What You Won’t Find in Textbooks or AI: Real Thai Language from Real Thai People.
By Adel Sherif
In Bangkok,Thais like using simple language not complicated rules, short sentences seems like one word. they ignore ΰΈ£ and sometimes ΰΈ₯ in some words like ΰΉΰΈΰΈ₯
In Bangkok where millions of people from other districts come to work, they don't use their dialects,and adapt to Bangkokian style. energetic faster speech.
Most tips are slang, it depends on
where you are and are with friends or people you just met, since Most of us would like to make a good first impression because it may last forever.
This edit is a reply to a smart question in this post.
1. ΰΈͺΰΈ²ΰΈ‘ΰΈ²ΰΈ£ΰΈ is rarely used
Instead of saying ΰΈΰΈ‘ΰΉΰΈ‘่ΰΈͺΰΈ²ΰΈ‘ΰΈ²ΰΈ£ΰΈΰΈูΰΈΰΈ ΰΈ²ΰΈ©ΰΈ²ΰΈัΰΈΰΈΰΈ€ΰΈ©ΰΉΰΈ้, most will simply say ΰΈูΰΈΰΈ ΰΈ²ΰΈ©ΰΈ²ΰΈัΰΈΰΈΰΈ€ΰΈ©ΰΉΰΈ‘่ΰΉΰΈ็ΰΈ or ΰΉΰΈ‘่ΰΉΰΈ้.
2. Family Terms
ΰΈ่ΰΈΰΉΰΈ‘่ (parents) is used more often than ΰΈΰΈ£ΰΈΰΈΰΈΰΈ£ัΰΈ§ (family).
3. gamlang
You won’t hear ΰΈΰΈ‘ΰΈΰΈ³ΰΈ₯ัΰΈΰΈิΰΈΰΈ้ΰΈ²ΰΈ§ΰΈΰΈ’ู่ much. It’s just ΰΈิΰΈΰΈ้ΰΈ²ΰΈ§ΰΈΰΈ’ู่
4. Agreeing or Confirming
ΰΉΰΈ่ isn’t used as frequently as you might expect. You’ll hear ΰΈΰΈ£ัΰΈ, ΰΈ่ΰΈ°,
ΰΉΰΈ«ΰΈ£ΰΈ (with a rising tone), usually for showing disbelief or wow.or just ΰΈืΰΈ‘. if the driver said krab means he agree. some people thanks you also with Krab. which is rarely said with ΰΈ£.
ΰΈΰΈ£ัΰΈ is mainly used for respect .
5. Pronoun Usage
ΰΈΰΈ‘ and ΰΈัΰΈ are often dropped. Some prefer ΰΉΰΈ£ΰΈ² instead. But ΰΉΰΈ£ΰΈ² usually used by a girl or woman , and women sometimes. also talk about themselves as third person. Do you want to walk with Candy? Meaning do you want to walk with me ,given that her name is Candy.
6. Gender-Neutral Pronouns
Both men and women use ΰΈัΰΈ casually.
7. Talking to Children
Kids—whether their own or others’—are lovingly called ΰΈ₯ูΰΈ.
8. Question Forms
ΰΈ«ΰΈ£ืΰΈΰΉΰΈΰΈ₯่ΰΈ² is rare in casual speech. You’ll hear ΰΉΰΈ«ΰΈ‘ , ΰΈ‘ั้ΰΈ’ ΰΈ£ึΰΈ’ัΰΈ, ΰΉΰΈ«ΰΈ£ΰΈ, or ΰΈ«ΰΈ£ืΰΈΰΉΰΈ‘่. And how ? It is rare to hear ΰΈΰΈ’่ΰΈ²ΰΈΰΉΰΈ£ they use instead ΰΈΰΈ’่ΰΈ²ΰΈΰΉΰΈ, ΰΈ’ัΰΈΰΉΰΈ. When you hear ΰΉΰΈ alone in the end ,it is confirmation. ΰΈΰΈΰΈΰΉΰΈ₯้ΰΈ§ΰΉΰΈ .
ΰΈΰΈ°ΰΉΰΈ£ΰΈΰΈ° this you say when you want to show that you did not hear. So the speaker will say again.
Question for greeting and showing care. ( Greeting or real questions?)
ΰΈͺΰΈ§ัΰΈͺΰΈีΰΈΰΈ£ัΰΈΰΈͺΰΈΰΈ²ΰΈ’ΰΈีΰΉΰΈ«ΰΈ‘ How are you.? iIs most popular question. It is more greeting than a real question, always reply ΰΈͺΰΈΰΈ²ΰΈ’ΰΈีΰΈΰΈ£ัΰΈ
ΰΉΰΈ็ΰΈΰΈ’ัΰΈΰΉΰΈ(ΰΈΰΈ’่ΰΈ²ΰΈΰΉΰΈ)ΰΈ้ΰΈ²ΰΈ how are you ? used as well but less than the first.
ΰΈิΰΈΰΈ้ΰΈ²ΰΈ§ΰΈ«ΰΈ£ืΰΈΰΈ’ัΰΈ Did you eat something yet? This also can be for greeting, used with friends or people you know well. This is unique in Thai culture. Very rare will followed ΰΈิΰΈΰΈ้ΰΈ²ΰΈ§ΰΈัΰΈΰΈΰΈ°ΰΉΰΈ£. What did you eat? That is why I suggest it is a question for showing care and being friendly.
People use we :
ΰΉΰΈΰΉΰΈ«ΰΈΰΈ‘ΰΈ².r Where have you been? ΰΉΰΈΰΉΰΈ«ΰΈ where are you going?
Question end ΰΈ«ΰΈ£ืΰΈΰΉΰΈΰΈ₯่ΰΈ² is still used in normal speech but rarely.
9. Problem with Fish.
The word ΰΈΰΈ₯ΰΈ² (fish) is pronounced with a strong stress on ΰΈ, some people remove ΰΈ₯ .so I guess you had problem in supermarket asking about fish .ΰΈ is not aspirated. no puff of air.
10. eat coffee.
ΰΈิΰΈ is used for drinking too—ΰΈื่ΰΈ‘ used but I hear eat coffee. eat tea more
11. easy and fast adverb
Instead of using ΰΈΰΈ’่ΰΈ²ΰΈΰΈี, they’ll say ΰΈีΰΈี. Same goes for ΰΉΰΈ£็ΰΈ§ΰΉΰΈ£็ΰΈ§, ΰΈ้ΰΈ²ΰΈ้ΰΈ². The word ΰΉΰΈΰΈ is also commonly used.
12. Third-Person Pronouns
ΰΈΰΈ§ΰΈΰΉΰΈΰΈ² is rarely used. You’ll hear ΰΉΰΈΰΈ², ΰΈΰΈ§ΰΈ, or even ΰΈ‘ัΰΈ, ΰΈΰΈ§ΰΈΰΈ‘ัΰΈ when referring to strangers..can be aggressive if you use ΰΈ‘ัΰΈ .
13. Passive Voice
ΰΉΰΈΰΈ is much more common than ΰΈูΰΈ in everyday speech.
14. The Word ΰΈ่ΰΈ
While textbooks teach ΰΈ่ΰΈ as “connect” or “next,” locals use it after verbs to mean “continue”—like ΰΈΰΈΰΈΰΈ่ΰΈ, ΰΈิΰΈΰΈ่ΰΈ, ΰΈΰΈ³ΰΈΰΈ²ΰΈΰΈ่ΰΈ.
Example
Excuse me ,I will go to sleep. Again ΰΈΰΈΰΈΰΈ่ΰΈ
15. Referring to Others
ΰΉΰΈΰΈ is often used instead of ΰΈุΰΈ. And ΰΉΰΈΰΈ² is used for both “he” and “she.”
16. Talking About Spouses
Many men refer to their wives as ΰΉΰΈ‘ีΰΈ’ rather than the more formal ΰΈ ΰΈ£ΰΈ£ΰΈ’ΰΈ². Be aware: ΰΉΰΈ‘ีΰΈ’ can sound impolite depending on context.
17. Giving Instructions
ΰΉΰΈ‘่ΰΈ้ΰΈΰΈ is preferred over ΰΈΰΈ’่ΰΈ² when speaking to adults. ΰΈΰΈ’่ΰΈ² can come off as harsh or commanding.
18 . Usually some Thai people are supposed to say 25 ΰΈ’ี่ΰΈͺิΰΈΰΈ«้ΰΈ² instead ΰΈ’ี่ΰΈ ΰΈ«้ΰΈ² and other numbers as well. So make sure you hear well.
19. Usually for normal situations like bar, coffee shop or restaurant ,use ΰΈ้ΰΈΰΈ to speak with women or girl and ΰΈี่ for men , which is abbreviation for sister and brother.
use ΰΈ้ΰΈΰΈ for women or LGBT in friendly situation
(For me ,I use ΰΈ้ΰΈΰΈ for women in friendly situation Like sellers even if she is old, that works as compliment , she usually smile, I understand it is not about gender, it is about age., I never say to man ΰΈ้ΰΈΰΈ I treat him as equal and showing respect, and don't use ΰΈี่ much, when I know names, I use them . So I depend on my personal experience, when I say to ΰΈͺΰΈ²ΰΈ§ΰΈͺΰΈΰΈ ΰΈ้ΰΈΰΈ , I acknowledge and respect them because ΰΈ้ΰΈΰΈ used with women more)
(replying to a comment)
Why I don't say ΰΈ้ΰΈΰΈ for men? teenagers were playing and pushing each other, a boy 17 years old stepped on my feet by accident, I said ΰΉΰΈ‘่ΰΉΰΈ็ΰΈΰΉΰΈ£ΰΈ้ΰΈΰΈ, without thinking, his friends pointed at him laughing and repeating ΰΈ้ΰΈΰΈ, this word used for addressing girls in Bangkok Streets , textbooks are Important ,this post is mainly personal remarks in Bangkok.
Do not use ΰΈ้ΰΈΰΈ with men. For respect. You can use ΰΈุΰΈ which meaning you. But used as Mr or Madam. used for both genders .
20. ΰΈ£ΰΈΰΉΰΈΰΈ้ΰΈ² or metro: you will rarely hear that word , they use BTS. MRT or Line colors. for famous metros and sky trains. And will use ΰΈ£ΰΈΰΉΰΈ usually for normal classic train.
21. Some Thais do not call foreigners farang all the time . They use ΰΉΰΈΰΈ, translates to guests kak sometimes for indians ,some Thais call workers from Asian countries ΰΈΰΈΰΈ่ΰΈ²ΰΈΰΈΰΈ²ΰΈ§ ( people from another Planet) Likely because some of them take their Jobs and accept less salaries.