top of page

sa wa dee ka/cup - hello                                            

sa ba dee my   ka/cup - how are you?                        

sa by ka/cup - I'm fine thanks                        

khun chew a lie ka/cup - what is your name?                  are u towel lie ka/cup - how old are you?                     

la car towel lie ka/cup - how much is this?                

well la towel lie  ka/cup - what is the time?              

hong nam u nigh ka/cup - where is the toilet?                      

chi ka/cup - yes                                                          

my ka/cup - no                                               

my chi ka/cup - no it isn't                              

my ow ka/cup - I don't want                          

charb ka/cup - I like                                       

my charb ka/cup - I don't like                        

bit - close                                           

bird - open    

ginn - eat

nam - water

cow - rice

moo - pork

guy - chicken

blaa - fish

cha - tea         

gafe “cafe with a g” - coffee

gale - cup

qourt “court with a q” - bottle

nam keng - ice

a han - food

gub - go back

barn - home

long lee an - school

long player barn - hospital

Everyday Words

GUIDE TO THAILAND

HEAR THE INSIGHTS PRIOR TO MOVING TO THAILAND FROM OUR TEAM OF EXPERTS. 

SWIPE BELOW
Numbers 

nung -1                       

song      -2                       saaam
-3                               

see
-4                               ha
-5                     
hok
-                             
jet
-7                          

bad
-8                               gowl
-9                          seep
-10

seep et
-11             
seep song
-12

seep saam
-13
seep see -14

seep ha -15

seep hok -16

seep jet - 17   

seep bad
- 18

seep gowl
- 19

e seep
- 20

e seep et
- 21

e seep song
- 22

e seep sam
- 23

e seep see
- 24

e seep ha
- 25

e seep hok
- 26

e seep jet
- 27

e seep bad
- 28

e seep gowl
- 29

sam seep
- 30

Alcohol purchased from a local convenience/ corner shop will be approximately  

 

Bottle of local beer - 50-70 baht

Bottle of alcohol-pop - 50-70 baht

Bottle of local whiskey - 300-450 baht                      

Bottle of local vodka - 450-650 baht

Bottle of local gin - 450-650 baht

Bottle of imported whiskey - 900-1500 baht

Bottle of imported vodka – 850-1500 baht

Bottle of imported gin - 850-1500 baht

 

Unless in a top Bangkok or tourist destination nightclub/restaurant, unlike the West, there isn't a huge surcharge on drinks purchased inside. You do have to buy mixers and ice separately, which is how the owners make their money but it’s still good value

 

Alcohol purchased at a restaurant or in a nightclub

 

Bottle of local beer - 90-250 baht

Bottle of alco-pop - 90-350 baht

Bottle of local whiskey - 450-650 baht                      

Bottle of local vodka - 550-750 baht

Bottle of local gin - 550-850 baht

Bottle of imported whiskey - 900-3700 baht

Bottle of imported vodka - 950-3500 baht

Bottle of imported gin - 950-3500 baht

Mixers (coke, sprite) - 75-250 baht

Bucket of ice - 50- 150 baht

The Basics

Thais love their country, their monarchy, their religion and their families, all of which can be seen every day. Due to this passion, it is crucial you understand questioning these 4 things can land you in a heap of trouble, with a prison sentence awaiting those that push things too far. This shouldn't instil fear in you, but you are a guest in another country and as long as you remember this, life here can be the best you have ever experienced.

 

One thing to be aware of is Thailand has a clear and defined hierarchical system the majority of which is based on age but also on social standing. When addressing someone older than themselves, Thais will say “pee” for example an uncle/aunt or friend in a higher year at school would be “pee Mark, pee Jane or pee Sarah”. When addressing someone younger they say “nong” so a cousin, a baby brother/sister or a colleague younger than you would be “nong Steve, nong Clare or nong Paul” This is important to know as questioning someone older than you or showing too much respect to someone younger can lead them to be embarrassed or “lose face”. A Thai “losing face” is probably the major obstacle you will face at school or day to day, this will be covered more during your orientation course but is something you should be prepared for.

A Warm Hello!

Thais don't greet people with a handshake, they use a “wai” which seems so simple when you see it on TV or witness it in a restaurant at home. Returning to the previous point, “waiing” someone younger than you first could lead them to “lose face” as they didn’t wai you first, or make you look a fool as you don't understand the culture. There are also different “wais” depending on who you are addressing, place your hands too low and you’ve insulted them, place them too high and you look out of place. Again this will be addressed on your orientation course but until you have experience we recommend a simple wave, a big smile, a nod and a hello when meeting someone for the first time.

 

One final point not to forget is that Thailand is a very Buddhist country and like all religions Buddhism has its own set of core values. The most important day to day core value to remember is a person’s head holds all knowledge and belief; you should never touch a Thai on the head! Following this logic, one’s feet are always on the ground and the furthest part of the body away from the head and so are deemed to be very unclean and dirty. Showing the soles of you feet, touching or pointing at an object on the floor or even holding a door open with your feet is socially unacceptable and if avoided will lead you to a much simpler life.

Leaving home for another country is challenging but that’s why you’ve applied to teach with Sharp Teach, to give yourself a new challenge and for the opportunity of a lifetime! Thailand is both these places, challenging at times but every morning you feel you are influencing and helping the future of an entire nation.

 

Thailand has come a long way in the last decade, with the internet, cheaper flights and graduating students returning from overseas, the country has become so much more cosmopolitan. With a history dating back 1,000s of years, temples on every corner, street vendors and markets which will blow your mind, there is no shortage of ways you can immerse yourself in the local culture. However, there is no need to miss out on your naughty treats from home, whether that be watching live coverage of the Premier League, NFL or F1 and Moto GP. Eating luxurious cream cakes, grabbing a slice of pizza or keeping in shape with yoga or doing pilates, Thailand has it all.

Tell me about Thailand!

Two elephants splashing water

Get to know your new home better!

With changes in currency happening so frequently these figures should only be used as a very simple guideline,


USD $1 = 30-35 baht      

GBP £1 = 40-45 baht     

EUR 1 = 35-40 baht     

AUD $1=20-25 baht


Wage

The average wage for a Foreign Language Teacher is 25,000-30,000 baht per month, depending on where you are located this could be higher or lower, especially if you are placed in Bangkok. This is subject to income tax of 3% and social services contributions of 5% (subject to change by the Thai government). This might not sound a lot but hopefully, over the next few pages, you will be able to get an idea as to how far this can go. 

Cost of Living

3
bottom of page