Jingjok
The formal letter formula
rian kǎaw sà-daaeng kwaam náp-tǔue
Formal Thai letters and emails follow a fixed shape. They open with เรียน plus the person's title or name, and many official letters add เรื่อง (subject) above it. The body uses formal connectors (ตามที่, เนื่องจาก, จึง). The last line states the purpose: จึงเรียนมาเพื่อโปรดทราบ (for your information) or …เพื่อโปรดพิจารณา (for your consideration), and the letter closes with ขอแสดงความนับถือ above the signature. In everyday business, much of this has moved to LINE, where messages are shorter but still polite: ครับ/ค่ะ, ขอบคุณครับ and a sticker. For government offices, banks and landlords, the full formula is still expected.
Try this today
Write a four-line formal email in Thai to an imaginary landlord using เรียน and ขอแสดงความนับถือ.
The words that carry it
Learn this in “Meetings, emails, negotiation” →
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.