Thai Language – Part 3: General Phrases and Vocabulary

Knowing some Muay Thai terminology is great when you’re living and training at a gym and talking mostly to Thai trainers, fighters, and other visiting Muay Thai enthusiasts. But, chances are, you’re going to have to head out of the camp area at least a few times to buy food, go shopping, or sight-see. Knowing Muay Thai terminology won’t help you much when you’re outside a training and fighting environment. However, knowing some general phrases and vocabulary can get you to communicate what you want and maybe even out of the stickiest of situations.

Imagine going to Thailand and asking a question in English, and getting a reaction that’s a mix of shame and confusion from not understanding. Most locals, aside from those that are used to dealing with tourists on a daily basis, will have trouble communicating with you if you can only speak English. Being that most serious gyms are not in a touristy-area due to not wanting to allow their fighters to be distracted, chances are you will run into a lot of communication issues if you don’t learn at least a few words and phrases to get you by.

Some things to note:
-Words starting with the /r sound are often interchanged to the /l sound, such as “raeng” pronounced “laeng”.
-Don’t forget to add ka or khrap at the end of all questions and statements to sound polite!
-Refer to Thai Language – Part 1: Basic Rules & FAQ’s for a refresher course for Thai language basics

Please support the continuation of content on Muay Ying via Patreon

Any words and phrases that are *bolded with asterisks* will be ones you will hear most commonly in Thailand.

Pronouns
Family & Relationships
Occupations
Numbers & Currency
Question Words
Countries
General Conversation
Shopping
Getting Places
Food & Eating
Going Out
Emergencies

Pronouns

Family & Relationships

Occupations

Please note that there is not way I can include ALL jobs and occupations in this article. I picked them from most common lists and also most commonly known lists.

Numbers & Currency

Question Words

Countries

Please note that there is no way I can include ALL countries and territories in this article.

General Conversation

Shopping

Getting Places

Food & Eating

Going Out

Emergencies

In case of emergency, please call one of the following numbers right away:

Emergency Services	Telephone
Tourist Police	1155
Police (General Emergency Call)	191
Ambulance and Rescue	1554
Fire	199
National Disaster Warning Centre	1860
Crime	1195
Medical Emergency Call	1669

If you enjoyed this or found this useful, and want to continue seeing Muay Thai news (with focus on BOTH female and male fighters), training and fighting tips, gyms reviews, and general/miscellaneous content,
please consider becoming a donor on Patreon.
With donors, I will be able to deliver high quality content consistently as well as continue my fighting goals in Thailand.

Thumbnail photo by Aleksandar Popovski.

Winding through the roads of one of the oldest neighborhoods of Bangkok, the driver turns into a narrow street and suddenly stops. “Your destination is on the left”, the GPS navigation announces in Thai. I quickly get off the motorcycle, thank him, and look around. I don’t see any sign of a Muay Thai gym nearby. I open up Maps on my phone, and it looks like the gym should be just a short walk away. Feeling a bit unsure, I walk through the gates of a nearby temple and ask a woman selling food if she knows where the gym is. She responds clearly and simply, telling me to keep walking straight and that the gym will be on my left. “You’ll see it,” she says confidently. I start walking deeper into the temple grounds, passing by a school and some monks. The nerves set in. Maybe I’m in the wrong place? Still, I trust her directions and keep going. Sure enough, there was a gym. Tucked behind a large shrine and lush tropical plants, Sangmorakot Muay Thai Academy (“The Shining Emerald”) greeted me with the creaks of swinging heavy bags.