Thai is also known as Siamese or Central Thai and is the official language of the republic of Thailand; and is natively spoken by Thai people and Thai Chinese. Thai is classified under the Tai-Kadai Language Family. Over half of the words in the language are borrowed from Pali, Sanskrit and Old Khmer. Thai is closely related to Lao and is said to be a 'tonal and analytic language'.
Have you ever been to Thailand? If you haven't, you need to add this destination to the top of your bucket list. Thailand is exotic, beautiful, and a place that you would wish you discovered when you were younger...but that is a story for another day. Today, let's explore the Thai language.
Thai is also known as Siamese or Central Thai and is the official language of the republic of Thailand; and is natively spoken by Thai people and Thai Chinese. Thai is classified under the Tai-Kadai Language Family. Over half of the words in the language are borrowed from Pali, Sanskrit and Old Khmer. Thai is closely related to Lao and is said to be a 'tonal and analytic language'.
Thai is spoken by over 60 million people, 20 million of whom are native speakers while 40 million speak it as a second language. You are well advised to learn a few phrases of Thai to help you get around the streets of Bangkok and other tourist destinationsin Thailand. Below are the most commonly used phrases.
1. Pood Thai mai dai - I cannot speak Thai
2. Lot noi dai mai - Can you give a little discount?
3. Nee Tao Rai? - How much?
4. Kow jai mai - Do you understand?
5. Hong nam u nai? - Where is the Bathroom?
6. Khun chee a rai? - What is your name?
7. Khob khun kah, Khob kuhn krub - Thank you (girl), Thank you (boy).
8. Phom chue... - My name is...
9. Yin dee kah, Yin dee krub - You are welcome (girl), you are welcome (girl).
10. Ma jark... - I come from...
Getting to know Thailand by using their language is one of the most amazing experiences you can have. By the way, you will get a lot of free practice from the locals. Make better use of your time in Thailand by learning something you did not already know when you visited. I am reliably told that the locals give better rates for the discerning tourist...what better way to show that you are discerning than speaking their language?