The basic word that is used when you place an order in Thai is เอา /ao/. Some people say the word ขอ /kŏr/ is more polite to use when ordering food, but I don’t think it matters.
Important note: As the fact that we use เอา /ao/ to place order, so it can ONLY be followed by a noun or noun phrase. Read more about the right way to use เอา here.
Example;
Waitress: เอาน้ำอะไรคะ /ao náam à-rai ká/ What would you like to drink?
*Thai people ask this question with the structure: ‘you would like to have what drink?’ The word น้ำ/ náam/ literally means ‘water‘, but we also use to refer to ‘drinks’ in general as well.
Male customer: เอาน้ำมะพร้าวครับ /ao náam má-práao kráp/ I would like to have coconut juice.
Waitress: เอาน้ำแข็งมั้ยคะ /ao náam-kăeng mái ká/ Would you like ice?
Male customer: ไม่เอาครับ /mâi ao kráp/ I don’t want it.
From the short conversation above, the word ‘เอา ao‘ is used to place an order as well as ask for order by the waitress.
Sometimes the waiter uses more formal word with the customer when asking for the food order which is the word รับ / ráp/. It has the same meaning as เอา /ao/ , but just more formal.
There are three expressions used to order the bill:
1. เช็คบิล /chék – bin/ This expression is derived from the American English ‘check please’ and the British English ‘bill please’. Thai people just want to say both words! ; )
2. เก็บตังค์ /gèp dtang/ or เก็บเงิน /gèp ngern/ เก็บ /gèp/ means to ‘collect’ , ตังค์ /dyang/ and /ngern/ both means ‘money’
3. คิดตังค์ /kít dtang/ or คิดเงิน /kít ngern/ คิด /kít/ in this context means ‘to charge’ or ‘ to calculate’
There is no right or wrong which word to use. Personally, I like to say เก็บตังค์ /gèp dtang/.
When you want to make a request for something (I usually say that ‘requesting for something you don’t need to pay for’) the word ขอ /kŏr/ is used.
The full pattern that is used to make a request is:
ขอ kŏr + something + หน่อย nòi + ได้มั้ย dâai-mái?
For example;
ขอมีดหน่อยได้มั้ย /kŏr mîid nòi dâi-mái?/ Can I have a knife please?
ขอแก้วเปล่าหน่อยได้มั้ย /kŏr gâew bplàao nòi dâi-mái?/ Can I have an empty glass please?
**Note: The word หน่อย /nòi/ is added for an extra politeness in your request.
In informal spoken Thai, it doesn’t really matter to use the full pattern or either use nòi or dâi-mái? as following:
ขอ kŏr + something + ได้มั้ย dâai-mái?
ขอ kŏr + something + หน่อย nòi
Answers to the exercise in the video:
1. Can I have your phone number please?
ขอเบอร์โทรศัพท์ของคุณหน่อยได้มั้ย
kŏr ber too-rá-sàp kŏrng kun nòi dâai-mái?
เบอร์ /ber/ number
โทรศัพท์ /too-rá-sàp/ phone
2. Can I have wifi password?
ขอรหัสผ่านวายฟายหน่อย
kŏr rá-hàt pàan waai-faai nòi
รหัสผ่าน /rá-hàt pàan/ password
3. Can I have chopsticks please?
ขอตะเกียบหน่อย
kŏr dtà-gìap nòi
ตะเกียบ /dtà-gìap/ chopsticks
I hope you found this lesson useful. If you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comment section below. : )
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I have seen in a video a-nee a-roi, I am sure it was a way of saying the food was delicious, but when I see either word used in other sentences it doesnt seem to match up (i.e. google translate).
The sentence you are talking about is อันนี้อร่อย /an-níi à-ròi/ which is this one is delicious.
อันนี้ an-níi means “this one”, อร่อย à-ròi means “delicious”.
Some example for “อันนี้ /an-níi/ this one” in other sentences:
อันนี้สวย an-níi sŭai = this one is beautiful
อันนี้ไม่ใช่ของเรา an-níi mâi-châi kăwng rao = this one is not ours.
I hope this helps.
What is the waiter saying in the first line of the skit? I heard “Rap arai dee kha?”. I know that the rap is just another word for ao, arai is what, but what is the dee in this context? Thanks!
We use the pattern : question + “dii”? to ask for a suggestion.For example;
– Where shall we go? bpai năi dii?
– What shall we eat? gin à-rai dii?
The server often add ‘dii’ after this question to ask for a suggestion from the customer what id good for them to order. It also makes the question sounds friendly as well.
Hi Mod
What does daai ka and daai-mai mean 🙂
The pattern “do something + ได้ dâai” is used to describe that you can do something. For example; káo gin pêd dâai = She can eat spicy food.
The pattern “do something + ได้มั้ย dâai-mái?” is used when asking a question ‘Can you do something?’ and the response to this question is dâai (yes) or mâi-dâai (no). 🙂
Can i use this word instead for the phone number?
kor ber khong khun dai mai?
Yes you can, that is correct! Geng maak ka! (well done). 😀
well done, useful lesson khop khun krap mod.
Thanks a very up to date lesson as I thought check bin was used in most situations regardless of nationality…
the video not work !
Apologies for the inconvenience. My YouTube channel has been suspended since two days ago. Hopefully it will be back within 4 weeks. In the mean time, you can watch my latest lesson here: https://learnthaiwithmod.com/2013/06/video-telling-time/
I have re-uploaded the videos already. Please have a look. 🙂
Kep tang maï khrap’.kopkun khrap! .Easy .. No?
Yes, it is very easy. You don’t need to use ‘mai’, you can just say ‘Gep dtang krap’. 🙂
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Great staff! Thanks Mod