For all of us Thai Vets who were "fluent" in GI Barroom Thai 30 years ago but have gotten a little rusty here's a refresher course in our second language.  My phonetic spellings - yours may differ. And additions, corrections and base to base variations welcome.

First read the Thai phrase and then  page down for my translation...
 

1.   - Sawadee
2.   - Khun Sabai Dee Loo
3.   - Sabai Dee  or  Mai Sabai
4.   - Leau Leau  or maybe you spelled it Liew Liew
5.   - May pen rai
6.   - Suay mak
7.   - Dee mak    or sometimes  Dee F***g mak
8.   - Nit Noy
9.   - Phud Thai mai khrap ?
10.   - Ti Nay?
11.  - Diaw Khan  or maybe del con
12.  - Cia Chai Duey Khrap   or just C H I Dooey
13.  - Phob Khan Mai
14.  - Choob?
15.  - Pai Nay?
16.  - Kee Mau Mak Mak
17.  - Nung, song, sahm, si, ha, hok, jed, phad, khao, sib
18.  - Chai Khrap
19.  - Ching Ching
20.  - Fon Tok
21.  - Khao Chai ?   and   Mai Khao Chai

And now - some translations ---

1.  - sawadee -  hello,
2.  - how are you
3.  - I'm good  or Not so good
4.  - Hurry up  or fast
5.  - Never mind/ no matter
6.  - Very beautiful
7.  - Good/great  then REALLY  good
8.  - Just a little/small
9.  - You speak Thai?
10.  - Where is it?
11.  - Wait a minute - slow down - stop it.
12.  - Sorry about that
13.  - See you later
14.  - Do you like it?
15.  - Where are you going.
16.  - Drunk, very
17.  - One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten
18.  - Yes
19.  - Right On
20.  - Rain
21.  - Understand?  and   I don't understand.

That's my top twenty (plus one) list.

Email me your own and I'll post them on the Takhli Vets Thai page. Click to visit.

For a more serious version of Thai-English phrase translations visit the Foreign Languages for Travelers Website. Thanks to Skip Chervak for posting the URL.

Dick Williams
Takhli RTAFB Det 12, 10th Weather Squadron May 69-May 70.
email:  rjw@sky.net

25 sep 98