“What” is an easy one: “Arai”. And it is used the same way as “What”.
Vocabulary:
Chue = Name (pronounce “Shoe”)
Taam = Do, Doing
Examples:
- Arai? = What? What did you say? What do you want?
- Mai Mii Arai = Nothing. I said nothing. There is nothing.
- Khun Chue Arai? = What is your name? (you name what?)
- Taam Arai? = What are you doing? (Do What?)
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Vocabulary:
- Wan = day
- Nii = this
- Wannii = today (this day)
Days of the week
Monday = Wan jan
Tuesday = Wan angkhaan
Wednesday = Wan phut
Thursday = Wan phareuhat
Friday = Wan suk
Saturday = Wan sao
Sunday = Wan aathit
Now all you have to do is to learn! 
Questions? Ask!
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Another very useful word: Mii.
Mii = I have, we have, there is, there are, etc.
Mai Mii = I don’t have, we don’t have, there is not, there aren’t any, etc.
Examples:
- Mii Luuk Mai (Do you have childrens?)
- Mai Mii Kha (I don’t have children)
- Mii Kha (I have children).
- Mii Pepsi Mai (Do you have Pepsi? not Coke, Pepsi)
- Mai Mii Khap (I just have Coke, sorry)
- Mii Khap (I have Pepsi).
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In Thai, Yes and No are not used as much as they are in English or other Western languages. One reason seems to be that usually, people answer with the same verb as the one used for the question.
Examples:
- Mii Luuk Mai (do you have children?)
- Mai Mii Khap (I don’t have children)
- Phuut Pasaa Angrit Dai Mai? (Do you speak English?)
- Phuut Pasaa Angrit Dai Khap (I do speak English)
However Yes or No are also used, either to answer, or to confirm something.
Yes is ‘Chai’. And No is actually ‘Mai Chai’, which could translate by ‘Not Yes’.
Examples:
- Khun Mii Luuk, Chai Mai (You do have children, right?)
- Mai Chai, Phom Mai Mii Luuk Khap (No, I don’t have children)
- Khun Phuut Pasaa Angrit Dai, Chai Mai? (You do you speak English, right?)
- Chai, Phom Phuut Pasaa Angrit Dai Khap (Yes, I do speak English)
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Excuse me is “Krawthoht”. Not a difficult word but I never really understood how to pronounce it.
Something like Kraw-Toet.
As in English, it is used in both situation when you want to disturb someone or when you apologize for something.
- Krawthoht Kha/Khap.
If the person you are talking to is well educated, she should answer with:
- Mai Pen Rai Kha/Khap (that’s ok, no problem)
or
- Mai mii panhaa Kha/Khap (no problem. panhaa = problem).
If she is not well educated, well, who know what can happen…
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A new place for lunch at a very cheap opening price! Bistro 19 offers two menus at 175 baht and 195 baht for lunch everyday. The first one includes 2 courses (starter and main course) and the second one 3 (starter, main course and dessert) to chose from a selection of 3 different dishes.
There is also an a la carte menu with both European and Thai food available.
Bistro 19 is located on the basement floor of Sacha’s Hotel Uno, a brand new hotel on Sukhumvit soi 19, opposite of Family Mart.
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More eating places here.
Today is Loy Krathong day. Loy Krathong is one of the most popular festivals of Thailand. It is held on the full moon of the 12th month in the traditional Thai lunar calendar. In the western calendar this usually falls in November. It takes place at a time when the weather is fine as the rainy season is over and there is a high water level all over the country.
“Loy” means “to float” and a “Krathong” is a lotus-shaped vessel made of banana leaves. The Krathong usually contains a candle, three joss-sticks, some flowers and coins.
In fact, the festival is of Brahmin origin in which people offer thanks to the Goddess of the water. Thus, by moonlight, people light the candles and joss-sticks, make a wish and launch their Krathongs on canals, rivers or even small ponds. It is believed that the Krathongs carry away sins and bad luck, and the wishes that have been made for the new year due to start. Indeed, it is the time to be joyful and happy as the sufferings are floated away.
The festival starts in the evening when there is a full moon in the sky. People of all walks of life carry their Krathongs to the nearby rivers. After lighting candles and joss-sticks and making a wish, they gently place the Krathongs on the water and let them drift away till they go out of sight.
This is a very good opportunity to have a dinner along the Chao Praya river and to see the river illuminated and busier than ever.
From what I understand, non immigrant “o” and “oa” visa are for applicants who are not eligible for “b” (business) visa, but are eligible to stay in Thailand because they are married with a Thai or because they benefit from the retirement program that Thailand offers to foreigners.
The requirement are a bit different for each visa, one requires that you show a marriage certificate, the other one that you be 50 year old or older. And then of course there are also financial conditions (ie: how much money you got on your bank account and/or how much you make from your retirement).
Both visa are valid for 1 year with multiple entry. You are not allowed to work with those visa.
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More information about Visa on the Thai Visa Page.
The previous lesson was about the numbers until 100 (Roi or Neung Roi), this lesson is for the numbers above 100:
101: Neung Roi Neung
200: Song Roi
300: Saam Roi
400: See Roi
500: Haa Roi
600: Hok Roi
700: Jet Roi
800: Phet Roi
900: Gao Roi
1,000: Neung Phan
2,000 to 9,000 work the same as 200 to 900.
In Thai there is a word for the 10,000 unit. One would not say ten thousand (Sip Phan), but one ‘unit of ten thousand’: Neung Meun.
10,000: Neung Meun
20,000: Song Meun
etc.
Same for hundred of thousand: Neung Saen.
100,000: Neung Saen
200,000: Song Saen
etc.
And then we reach the million : Neung Laan.
1,000,000: Neung Laan.
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Numbers 0 to 100
0 : Sum
1 : Neung
2 : Song
3 : Saam
4 : See
5 : Haa
6 : Hok
7 : Djet
8 : Phet
9 : Gao
10 : Sip
11 : Sip-Et
12 : Sip-Song
13 : Sip-Saam
14 : Sip-See
15 : Sip-Haa
16 : Sip-Hok
17 : Sip-Jet
18 : Sip-Phet
19 : Sip-Gao
20 : Yee-Sip
21 : Yee-Sip-Et
22 : Yee-Sip-Song
…
30 : Sam-Sip
40 : See-Sip
50 : Haa-Sip
60 : Hok-Sip
70 : Jet-Sip
80 : Phet-Sip
90 : Gao-Sip
100 : Neung Roi.
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