ไปเยี่ยม bpai yîam visit ; go to see ; call on

ไปหา bpai hăa visit ; go to see ; meet ; go look for

Both of these expressions mean to go to visit somebody; however sometimes when I have used ไปเยี่ยม, to say that I'm going to see someone, I have been asked "What is wrong with them?". It would appear that some Thais assume that you are visiting a sick person when you use ไปเยี่ยม. Is this a normal assumption? Is it best to use ไปหา ?

ขอบคุณ

Hmm... the way I have learned it is, that you use ไปหา for informal situations, and ไปเยี่ยม for more formal situations. I was never made aware of another distinction.

ไปเยี่ยม bpai yîam visit ; go to see ; call on

ไปหา bpai hăa visit ; go to see ; meet ; go look for

Both of these expressions mean to go to visit somebody; however sometimes when I have used ไปเยี่ยม, to say that I'm going to see someone, I have been asked "What is wrong with them?". It would appear that some Thais assume that you are visiting a sick person when you use ไปเยี่ยม. Is this a normal assumption? Is it best to use ไปหา ?

ขอบคุณ

hi loong,

ไปเยี่ยม just means to visit, as you said. it is also the word you use when you go to visit someone who is sick, so there can be a confusion there. but it's still used for general visiting. i don't think that if you said:

จะไปเยี่ยมแม่ที่บ้าน

or

จะแวะไปเยี่ยมเพื่อนก่อนกลับ

that there would be an assumption of the visited person being sick. perhaps if you said:

พรุ่งนี้เราจะต้องไปเยี่ยมคุณปู่

the sickness hypothesis would come up. in other words, it depends a lot on context and how you say it. perhaps a thai native speaker can comment on this.

leaving that point for a moment, other differences are that you wouldn't use ไปเยี่ยม in reference to visiting someone you don't know or are not familiar with. for example, you wouldn't use it to say you are going to ไปเยี่ยม the dentist, unless you are literally just dropping in to say hello.

you can use ไปหา regardless of whether you are familiar with the person, and whether the visit is for pleasure or other reasons.

all the best.

ไปเยี่ยม bpai yîam visit ; go to see ; call on

ไปหา bpai hăa visit ; go to see ; meet ; go look for

Both of these expressions mean to go to visit somebody; however sometimes when I have used ไปเยี่ยม, to say that I'm going to see someone, I have been asked "What is wrong with them?". It would appear that some Thais assume that you are visiting a sick person when you use ไปเยี่ยม. Is this a normal assumption? Is it best to use ไปหา ?

ขอบคุณ

hi loong,

ไปเยี่ยม just means to visit, as you said. it is also the word you use when you go to visit someone who is sick, so there can be a confusion there. but it's still used for general visiting. i don't think that if you said:

จะไปเยี่ยมแม่ที่บ้าน

or

จะแวะไปเยี่ยมเพื่อนก่อนกลับ

that there would be an assumption of the visited person being sick. perhaps if you said:

พรุ่งนี้เราจะต้องไปเยี่ยมคุณปู่

the sickness hypothesis would come up. in other words, it depends a lot on context and how you say it. perhaps a thai native speaker can comment on this.

leaving that point for a moment, other differences are that you wouldn't use ไปเยี่ยม in reference to visiting someone you don't know or are not familiar with. for example, you wouldn't use it to say you are going to ไปเยี่ยม the dentist, unless you are literally just dropping in to say hello.

you can use ไปหา regardless of whether you are familiar with the person, and whether the visit is for pleasure or other reasons.

all the best.

Great examples Aanon..

ITR