You can absolutely live in Thailand on English, especially in Phuket and Bangkok. But learning even a little Thai changes how people treat you, warmer service, the odd better price, and a lot of smiles. You don't need lessons to start. Here are the phrases I actually use.
One rule first: be polite
Thai politeness runs on a little word you tack onto the end of a sentence. Men say khrap, women say kha. So 'thank you' becomes khop khun khrap if you're a man, or khop khun kha if you're a woman. Use it constantly, it makes even broken Thai sound respectful, and people notice when you do.
The phrases that earn their keep
- Hello / goodbye: sawasdee khrap/kha
- Thank you: khop khun khrap/kha
- How much?: tao rai?
- Too expensive: phaeng pai
- Delicious: aroi
- Not spicy: mai phet (and mai phet maak for 'not too spicy')
- The bill, please: check bin
- Yes / no: chai / mai chai
- No problem, it's fine: mai pen rai
- Where's the toilet?: hong nam yu nai?
The wai, and a note on tones
The wai, the little palms-together bow, is the standard greeting and thank-you gesture. A small wai with a smile is always welcome. As for tones: yes, Thai is tonal, and yes, you'll say things wrong. It doesn't matter. Locals are warm and forgiving about it, and they'd far rather you tried and fumbled than not tried at all.
Going further
If you catch the bug, a few weeks at a language school will take you a long way, and it's also one of the routes to an education visa (see the visa guide). But for everyday life, the list above plus a smile genuinely covers most of it.
FAQ
Do I need to speak Thai to live in Thailand?
No. You can get by on English, especially in Phuket and Bangkok. But learning a few basic phrases noticeably improves how people treat you, and a little effort goes a long way.
What do khrap and kha mean in Thai?
They're politeness particles added to the end of a sentence: men say khrap, women say kha. They make your Thai sound polite and respectful, so use them often.
What are the most useful Thai phrases?
Start with hello (sawasdee), thank you (khop khun), how much (tao rai), delicious (aroi), not spicy (mai phet) and the bill please (check bin), each followed by khrap or kha.