The essentials

  • Sawasdee (สวัสดี) — hello, used for both greeting and parting.
  • Khob khun (ขอบคุณ) — thank you.
  • Chai / mai chai (ใช่ / ไม่ใช่) — yes / no (used contextually rather than as a direct universal "no" — Thai doesn't map perfectly onto a single yes/no word the way English does).
  • Kor thot (ขอโทษ) — sorry / excuse me.

Politeness particles

Thai speech commonly ends sentences with a politeness particle — "krap" (ครับ) if you're male, "ka" (ค่ะ) if you're female — added to greetings, thanks and requests. Using it, even attached clumsily to simple phrases, is noticed and appreciated as an effort at politeness, regardless of pronunciation accuracy.

Useful for eating out

  • Aroy (อร่อย) — delicious; a genuinely appreciated compliment to a cook or vendor.
  • Mai phet (ไม่เผ็ด) — not spicy.
  • Phet noi (เผ็ดน้อย) — a little spicy.
  • Check bin (เช็คบิล) — the bill, please.

A Northern Thai note

Chiang Mai and the surrounding region speak Kham Mueang (คำเมือง), a distinct Northern Thai dialect, alongside standard Central Thai. You won't need it — standard Thai and English both work throughout the tourism industry — but locals often light up if a visitor knows even one Northern greeting, and it signals a level of interest in the region beyond the standard tourist trail.

Numbers, for bargaining

Learning Thai numbers one through ten is genuinely useful at markets like the Night Bazaar or Sunday Walking Street, where prices are often negotiated verbally rather than displayed — being able to understand and repeat a number back builds a small but real amount of trust in the exchange.