Thai Small Talk
When you meet a Thai person for the first time and engage in conversation you may be surprised by the directness of some of the questions. What may be considered impolite or nosey in your home country is often perfectly normal in Thailand. Don’t be offended by questions about age, marital status or what job [...]
Hearts and Minds
The Thai word for heart is ‘hua-jai’. The word ‘jai’ in isolation is also used for heart although in this context the nearest English equivalent is probably ‘mind’. The word ‘jai’ is frequently used in combination with other words to denote emotional states. Thai people often talk about having a good heart, a black heart, [...]
Fast Food Thai Style
One of the joys of visiting Thailand is sampling the food. Thai people seem to have an obsession with food and it’s been said that if a Thai person isn’t actually eating then they will almost certainly be thinking about food. That may be an exaggeration but food does play an integral part in Thai [...]
Kreng Jai
Kreng jai (also written as krengjai) is a distinctly Thai trait that can bewilder visitors to Thailand. So what is kreng jai? The direct translation is often given as ‘awe heart‘ or ‘deferential heart‘ and it is usually interpreted as consideration, but that is too simplistic because kreng jai is also a feeling. Kreng jai [...]
9 Useful Thai Phrases
Even if you are only in Thailand for a few weeks, if you can learn a few words of the Thai language it can be amazing the difference it can make to your interaction with the locals. Naturally, you have to be realistic; if you haven’t learnt Thai before it’s going to be difficult. At [...]
Being Polite
Good manners are important in Thai society, but politeness isn’t always demonstrated in the same way as it is in many other countries. Although there is a Thai word for ‘please’ (karuna) it isn’t used in the same way as it would be in the West and you needn’t worry about using it.
Khop Khun (Thank [...]
Learning the Thai Language
Whatever country you visit, local people usually appreciate if you make at least some effort to speak their language. Thailand is no different in this respect, but achieving the correct pronunciation isn’t so easy.
Thai is a tonal language and makes use of some sounds and tones unfamiliar to many Westerners. In addition to this, translating [...]
