Learn Thai Like a Local

1. Ordering Thai food for beginners
2. How to say chicken in Thai
3. How to order food in Thai examples
4. How to ask for spicy food in Thai
   1. How to say very spicy or medium spicy in Thai?
5. How to say not too spicy in Thai
6. Summary of useful vocabularies for “how to order food in Thai”

How to order food in Thai language? If you go to the restaurants in Thailand, especially local restaurants, you may want to learn how to order food in Thai beforehand as they may not understand what you are trying to say in English.

In this blog we will learn Thai about important vocabularies you should know about “how to order food in Thai” and sentences examples for using them next time you go to restaurants in Thailand.

Ordering Thai food for beginners

Ao + name of the food + number + kráp / kà

The easiest way you can say for how to order food in Thai is by starting with the word “ao” which means take or want in Thai, follow by name of the food and number of the food you want and end with polite ending words in Thai “kráp / kà”

Note: you should not forget to add polite ending words at the end of sentences as it will sound too harsh without it. If you add “kráp / kà” at the end when you order food, it sounds like you say “please” in English.

Tips: It’s okay if you forget to say the word “take” or want “ao” at the beginning of the sentences as the most important thing is the name of the food you want, how many of it and ask politely.

How to say chicken in Thai

Chicken in Thai is gài (ไก่). Many types of food in Thailand come with an option of a variety of meat. If you want the food specifically with chicken, you have to tell “gài (ไก่)” after the name of the food such as “stir fried Thai basil with chicken = pàt-grà-prao gài (ผัดกระเพราไก่)” 

How to order food in Thai examples

• I would like to take 1 chicken pad thai please. = ao pàt-tai gài 1 kráp / kà (เอาผัดไทยไก่ 1 ครับ / ค่ะ)
• I would like to take 1 stir fried Thai basil with chicken = ao pàt-grà-prao gài 1 kráp / kà (เอากระเพราไก่ 1 ครับ / ค่ะ)

There are some types of food that you can order in 2 ways.

• A dish of food with rice. 

A dish of food with rice is a typical way to order for eating alone and when you do not want a big portion. It is also cheaper than a big portion of food and ordering rice extra. In thai, it is called “aa-hăan jaan diiao (อาหารจานเดียว)”.

To order a dish of food with rice in Thai, you can say the name of the food and add the word “ราดข้าว (gàp kâao)” which means put it on top of the rice. For example, I would like to take a dish of garlic chicken with rice. = ao gài tôot grà-tiiam râat kâao 1 kráp / kà (เอาไก่ทอดกระเทียมราดข้าว 1 ครับ / ค่ะ)

• A big portion of food and order rice extra. 

Food menus to eat with rice called “gàp kâao (กับข้าว)” such as dtôm-yam (ต้มยำ), dtôm kàa (ต้มข่า), etc.

To order a big portion of food and order extra rice in Thai, you can say the name of the food and “with 1 dish of rice”. For example, I would like to take shrimp tom yum with a dish of rice. = ao dtôm-yam gûng gàp kâao 1 jaan krap / ka (เอาต้มยำกุ้งกับข้าว 1 จานครับ / ค่ะ)

How to ask for spicy food in Thai

Spicy in Thai is pèt (เผ็ด). If you love to eat spicy food, you can tell at the restaurant by adding this word after. 

How to say very spicy or medium spicy in Thai?

• Very spicy = pèt mâak (เผ็ดมาก)
• Medium spicy = pèt bpaan-glaang (เผ็ดปานกลาง)

For example, I would like to take 1 very spicy / medium spicy stir fried Thai basil with chicken = ao pàt-grà-prao gài pèt mâak / bpaan-glaang 1 kráp / kà (เอากระเพราไก่ เผ็ดมาก / ปานกลาง 1 ครับ / ค่ะ)

How to say not too spicy in Thai

Too much in Thai is gooen-bpai (เกินไป) so not too spicy in Thai would be “mâi pèt gern-bpai (ไม่เผ็ดเกินไป)”

A little bit spicy is pèt nít-nàwi (เผ็ดนิดหน่อย). If you want the food not too spicy in Thai, you can add the word no (mâi) by saying ao pàt-grà-prao gài mâi pèt 1 kráp / kà (เอาผัดกระเพราไก่ไม่เผ็ด 1 ครับ/ค่ะ) or saying a little bit spicy by saying ao pàt-grà-prao gài pèt nít-nàwi 1 kráp / kà (เอาผัดกระเพราไก่เผ็ดนิดหน่อย 1 ครับ / ค่ะ).

Summary of useful vocabularies for “how to order food in Thai”

• Take / want = ao (เอา)
• Number 1 = nùeng (หนึ่ง)
• Polite ending word for man or boy = kráp (ครับ)
• Polite ending word for woman or girl = kà (ค่ะ)
• Chicken = gài (ไก่)
• Shrimp = gûng (กุ้ง)
• A dish of food with rice = aa-hăan jaan diiao (อาหารจานเดียว)
• Food = aa-hăan (อาหาร)
• A dish = jaan (จาน)
• Fried = tôot (ทอด) 
• Garlic = grà-tiiam (กระเทียม)
• A big portion of food = gàp kâao (กับข้าว)
• With = gàp (กับ)
• Rice = kâao (ข้าว)
• Spicy = pèt (เผ็ด)
• Very = mâak (มาก)
• Medium = bpaan-glaang (ปานกลาง)
• A little bit = nít-nàwi (นิดหน่อย)
• Too much = gooen-bpai (เกินไป) 
• No = mâi (ไม่)

And these are useful vocabs and examples of sentences you should know to be able to answer “how to order food in Thai”, tips for ordering Thai food for beginners, how to order food in Thai examples, how to say chicken in Thai, how to ask for spicy food in Thai and how to say not too spicy in Thai. You can learn also about how to order coffee in Thai here.

If you want to learn more about daily life vocabularies and useful sentences under food topics and many more to be able to speak and communicate with locals in the future, try a trial class with Learn Thai Like A Local and experience how you can learn Thai online successfully and happily!