Do you have some little ones in your life who are desperate to learn Thai? Perhaps you’re learning together with your child, or maybe your child has a Thai friend they want to impress. Regardless this list of basic Thai phrases for Kids will come in handy. We thought long and hard about what a list of Thai phrases for kids might look like, and we could no better way to start than with thank you ‘ขอขอบคุณ’ K̄hx k̄hxbkhuṇ. After all, the most important thing a person can learn when they’re young is gratitude.
With Ling, both you and your child can learn Thai in a fun and effective manner. There’s material on there that both adults and kids alike will love. For kids, collect bananas with the lovable monkey mascot Ling, and for adults, compare yourself to learners in the international community.
Thai Phrases For Kids: The Basics
Learning Thai with your kids? It’s best to practice learning daily words and necessary phrases to make them remember the vocabulary. These Thai phrases should help your kids be more expressive.
| English | Thai | Thai Script |
|---|---|---|
| I love you | C̄hạn rạk khuṇ | ฉันรักคุณ |
| I like that | C̄hạn chxb mạn | ฉันชอบมัน |
| You make me happy | Khuṇ thảh̄ı̂ c̄hạn mī khwām s̄uk̄h | คุณทำให้ฉันมีความสุข |
| Please | Pord | โปรด |
| Thank you | K̄hx k̄hxbkhuṇ | ขอขอบคุณ |
| I really appreciate it | C̄hạn sāb sụ̂ng cring« | ฉันซาบซึ้งจริงๆ |
| Excuse me | K̄hxthos̄ʹ | ขอโทษ |
| I’m sorry | C̄hạn s̄eīycı | ฉันเสียใจ |
| What do you think? | Khuṇ khid xỳāngrị? | คุณคิดอย่างไร? |
| How do you feel? | Khuṇ rū̂s̄ụk xỳāngrị? | คุณรู้สึกอย่างไร? |
Basic Thai Words For Kids
This Thai language vocabulary is more closely related to school. After all, it’s where children spend the most hours of their young lives. Check out more words and Thai phrases for kids.
| English | Thai | Thai Script |
|---|---|---|
| Art room | H̄̂xng ṣ̄ilpa | ห้องศิลปะ |
| Bag | T̄hung | ถุง |
| Bell | Kradìng | กระดิ่ง |
| Biology | Chīwwithyā | ชีววิทยา |
| Book | H̄nạngs̄ụ̄x | หนังสือ |
| Calculator | Kherụ̄̀xng khid lek̄h | เครื่องคิดเลข |
| Canteen | Rong xāh̄ār | โรงอาหาร |
| Chair | Kêāxī̂ | เก้าอี้ |
| Classmate | Pheụ̄̀xn r̀wm chận | เพื่อนร่วมชั้น |
| Classroom | H̄̂xngreīyn | ห้องเรียน |
| Computer | Khxmphiwtexr̒ | คอมพิวเตอร์ |
| English | P̣hās̄ʹā xạngkvs̄ʹ | ภาษาอังกฤษ |
| Geography | P̣hūmiṣ̄ās̄tr̒ | ภูมิศาสตร์ |
| Homework | Kārb̂ān | การบ้าน |
| Library | H̄̂xngs̄mud | ห้องสมุด |
| Lunch box | Kl̀xng xāh̄ār klāngwạn | กล่องอาหารกลางวัน |
| Map | P̄hænthī̀ | แผนที่ |
| Paint | S̄ī | สี |
| Paper | Kradās̄ʹ | กระดาษ |
| Pen | Pākkā | ปากกา |
| Professor | Ṣ̄ās̄trācāry̒ | ศาสตราจารย์ |
| School | Rongreīyn | โรงเรียน |
| Teacher | Khrū | ครู |
| Toys | K̄hxnglèn | ของเล่น |
What Are Thai Children Like?
I have firsthand experience with this because I worked in a Thai school for two years between 2019-2021. (Granted, times were slightly exceptional because of the pandemic).
My first takeaway from my time in a Thai school is the level of respect the students show the teacher. Of course, kids will be kids, and there is a fair amount of messing around in class, but the moment the teacher lets the students know what is expected of them, they instantly pay attention and buckle down. Teachers are venerated in all levels of Thai society and occupy a similar cultural space to monks.
A common complaint you’ll often hear amongst English teachers in Thailand is that Thai kids aren’t creative. The thought goes that the school system is geared towards passing exams and rote drilling.
Although this might be true to a certain extent, I didn’t find it nearly as big a problem as other teachers made out. There might be an initial reluctance to engage in a creative project, such as writing a pitch for why Thailand should host the Olympics (a task I did often). Still, once the students got into the swing of things, that inherent biological creativity took over. I didn’t notice much difference between what happened in the Thai classroom and the English classroom.
Another funny thing to note is the very notion of going to a pub quiz. In the West, pub quizzes are ubiquitous; however, I’ve yet to see a Thai bar that ever does one. As a Thai friend pointed out to me, why would you do a quiz when you’re in a bar and drinking alcohol? Tests are for school.
Learn Thai With The Ling App
We hope you enjoyed these essential Thai phrases for kids. Thai people are renowned for their friendliness, and now you can show your gratitude to the Thai person in your life.
Language learning doesn’t have to be the chore you remember it being at high school. No more monotonous drills, bulky textbooks, and staying behind after class to clap the erasers because you didn’t understand verb conjugations.
The Ling app has changed the game with its intuitive, interactive language learning system. The name of the game is fun. You don’t keep coming back to the app out of guilt but because you actually enjoy it!
Work, or rather play, your way through the course and see your Thai skills improving week after week. With our Thai lessons, you can speak English as well as Thai.
Even more good news. A single subscription grants you access to 60 language learning courses. That means if you find yourself switching from Thailand to one of its neighbors like Cambodia, Laos, or Vietnam, you can instantly transition to one of those courses.
This blog is written in conjunction with the app, and we aim to include content relevant to what you’ll find there. We aim to expand your knowledge of Thai culture as well as your ability to speak Thai. If you enjoyed this, why not check out some others that have been trending recently, such as Thai cats and famous Thai movies?
Download the Ling app now on the Play Store or App Store and challenge yourself to learn the Thai language.
Happy learning from the Ling team.
