Thai for Taxis and Grab: Essential Phrases for Getting Around
Getting around Thailand by taxi, tuk-tuk, or Grab is something you will do almost every day as a visitor or new resident. While many Grab drivers rely on the app's GPS, knowing key Thai phrases will save you time, money, and frustration — especially when the GPS loses signal in Bangkok's concrete jungle or when you need to give real-time directions through narrow soi (side streets).
This guide covers everything from hailing a cab to negotiating fares, giving turn-by-turn directions, and handling common situations that arise during rides.
Getting Started: Telling the Driver Where to Go
The most fundamental pattern for telling a driver your destination is:
ไป + [destination] + ครับ/ค่ะ (bpai + [destination] + kráp/kâ) "Go to [destination], please."
| Thai | Romanization | English |
|---|---|---|
| ไปสนามบินครับ | bpai sà-nǎam-bin kráp | Go to the airport, please. |
| ไปสยามค่ะ | bpai sà-yǎam kâ | Go to Siam, please. |
| ไปโรงแรมครับ | bpai rohng-raem kráp | Go to the hotel, please. |
| ไปสถานีรถไฟครับ | bpai sà-tǎa-nii rót-fai kráp | Go to the train station, please. |
| ไปห้างสรรพสินค้าครับ | bpai hâang-sàp-pá-sǐn-káa kráp | Go to the department store, please. |
If you have the address or location on your phone, you can show it and say:
ไปที่นี่ครับ/ค่ะ (bpai tîi-nîi kráp/kâ) "Go to this place, please." (while pointing at your phone)
Common Destinations
| Thai | Romanization | English |
|---|---|---|
| สนามบิน | sà-nǎam-bin | airport |
| สถานีรถไฟฟ้า | sà-tǎa-nii rót-fai-fáa | BTS station |
| สถานีรถไฟใต้ดิน | sà-tǎa-nii rót-fai-dtâi-din | MRT station |
| โรงพยาบาล | rohng-pá-yaa-baan | hospital |
| ตลาด | dtà-làat | market |
| วัด | wát | temple |
| ท่าเรือ | tâa-ruuea | pier / boat dock |
| ห้างสรรพสินค้า | hâang-sàp-pá-sǐn-káa | department store |
| ซอย | soi | side street / lane |
| แยก | yâek | intersection |
Giving Directions: Left, Right, Straight, and Stop
Once you are in the vehicle, you will often need to guide the driver. These are the essential direction words:
| Thai | Romanization | English |
|---|---|---|
| เลี้ยวซ้าย | líiao sáai | turn left |
| เลี้ยวขวา | líiao kwǎa | turn right |
| ตรงไป | dtrong bpai | go straight |
| จอดตรงนี้ | jàwt dtrong-níi | stop right here |
| จอดตรงนั้น | jàwt dtrong-nán | stop over there |
| กลับรถ | glàp rót | make a U-turn |
| ชิดซ้าย | chít sáai | keep left |
| ชิดขวา | chít kwǎa | keep right |
| เลยไปหน่อย | looei bpai nòi | go a little further |
| ผ่านไปแล้ว | pàan bpai láaeo | we already passed it |
Combining Directions in Sentences
You can build on these basics to give more precise instructions:
- เลี้ยวซ้ายตรงไฟแดง (líiao sáai dtrong fai-daeng) — Turn left at the traffic light.
- เลี้ยวขวาตรงแยก (líiao kwǎa dtrong yâek) — Turn right at the intersection.
- ตรงไปถึงสุดซอย (dtrong bpai tǔeng sùt soi) — Go straight to the end of the soi.
- จอดหน้าเซเว่น (jàwt nâaseh-wen) — Stop in front of 7-Eleven.
- จอดฝั่งซ้ายครับ (jàwt fàng sáai kráp) — Stop on the left side, please.
Using the Meter
One of the most important phrases for Bangkok taxis is asking the driver to use the meter. By law, metered taxis in Bangkok must use the meter when requested, but some drivers — especially near tourist areas — will try to quote a flat fare instead.
เปิดมิเตอร์ได้ไหมครับ/ค่ะ? (bpòet mí-dtêr dâi mái kráp/kâ?) "Can you turn on the meter, please?"
If the driver refuses, you have every right to get out and find another taxi. A polite way to decline:
ไม่เป็นไร ขอบคุณครับ/ค่ะ (mâi bpen rai, kàwp-kun kráp/kâ) "No worries, thank you." (then exit)
Other meter-related phrases:
| Thai | Romanization | English |
|---|---|---|
| มิเตอร์เท่าไหร่ | mí-dtêr tâo-rài | How much is the meter? |
| มิเตอร์เสียหรือเปล่า | mí-dtêr sǐia rǔue bplào | Is the meter broken? |
| ไม่เปิดมิเตอร์ ไม่ไปครับ | mâi bpòet mí-dtêr mâi bpai kráp | No meter, I won't go. |
| เริ่มต้น 35 บาท | rêrm dtôn sǎam-sìp-hâa bàat | Starts at 35 baht. |
Cultural Context: When Meters Are Not Used
There are legitimate situations where the meter is not used. Tuk-tuks and motorcycle taxis (วินมอเตอร์ไซค์ / win maw-dtêr-sai) always negotiate fares — they have no meters. Airport taxi counters add a surcharge on top of the meter fare. Late at night, some taxi drivers will only accept flat fares because they may not get a return passenger. In these cases, negotiating is expected.
Negotiating Fares
When you need to negotiate — for tuk-tuks, motorcycle taxis, or flat-fare situations — use these phrases:
| Thai | Romanization | English |
|---|---|---|
| ไป...เท่าไหร่ | bpai...tâo-rài | How much to go to...? |
| แพงไป | paeng bpai | That's too expensive. |
| ลดได้ไหม | lót dâi mái | Can you reduce the price? |
| ...บาท ได้ไหม | ...bàat dâi mái | How about ... baht? |
| ขอ 100 บาทครับ | kǎw nùeng-ráwy bàat kráp | I'd like 100 baht, please. |
| โอเค ไปเลย | oh-keh bpai looei | OK, let's go. |
A useful negotiating move is to name your price, and if the driver refuses, start walking away politely. More often than not, they will call you back and agree.
Grab App: Thai Phrases You Will See and Need
Grab is the dominant ride-hailing app in Thailand (think Uber). While the app handles most communication, you will still encounter Thai in messages from your driver. Common messages include:
| Thai Message | English Meaning |
|---|---|
| อยู่ตรงไหนครับ | Where are you exactly? |
| มาถึงแล้วครับ | I've arrived. |
| รออยู่ตรงไหนครับ | Where are you waiting? |
| ยกเลิกได้ไหมครับ | Can I cancel? |
| รถติดครับ | There's traffic. |
Useful replies you can type or say:
| Thai | Romanization | English |
|---|---|---|
| รออยู่หน้า... | raw yùu nâa... | I'm waiting in front of... |
| เห็นแล้วครับ | hěn láaeo kráp | I see you. |
| สีอะไรครับ | sǐi à-rai kráp | What color (is your car)? |
| ทะเบียนอะไรครับ | tá-biian à-rai kráp | What's the license plate? |
| ขอรอแป๊บนึงครับ | kǎw raw bpáep nùeng kráp | Please wait a moment. |
| กำลังลงมาครับ | gam-lang long maa kráp | I'm coming down now. |
Traffic Vocabulary
Bangkok traffic is legendary. Here are words you will hear and see constantly:
| Thai | Romanization | English |
|---|---|---|
| รถติด | rót dtìt | traffic jam |
| ไฟแดง | fai daeng | red light |
| ไฟเขียว | fai kǐiao | green light |
| ทางด่วน | taang dùuan | expressway / tollway |
| ค่าทางด่วน | kâa taang dùuan | expressway toll |
| ทางลัด | taang lát | shortcut |
| เลนซ้าย | lehn sáai | left lane |
| วงเวียน | wong-wiian | roundabout |
| สะพาน | sà-paan | bridge |
| ทางแยก | taang yâek | junction / fork |
The Expressway Question
Drivers often ask if you want to take the expressway, which is faster but has tolls that the passenger typically pays:
ขึ้นทางด่วนไหมครับ? (kûen taang dùuan mái kráp?) "Shall we take the expressway?"
Your response:
- ขึ้นเลยครับ (kûen looei kráp) — Yes, take it.
- ไม่ต้องครับ ไปทางข้างล่าง (mâi dtâwng kráp, bpai taang kâang lâang) — No thanks, go the regular way.
Expressway tolls in Bangkok range from 25 to 75 baht per toll booth. It is customary for the passenger to hand the toll money to the driver as you approach the booth.
Useful Phrases for Common Situations
Running Late
- เร็วหน่อยได้ไหมครับ (reo nòi dâi mái kráp) — Can you go a bit faster, please?
- รีบหน่อยครับ เครื่องบินจะออก (rîip nòi kráp, krêuuang-bin jà àwk) — Please hurry, my flight is departing.
Payment
| Thai | Romanization | English |
|---|---|---|
| เท่าไหร่ครับ | tâo-rài kráp | How much? |
| ทอนได้ไหม | tawn dâi mái | Can you make change? |
| มีแบงค์ย่อยไหม | mii baeng yôi mái | Do you have smaller bills? |
| โอนได้ไหม | ohn dâi mái | Can I transfer (mobile payment)? |
| ไม่ต้องทอน | mâi dtâwng tawn | Keep the change. |
Something Is Wrong
- ไม่ใช่ทางนี้ครับ (mâi châi taang níi kráp) — This isn't the right way.
- ผิดทางครับ (pìt taang kráp) — Wrong way.
- ลงตรงนี้ครับ (long dtrong níi kráp) — I'll get out here.
- เปิดแอร์หน่อยได้ไหมครับ (bpòet ae nòi dâi mái kráp) — Can you turn on the AC, please?
Tips for Smooth Rides
Have your destination in Thai on your phone. Even if your pronunciation is good, showing the Thai text eliminates confusion. Google Maps in Thai mode is incredibly useful.
Carry small bills. Taxi fares in Bangkok are cheap by Western standards — often 60 to 150 baht for trips within the city. Handing a driver a 1,000-baht note for a 75-baht fare is a sure way to start the day badly.
Learn the BTS and MRT station names in Thai. These are excellent landmarks for giving directions: "จอดหน้าสถานี BTS อโศก" (jàwt nâa sà-tǎa-nii BTS à-sòhk) — "Stop in front of BTS Asok station."
Be patient in traffic. Saying รถติดมาก (rót dtìt mâak) — "Traffic is really bad" — is a great conversation starter and shows empathy with the driver's daily reality.
With these phrases in your toolkit, you will navigate Thailand's taxis, tuk-tuks, motorcycle taxis, and Grab rides with confidence. Even a few words of Thai effort goes a long way — drivers will appreciate it, and you will often get a friendlier ride and a fairer price as a result.
Want to practice what you've learned?
ThaiLearn has flashcards, games, and quizzes to help you remember what you've learned.
Start Practicing on ThaiLearn →