The RID has several phrases which seem to be constructed in a similar manner:

พอเลี้ยงปากเลี้ยงท้อง = พอมีกินมีใช้, พอเลี้ยงตัวได้.

พอมีพอกิน = มีฐานะปานกลาง

พอทำพอกิน = พอกินไปวันหนึ่งๆ

How might we understand these modifiers in use? Do any of these phrases imply "close to poverty; just barely scraping by", "sufficient to live on by not luxurious", "self-sufficient and able to sustain one's self"?

Thanks

Each phrases has a level of how much we have.

พอทำพอกิน - just enough for each day, hardly have excess money for saving.

พอเลี้ยงปากเลี้ยงท้อง - not poor but not extravagant, have some money for saving.

พอมีพอกิน - just having enough, of middle class, just like average middle class people.

พอมีอันจะกิน - rather rich.

But sometimes some middle class people might humble themselves by saying that they are just พอเลี้ยงปากเลี้ยงท้อง or พอทำพอกิน. And, sometimes they might be a little bit exaggerated or saying it in funny way that they are พอมีอันจะกิน.

พอดิบพอดี = exactly ; just right

พอเพียง = sufficiently ; enough

พอกันที = be enough ; be hard to bear

พอควร = moderately ; fairly

พอดูได้ = not bad

พอตัว = considerably

In thai we have use a lot of "Por" in the words. This is some of them. Hope its will joyfully for learn.

Have a nice day everyone

MTLae