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Thai language: Directions for the taxi
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Today’s offering is on directions — something useful if you want to take a taxi around Bangkok. This one is actually a bit more difficult than the other Thai language blogs I’ve written, but if it feels too difficult, just stick with the basic seven words I suggest at the end of the blog.
The basics; left, right, turn and go straight ahead
Sai = left
Kwa = right
Dtrong Bai = go straight ahead
Lieaw = turn (lieaw kwa is turn right, lieaw sai is turn left)
Lieaw glab or Glab rot = u-turn (glab means ‘return’ or ‘go back’; so glab baan is ‘go home’)
Here and there
Nee = here
Nan = there
Stop & go
Bai = go
Jawd = stop (temporarily; like a taxi dropping off or picking up then moving again)
Yood = to stop completely
Streets, bridges, footbridges, etc
Tanon = main street (like Sukhumvit Road, Rama 4 Road, Silom Road)
Soi = smaller side street (usually numbered; ie. Soi 4, Soi 23, Soi 71)
A Soi will be designated by number and the main street that it intersects. For example, Sukhumvit Soi 22 or Silom Soi 4.
Sappaan = bridge
Sappan loi = pedestrian bridge across a busy road
Mum (rhymes with ‘boom’) = corner
Intersections
See-yaag = a 4-way intersection (See is the word for ‘4′)
Sahm-yaag = a 3-way intersection (Sahm is the word for ‘3′)
Fast & slow
Cha cha = slow
Reow reow = fast
Reeb = hurry
Prepositions
Tang-kwa = right hand side (Tang rhymes with ’strong’)
Tang-sai = left hand side
Kang = side or by (Kang rhymes with ’sang’)
Kang kang = beside
Tid gab = next to
Na/Kang na = in front of
Lang/kang lang = behind; back; in back of
Trong kam (gab) = opposite; across from
Beginning, middle or end of the street
Pbag soi = beginning of the street (Bpag (rhymes with sock) is the word for ‘mouth’; so literally the mouth of the street)
glaang soi = the middle of the street
Pblaai soi / sud soi = the end of the street
Other useful words
Leawgaw = then; and then (as in turn right and then turn left)
Teung = to arrive or to reach (ie. go straight until you reach the hotel)
Kaam = to Cross (ie. Cross the street and go into the red building)
Rot dit = traffic
Fai daeng = traffic light (literally ‘red light’)
Raao raao = approximately; about
glab baan = go home
Tee = at
Okay, so how do you give directions?
You’ve probably got more words than you actually need, so lets figure out how you can construct some simple sentences.
Saying what you want
When you want a noun (a thing) in Thai you use the word Ow:
Ow bia = (I) want beer
Ow pizza = (I) want pizza
When you want to do something, you use the word yaag (informal) or dtawng gaan (formal). My examples will use yaag. The grammar is not good in my examples (the equivelant in English would be “want go hotel” or “you want go home?”), but the typical taxi driver should understand you if you get close on the pronunciation:
(Khun) yaag bai nai? = Where do (you) want to go?
(Pom) yaag bai rohngroem = (I) would like to go to the hotel
(Khun) yaag glab baan mai? = Would (you) like to go home?
(Khun) yaag gin khao mai? = Would (you) like to eat?
(Pom) yaag nawn lab = (I) would like to sleep
(Pom) yaag bai seu kaang = (I) would like to go shopping
(Khao) yaag doo TeeWee = (He/She) would like to watch TV
(Rao) yaag bai doo nang = (We) would like to go watch a movie
Once you’ve told the taxi driver where you want to go (Pom yaag bai rohngraem) you may need to give him some directions to get exactly where you want to go. Here’s how you can use the words above to make simple sentences (not always grammatically correct) to tell him what to do.
Dtrong bai, leawgaw tee fai daeng, lieaw kwa = Go straight, and then at the stop light, turn right
Bai teung sappaan loi, leawgaw jawd tawng sai = go until you reach the pedestrian footbridge, and then stop on the left hand side
Tee Soi-sip, lieaw sai = At Soi-10, turn left
Jawd nee = Stop here (and let me out)
Dtrong bai, teung seeyaag, leawgaw lieaw kwa = Go straight, until you reach the (4-way) intersection, and then turn right
Mai reeb, bai cha cha = Don’t hurry, go slowly
jawd tang kwa = stop on the right hand side
KFC yoo tee glaang soi = KFC is in the middle of the street (halfway down the street)
Bai ig raao raao roi met = Go about/approximately 100 meters more (ig is more, roi is 100)
Ranahaan yoo lang rohnroem = the restaurant is behind the hotel
KFC yoo kang kang Tesco/Lotus = KFC is next to Tesco/Lotus
Kaam sappaan, leawgaw dtrong bai teung fai daeng, leawgaw lieaw sai = Cross the bridge, and then go straight until you reach the stoplight, then turn left
If all this seems too much
The key words to know are:
dtrong bai = go straight
lieaw = turn
kwa = right
sai = left
jawd = stop temporarily
tang sai/ tang kwa = left hand side, right hand side
With these seven words/phrases you can survive 90% of your encounters with taxi drivers.
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