B Level 2.6: Directions in Thai

Study Focus: Directions

• We have learned before how to ask where something is located with the expression ...อยู่ที่ไหน (…yùu thîi nǎi).

• First off is "Go this way," ไปทางนี้ (bpai thaang níi), or "Go that way," ไปทางนั้น (bpai thaang nán).

  • You might also hear เดินตรงไป (dooen dtrong bpai), which means "Go straight."

• The verb "to turn" is เลี้ยว (líiao).

  • So you will likely hear เลี้ยวขวา (líiao khwǎa), which means "Turn right," or เลี้ยวซ้าย (líiao sáai), which means "Turn left."

• The word for "intersection" depends on how many streets intersect.

  • A three-way intersection is called สามแยก (sǎam-yâaek).
  • A four-way intersection is called สี่แยก (sìi-yâaek).
  • In some places, you might also encounter a ห้าแยก (hâa-yâaek), which is a "five-way intersection."
  • We use the preposition ที่ (thîi), meaning "at," when saying where to turn.
  • เลี้ยวขวาที่สี่แยก (líiao khwǎa thîi sìi-yâaek) ➤ "Turn right at the four-way intersection."

• Finally, when you get near your destination, it will likely be located on either the left or right side of the street.

  • So, handy phrases to know in this situation are:
  • อยู่ทางขวามือ (yùu thaang khwǎa-muue) ➤ "It's on the right-hand side"
  • อยู่ทางซ้ายมือ (yùu thaang sáai-muue) ➤ "It's on the left-hand side."

• Example:

  • ธนาคารอยู่ที่ไหนครับไปทางนี้ แล้วเลี้ยวซ้ายที่สามแยก มีธนาคารอยู่ทางขวามือระหว่างร้านอาหารกับร้านกาแฟ

  • (thá-naa-khaan yùu thîi-nǎi khráp.bpai thaang níi. láaeo líiao sáai thîi sǎam-yâaek. mii thá-naa-khaan yùu thaang khwǎa-muue rá-wàang ráan-aa-hǎan gàp ráan-gaa-faae.)

    ➤ "Where is a bank?" "Go this way. Then turn left at the three-way intersection. There is a bank on the right-hand side, between a restaurant and a coffee shop."

Vocabulary & Phrases

• <<เดินตรงไป (dooen dtrong bpai)<<

  • This is a phrase that means "Go straight" or "Walk straight ahead."
  • ตรงไป (dtrong bpai) means "go straight"
  • เดิน (dooen) is the verb "to walk."

• <<ดีจังเลย (dii jang looei)<<

  • This is an often-heard
  • expression when somebody gets good news or a pleasant surprise.
  • ดี (dii) means "good," จัง (jang) is an intensifier that means "really," "so," or "very."
  • We add เลย (looei) for emphasis to make the statement sound definitive.
  • All together, we could translate the phrase as "How great!" or "That really is good."

• <<อยู่ทางขวามือ (yùu thaang khwǎa-muue)<<

  • This phrase means "It's located on the right-hand side."
  • This is a preposition starting with อยู่ (yùu), meaning "to be located," and ทาง (thaang), meaning "way" or "path."
  • ขวามือ (khwǎa-muue) literally means "right hand."
  • We can change this expression to say "It's on the left-hand side" by making it อยู่ทางซ้ายมือ (yùu thaang sáai-muue).

• <<…ก่อน (…gàawn)<<

  • To indicate that an action took place earlier or before something else, we can place the word ก่อน (gàawn) after the verb or at the end of the sentence.
  • ผมคุยโทรศัพท์กับแฟนก่อนนอนทุกคืน (phǒm khui thoo-rá-sàp gàp faaen gàawn naawn thúk khuuen)

  ➤ "I call my girlfriend every night before going to bed."

What You'll Wear at a Thai University

• Thai university students wear uniforms consisting of a white button-up shirt and black slacks for men and a white blouse and black skirt for women.
• Some individualization of the uniforms is allowed.
• There are many shops selling uniform blouses and black skirts of various styles near university campuses.
• Female students often wear tight blouses and short skirts, which is considered fashionable.
• Campaigns are occasionally launched to encourage university students to dress more modestly and prevent a decline in morals.