Many foreign tourists make their way to Thailand each drawn by its lovely beaches, natural marvels, cultural attractions, shopping opportunities, entertainment options and more. If you plan to visit this country, naturally, a basic grasp of the essential phrases will be very useful. Provided below are some general phrases in Thai that would help you communicate with locals when visiting various cities and towns.

Generally, when speaking Thai, you must include a gender marker after a sentence, such as when using the phrases described below; a male should conclude a sentence using the word 'krup', whilst a female should say, 'ka'. To say 'hello', you should say 'sa wat dee'; you may greet anyone you meet in this way. Meanwhile, to say 'thank you' the phrase is 'kawp koon'. For saying 'yes' the word is 'chai', whilst the phrase for 'no' is 'mai chai'. On the other hand, 'kor tot' means 'excuse me'. If you wish to say 'I don’t understand', use the phrase 'mai khao jai' which will come in handy as well.

If you need to know where the bathroom is, use the phrase 'haawng naam yuu thee nai'. When giving directions to a taxi, songtaew or tuk-tuk driver, you may say 'leo kwaa' to turn right, 'leo sai' to turn left, 'yut' to stop and 'bai' to go. On the other hand, to say 'slow down' the phrase is 'hai chah long'. You could use the above phrases to get to accommodations like Avani Ao Nang Cliff Krabi Resort which may be regarded as one of the appealingly located Ao Nang beach hotels to consider; of course, such properties also offer private transfers to and from Krabi International Airport which would be a convenient option after you land.

Naturally, you would need to know how to order food and beverages at restaurants and bars in Thailand in case you dine at a place where it may be hard to communicate in English. To say 'I am hungry' you should say simply 'hiu'. As Thai food is often spicy you may say 'chawp pet noi' when ordering food to signify that you would like your dishes only slightly spicy. Sugar is often added to drinks and food in this country and if you don’t want it you may say 'mai sai nam tam', or no sugar. Meanwhile, to request water you should simply say 'nam'.

As Thailand’s amazing shopping opportunities are counted amongst its most alluring attractions, you must know certain phrases to shop at markets and stores with confidence. For instance, to ask 'how much is this?', you should say 'a nee tao rai?'. In this way, you could avoid purchasing items without knowing their cost. Meanwhile, if you feel that the price quoted is somewhat excessive, you could bargain for a better price by saying 'phaeng mark pai' or 'too expensive'!

You would probably like to socialize with locals and make new friends during your stay in Thailand. A useful phrase in this regard is 'gin khao lou mai?'; literally, this means 'have you eaten yet?', but it is often used as a way of greeting and establishing a rapport with someone as well. On the other hand, if you desire to compliment someone on their appearance, you may say 'suay' meaning very beautiful, or 'lo mak' which means very handsome.

Since summer in Thailand is rather hot, you may need to express why you happen to be red-faced, bathed in sweat and possibly need assistance! Accordingly, you may say 'ron mak' which means 'I am very hot'.

As Thais actively dislike losing face, it is a good idea to say 'mai bpen rai' which translates to 'no problem' or 'never mind', to brush off or dismiss negative experiences rather than get angry with someone. Meanwhile, if you have an upset stomach, missed a flight or are otherwise inconvenienced, but do not want to make a big deal out of it, simply say the phrase mentioned above.