Thai Politeness: Why 'Eat' Has Five Different Words
Master Thai politeness levels—from street talk to royal vocabulary. Learn the pronouns and particles that signal respect in Thai.
Same action. Five words. Completely different contexts.
Wrong register and you might sound rude, weirdly formal, or—with royal vocabulary—inappropriately familiar. Understanding register is essential for cultural context when communicating in Thailand.
Why So Many Registers?
English has some register variation (“Hello” vs. “Hi” vs. “Hey”). Thai goes much further.
Thai society operates on บุญคุณ (bun-khun)—debt, gratitude, reciprocal obligation. Everyone exists in hierarchical relationships:
- Children → Parents
- Students → Teachers
- Younger → Older
- Employees → Bosses
- Laypeople → Monks
- Everyone → Royalty
Your word choices signal where you stand.
Thai honorifics developed during Sukhothai (1238-1420 CE). The elaborate royal vocabulary—ราชาศัพท์ (rachasap)—emerged during Ayutthaya (1351-1767), borrowing from Khmer court language.
Essential Particles: ครับ and ค่ะ
If you learn nothing else:
| Particle | Who Uses It | When |
|---|---|---|
| ครับ (khráp) | Males | End of statements and questions |
| ค่ะ (khâ) | Females | End of statements |
| คะ (khá) | Females | End of questions |
These have no English translation. Think of them as verbal bows—signals of respect.
Use particles with:
- Strangers
- Service workers
- Anyone older or higher status
- Professional settings
You can omit them with:
- Very close friends
- Children
- Situations with established intimacy
In rapid speech, particles shorten: ครับ → ขอบ or even ค่า.
The Five Main Registers
1. Street Thai (ภาษาพูด)
Used with: Close friends, siblings, people clearly junior to you
กินข้าวยังgin khâao yangEaten yet?Direct, shortest forms. No particles. Slang included. How teenagers talk to each other, how siblings banter. Inappropriate for public or formal situations.
2. Polite/Standard Thai (ภาษาเป็นทางการ)
Used with: Strangers, service staff, colleagues, acquaintances
ทานข้าวแล้วหรือยังครับthaan khâao láaeo rʉ̌ʉ yang khrápHave you eaten yet? (male speaker)Consistent particles. Polite vocabulary (often Pali/Sanskrit loanwords). Your default register as a learner. Practice polite particles with our essential phrases guide.
3. Formal/Literary Thai (ภาษาเขียน)
Used in: Official documents, literature, news broadcasts, academic contexts
บริโภคอาหารbɔɔ-rí-phôok aa-hǎanconsume food (extremely formal)Heavy Pali-Sanskrit vocabulary. Complex grammar. Often incomprehensible to Thais without higher education. You rarely need to produce this.
4. Royal Thai (ราชาศัพท์ - Rachasap)
Used for: Addressing or describing the Thai royal family
เสวยsà-woeieat (royal)Rachasap is a parallel vocabulary created during Ayutthaya, borrowed from Khmer court language. This connects to Thai’s Sanskrit influences. Every common action has a royal equivalent:
| Common | Polite | Royal | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| กิน (gin) | ทาน (thaan) | เสวย (sà-woei) | eat |
| นอน (nɔɔn) | พักผ่อน (phák-phɔ̀ɔn) | บรรทม (ban-thom) | sleep |
| เดิน (dəən) | ดำเนิน (dam-nəən) | เสด็จ (sà-dèt) | walk |
| หัว (hǔa) | ศีรษะ (sǐi-sà) | พระเศียร (phrá-sǐan) | head |
| ตาย (dtaai) | ถึงแก่กรรม (thʉ̌ng-gɛ̀ɛ-gam) | สวรรคต (sà-wǎn-ná-khót) | die |
5. Clerical Thai
Used for: Addressing monks or discussing their activities
Similar to rachasap but smaller. Enables respectful communication with the Buddhist monastic community:
| Common | Clerical | Context |
|---|---|---|
| กิน (gin) | ฉัน (chǎn) | monks eating |
| ให้ (hâi) | ถวาย (thà-wǎai) | giving to monks |
When offering food to a monk, don’t say ให้(hâi). Say ถวาย(thà-wǎai).
Pronouns: The Real Complexity
English has simple pronouns: I, you, he, she. Thai has dozens, each encoding gender, age, status, relationship, and formality.
Common Pronouns
First Person (“I/me”)
Males:
| Pronoun | Romanization | Context |
|---|---|---|
| ผม | phǒm | Polite, standard—use this |
| กู | guu | Vulgar—very close friends only |
| ข้าพเจ้า | khâa-phá-jâo | Very formal, written/official |
Females:
| Pronoun | Romanization | Context |
|---|---|---|
| ดิฉัน | dì-chǎn | Polite, formal, professional |
| ฉัน | chǎn | Casual with equals |
| หนู | nǔu | Children, or women to elders |
| กู | guu | Vulgar—very close friends only |
Second Person (“you”)
| Pronoun | Romanization | Context |
|---|---|---|
| คุณ | khun | Polite, standard—your safe default |
| เธอ | thəə | Informal, close friends |
| ท่าน | thâan | Very respectful, elders/high status |
| มึง | mʉng | Vulgar—only with intimate friends |
Pronoun strategy: Avoid pronouns when possible. Use names, nicknames, or kinship terms instead (พี่(phîi), น้อง(nɔ́ɔng)). This sidesteps complexity and sounds more natural.
Age and Status
Thais often ask your age quickly after meeting. This establishes linguistic hierarchy. Even one year’s difference affects which pronouns and particles work.
Principle: Older = higher status = more polite language required.
Use พี่(phîi) for people somewhat older. Use คุณ(khun) + name for adults. Include particles consistently.
Practical Examples
At a restaurant:
ขอน้ำหนึ่งแก้วครับkhɔ̌ɔ náam nʉ̀ng gɛ̂ɛo khrápWater, one glass, please (male)Polite register with particles.
With a taxi driver:
ไปสุขุมวิทครับbpai Sukhumvit khrápGo to Sukhumvit (male)Polite register. Taxi drivers are strangers deserving respect.
With Thai friends (established relationship):
กินข้าวยังgin khâao yangEaten yet?Casual register. No particles if intimacy allows.
Professional settings:
ขอโทษครับ มีคำถามครับkhɔ̌ɔ-thôot khráp, mii kham-thǎam khrápExcuse me, I have a question (male)Polite to formal register, consistent particles.
The Wai
Language registers pair with the ไหว้ (wâi)—palms pressed together at chest level with a slight bow.
Height signals status:
- Chest level: equals, casual
- Nose level: elders, teachers, respected individuals
- Forehead level: monks, very high-status individuals
You wai:
- People you’re meeting
- Elders
- When thanking someone of higher status
You don’t wai:
- Children
- Service workers (though acknowledgment is kind)
- Monks don’t return wais
As a foreigner, Thais don’t expect perfect wai etiquette. Making the effort shows respect.
The Safe Strategy
When uncertain:
- Use คุณ(khun) as “you”
- Use ผม(phǒm) or ดิฉัน(dì-chǎn) as “I”
- Always include ครับ(khráp) or ค่ะ(khâ)
- Default to polite vocabulary (ทาน instead of กิน)
Why Register Matters
Some learners think: “I’ll just use polite Thai everywhere.” Safer than misusing street Thai, but limiting.
Costs of polite-only:
- Sound stilted with friends — like formal English with close friends
- Miss cultural nuance — Thai movies, songs, social media use all registers
- Can’t navigate complexity — sometimes you need extra respect, sometimes camaraderie
- Limited comprehension — different registers appear in different media
The goal:
- Polite register fluency (your default)
- Register recognition (understanding when you hear them)
- Gradual informal fluency (as relationships develop)
- Royal/clerical awareness (recognition, not production)
Jam Kham’s vocabulary curriculum introduces register-appropriate words for beginners—polite forms first, with casual variants noted for recognition. Active recall practice helps the distinctions stick.
Getting It Right
Thai politeness reflects centuries of social structure encoded in language. The choices aren’t arbitrary.
Start with polite register. Use particles consistently. Pay attention to how Thais adjust speech based on context. Over time, register-switching becomes intuitive.
Thai people notice when foreigners make the effort.
Learn polite Thai vocabulary with proper context and audio. Try Jam Kham free—each word includes register notes and example sentences.
This post completes the Thai Language Essentials series. Start from the beginning: Thai Tones | Thai Script | Thai Language History | Thai Dialects