Traveling in Thailand: 30+ Useful Vocabulary

Traveling in Thailand ling app

The opportunity to go traveling in Thailand is the stuff that dreams are made of. However, that dream can turn into a nightmare if you don’t have the requisite phrases in Thai. That’s why today we’re bringing you vocabulary and sentences to get you out, about, and around. First, the most important phrase of all:

I think motorbike is the best way to travel around Thailand.

ฉันคิดว่ามอเตอร์ไซค์เป็นวิธีที่ดีที่สุดในการเดินทางทั่วประเทศไทย [Speechword voice=”Thai Female” isinline]ฉันคิดว่ามอเตอร์ไซค์เป็นวิธีที่ดีที่สุดในการเดินทางทั่วประเทศไทย[/Speechword]

(C̄hạn khid ẁā mxtexr̒sịkh̒ pĕn wiṭhī thī̀ dī thī̀s̄ud nı kār deinthāng thạ̀w pratheṣ̄thịy)

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Traveling In Thailand – Basic Vocabulary For Air Travel

This will probably be the first hurdle you’ll have to cross when getting in and out of Thailand. Check out this basic vocabulary related to the airport.

EnglishThaiThai ScriptSound
AirportS̄nām binสนามบิน[Speechword voice=”Thai Female” isinline]สนามบิน[/Speechword]
Check inChĕkh xinเช็คอิน[Speechword voice=”Thai Female” isinline]เช็คอิน[/Speechword]
FlyBinบิน[Speechword voice=”Thai Female” isinline]บิน[/Speechword]
LandingLng cxdลงจอด[Speechword voice=”Thai Female” isinline]ลงจอด[/Speechword]
PlaneKherụ̄̀xngbinเครื่องบิน[Speechword voice=”Thai Female” isinline]เครื่องบิน[/Speechword]
Take offBin Kuenบินขึ้น[Speechword voice=”Thai Female” isinline]บินขึ้น[/Speechword]

General Vacation Vocabulary

This list encompasses everything you’ll need to know when you’re actually in Thailand. Look below for the key words.

EnglishThaiThai ScriptSound
CampKh̀āyค่าย[Speechword voice=”Thai Female” isinline]ค่าย[/Speechword]
DestinationPlāythāngปลายทาง[Speechword voice=”Thai Female” isinline]ปลายทาง[/Speechword]
ExcursionThạṣ̄nṣ̄ụks̄ʹāทัศนศึกษา[Speechword voice=”Thai Female” isinline]ทัศนศึกษา[/Speechword]
Go campingPị tậng khæm p̒ไปตั้งแคมป์[Speechword voice=”Thai Female” isinline]ไปตั้งแคมป์[/Speechword]
Go sightseeingPị theī̀yw chmไปเที่ยวชม[Speechword voice=”Thai Female” isinline]ไปเที่ยวชม[/Speechword]
HostelThī̀phạkที่พัก[Speechword voice=”Thai Female” isinline]ที่พัก[/Speechword]
HotelRongræmโรงแรม[Speechword voice=”Thai Female” isinline]โรงแรม[/Speechword]
JourneyKār deinthāngการเดินทาง[Speechword voice=”Thai Female” isinline]การเดินทาง[/Speechword]
LuggageKrapěā deinthāngกระเป๋าเดินทาง[Speechword voice=”Thai Female” isinline]กระเป๋าเดินทาง[/Speechword]
PassengerP̄hū̂doys̄ārผู้โดยสาร[Speechword voice=”Thai Female” isinline]ผู้โดยสาร[/Speechword]
RouteS̄ênthāngเส้นทาง[Speechword voice=”Thai Female” isinline]เส้นทาง[/Speechword]
SightseeingTheī̀yw chm s̄t̄hān thī̀เที่ยวชมสถานที่[Speechword voice=”Thai Female” isinline]เที่ยวชมสถานที่[/Speechword]
SuitcaseKrapěā deinthāngกระเป๋าเดินทาง[Speechword voice=”Thai Female” isinline]กระเป๋าเดินทาง[/Speechword]
TravelKār th̀xngtheī̀ywการท่องเที่ยว[Speechword voice=”Thai Female” isinline]การท่องเที่ยว[/Speechword]
TripKār deinthāngการเดินทาง[Speechword voice=”Thai Female” isinline]การเดินทาง[/Speechword]
VacationWạn h̄yudวันหยุด[Speechword voice=”Thai Female” isinline]วันหยุด[/Speechword]
Traveling in Thai - beach

Traveling By Land – Basic Thai Vocab

Thailand is a big country, and you’ll probably be on the road or some of its majestic rivers for large parts of your trip. Learn some key vocab for getting around on land and by water.

EnglishThaiThai ScriptSound
BicycleCạkryānจักรยาน[Speechword voice=”Thai Female” isinline]จักรยาน[/Speechword]
BusRs̄ bạs̄รถบัส[Speechword voice=”Thai Female” isinline]รถบัส[/Speechword]
CarRt̄hรถ[Speechword voice=”Thai Female” isinline]รถ[/Speechword]
LaneLenเลน[Speechword voice=”Thai Female” isinline]เลน[/Speechword]
MotorcycleRt̄hcạkryānynt̒รถจักรยานยนต์[Speechword voice=”Thai Female” isinline]รถจักรยานยนต์[/Speechword]
RailRt̄hfịรถไฟ[Speechword voice=”Thai Female” isinline]รถไฟ[/Speechword]
TaxiThæ̆ksī̀แท็กซี่[Speechword voice=”Thai Female” isinline]แท็กซี่[/Speechword]
TrafficKār crācrการจราจร[Speechword voice=”Thai Female” isinline]การจราจร[/Speechword]
TrainRt̄hfịรถไฟ[Speechword voice=”Thai Female” isinline]รถไฟ[/Speechword]
BoatReụ̄xเรือ[Speechword voice=”Thai Female” isinline]เรือ[/Speechword]
CruiseL̀xng reụ̄xล่องเรือ[Speechword voice=”Thai Female” isinline]ล่องเรือ[/Speechword]
Cruise shipReụ̄x s̄ảrāỵเรือสำราญ[Speechword voice=”Thai Female” isinline]เรือสำราญ[/Speechword]
FerryReụ̄x k̄ĥām fākเรือข้ามฟาก[Speechword voice=”Thai Female” isinline]เรือข้ามฟาก[/Speechword]
PortTh̀āreụ̄xท่าเรือ[Speechword voice=”Thai Female” isinline]ท่าเรือ[/Speechword]
OceanMh̄ās̄muthrมหาสมุทร[Speechword voice=”Thai Female” isinline]มหาสมุทร[/Speechword]
SailboatReụ̄x bıเรือใบ[Speechword voice=”Thai Female” isinline]เรือใบ[/Speechword]
SeaThaleทะเล[Speechword voice=”Thai Female” isinline]ทะเล[/Speechword]
VoyageKār deinthāngการเดินทาง[Speechword voice=”Thai Female” isinline]การเดินทาง[/Speechword]

General Thai Phrases Related To Traveling

Knowing the basic vocabulary is good, but if you really want to shine in your exchanges with Thai people, then you’ll need to know phrases. String together that vocabulary into these crucial sentences.

EnglishThaiThai ScriptSound
Can you pick me up tomorrow morning?Khuṇ ch̀wy mā rạb c̄hạn phrùngnī̂ chêā dị̂ h̄ịmคุณช่วยมารับฉันพรุ่งนี้เช้าได้ไหม[Speechword voice=”Thai Female” isinline]คุณช่วยมารับฉันพรุ่งนี้เช้าได้ไหม[/Speechword]
Could I ask you what your final destination is?C̄hạn k̄hx t̄hām khuṇ dị̂ h̄ịm ẁā plāythāng s̄udtĥāy k̄hxng khuṇ khụ̄x xarị?ฉันขอถามคุณได้ไหมว่าปลายทางสุดท้ายของคุณคืออะไร?[Speechword voice=”Thai Female” isinline]ฉันขอถามคุณได้ไหมว่าปลายทางสุดท้ายของคุณคืออะไร?[/Speechword]
Did you miss the flight from London?Khuṇ phlād theī̀yw bin cāk lxndxn h̄rụ̄x mị̀คุณพลาดเที่ยวบินจากลอนดอนหรือไม่[Speechword voice=”Thai Female” isinline]คุณพลาดเที่ยวบินจากลอนดอนหรือไม่[/Speechword]
I think motorbike is the best way to travel around Thailand.C̄hạn khid ẁā mxtexr̒sịkh̒ pĕn wiṭhī thī̀ dī thī̀s̄ud nı kār deinthāng thạ̀w pratheṣ̄thịyฉันคิดว่ามอเตอร์ไซค์เป็นวิธีที่ดีที่สุดในการเดินทางทั่วประเทศไทย[Speechword voice=”Thai Female” isinline]ฉันคิดว่ามอเตอร์ไซค์เป็นวิธีที่ดีที่สุดในการเดินทางทั่วประเทศไทย[/Speechword]
I hope you have a pleasant tripC̄hạn h̄wạng ẁā khuṇ ca mī kār deinthāng thī̀ t̄hūkcıฉันหวังว่าคุณจะมีการเดินทางที่ถูกใจ[Speechword voice=”Thai Female” isinline]ฉันหวังว่าคุณจะมีการเดินทางที่ถูกใจ[/Speechword]
How long have you been traveling for?Khuṇ deinthāng mā nān khæ̀ h̄ịn?คุณเดินทางมานานแค่ไหน?[Speechword voice=”Thai Female” isinline]คุณเดินทางมานานแค่ไหน?[/Speechword]
Make sure you leave earlyH̄ı̂ næ̀cı ẁā khuṇ xxk k̀xn welāให้แน่ใจว่าคุณออกก่อนเวลา[Speechword voice=”Thai Female” isinline]ให้แน่ใจว่าคุณออกก่อนเวลา[/Speechword]
The Journey here was terrible!Kār deinthāng thī̀ nī̀ yæ̀ māk!การเดินทางที่นี่แย่มาก![Speechword voice=”Thai Female” isinline]การเดินทางที่นี่แย่มาก![/Speechword]
We should stay in an expensive hotel as a treatReā khwr phạk rong ræm phæng«เราควรพักโรงแรมแพงๆ[Speechword voice=”Thai Female” isinline]เราควรพักโรงแรมแพงๆ[/Speechword]
What time are you flying?Khuṇ ca bin kī̀ mongคุณจะบินกี่โมง[Speechword voice=”Thai Female” isinline]คุณจะบินกี่โมง[/Speechword]
Traveling in Thai - tuk tuk

What To Know When Traveling In Thailand

  1. Avoid Places Like Elephant ‘sanctuaries’ And Tiger Parks – Although things have become much better in recent years with regard to the treatment of animals, Thailand generally has a poor record on animal welfare. The biggest examples of this are elephant sanctuaries which aren’t, in fact, sanctuaries but places where the animals are exploited.
  2. Avoid Street Dogs And Monkeys – I know it can be tempting to pet a soi dog or a monkey, but generally speaking, this is a bad idea. Monkeys are liable to try and steal any food you have and could get aggressive. Soi dogs are generally ok in the daytime, but be wary around them at night when they roam around in large packs. If you do get bitten, immediately go to one of the international private hospitals and seek immediate medical attention.
  3. Fly – There is a tendency among backpackers that they want to experience the ‘real’ Thailand, which might mean an interminable 12-hour bus ride on a bus ill-fit for purpose. Not only is this dangerous (Thailand has the worst road safety in the world), but it’s illogical. You can fly to all parts of Thailand very cheaply when you’re in the country. In my view, it’s better to see as many different places as possible (and the surrounding areas) as opposed to the 100s of km of empty highway you’d see out of a bus window.
  4. Carry Bug Spray – Almost all of Thailand is thick with mosquitos, as you’d expect of somewhere with a tropical monsoon climate. These mosquitos also carry blood-borne diseases like dengue and malaria. The second of these definitely sounds the scariest and leads people to take anti-malarial medications. However, I’ve heard of people who’ve had reactions to the medication far worse than if they’d actually caught malaria- and it’s worth saying I’ve never met a person who lives in Thailand who actually takes anti-malaria drugs. Better to wear bug spray and lightweight clothes that cover your arms and legs.
  5. Avoid motorbikes unless you’re an experienced rider with an international driving permit – Many travel insurance plans don’t pay out if you’re injured in a motorbike crash. The real danger you face, however, is that if you hit someone else, you could be heavily prosecuted by local authorities under local laws. The danger goes up exponentially in the rainy season and in places like Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand, where roads are far scarier when you get into the mountains, and medical services are few and far between
  6. If you have any problems, visit the tourist police – The number to call in Thailand is 1155. They are open seven days a week, 24 hours a day, speak English, and operate in all tourist areas. They are a much better option, as Thai authorities who don’t speak English can be challenging to deal with.
  7. Enjoy your time – It’s easy to get lost in some of the dangers, but all things considered, Thailand is no more treacherous than places Europeans like to travel, like Greece and Spain, and this is true everywhere from Koh Samui to Urban areas like Bangkok.
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Thailand is the dream Southeast Asia destination you were always told it was. There’s a little something for everyone, from stunning national parks to beach resorts, and in modern cities, you’ll find museums and the odd awesome cultural centre.

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If you enjoyed this blog, check out a few others making waves in the blogosphere, such as survival phrases in Thai and diet vocabulary in Thai.

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