Jingjok
แป๊บ, สักครู่ and the art of Thai waiting
bpáep / sàk-krûu
Thai has a whole scale of 'wait'. สักครู่ is the polite one: the bank teller, the receptionist and the call centre say รอสักครู่นะคะ, and recorded voices say it more formally still. แป๊บ (แป๊บนึง, แป๊บเดียว) is the casual one, from friends, vendors and riders. เดี๋ยว points to the near future: เดี๋ยวมา 'back soon', เดี๋ยวโทรกลับ 'I'll call you back'. None of them is a stopwatch. แป๊บเดียว can mean thirty seconds or twenty minutes, and a repairman's เดี๋ยว is not an appointment. Waiting calmly is a social skill here, and visible impatience costs you more goodwill than the minutes cost you time. When you really need a time, ask for a number: อีกกี่นาที 'how many more minutes?'.
Try this today
The next time you need someone to hold on, smile and say รอแป๊บนึงนะ.
The words that carry it
Learn this in “Phone, bank, apps” →
Your first 90 days of Thai
Culture cards in Jingjok are tied to the words that carry them, each ending in one thing to try today.
- WEEKS 1–2 · SURVIVEGreet anyone, pay, and order food and 7-Eleven exactly how you like it.
- WEEKS 3–6 · SETTLE INGet around by taxi, Grab and skytrain, find anything, and handle your landlord.
- WEEKS 7–12 · RUN YOUR LIFEPharmacy, bank, SIM and apps, how you feel, and a weekend away, all in Thai.
The first week is free.