Learn Counting Numbers in Thai: Read 0 to 999 Easily

Welcome to your comprehensive guide to counting numbers in Thai! Whether you’re planning your first trip to Thailand or starting your Thai language journey, mastering numbers is your gateway to confident communication in the Land of Smiles.

Imagine confidently bargaining at the bustling Chatuchak Weekend Market or smoothly telling a taxi driver to go to “soi Sukhumvit 23” without hesitation. Understanding Thai numbers is essential for making the most of your Thai experience.

This Lesson is perfect for travelers, expats, and language enthusiasts, this guide breaks down Thai numbers into easy-to-learn chunks, complete with pronunciation guides and practical examples from daily life in Thailand.

Counting Numbers in Thai: How to count from 1 to 10 in Thai

Ready to start counting in Thai? Let’s begin with the basics!

Number 0-10:

0-zero (ศูนย์ = sŭun)

1-one (หนึ่ง = nùeng)

2-two (สอง = sŏorng)

3-three (สาม = săam)

4-four (สี่ = sèe)

5-five (ห้า = hâa)

6-six (หก = hòg)

7-seven (เจ็ด = djèd)

8-eight (แปด =bpàed)

9-nine (เก้า = gâaw)

10-ten (สิบ sìb)

In the following section, we will explore the essential aspects of communicating phone numbers in Thai. This fundamental skill is crucial for daily interactions in Thailand, whether you’re making business connections or building personal relationships. Understanding how to properly exchange phone numbers in Thai will enhance your communication abilities and demonstrate respect for local customs.

What makes Thai phone numbers unique is their standard format: a string of 10 digits, typically starting with 0 and followed by specific combinations that identify the service.

Common Questions for Asking Phone Numbers:

2.1 Formal Situations:

May I have your phone number, please?

ขอเบอร์โทรศัพท์ของคุณได้ไหมคะ/ครับ? (kŏr ber too-ra-sàb kŏrng kun dâay mái ká/kráb?)

Vocaburary:

ขอ (kŏr) = may I have

เบอร์ (ber) = number

โทรศัพท์ (too-ra-sàb) = telephone

ของ (kŏrng) = of

คุณ (kun) = you

ได้ไหม (dâay mái) = can/could

คะ/ครับ (ká/kráb) = polite particles

Could you share your contact number?

ช่วยบอกเบอร์ติดต่อของคุณได้ไหมคะ/ครับ? (chûay bòorg ber dtìd-dtòor kŏrng kun dâay mái ká/kráb?)

Vocaburary:

ช่วย (chûay) = help/please

บอก (bòorg) = tell

เบอร์ติดต่อ(ber dtìd-dtòor) = contact number

ของคุณ (kŏrng kun) = of you, your

2.2 Casual Situations:

What’s your number? (เบอร์โทรอะไรคะ/ครับ? ber too arai ká/kráb?)

Vocaburary:

อะไร arai = what

Can I get your number? (ขอเบอร์หน่อยได้ไหมคะ/ครับ? kŏr ber nòy dâay mái ká/kráb?)

Vocaburary:

ขอ (kŏr) = ask for

หน่อย (nòy) = a little (makes request softer)

ได้ไหม (dâay mái) = can/could

Sharing Your Phone Number

For Men: My number is 087-809-5221

เบอร์ของผมคือ 087-809-5221 ครับ

(ber kŏrng pŏm kue sŭun-bpàed-djèd- bpàed-sŭun-gâaw-hâa-sŏorng sŏorng nùeng kráb)

For Women:

Option 1: My number is 092-678-9564.

เบอร์ของฉันคือ 092-678-9564 ค่ะ

(ber kŏorng chán kue sŭun-gâaw-sŏorng-hòg-djèd-bpàed-gâaw-hâa-hòg-sèe kâ)

Option 2: My number is 092-678-9564.

เบอร์ของ (ชื่อเล่น) คือ 092-678-9564.

(ber kŏrng (nickname) kue sŭun-gâaw-sŏorng-hòg-djèd-bpàed-gâaw-hâa-hòg-sèe kâ)

Cultural Note: In Thai, women often using their nickname instead of the pronoun “I” (ฉัน chán). It is considered both polite and friendly. This style of speaking creates a warm, approachable tone while maintaining appropriate politeness in conversation.

Fun Facts About Thai Numbers: Cultural Meanings and Superstitions

Did you know that certain numbers in Thai (0-10) carry special meanings? For instance, the number 0 (ศูนย์ sŭun) has a fascinating linguistic connection in Thai language, as it sounds identical to the word “sŭun” (สูญ) – a term meaning “disappearance” or “loss.”

The number 4 (สี่ sèe) sounds like the word “death” (死/si) in Teochew Chinese, a dialect spoken by many Chinese immigrants in Thailand. The number 5 (ห้า hâa) sounds like laughter, which is why Thai people often type “555” in chat messages to express “hahaha”!

The number 6 (หก hòg) shares the same sound as “falling down” (หกล้ม hòg lóm), which has negative connotations. On the other hand, 9 (เก้า gâaw) sounds like “progress” (ก้าวหน้า gâaw-nâa), representing prosperity and advancement.

Interestingly, some Thai people who believe in astrology will change their phone numbers when they feel unlucky, hoping to improve their fortune. While this might seem unusual to outsiders, many truly believe that certain numbers can bring them good luck!

Ready for your next challenge? Let’s discover how to count from 11 to 20 in Thai. You’ll be surprised at how straightforward it is! Unlike some Asian languages, Thai numbers follow a straightforward pattern that makes them relatively easy to learn. Once you master the numbers 0-10, you’ll quickly understand how to form numbers 11-20 using the same basic elements.

Number 11-20:

11-eleven (สิบเอ็ด sìb-èd)

12-twelve – (สิบสอง sìb-sŏorng)

13-thirteen – (สิบสาม sìb-saam)

14 – fourteen (สิบสี่ sìb-sèe)

15 – fifteen (สิบห้า sìb-hâa)

16 – sixteen (สิบหก sìb-hòg)

17 – seventeen (สิบเจ็ด sìb-djèd)

18 – eighteen (สิบแปด sìb-bpàed)

19 – nineteen (สิบเก้า sìb-gâaw)

20 – twenty (ยี่สิบ yêe-sìb)

Numbers 11-19 follow a pattern: they start with สิบ (sìb) followed by the single digit

The only exception are 11, which uses สิบเอ็ด (sìb-èd) instead of สิบหนึ่ง = sìb nùeng

and number 20 uses ยี่สิบ (yêe-sìb), not สองสิบ (sŏorng-sìb)!

Your third Challenge: Number 21-29

In Thai, numbers from 21-29 follow a simple pattern. They start with “yêe-sìb-ยี่สิบ” (twenty) followed by the single digit. But do you know what? In everyday spoken Thai, locals often use shortened forms of numbers! When speaking casually, Thai people often shorten “yêe-sìb” (twenty) to “yêep”. Here’s how locals pronounce numbers 21-29 in daily conversations:

21-Twenty-one (ยี่สิบเอ็ด yêe-sìb-èd / yêeb-èd)

22- Twenty-two – (ยี่สิบสอง yêe-sìb-sŏorng / yêeb-sŏorng)

23 Twenty-three (ยี่สิบสาม yêe-sìb-saam / yêeb-saam)

24 – Twenty-four (ยี่สิบสี่ yêe-sìb-sèe / yêeb-sèe)

25 – Twenty-five (ยี่สิบห้า yêe-sìb-hâa / yêeb-hâa)

26 – Twenty-six (ยี่สิบหก yêe-sìb-hòg / yêeb-hòg)

27 – Twenty-seven (ยี่สิบเจ็ด yêe-sìb-djèd / yêeb-djèd)

28 – Twenty-eight (ยี่สิบแปด yêe-sìb-bpàed / yêeb-bpàed)

29 – Twenty-nine (ยี่สิบเก้า yêe-sìb-gâaw / yêeb-gâaw)

Number 30-100:

Ready to level up your Thai number skills? Once you’ve mastered numbers 1-29, counting from 30 to 100 becomes surprisingly simple! Thai numbers follow a logical pattern that makes them easy to learn and remember. Think of them as building blocks:

30 – thirty (สามสิบ saam-sìb)

40 – forty (sèe-sìb สี่สิบ)

50 – fifty (hâa-sìb ห้าสิบ)

60 – sixty (hòg-sìb หกสิบ)

70 – seventy (djèd-sìb เจ็ดสิบ)

80 – eighty (bpàed-sìb แปดสิบ)

90 – ninety (gâaw-sìb เก้าสิบ)

100 – one hundred (nùeng róoy หนึ่งร้อย, róoy ร้อย)

Now that you’ve mastered Thai numbers from 0 to 999, it’s time to use them in real-life situations! Our next post will teach you how to count Thai large numbers. In this practical lesson, we’ll explore essential Thai shopping vocabulary, including how to ask for prices and negotiate like a local. Get ready to enhance your Thai language skills with these must-know shopping phrases!

Thai Shopping Tip: Reading Prices at Markets

Here’s an insider tip for shopping in Thailand! When you’re browsing clothes at local markets, you’ll often see prices ending in 9 (like 99/189/199 baht). Thai people have a casual way of reading these prices:

Examples:

99 baht: เก้าเก้า gâaw- gâaw = “nine-nine”
189 baht: ร้อยแปดเก้า (róoy- bpàed- gâaw) = “hundred-eight-nine”
199 baht: ร้อยเก้าเก้า (róoy-gâaw- gâaw) = “hundred-nine-nine”

This casual way of reading prices is much more common than the formal pronunciation. Learning this local habit will help you understand prices more easily when shopping!

Thai Shopping Phrases: Basic Price Questions and Bargaining Dialogue

Learn these key phrases to shop confidently at Thai markets! Perfect for tourists and beginners looking to master basic shopping conversations in Thailand.

Basic Price Questions and Bargaining Dialogue

Asking the Price:

Customer: How much is this? (อันนี้ราคาเท่าไหร่คะ/ครับ? an-nee raa-kaa tâo-rài ká/kráb?)

Seller: 199 baht (ร้อยเก้าเก้าค่ะ/ครับ róoy-gâaw-gâaw kâ/kráb)

Bargaining:

Customer: Can you lower the price? (ลดหน่อยได้ไหมคะ/ครับ? lód nòy dâay mái ká/kráb?)

That’s too expensive. (แพงไปค่ะ/ครับ paeng bpai kâ/kráb)

Making a Counteroffer:

Customer: How about 150 baht? (ร้อยห้าสิบได้ไหมคะ/ครับ róoy-hâa-sìb dâay mái ká/kráb?)

Final Agreement:

Seller: Okay, 170 baht, last price (ร้อยเจ็ดสิบ ก็แล้วกันค่ะ/ครับ róoy-djèd-sìb gôr láew gan kâ/kráb)

Shopping Tips: