Road Language - Thailand

Being unable to speak the local languge in any country is a bad thing, the moment you can converse with the local people in Thailand means a lot of the usual foreigner vs native barriers will ease right away.

Living in Thailand becomes a whole lot easier when you can speak the lingo.

Below is a comprehensive list that has been compiled for a wide range of road and traffic activities. It is not 100% perfect as the transliteration is based on how the words *sound* as opposed to how they are writed, it also is not (as yet) in thai script.

However it will enable you to get your message across and bridge any gaps you might encounter out there on the road.

The Basics

English	Thai
Airport	Sanaam (Nak Bin)
Bus Station	Satanee Rot Bus
Garage	Long kep rot
Petrol Station	Pam naam man
Police Station	Satanee Tam Ruat
Train Station	Satanee Rot Fai

The Real Deal

Accident	Ubatee haed
Address	Tee yuu
Break-down	Sia (rising tone)
Building	Akaan
Car Park	Thee chat rot
Outside	Khang Nok
Inside	Khang Nai
To clean (car, bike etc)	Tham kwaam sa aad
Country	Prathaet
Detour	Thaang awk
District	Ampoe
Drive	Wing / Khup
Ferry (car)	Ruea kaam faak
Hotel	Rong Raem
Intersection	See yaek
Province	Chanawat / Sangwat
Traffic	Cha raa chon
Traffic Jam	Rot tit
Traffic Lights	Fai cha raa chon
U - Turn	Glub rot

At The Garage / Roadside

Vehicle Parts
Boot	Grabprong long rot
Brakes	Braek
Clutch	Clut
Drive Belt	Sai Pang
Engine	Kruang yon
Exhaust	Tawaii sia
Headlight	Fai naa rot
Indicator	Fai li
Petrol / Gas	Naan
Speedometer	Kruang rot
Steering Wheel	Pu
Tail-light	Fai Tai
Tyre	Yang
Wheel	Rong rot
Wiper	Thee pat raam fon
Queries / General Questions
Check the engine / vehicle	Truat kruang / Rot
Re-fuel	Toem naam man
Repair	Som rot
Start the engine	Tit kruang
Turn-off the engine	Dab kruang
What are you doing now?	Khun gamlang tham arai yoo?
What happened?	Gurt arai khun?