I have to go to one of the local bike repair garages and get air in my tires. How do I ask for air in my tires in Thai? Something like "air in tire too low. want more air". I figure that would be easier than pointing to the tire and hoping they understand. lol

Air is air like to Bert air = open air con.

Ow air khrap,while still making the shhhhhhhh sound.

เติมยาง

Term yaang, top up the tyres.

point to tyre then facial expression of blowing up a balloon always works for me who has as you see learnt thai quickly.

Have a smart phone? - Speak English into it and play Thai voice out - works for most simple things like this and where is train station or hotel etc. It is standard on my android with kit kat.

Just point at the tire and say:

Ow lohm nit noi dai mai krap

Ow lohm = I want some air

or - Kor lohm = May I have some air (and it's a bit more polite)

nit noi dai mai krap = just makes the request sound more polite

เติมลมหน่อยครับ sounds like

Dterm lom noi krap

Word-for-word translation. "Fill air please."

p.s. If the staff do it, there is 95% chance they will overinflate the tyres. This would happen even if you had mastered all the Thai dialects included the archaic version required at the Royal court.

Edited July 25, 201510 yr by Briggsy

เติมลมหน่อยครับ sounds like

Dterm lom noi krap

Word-for-word translation. "Fill air please."

p.s. If the staff do it, there is 95% chance they will overinflate the tyres. This would happen even if you had mastered all the Thai dialects included the archaic version required at the Royal court.

Briggsy, you are killing me here right now, pissing myself with laughter.

You forgot to mention, even if you have mastered it all, dont assume the guy you are talking to understands a word you are saying.

More than once I have pulled into gas stations, filled up then asked for directions, met with the deer in the headlight look.

Noticed the ma nee noy hand signal, spoke in Thai to the girl who explained.

พม่า,,,, ไม่รู้เรื่อง,,,พูดภาษาไทยไม่ได้

He is Burmese, he doesnt know anything, he cant speak Thai.

Classic stuff, no wonder so many get frustrated.