Lonely Planet Publications

781

Language
Thailand, which has successfully become
the lingua franca of all Thai and non-Thai
CONTENTS ethnic groups in the kingdom.
All Thai dialects are members of the Thai
Dialects 781 half of the Thai-Kadai family of languages.
Vocabulary Differences 781 As such, theyre closely related to languages
Script 781 spoken in Laos (Lao, northern Thai, Thai
Tones 782 L), northern Myanmar (Shan, northern
Pronunciation 782 Thai), northwestern Vietnam (Nung, Tho),
Transliteration 783 Assam (Ahom) and pockets of south China
Accommodation 783 (Zhuang, Thai L). Modern Thai linguists
Conversation & Essentials 784 recognise four basic dialects within Thai-
Directions 784 land: Central Thai (spoken as a first dialect
Health 785 through central Thailand and throughout
Emergencies 786 the country as a second dialect), Northern
Language Difficulties 786 Thai (spoken from Tak Province north to
Numbers 786 the Myanmar border), Northeastern Thai
Paperwork 787 (northeastern provinces towards the Lao
Shopping & Services 787 and Cambodian borders), and Southern
Time & Dates 788 Thai (from Chumphon Province south to
Transport 788 the Malaysian border). There are also a
Travel with Children 789 number of Thai minority dialects such as
those spoken by the Phu Thai, Thai Dam,
Thai Daeng, Phu Noi, Phuan and other
Learning some Thai is indispensable for
tribal Thai groups, most of whom reside in
travel in the kingdom; naturally, the more
the north and northeast.
you pick up, the closer you get to Thailands
culture and people. There are so few foreign-
ers who speak Thai in Thailand that it VOCABULARY DIFFERENCES
doesnt take much to impress most Thais Like most languages, Thai distinguishes be-
with a few words in their own language. tween polite and informal vocabulary, so
Your first attempts to speak Thai will that thaan, for example, is a more polite
probably meet with mixed success, but keep everyday word for eat than kin, and sis

trying. Listen closely to the way the Thais
themselves use the various tones youll
catch on quickly. Dont let laughter at your
linguistic forays discourage you; this appar-
ent amusement is really an expression of ap-
preciation. Travellers are particularly urged
to make the effort to meet Thai college and
university students. Thai students are, by
and large, eager to meet visitors from other
countries. They will often know some Eng-
lish, so communication isnt as difficult as it
may be with shop owners, civil servants etc,
and theyre generally willing to teach you
useful Thai words and phrases.
DIALECTS
Thailands official language is effectively
the dialect spoken and written in central
LANGUAGE
for head is more polite than ha. When
given a choice, its better to use the polite
terms, since these are less likely to lead to
unconscious offence.
SCRIPT
The Thai script, a fairly recent development
in comparison with the spoken language,
consists of 44 consonants (but only 21 sep-
arate sounds) and 48 vowel and diphthong
possibilities (32 separate signs). Though
learning the alphabet is not difficult, the
writing system itself is fairly complex, so
unless youre planning a lengthy stay in
Thailand it should perhaps be foregone in
favour of actually learning to speak the lan-
guage. The names of major places included
in this book are given in both Thai and
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Roman script, so that you can at least read is pronounced near the relative top of the vocal range, as u as the u in put youth hostel
the names of destinations at a pinch, or level as possible, eg ma (horse). uu as the oo in food ban yaowchon [hkogpk;(o
point to them if necessary. rising tone sounds like the inflection used by English eu as the u in fur (without the r
speakers to imply a question Yes?, eg sam (three). sound) Where is a cheap hotel?
TONES ao as the ow in now rohng raem thi raakhaa thuk yu thi ni
In Thai the meaning of a single syllable may PRONUNCIATION aw as the aw in jaw or prawn Fi'ci}mik%k$)dvp)jmwso
be altered by means of different tones in The following is a guide to the phonetic o as the o in bone
system thats been used for the words and oh as the o in toe What is the address?
standard Central Thai there are five: low
phrases in this chapter (and throughout the eua a combination of eu and a thi yu keu arai
tone, level or mid tone, falling tone, high
tone and rising tone. For example, depend- rest of the book when transcribing directly ia as ee-ya, or as the ie in French mvp)j%nvvtwi
ing on the tone, the syllable mai can mean from Thai). Its based on the Royal Thai rien Could you write the address, please?
new, burn, wood, not? or not; ponder General System (RTGS). The dots indicate ua as the our in tour khan thi yu hi di mi
the phrase mi mi mi mi mi (New
wood doesnt burn, does it?) and you begin
syllable breaks within words. uay
iu
sounds like oo-way
as the ew in new
g*upomvp)jBshwfhws}
Consonants iaw as the io in Rio Do you have any rooms available?
to appreciate the importance of tones in
The majority of consonants correspond aew like the a in cat followed by a short mii hwng wang mi?
spoken Thai. This makes it a rather tricky
language to learn at first, especially for closely to their English counterparts. Here u as in put }ushv';jk'ws}
those of us unaccustomed to the concept of are a few exceptions: ehw as air-ooh
tones. Even when we know what the cor- awy as the oi in coin Id like (a) ...
rect tone in Thai should be, our tendency k as the k in skin; similar to the g twng kaan ...
to denote emotion, verbal stress, the inter- in good, but unaspirated (ie with no TRANSLITERATION ^hv'dki...
rogative etc through tone modulation often accompanying puff of air); similar to Writing Thai in Roman script is a perennial
bed
interferes with producing the correct tone. English g but unvoiced (ie with no
vibration in the vocal chords)
problem no wholly satisfactory system
has yet been devised to assure both consist- tiang nawn g^up'ovo
Therefore the first rule in learning to speak single room
ency and readability. The Thai government
Thai is to divorce emotions from your
speech, at least until youve learned the
p as the p in stopper, unvoiced and
unaspirated (not like the p in put); uses the RTGS of transcription for official hwng daw shv'gfp;
government documents in English and for double room
Thai way to express them without changing
essential tone value.
actually sounds closer to an English
b, its voiced equivalent most highway signs. However, local varia- hwng khu shv'%)j
tions crop up on hotel signs, city street room with two beds
t as the t in forty, unaspirated;
The following is visual representation in
chart form to show relative tone values: similar to d but unvoiced signs, menus and so on in such a way that hwng thi mii shv'm}ug^up'lv'^y;
kh as the k in kite, aspirated (ie with visitors often become confused. Added to tiang swng tua
an audible puff of air) this is the fact that even the government room with a bathroom
Low Mid Falling High Rising
ph as the p in pie, aspirated (not to be system has its flaws.
Generally, names in this book follow the
hwng thi mii shv'm}ushv'ok
confused with the ph in phone) hwng nm
th as the t in tie, aspirated most common practice or simply copy their ordinary room (with fan)
ng as the nging in singing; can occur
Roman script name, no matter what devi-
ous process was used in its transliteration!
hwng thamm shv'Tii}fk
as an initial consonant (practise by Z}uryf]}X
LANGUAGE

LANGUAGE
When this transliteration is markedly dif- daa (mii pt lom)
saying singing without the si) ferent from actual pronunciation, the to share a dorm
Below is a brief attempt to explain the
r similar to the r in run but flapped
(ie the tongue touches palate); in
pronunciation is included (according to the phk nai hw phk rydBosvryd
tones. The only way to really understand system outlined in this chapter) in paren-
the differences is by listening to a native or
everyday speech often pronounced theses after the transliteration. Where no How much is it ...? ... tho rai? ...gmjkwi`
fluent non-native speaker. The range of all
like l Roman model was available, names have per night kheun l %no]t
five tones is relative to each speakers vocal Vowels
been transliterated phonetically, directly
from Thai.
per person khon l %o]t
range so there is no fixed pitch intrinsic to i as the i in it
the language. ii as the ee in feet May I see the room?
ACCOMMODATION duu hwng di mi
low tone flat like the mid tone, but pronounced at the ai as the i in pipe Im looking for a ...
relative bottom of ones vocal range. It is low, level and aa as the a in father phm/dchn kamlang ha ... f)shv'wfhws}
a half as long as aa, as the a in
with no inflection, eg bat (baht the Thai currency).
level or mid tone pronounced flat, at the relative about z}!fbCyode]y'sk... Where is the bathroom?
hwng nm yu thi ni
ae guesthouse
middle of the speakers vocal range, eg dii (good); no tone
mark is used. e
as the a in bat or tab
as the e in hen ban phk/ [hkoryd! shv'okvp)jmwso
falling tone sounds as if you are emphasising a word, eh as the ai in air kt ho (guest house) gdl^NgVklN Im/Were leaving today.
chn/phak rao j wk wan ni
or calling someones name from afar, eg mi (no/not). oe as the er in fern (without the r hotel
high tone usually the most difficult for Westerners. It sound) rohng raem Fi'ci} Cyo!r;dgik&tvvd;yoo
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toilet hwng sam shv'lh;} I dont like ...

mi chwp ... w}j(v[... in front of trong na ^i'sohk It hurts here.
jp trong ne g&H[^i'o
room hwng shv' Just a minute. far klai wd] Im pregnant.
hot rwn ihvo raw daw ivgfp; near kli Bd]h tng khan lew ^'%ii#Nc]h;
cold yen gpHo I/me (for men)
phm z} not far mi klai w}jwd] I feel nauseous.
rusuk khlun si i)hld%]owlh
bath/shower ap nm vk[ok I/me (for women) opposite trong kham ^i'*hk} I have a fever.
towel pha cht tua zhkg(Hf^y; dchn fbCyo left sai :hkp pen khi gxHow*h
I have diarrhoea.
I/me (informal, men and women) right khwa *;k mhv'glup
CONVERSATION & ESSENTIALS chn Cyo thwng sa
When being polite, the speaker ends his or you (for peers) beach chaai hat (kpskf
her sentence with khrp (for men) or kh khun %=I bridge sphaan ltrko
Im ...
phm/dchn ...
(for women). It is the gender of the speaker Do you have ...?
that is being expressed here; it is also the mii ... mi?/... mii mi? }u...ws}!...}uws}` canal khlawng %]v' z}!fbCyo...
common way to answer yes to a question (I) would like ... (+ verb) castle praasat xiklkm asthmatic
gxHosnf
or show agreement. yak j ... vpkd&t... church bht F[l$N
pen hut
diabetic
Hello.
(I) would like ... (+ noun)
yak di ... vpkdwfh... countryside chonnbt (o[m pen rhk bao wan gxHoFi%g[ks;ko
swtdii (khrp/kh) l;ylfuZ%iy[!%jtX hill kho g*k epileptic
pen rhk lom ba mu gxHoFi%]}[hks})
Goodbye.
laa kwn ]kdjvo
DIRECTIONS
Where is (the)...?
island kw gdkt
Yes. ... yu thi ni? ...vpj)mwso` lake thleh sap mtg]lk[ Im allergic to ...
chi B(j (Go) Straight ahead. market talat ^]kf phm/dchn phe
z}!fbCyocrh...
No. trong pai ^i'wx mountain phuu kho #)g*k
mi chi w}jB(j Turn left.
phphtthphan rbrbT#yIRN
antibiotics
yaa ptchiiwan pkxDb(u;ot
Please. law sai g]p;:hkp museum
krnaa di=Ik Turn right. old city meuang ko g}nv'gdjk aspirin
yaa etsaphairin pkcvlwribo
Thank you. law khwa g]p;*;k paddy (field) (thng) naa Zm=j'Xok penicillin
khwp khun *v[%=I at the corner palace wang ;y' yaa phensinlin pkgrob:b]]bo
Thats fine. (Youre trong mum ^i'}=} sov'![' bees
welcome)
w}jgxHowi!pbofu
at the traffic lights pond nwng/beung
phung z'
mi pen rai/yindii trong fai daeng ^i'wacf' river me nm c}jok peanuts
Excuse me.
sea mtg] tha lsng $;]bl'
khw -phai *vv#yp behind thleh
Sorry. (forgive me) khang lng *hk's]y' temple wt ;yf antiseptic
*vFmK sv pkSjkg(v
LANGUAGE

LANGUAGE
khw thht tower hw yaa kha chua
How are you?
l[kpfusinv`
SIGNS town meuang g}nv' aspirin
pkcdhx;f
sabai dii ru?
Im fine, thanks.
mk'g*hk Entrance track thaang mk' yaa ke pat
condoms
sabai dii l[kpfu mk'vvd Exit village (mu) ban Zs})jX[hko thng yaang anaamai $='pk'vok}yp
Whats your name? m^bf^jvlv[$k} Information waterfall nm tk ok^d contraceptive
khun chu rai? %=I(vvtwi` gxbf Open
kaan khum kamnet dki%=}degobf
My name is ... HEALTH medicine
phm chu ... (men) z}(v... xbf Closed yaa pk
dchn chu ... (women) fbCyo(v... shk} Prohibited I need a (doctor).
^hv'dkiZs}vX
mosquito coil
Where are you from? }ushv';jk' Rooms Available
twng kaan (mw) yaa kan yung bep jt pkdyop='c[[&=f
dentist mosquito repellent
maa jak ni }k&kdwso g^H}c]h; Full/No Vacancies mw fan s}vayo yaa kan yung pkdyop='
Im from ...
maa jak ... }k&kd... l$kou^ei;& Police Station hospital
rohng phyaabaan Fi'rpk[k]
painkiller
pkcdhx;f
See you soon. shv'ok Toilets chemist/pharmacy
yaa ke pat
sunblock cream
daw joe kan n gfp;g&vdyoot (kp Men ran khi yaa ihko*kppk khriim kan det %iu}dyocff
I like ...
chwp ... (v[... sPb' Women Im ill.
chn pay Cyoxj ;p
tampons
thaem-phawn cm}rvo
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Can you show me (on the map)? PAPERWORK I wont give more than ... baht.
EMERGENCIES hi duu (nai phen thi) di mi name chu (v j hi mi koen ... bat
Help! Bshf)ZBoczomXwfhws} nationality snchat lyP(k^b &tBshw}jgdbo...[km
chay day! (j;pfh;p date of birth ket wan thi gdbf;yom
Theres been an accident. NUMBERS Do you accept ...?
mii bttht }uv=[y^bgs^= 0 sun L)opN place of birth ket thi gdbfm rp ... mi iy[...ws}
Im lost.
Cyos]'mk' 1 nung so' sex (gender) phht grL credit cards
chn lng thaang
Go away! 2 swng lv' passport nngsu doen soy'lnvgfbo bt khrehdt [y^ig%ifb^
travellers cheques
pai s! wx:b 3 sam lk} thaang mk' chk doen thaang g(H%gfbomk'
Stop!
sp=f 4 si l visa wiisa ;u:jk
yt!
5 ha shk more ik vud
Call ...! 6 hk sd SHOPPING & SERVICES more mak khun }kd*o
rak ... nwy giupd...sojvp 7 jt g&Hf Id like to buy ... less nwy long ohvp]'
a doctor mw s}v 8 pet cxf yak j su ... vpkd&t:v... smaller lk kwa g]Hdd;jk
the police tamrat ^ei;& 9 ko gdhk How much? bigger yi kwa BsPd;jk
10 sp lb[ tho ra? gmjkwi too expensive phaeng pai cr'wx
How much is this?
LANGUAGE DIFFICULTIES 11 sp-t lb[gvHf ni tho rai?/ki bat? ogmjkwi!d[km inexpensive thuk $)d
Do you speak English?
khun phut phaasa angkrt di mi
12 sp-swng lb[lv' How much is it?
%=Ir)f#kKkvy'dAKwfhws} 13 sp-sam lb[lk} tho rai gmjkwi Im looking for ...
14 sp-si lb[l I dont like it. phm/dchn ha ... z}!fbCyosk...
Does anyone here speak English?
15 sp-ha lb[shk mi chwp w}j(v[ a bank
thnaakhaan Tok%ki
thi ni mii khrai bang thi phut phaasa angkrt di mi May I look at it?
mo} Bu %i[hk'mrf) #kKkvy'd+Kwfhws} 16 sp-hk lb[sd duu di mi f)wfhws} the church
How do you say ... in Thai? 17 sp-jt lb[g&Hf Im just looking. bht khrt F[l$N%ibl^N
... wa yang rai phaasa thai 18 sp-pet lb[cxf duu che che f)gCpq the city centre
jai klaang meuang B&d]k'g}nv'
...;jkvpjk'wi#kKkwmp 19 sp-ko lb[gdhk Its cheap.
ik%k$)d the ... embassy
What do you call this in Thai? 20 yi-sp plb[ raakhaa thuk
Its too expensive.
sthan thut ... l$kom)^...
ni phaasa thai rak wa rai? 21 yi-sp-t plb[gvHf phaeng koen pai cr'gdbowx the market
^]kf
o#kKkwmpgiupd;jkvtwi 22 yi-sp-swng plb[lv' Ill take it.
talat
the museum
What does ... mean?
... plae wa -rai
30 sam-sp lk}lb[ ao gvk phphtthphan rbrbT#yIRN
llb[ the post office
LANGUAGE

LANGUAGE
40
...cx];jkvtwi 50
si-sp
ha-sp shklb[ Can you reduce the price a little? praisnii wxiKIupN
Do you understand? lt raakhaa nwy di mi a public toilet
kho jai mi? 60 hk-sp sdlb[ hwng nm shv'oklkTkiIt
g*hkB&ws} 70 jt-sp g&Hflb[ ]fik%ksojvpwfhws} sathaarn
Can you come down just a little more?
A little. 80 pet-sp cxflb[ lt raakhaa ik ntnung di mi
a restaurant
ran aahan ihkovkski
nt nwy 90 ko-sp gdhklb[ ]fik%kvudobfso'wfhws} the telephone centre
obfsojvp 100 nung rwy so'ihvp Do you have something cheaper? sun thohrsp L)opNFmiLyrmN
I understand. 200 swng rwy lv'ihvp mii thuk kwa ni mi the tourist office
kho jai
lk}ihvp smnk ngaan leoyd'komjv'gmp;
g*hkB& 300 sam rwy }u$)dd;jkows} thwng thaw
I dont understand.
1000 nung phan so'ryo Can you lower it more?
mi kho jai 2000 swng phan lv'ryo lt ik di mi I want to change ...
w}jg*hkB& 10,000 nung mun so's}o ]fvudwfhws} twng kaan lek ... ^hv'dkic]d...
Please write it down. 100,000 nung sen so'clo How about ... baht?
money
ngoen g'bo
krnaa khan hi nwy one million nung lan so']hko ... bat di mi
travellers cheques
di=Ikg*upoBshsojvp one billion phan lan ryo]hko ...[kmwfhws} chk doen thaang g(H%gfbomk'
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Can I/we change money here? What time does the ... arrive? ticket office diesel
lek ngoen thi ni di mi ... j thung ki mohng tu khi ta ^)h*kp^; nm man soh-la
c]dg'bomowfhws} ...&t$@'dF}' timetable
taaraang wehlaa ^kik'g;]k ok}yoF:]jk
What time does it open?
ran pet ki mohng
boat reua ginv the first
unleaded petrol

ihkogxbfdF}' bus rt meh/ i$g}]N! thi rek mcid nm man ri san tka

rt bt i$[yl the last ok}yowihlki^td;

What time does it close?
ran pt ki mohng bus (city) rt meh i$g}]N st thai l=fmhkp Can I park here?
jwt thi ni di mi
ihkoxbfdF}' bus (intercity) rt thua i$my;iN Private Transport &vfmowfhws}
TIME & DATES
plane khruang bin g%iv'[bo Id like to hire a/an ...
phm/d-chn yak cho ...
How long can I park here?
What time is it? train rt fai i$wa z}!fbCyovpkdg(jk...
jwt thi ni di naan thorai
ki mohng lew? dF}'c]h;` car
&vfmowfhokogmjkwi
Id like ...
Its (8 oclock).
pet mohng lew cxfF}'c]h; phm/dchn yak di ... rt yon i$po^N Where do I pay?
jai ngoen thi ni
4WD
z}!fbCyovpkdwfh... rt foh wiin i$FaiN;u] &jkpg'bomwso
When? meuarai g}vwi a one-way ticket motorbike I need a mechanic.
today wan ni ;yoo ta thaw diaw ^;gmp;gfup; rt mawtoesai i$}vg^viNw:%N twng kaan chang
tomorrow phrng ni rij='o a return ticket
^;wxd]y[ bicycle ^hv'dki(jk'
yesterday mua waan g}v;ko
ta pai klp
two tickets
rt jkkyaan i$&ydipko The car/motorbike has broken down (at ...)
ta swng bai ^;lv'B[ rt/mawtoesai sa thi ...
Monday wan jan ;yo&yomiN 1st class ROAD SIGNS i$!}vg^viNw:%Nglupm...
Tuesday wan angkhaan ;yovy'%ki chn nung (oso' Bshmk' Give Way The car/motorbike wont start.
Wednesday wan pht ;yor=T 2nd class
(olv' mk'g[p' Detour rt/mawtoesai satat mi tt
Thursday wan phruht ;yor+sylO chn swng
shk}g*hk No Entry i$!}vg^viNw:%Nl^UkiNfw}j^bf
Friday wan sk ;yoL=diN Id like a ticket. shk}c:' No Overtaking
I have a flat tyre.
yaang baen
Saturday wan so ;yoglkiN yak di ta
shk}&vf No Parking pk'c[o
Sunday wan aatht ;yovkmb^pN vpkdwfh^; mk'g*hk Entrance Ive run out of petrol.
I want to go to ...
January mkaraakhom }dik%} yak j pai ... shk}*;k'mk' Keep Clear mt nm man

February kumphaaphan d=}#kryoTN vpkd&twx... gdH[g'bomk'fj;o Toll s}fok}yo

March miinaakhom }uok%} The train has been cancelled. vyo^ikp Danger Ive had an accident.
mii pttht
*y[(hk]'
LANGUAGE

LANGUAGE
rt fai thuk yk lek lew
April mehsayon g}Kkpo i$wa$)dpdg]bdc]h;
Slow Down
}uv=[y^bgs^=
May phrutsphaakhom rAK#k%} The train has been delayed.
mk'gfup; One Way
June mthnaayon }b$=okpo rt fai j cha wehlaa mk'vvd Exit TRAVEL WITH CHILDREN
July karkkadaakhom didDk%} i$wa&t(hkg;]k Is this the road to ...?
Is there a/an ...
mii ... mi }u...ws}
August snghakhom lb'sk%} airport thaang ni pai ... mi I need a/an ...
September kanyaayon dyopkpo sanam bin lok}[bo mk'owx...ws} twng kaan ... ^hv'dki...
October tlaakhom ^=]k%} bus station Wheres a service station? baby change room
November phrutsjkaayon rAL&bdkpo sathanii khn sng l$kou*ol' pm nm man yu thi ni hwng plan pha dk
Tyo;k%} bus stop x}xNok}yovp)jmwso shv'gx]pozhkgfHd
December thanwaakhom
pai rt meh xhkpi$g}]N Please fill it up. car baby seat
taxi stand khw toem hi tem bw nng nai rt smrp dk
TRANSPORT
Public Transport
thi jwt rt thek-si m&vfi$cmUd: *vg^b}Bshg^H} g[kto'Boi$lesiy[gfHd
train station
What time does the ... leave?
... j wk ki mohng
sathanii rt fai l$koui$wa Id like (30) litres.
ao (sam sp) lt
child-minding service
bawrkaan lang dk
platform number
...&tvvddF}' chaanchaalaa thi (ko(k]km gvkZlk}lb[X]b^i [ibdkig]p'gfHd
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childrens menu potty

raai kaan ahhan smrp dk krthhn
ikpdkivkskilesiy[gfHd ditF$o
(disposable) nappies/diapers stroller
pha wm (bep chi lew tng) rt khn dk
zhkvhv}Zc[[B(hc]h;m'X i$g*HogfHd
formula (milk)
nom phng smrp dk
o}z'lesiy[gfHd Do you mind if I breastfeed here?
(English-speaking) babysitter
phi lang dk (thi phut phaasa angkrt di) j rangkat mi tha hi nom luk thi ni
rg]p'gfHdZmr)f#kKkvy'd+KwfhX &tiy'gdup&ws}$hkBsho}])dmo
highchair Are children allowed?
ko i sung dk nyht kho mi
gdhkvl)' gfHdvo=Pk^g*hkws}
LANGUAGE

Also available from Lonely Planet:

Thai Phrasebook

Glossary
This glossary includes Thai, Pali (P) and
Sanskrit (S) words and terms frequently
used in this guidebook. For definitions of
food and drink terms, see p83.
aahaan food
aahaan pa jungle food, usually referring to dishes
made with wild game
ajahn (aajaan) respectful title for teacher; from the
Sanskrit term acarya
amphoe district, the next subdivision down from
province; also written amphur
amphoe meuang provincial capital
ao bay or gulf
AUA American University Alumni
bat a unit of weight equal to 15g; rounded bowl used
by monks for receiving food alms
baht (bat) the Thai unit of currency
bai sii sacred thread used by monks or shamans in
certain religious ceremonies
ban (ban) house or village
bw nam rwn hot springs
benjarong traditional five-coloured Thai ceramics
BKS Baw Khaw Saw (Thai acronym for the Transport
Company)
BMA Bangkok Metropolitan Authority
bodhisattva (S) in Theravada Buddhism, the term used
to refer to the Buddha during the period before he became
the Buddha, including his previous lives
bt central sanctuary in a Thai temple used for official
business of the Order (Pali: sangha) of monks, such as
ordinations; from the Pali term uposatha; see also
whaan
Brahman pertaining to Brahmanism, an ancient
religious tradition in India and the predecessor of
Hinduism; not to be confused with Brahmin, the priestly
class in Indias caste system
BTS Bangkok Transit System (Skytrain); Thai: rt fai fa
CAT Communications Authority of Thailand
chao leh sea gypsies; also chao nam
chao naa farmer
chedi stupa
CPT Communist Party of Thailand
doi (dawy) the word for mountain in the northern
regions
farng Western, a Westerner
791
gopura (S) entrance pavilion in traditional Hindu
temple architecture, often seen in Angkor-period temple
complexes
hat (hat) beach; also chaihat
haw phii spirit shrine
haw trai a Tripitaka (Buddhist scripture) hall
hwng room; see also hong
hwng thaew two- or three-storey shophouses
arranged side-by-side along a city street
hin stone
hong (hwng) room; in southern Thailand this refers to
semi-submerged island caves
Isan (saan) general term used for northeastern
Thailand
jo meuang political office in traditional Thai societies
throughout Southeast Asia; literally principality chief
jataka (P) (chaadk) stories of the Buddhas previous
lives
jiin Chinese
jiin haw Yunnanese
kthoey lady boys, transvestites and transsexuals
khaen reed instrument common in northeastern Thailand
khao hill or mountain
kho rice
khlong (khlawng) canal
khohn masked dance-drama based on stories from the
Ramakian
khon saan the people of northeastern Thailand
KMT Kuomintang
KNU Karen National Union
ko (kw) island; also koh
krbi-krbawng a traditional Thai martial art
employing short swords and staves
ku small chedi that is partially hollow and open
kay heng Chinese-style work shirt
kt meditation hut; a monks dwelling
laem cape
lk meuang city pillar, isthmus
lkhon classical Thai dance-drama
GLOSSARY
lo khao white spirit, an often homemade brew
lo thuan homemade (ie illegal) liquor
lk little, small (in size); see also noi
l-keh Thai folk dance-drama
loi krathong (lawy krthong) the ceremony celebrated
on the full moon of the end of the rainy season
 Lonely Planet Publications
792 GLOSSARY G L O S S A R Y 793

longyi Burmese sarong time of stricter moral observance for monks and Buddhist swngthew (literally two rows) common name for thtsbaan a division in towns or cities much like
luk thng Thai country music lay followers small pick-up trucks with two benches in the back, used as municipality
phr phim magical charm amulets buses/taxis; also written songthaew thdong a series of 13 ascetic practices, for example
me chii Thai Buddhist nun phii ghost, spirit smaa boundary stones used to consecrate ground used eating one meal a day, living at the foot of a tree,
me nam river phks a Buddhist monk; from the Sanskrit bhikshu, for monastic ordinations undertaken by Buddhist monks; a monk who undertakes
Mahanikai the larger of the two sects of Theravada Pali bhikkhu serow Asian mountain goat such practices; a period of wandering on foot from place to
Buddhism in Thailand phin small, three-stringed lute played with a large sua mw hwm blue cotton farmers shirt place undertaken by monks
mahathat (mhaa that) common name for temples plectrum soi (sawy) lane or small street trwk alley; also trok
containing Buddha relics; from the Sanskrit-Pali term phleng khorat Khorat folk song Songkran (songkraan) Thai New Year, held in mid-April trimurti collocation of the three principal Hindu
mahadhatu phleng phua chii-wt songs for life, modern Thai SRT State Railway of Thailand deities, Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu
mlaeng thp collages made from metallic, folk music stupa conical Buddhist monument used to inter sacred Tripitaka (S) Theravada Buddhist scriptures; (Pali:
multicoloured beetle wings phr an honorific term used for monks, nobility and Buddhist objects Tipitaka)
mnohraa southern Thailands most popular Buddha images suan aahaan outdoor restaurant with any bit of tk-tk motorised samlw
traditional dance-drama phr khruang amulets of monks, Buddhas or deities foliage nearby; literally food garden
masjid (mtsyt) a mosque worn around the neck for spiritual protection; also called s-saan cemetery tsnt flame-shaped head ornament on a Buddha
mt-mi technique of tie-dyeing silk or cotton threads phr phim
and then weaving them into complex patterns, similar phr phuum earth spirits ti south Vipassana (wptsnaa) Buddhist insight meditation
to Indonesian ikat; the term also refers to the patterns phuu khao mountain tlat nam floating market
themselves phu yi ban village chief tambon precinct, next subdivision below amphoe; also wi palms-together Thai greeting
mw hwm see sua mw hwm pi-phat classical Thai orchestra written tambol wan phr Buddhist holy days, falling on the days of the
mw lam an Isan musical tradition PLAT Peoples Liberation Army of Thailand TAT Tourism Authority of Thailand main phases of the moon (full, new and half ) each month
mawn khwaan wedge-shaped pillow popular in ponglang (ponglaang) northeastern Thai marimba tha (tha) pier, landing wang palace
northern and northeastern Thailand (percussion instrument) made of short logs that four-sided, curvilinear Buddhist reliquary, wat temple-monastery; from the Pali term avasa
metta (P) (mt-taa) Buddhist practice of loving- prang (praang) Khmer-style tower on temples common in northeastern Thailand; also that meaning monks dwelling
kindness prasada blessed food offered to Hindu or Sikh temple that krduk bone reliquary, a small stupa wt pa forest monastery
meuang city or principality attendees containing remains of a Buddhist devotee wthntham culture
mondp small square, spired building in a wat; from prasat (praasat) small ornate building with a cruciform THAI Thai Airways International whan any large hall in a Thai temple, but not the bt;
Sanskrit mandapa ground plan and needlelike spire, used for religious thm cave from the Sanskrit term vihara, meaning dwelling; also
MRTA Metropolitan Rapid Transit Authority purposes, located on wat grounds; any of a number of tham bun to make merit wihan or viharn
muay thai Thai boxing different kinds of hall or residence with religious or royal thammjk Buddhist wheel of law; from the Pali
significance dhammacakka yam shoulder bag
nam water PULO Pattani United Liberation Organisation Thammayut one of the two sects of Theravada yi big
nam tk waterfall Buddhism in Thailand; founded by King Rama IV while he Yawi the traditional language of Java, Sumatra and
naga (P/S) (nak) a mythical serpentlike being with ri an area of land measurement equal to 1600 sq was still a monk the Malay Peninsula, widely spoken in the most southern
magical powers metres thm reusii hermit cave provinces of Thailand; the written form uses the classic
nkhon city; from the Sanskrit-Pali nagara reua haang yao long-tailed boat thnon street Arabic script plus five additional letters
nang Thai shadow play reuan thaew longhouse
nua north reusii an ascetic, hermit or sage (Hindi: rishi)
ngaan thtskaan festival rt fai fa Skytrain
nirvana (S) (Pali: nibbana, Thai: np-phaan) in Buddhist rt fai ti din subway, Metro
teachings, the state of enlightenment; escape from the rt prp aakat air-con vehicle
realm of rebirth rt thammdaa ordinary bus (non air-con) or ordinary
noen hill train (not rapid or express)
noi (nwy) little, small (amount); also noy; see also lk rt thua tour bus
nok (nwk) outside; outer
salaa open-sided, covered meeting hall or resting
paa-t batik place; from Portuguese term sala, literally room
pk ti southern Thailand samlw (also written samlor) three-wheeled pedicab;
pha mt-mi thick cotton or silk fabric woven from see also tk-tk
GLOSSARY

GLOSSARY
tie-dyed threads samnk song monastic centre Lonely Planet Publications. To make it easier for you to use, access to this chapter is not digitally
phakhama piece of cotton cloth worn as a samnk wptsnaa meditation centre restricted. In return, we think its fair to ask you to use it for personal, non-commercial purposes
wraparound by men samsara (P) in Buddhist teachings, the realm of rebirth only. In other words, please dont upload this chapter to a peer-to-peer site, mass email it to
phasn same as above for women and delusion
phansaa rains retreat or Buddhist Lent; a period of stang A Thai unit of currency; 100 stang equals everyone you know, or resell it. See the terms and conditions on our site for a longer way of saying
three months during the rainy season that is traditionally a 1 baht the above - Do the right thing with our content.