How To Say "what Else Can I Do"?

[stevehaigh]

how should i say "what else can i do" or "i don't know what else to do"?

thx steve

[bkkrox]

how should i say "what else can i do" or "i don't know what else to do"?

thx steve

phom mai ruu waa ja tawng tam arai eek...should do the trick...roughly translates ....but better wait for further suggestions!!

[CSS]

how should i say "what else can i do" or "i don't know what else to do"?

thx steve

phom mai ruu waa ja tawng tam arai eek(ผมไม่รู้ว่าจะต้องทำอะไรอีก)...should do the trick...roughly translates ....but better wait for further suggestions!!

Bkkrox's sentence should work fine. There's another nice phrase that, to translate somewhat liberally but still hopefully carry the same desired idea, I might tag onto the end of bkkrox's line for fun or say it on its own หมดปัญญา (mod banya)

In this context mod banya could be translated as being 'out of ideas' (of what to do).

Another line to use before this could be something like ทำอะไรก็ไม่ได้ หมดปัญญาแล้ว (Tam arai gah mai dai; mod banya leow) I'd love to have my sentence critiqued or expanded upon so if someone sees something wrong with it or how to make it better please respond. The second part does feel a little abrupt.

[taxexile]

i would say ....

mai roo ja tham arai eek.

[aanon]

how should i say "what else can i do" or "i don't know what else to do"?

thx steve

hi steve,

you have some good responses already, and they are starting to reveal that your original phrases can be used a few different ways. so, perhaps you could give us some context?

are you throwing your hands up in desperation and saying 'i don't know what else to do' or are you helping to set up at a party and you don't know what else you can help with or are you defending something your actions by saying 'what else can i do'? etc.

all the best.

[meadish_sweetball]

If you are asking a rhetorical question in frustration (slightly confrontational), I suggest

'laew ja hai tham yaangrai dii la" (So what would you have me do, then?)

(In my experience Thais are more prone to use "tham yaangrai" as opposed to "tham arai".)

For something more closely related to how I interpret your OP:

'dtaw pai mai ruu (waa) ja tawng tham yaangrai dii'

[SNGLIFE]

I tend to agree with Taxexile, but with a slight modification.

Taxexile says very correctly in common speach:

mai roo ja tham arai eek. = (literal) Don't know will do what more/again = (heard as) I don't know what else I will do.

My spin, because I say this quite often with the Mrs.:

Yaak phom tham arai eek. = Want me do what more? = What more you want me to do?

or

Phom ja taam arai eek, eh? (with a shrug) = I will do what more, eh? = What else can I do?

[SNGLIFE]

Just ran it past the Mrs. and common speach would be:

"Taawng thaam arai eek?" = Have do what more? = What else you want me to do?

The other two suggestions are perfectly fine, but (slapping myself) I have heard her say (clearly annoyed) "Taawng thaam arai eek?" many times when I fuss at her for something like not sorting the wash the way I would sort it before putting it in the washing machine (love is such a beautiful thing!).

One of these days it will get through that red shirts and white shirts should not be washed together just because they are both shirts...

[SNGLIFE]

Finally (another depends on context answer):

Ja hai phom thaam arai eek? = Will give me do what more? = What more you want me to do?

Context: When you want to do something, but circumstances/shortcomings(?) prevent you from doing it and you are a bit frustrated.

[stevehaigh]

"mai roo ja tham arai eek" sounds good because i guess i already know that.

the situation that comes up a lot is my staff ask me how to proceed in a difficult situation. i suggest something which is less then perfect but i'm interested to know if they have any other ideas because i'm all out.

thx steve

[Johpa]

If you are asking a rhetorical question in frustration (slightly confrontational), I suggest

'laew ja hai tham yaangrai dii la" (So what would you have me do, then?)

(In my experience Thais are more prone to use "tham yaangrai" as opposed to "tham arai".)

I agree with Svenske that "ja hai tham yaangrai/arai" is the closest approximation.