Fresh fruit and vegetables at a busy Bangkok market. Photo by Mauro Lima on Unsplash
Markets are one of the best parts of living in Bangkok. You can buy mangoes in the morning, find a new shirt in the evening and try three snacks on the way home. They are also one of the best places to practise Thai, because every visit is a real conversation.
The good news is that you only need a small set of phrases to shop with confidence. In this guide you will find the most useful ones, with Thai script, Paiboon romanisation and the English meaning. Add ครับ (kráp) at the end if you are male, or ค่ะ (kâ) if you are female, to sound polite. In questions, women usually say คะ (ká).
Quick note on the romanisation: in Paiboon, "ɔɔ" sounds like the "aw" in "saw", "ɛɛ" sounds like the "a" in "bad", and "ʉʉ" is a sound between "oo" and "ee", made with relaxed lips.
Asking the Price
This is the phrase you will use most. Point at the item and smile.
- เท่าไหร่ครับ / คะ (tâo-rài kráp / ká): How much is it?
- อันนี้เท่าไหร่ (an-níi tâo-rài): How much is this one?
- กิโลละเท่าไหร่ (gi-loo lá tâo-rài): How much per kilo?
- ราคาเท่าไหร่ (raa-kaa tâo-rài): What is the price?
Sellers will often answer quickly, so it helps to know a few numbers. Listen for ยี่สิบ (yîi-sìp, twenty), ห้าสิบ (hâa-sìp, fifty) and ร้อย (rɔ́ɔi, hundred). If you did not catch it, just say อีกทีได้ไหม (ìik tii dâai mǎi): Can you say it again? Many sellers will also show you the number on a calculator or their phone.
Buying Fruit and Food
Fresh markets are full of tropical fruit you might not know yet. These phrases help you choose well.
- หวานไหม (wǎan mǎi): Is it sweet?
- สุกหรือยัง (sùk rʉ̌ʉ yang): Is it ripe yet?
- ขอชิมได้ไหม (kɔ̌ɔ chim dâai mǎi): Can I taste it?
- ขอครึ่งกิโล (kɔ̌ɔ krʉ̂ng gi-loo): Half a kilo, please.
- ขอหนึ่งกิโล (kɔ̌ɔ nʉ̀ng gi-loo): One kilo, please.
- เอาอันนี้ (ao an-níi): I will take this one.
The word ขอ (kɔ̌ɔ) is a polite way to ask for something. Put it in front of almost anything: ขอสองอัน (kɔ̌ɔ sɔ̌ɔng an) means "Two pieces, please."
Shopping for Clothes and Souvenirs
At clothes and souvenir stalls you often need to ask about size and colour.
- ขอดูหน่อย (kɔ̌ɔ duu nɔ̀i): Can I have a look?
- ลองได้ไหม (lɔɔng dâai mǎi): Can I try it on?
- มีไซส์ใหญ่กว่านี้ไหม (mii sái yài gwàa níi mǎi): Do you have a bigger size?
- มีไซส์เล็กกว่านี้ไหม (mii sái lék gwàa níi mǎi): Do you have a smaller size?
- มีสีอื่นไหม (mii sǐi ʉ̀ʉn mǎi): Do you have other colours?
Bargaining the Thai Way
Bargaining is normal at many clothes and souvenir stalls, especially at big weekend markets. It is less common for fresh food, cooked food and shops with printed price tags. The key is to stay friendly. In Thailand, a calm smile works much better than a hard push.
- ลดได้ไหม (lót dâai mǎi): Can you lower the price?
- ลดหน่อยได้ไหม (lót nɔ̀i dâai mǎi): Can you give me a small discount?
- แพงไปหน่อย (pɛɛng bpai nɔ̀i): It is a bit too expensive.
- ซื้อสองชิ้นลดได้ไหม (sʉ́ʉ sɔ̌ɔng chín lót dâai mǎi): If I buy two, can you lower the price?
- ราคาเท่านี้ได้ไหม (raa-kaa tâo-níi dâai mǎi): Is this price OK? (show the number on your phone)
If the seller says no, that is fine. Say ไม่เป็นไร (mâi bpen rai), which means "No problem", and smile. Sometimes the seller will call you back with a better offer. If you really do not want something, a polite ไม่เอาครับ / ค่ะ (mâi ao kráp / kâ), meaning "No, thank you", is enough.
Paying and Saying Goodbye
Many market sellers in Bangkok now have a QR code for payment, but cash is still common at small stalls.
- สแกนจ่ายได้ไหม (sà-gɛɛn jàai dâai mǎi): Can I pay by scanning a QR code?
- จ่ายเงินสดได้ไหม (jàai ngən sòt dâai mǎi): Can I pay in cash?
- ไม่เอาถุง (mâi ao tǔng): No bag, thank you.
- ขอบคุณครับ / ค่ะ (kɔ̀ɔp-kun kráp / kâ): Thank you.
Useful Market Words
- ตลาด (dtà-làat): market
- ตลาดนัด (dtà-làat nát): weekend or pop up market
- ตลาดน้ำ (dtà-làat náam): floating market
- ผลไม้ (pǒn-lá-mái): fruit
- ถุง (tǔng): bag
- เงินทอน (ngən tɔɔn): change (money back)
Practise Before Your Next Market Trip
Try this simple routine: pick one stall, ask the price, ask one extra question (Is it sweet? Do you have other colours?) and say thank you. Three phrases per visit is enough. After a few weekends, these words will come out naturally, and sellers will often smile and chat a little more when they hear you try.
If you would like to practise real conversations like these with a teacher, our Thai classes at Bubble Language School cover everyday situations for life in Bangkok, from beginner to advanced, in group, private, online and hybrid formats.
Want to know more? Message us on LINE Official @ibe_education, email admin@bubblelanguageschool.org, call 092 854 5564, or visit bubblelanguageschool.org. We would love to hear from you!