Jingjok
Two Thais: spoken and written
paa-sǎa-pûut / paa-sǎa-kǐan
Thai has a clear gap between ภาษาพูด and ภาษาเขียน. On signs, forms, labels and the news you meet formal words that people rarely say: รับประทาน for 'eat', ดำเนินการ for 'proceed', ณ for 'at'. In conversation the same people say กิน, ทำ, ที่, drop subjects and particles, and shorten words (ไม่รู้ becomes 'mai-ruu', ยังไง comes from อย่างไร). Neither is more correct; each belongs somewhere. A useful habit: when you learn a word, ask ใช้ตอนไหน ('when do you use it?'). Using written words in chat sounds stiff, and spoken slang in an email to the landlord sounds rude.
Try this today
Find one formal word on a sign today and ask a Thai friend what they'd say instead.
The words that carry it
Learn this in “Learning Thai, in Thai” →
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.