Jingjok
Two geckos, named by their voices
จิ้งจก
jîng-jòk
Every Thai home has geckos, and Thais name them by the sound they make. The small, pale จิ้งจก lives on your walls and ceiling and makes a quick jok-jok-jok chirp. Many Thais believe in จิ้งจกทัก, 'the gecko greets you': if it chirps just as you step out of the door, it is a warning, so wait a moment before you leave. Nobody minds the little gecko indoors. It eats mosquitoes, and it is part of the house.
Try this today
Next time you hear a chirp from the wall, say จิ้งจก out loud.
The words that carry it
Learn this in “Hello, Thailand” →
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.