Thai Phrases for Love, Dating, and Relationships
In this article, we will learn Thai phrases and vocabulary words that are useful for love, dating, and relationships. The phrases are provided with audio recordings so you can hear the proper pronunciation.
Alongside these Thai phrases and vocabulary words, we will point out aspects of Thai culture that are relevant to dating, love, and relationships.
Dating someone from Thailand can be tricky for most foreigners. Apart from the language barrier, Thai culture is very delicate when it comes to the whole idea of ‘Dating’ in general.
Thai flirting phrases and pick-up lines
Whether you are seeking a romantic date or a serious relationship with a Thai person, it is always preferred to make your move with a friendly opening line.
สวัสดีครับ/ค่ะ เธอชื่ออะไรหรอ(sa-wat-dee krap/ka ter cheu a-rai ror)
“Hello, may I know your name?.”
This is the most classic opening line in Thai that works in most situations and is also a polite way of introducing oneself.
เห็นเธอนั่งอยู่คนเดียว กลัวเธอเหงาเลยเข้ามาทัก(hen ter nang yoo kon diieow gluua ter ngao loiie kao maa tak)
“I saw you sitting alone. I don’t want you to get bored and maybe you want company.”
This sentence is perfect for a situation where you see someone sitting in a bar alone, and you want to start a conversation with him/her.
ขอเบอร์เธอหน่อยได้ไหม(kor ber ter noi daai mai)
“Can I have your phone number?”
You can replace « เบอร์ » or phone number with other social media accounts such as Line ID, Instagram, Facebook, etc. by transliterating those platform’s names, and it will be understood by Thai people.
เธอมีแฟนหรือยัง(ter mee faen reu yang)
“Are you seeing someone?”
This question helps you see the possibility of moving things forward with that person. Though it’s not common to ask this question in the first encounter, Thai people don’t mind being asked.
กินข้าวหรือยังไป กินข้าวด้วยกันไหม(gin kaao reu yang bpai gin kaao duuay gan mai)
“Have you eaten anything? Do you want to go have food with me?.”
This question is how Thai people show someone that they care about that person's well-being. If you are lucky, you might get to go on a date with him/her afterward.
อย่าทำงานหนักจนลืมกินข้าวนะ เราเป็นห่วง(yaa tam ngaan nak jon leum gin kaao na rao bpen huuang)
“Don’t overwork and forget to have something. I am worried about you.”
Thais use this sentence to show their concerns to someone they like.
ทำอะไรอยู่หรอ หรือว่าคิดถึงเราอยู่(tam a-rai yoo ror reu waa kit teung rao yoo)
“What are you doing? I guess you’re thinking of me.”
If you are wondering what that person is doing, use this sentence and top it up with a flirty ending
ถ้าเธอชอบอะไรน่ารักๆ ต้องเป็นเราแล้วล่ะ(taa ter chop a-rai naa rak ๆ dtong bpen rao laew la)
“If you like something cute, then you must like me.”
The sentence suggested that the person you are talking to might like you too. It is a cute way of seducing someone in Thai.
(ๆ is a character used to indicate the previous word is repeated)
(chuuang nee doo lae dtuua eng duuay na)
“Please take care of yourself.”
This is a Thai way of signaling someone about your feelings together with telling him/her that you care.
ถ้าเธอยังไม่นอน ลองเข้ามาในใจเราก่อนได้นะ(taa ter yang mai non long kao maa nai jai rao gon daai na)
“If you haven’t slept yet, do you want to come hang out in my heart? ”
This line can be used as a pick-up line before going to bed.
เธอน่ารักยังงี้ใครจะทนไหว(ter naa rak yang ngee krai ja ton wai)
“You are so cute. I doubt that anyone can stand it.”
This sentence is used to compliment someone about his/her loveliness.
If you are interested in learning more about how to give compliments in Thai, check out this article on Thai compliments.
Here are the two extra sentences that most Thai people like to hear:
ขอเลขบัญชีหน่อย เรามีของขวัญจะให้(kor lek ban-chee noi rao mee kong kwan ja hai)
“Can I have your bank account? I have a surprise for you.” เงินพอใช้รึเปล่าเดี่ยวเราโอนให้นะ
(ngern por chai reu bplao diieow rao ohn hai na)
“Do you have enough money? If not, let me send you some.”
With the advancement of technology, many couples have met through social media globally, and some people use this advantage to scam foreigners.
So, make sure that you can trust that person before sending him/her any money.
Asking someone out on a date in Thai
Inviting someone out on a date is a chance to impress your Thai crush and show him/her who you are. If the date goes well, it might lead to something real in the near future.
วันหยุดนี้ว่างหรือเปล่าไปเที่ยวกันไหม(wan yut nee waang reu bplao bpai tiieow gan mai)
“Are you free this weekend? We could go hang out together.”
You can use this Thai phrase to ask someone out. Thai people like spending their weekends going to a shopping mall or a famous landmark.
มีร้านคาเฟ่เปิดใหม่เราไปลองกันไหม(mee raan kaa-fay bpert mai rao bpai long gan mai)
“There is a new cafe opened. Do you want to go check it out together?”
Going to cafes for a photoshoot is a very famous activity among Thai girls. Be prepared to take a good picture of your date and show her your photography skills.
มีหนังเข้าใหม่สนใจไปดูด้วยกันไหม(mee nang kao mai son jai bpai doo duuay gan mai)
“There is a new movie screening. Do you want to go see it with me?”
Another fun activity that Thai people like to do is watching movies. Make sure that you choose a movie that is your date’s interest to avoid any chances of him/her getting bored.
สนใจมาดูหนังที่ห้องเราไหม(son jai maa doo nang tee hong rao mai)
“Do you want to come over and watch a movie at my place?”
There is no better place to spend time together and get to know that person on another level than inviting him/her to your place.
เราทำกับข้าวเก่งนะอยากลองมาชิมที่ห้องไหม(rao tam gap kaao geng na yaak long maa chim tee hong mai)
“I am good at cooking, you should come over. I will cook for you.”
Thai people rarely say ‘no’ to free food. Plus, this is a good excuse to see your crush by inviting him/her over from dinner or lunch.
After a restaurant date, you can use the following Thai phrase to offer to pay for the food:
เดี่ยวเราเลี้ยงเอง(diieow rao liiang eng)
“It’s on me.”
Instead of one party bearing the cost, the following Thai phrase can be used to offer to split the bill:
เราหารกันเนอะ(rao haan gan nuh)
“Let’s split the bill.” เดี่ยวรอบหน้าเราเลี้ยง
(diieow rop naa rao liiang)
“Next time is on me.”
If this date goes well you might get to hear this phrase.
Though men are expected to pay for a date, the idea seems not to work any longer after the call-out for equality in Thailand. Both the man and the woman can offer to pay, or they agree on splitting the cost equally.
Confessing your love and tying the knot in Thai
Most Thai people seek a long-term relationship rather than a short one. So, the best way to confess your love to Thai people is to say it as sincerely as possible. Saying it like you mean it is the only way to win a Thai person’s heart.
Here are some phrases you can use to confess your love in Thai:
ฉันรักเธอนะ(chan rak ter na)
“I love you.”
Thais don’t use this phrase often. They only say it when they are sure the other person feels the same way.
ฉันชอบเธอมากเลย(chan chop ter maak loiie)
“I really like you.”
This is a less tense way of confessing your affection to a Thai person.
ฉันตกหลุมรักเธอแล้วละ(chan dtok lum rak ter laew la)
“I fell for you.”
Telling a Thai person that you fall for him/her is one way of confessing your love.
เป็นแฟนเราไหม?(bpen faen rao mai)
“Do you want to be my girlfriend/boyfriend?”
The Thai word แฟน (faen) refers to both girlfriend and boyfriend. You can ask someone to officially be your girlfriend or boyfriend using this question.
Thai people also like to confess their love without using the word ‘love’ in it. Here are some good examples:
ฉันอยู่ตรงนี้ถ้าเธอต้องการ(chan yoo dtrong nae taa ter dtong gaan)
“I will always be here for you.”
This is a nice sentence used to tell someone that you are ready to support them through any obstacle in life.
ขอเป็นกำลังใจเเละอยู่ข้างเธอเสมอนะ(kor bpen gam-lang jai lae yoo kaang ter sa-mer na)
“I will support you and always be by your side.”
Similar to the previous sentence, Thais use this sentence as an encouragement to someone they love.
อนาคตของฉันอยากมีเธออยู่ด้วยนะ(a-naa-kot kong chan yaak mee ter yoo duuay na)
“I want you to be in my future.”
Telling someone that you want him/her to be in the future with you means that you want to be with that person forever.
เธอเติมเต็มในส่วนที่หายไปของฉัน(ter dterm dtem nai suuan tee haai bpai kong chan)
“You're my missing piece.”
Thai people rarely show their affection to their partner in public. This includes any kind of physical contact like kissing, holding hands, and hugging, especially when you haven’t officially asked that person to be your girlfriend or boyfriend yet.
Here is what you can say when you want to plan a future with your significant other.
เราอยากพาเธอไปรู้จักกับครอบครัวเรา(rao yaak paa ter bpai roo jak gap krop kruua rao)
“I want to introduce you to my family.”
Most Thai families are a joint family. When two people love each other, the families of both sides also play a crucial role from the start till the wedding day.
On a traditional Thai wedding day, the parents will escort the couple to their room and wish them good luck before leaving. Now you will get my point.
ลองย้ายมาอยู่ด้วยกันไหม(long yaai maa yoo duuay gan mai)
“Do you want to move in with me?”
In Thailand, it’s considered taboo for a couple to live together before marriage.
Unlike in the West, if a Thai couple wants to move in together, they need to get approval from the family or else they are doing it against society's values.
Nowadays, the younger generation in Thailand isn’t on board with this idea completely. Before inviting your Thai partner to move in with you, just check with him/her in this regard.
เธออยากมีลูกกี่คนหรอ(ter yaak mee look gee kon ror)
“How many children do you want to have?”
Despite sounding like a serious question, Thai people ask this kind of question as a hint to let their partners know that they are ready to settle down.
ลองมาตั้งชื่อลูกกันไหม(long maa dtang cheu look gan mai)
“Do you want to name our kids together?”
Similarly, this question suggests that the speaker might be ready to have a family.
เดี่ยวจะให้พ่อแม่มาขอนะ(diieow ja hai por mae maa kor na)
“My parents will ask for your hands.”
Usually, the guy’s parents will have to talk to the girl’s family for her hands as well as setting the wedding date and time.
Thai people believe in the auspicious occasion. Therefore, the wedding day has to be set by a monk or an astrologer.
When you are ready to settle down with your significant other, here are the Thai phrases used to seal the deal:
แต่งงานกันนะ(dtaeng ngaan gan na)
“Let’s get married. เรามาแต่งงานกันเถอะ
(rao maa dtaeng ngaan gan tuh)
“We should get married.”
To win a Thai person's heart, you have to show your faithfulness and invest your time in the relationship. Courteousness is also another key characteristic that you will need to follow while dating a Thai girl or guy.
