Thai conversations with transliterations

Driver	pāi nǎi	*ไปไหน*	Where are you going?
Mike	pāi sōi Sàwàtdī	ไปซอยสวัสดี	Soi Sawatdi.
Driver	yù thî nǎi khrâp	อยู่ที่ไหนครับ	Where is that?
Mike	thànǒn phrárām sì	ถนนพระรามสี่	On Rama IV Road.
Driver	(pointing at the watch) pāi mâi thān, phǒm tông pāi sòng rôt	ไปไม่ทัน	I don’t have enough time. I have to turn in the car.
Mike	mâi pēn rāi (the taxi drives off, signals another taxi) …. pāi sōi Sàwàtdī, thànǒn phrárām sì	ไม่เป็นไร … ไปซอยสวัสดีถนนพระรามสี่	Never mind. … Soi Sawatdi, Rama IV Road
Driver	châang nǎi khrâp	ช่วงไหนครับ	About where is that?
Mike	lōei sì yáek Klûai Nám Thāi pāi nît nùeng	เลยสี่แยกกล้วยน้ำไทไปนิดหนึ่ง	A little bit further on from the Kluay Nam Thai intersection.
Driver	trōng nǎi khrâp	ตรงไหนครับ	Where is it precisely?
Mike	trōng pāi ìk khrâp	ตรงไปอีกครับ	Go straight on a little bit more.
Driver	yù fàng sái rǔe kwǎ khrâp	อยู่ฝั่งซ้ายหรือขวาครับ	Is it on the left or on the right?
Mike	kwǎ mūe, trōng pāi ìk nôt láeo yū tōen khâng nâ	ขวามือ ตรงไปอีกนิดแล้วยูเทอร์นข้างหน้า	On the right. Go straight on a little and make a u-turn up ahead.
Mike	sōi ní khrâp, líao khâo pāi lōei láeo chòt thî pràtū nâ sái mūe thâo rāi khrâp	ซอยนี้ครับ เลี้ยวเข้าไปเลยแล้วจอดที่ประตูหน้าซ้ายมือ เท่าไรครับ	This is the soi. Turn in here and stop in front of the next gate on the left. How much is it?
Driver	pàet sìp chèt bàht khrâp	แปดสิบเจ็ดบาทครับ	Eighty-seven baht.
Mike	(hands the driver a one-hundred baht note) mâi tông thōn	ไม่ต้องทอน	Keep the change.
Driver	khòp khūn khrâp	ขอบคุณครับ	Thank you.

Language watch:

The first taxi refused to take Mike and drove off instantly. This is because he rents a taxi from a company and the rent goes by shifts. A late return of the car would results in a fire to the driver. The first driver asked Mike where he wanted to go in case he was going on the same route to the taxi company. If so, he probably would have accepted him.

When the phrase chûang nǎi khrâp is asked, the answer is — lōei sì yáek Klûai Nám Thāi pāi nît nùeng. The answer to that phrase helps narrow down the location as Rama IV Road is very long, and Klûai Nám Thāi intersection is a main section of the road. This also helps the driver to choose the best route to get there.

The term trōng nǎi khrâp asks for the exact location of the place. The passenger can say:

trōng pāi ìk nît nùeng or trōng pāi kòn and follow with:

yū tōen khâng nâ (Make a u-turn up ahead)

líao sái thî (sōi nâ) (Turn left at [the next soi]

líao kwǎ khâng nâ (Turn right up ahead)

líao khâo pāi lōei (Just drive in)

chòt trōng ní làe (Park here)

Language check:

1.      when you want a taxi driver to turn left at the next soi?

2.      When the taxi gets to your soi and you want him to stop in front of the next shop?

Answer keys:

1. líao sái thî sōi nâ / เลี้ยวซ้ายที่ซอยหน้า        2. chòt thî rán khâng nâ / จอดที่ร้านข้างหน้า

This lesson was prepared by Acharn Sunee Siidao, Educational Specialist.

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Driver

ไปไหน