as short lessons with audio, plus 4,000+ more words across a full journey through Thailand.
Launching on iOS. One email when it's out — maybe two, if something's genuinely worth telling you.