Thai Phrases › Practice › Directions dialogue

Thai dialogue: asking the way in Bangkok's old town

One short, real conversation — the one almost every lost visitor has on a Thai street. First you hear it, then you take the lost traveller's side: ask where the night market is, check how far it is, get your map pointed at, confirm the left turn and the straight-ahead stretch, and find the toilet — all in Thai. Every line is spoken aloud, and the full transcript is written out below so you can read along or study offline. New to the words? Warm up with the directions phrases first.

🎯 Your mission

Setting: A street corner in Bangkok's old town. You're lost, your phone map is open, and the night market is somewhere nearby.
You: The lost traveller — you speak only the Thai you've got.
The passerby: Friendly, unhurried, and about to point you down the right street — after you ask the right way.
Your goal: Reach the night market street and find the toilet — all in Thai, without a single pushy word.

Ready 🎧 Listen first (the passerby's text stays hidden until you've heard it)

14 short lines. Wrong answers never end the walk — the passerby reacts, you get a coaching note, and you try the line again.

Read the full conversation

The whole dialogue, line by line. Lines marked new were written for this dialogue and are awaiting a native Thai speaker's proofread; every other line is from the directions phrase list.

Local passerbyสวัสดีครับ ไปไหนครับ new
sà-wàt-dee khráp, pai nǎi khráp
Hello — where are you heading?
Youอยู่ที่ไหน
yòo thêe-nǎi
Where is it?
Local passerbyอยู่ไม่ไกลครับ ตรงไปข้างหน้าครับ new
yòo mâi glai khráp, trong pai khâang-nâa khráp
It's not far — straight ahead.
Youไกลไหม
glai mǎi
Is it far?
Local passerbyไม่ไกลครับ เดินห้านาทีครับ new
mâi glai khráp, dern hâa naa-thee khráp
Not far — a five-minute walk.
Youชี้ในแผนที่ให้หน่อย
chée nai phǎen-thêe hâi nòi
Please point on the map
Local passerbyอยู่บนถนนนี้ครับ new
yòo bon thà-nǒn née khráp
It's on this street.
Youเลี้ยวซ้าย
léeo sáai
Turn left
Local passerbyใช่ครับ เลี้ยวซ้ายครับ new
châi khráp, léeo sáai khráp
Yes — turn left.
Youตรงไปข้างหน้า
trong pai khâang-nâa
Straight ahead
Local passerbyเดินตรงไปสามนาทีครับ new
dern trong pai sǎam naa-thee khráp
Walk straight for three minutes.
Youห้องน้ำอยู่ที่ไหน
hông-náam yòo thêe-nǎi
Where is the toilet?
Local passerbyตรงไปข้างหน้าครับ ห้องน้ำอยู่ซ้ายมือครับ new
trong pai khâang-nâa khráp, hông-náam yòo sáai-mue khráp
Straight ahead — the toilet is on the left.
Youขอบคุณมาก
khòp khun mâak
Thank you very much

What a Thai speaker would say: getting directions runs on two patterns: the place word plus yòo thêe-nǎi (อยู่ที่ไหน, where is it) to ask, and trong pai khâang-nâa (ตรงไปข้างหน้า, straight ahead) plus léeo sáai (เลี้ยวซ้าย, turn left) or léeo khwǎa (เลี้ยวขวา, turn right) to repeat back. Repeat the directions back before you walk off — a nod now saves a wrong turn later — and never add the pushy particle sì (สิ) to a request.

Directions Thai — quick answers

How do you ask where something is in Thai?

Say the place, then yòo thêe-nǎi (อยู่ที่ไหน) — where is it? The place word comes first, so hông-náam yòo thêe-nǎi (ห้องน้ำอยู่ที่ไหน) asks where the toilet is.

How do you ask if somewhere is far in Thai?

Ask glai mǎi (ไกลไหม) — is it far? One word plus mǎi (ไหม, the question particle) is how most yes-or-no questions in Thai are built.

How do you ask someone to point on the map in Thai?

Say chée nai phǎen-thêe hâi nòi (ชี้ในแผนที่ให้หน่อย) — please point on the map. A map plus this sentence beats ten minutes of guessing when you are lost.