How To Say "i Am Going To Thailand"?

[Shimokitazawa]

Hi, complete beginner here, learning Thai mainly from a book, because I'll be going to Bangkok on business in a couple of weeks and I like a challenge.

I want to announce this through a blog post with the title "I am going to Thailand" in Thai (there are some people in Thailand who'll be reading it and I want to impress them with my awesome command of the language . Assuming my name is "Jan", is this anything near correct?

คุนแจนไปไทย

(It should say "khun jan bpai thai", but this is the first time I've typed / copied&pasted in Thai so apologies if it's wrong and / or says something rude .

Should I leave out the "คุน" because I'm talking about myself; or should I just say

"พมไปไทย" ("phom bpai thai")? Or am I barking up the wrong tree completely?

Related to that, what is the correct / best / usual way of referring to Thailand? The Thai Wikipedia entry for Thailand is titled "ประเทศไทย", which is evidently not the full formal name ("ราชอาณาจักรไทย") - should I use this, or is plain simple "ไทย" enough?

Any advice gratefully received.

[a3]

In Romanic , the correct way of referring to Thailand is Muang Thai [ Mooang thai ]

The rest of your post is spot on.

[jdinasia]

Phm would be better for written unless everyone knows your name .... then Jan would suffice.

If it is in the future "ja pai" would be better ....

Muang Thai would be better as well or is you REALLY want to impress someone ... get the full name for BKK ..... <about 1 paragraph long>

[a3]

Mere bagatelle....

Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahinthara Ayuthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom Udomratchaniwet Mahasathan Amon Piman Awatan Sathit Sakkathattiya Witsanukam Prasit

Or in short ...Bangers

[Totster]

Muang Thai would be better as well or is you REALLY want to impress someone ... get the full name for BKK ..... <about 1 paragraph long>

Krungthepmahanakhon Amornrattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilokphop Noppharat Ratchathaniburirom Udomratchaniwetmahasathan Amonphiman Awatansathit Sakkathattiyawitsanukamprasit

totster

[a3]

Muang Thai would be better as well or is you REALLY want to impress someone ... get the full name for BKK ..... <about 1 paragraph long>

Krungthepmahanakhon Amornrattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilokphop Noppharat Ratchathaniburirom Udomratchaniwetmahasathan Amonphiman Awatansathit Sakkathattiyawitsanukamprasit

totster

Spaces were a bit pedantic et al...

[Totster]

Spaces were a bit pedantic et al...

As copied..

Translated..

The city of angels, the great city, the residence of the Emerald Buddha, the impregnable city (of Ayutthaya) of God Indra, the grand capital of the world endowed with nine precious gems, the happy city, abounding in an enormous Royal Palace that resembles the heavenly abode where reigns the reincarnated God, a city given by Indra and built by Vishnukarn.

totster

[jdinasia]

ummm any space would be unnecessary wouldn't it?

[Lacoste]

ummm any space would be unnecessary wouldn't it?

Yes it would but dont wory he's just a part timer and anyone can 'google'

[Totster]

ummm any space would be unnecessary wouldn't it?

I would imagine any spaces shown would be to make it easier to read, and not for any other significant reason.

totster

[a3]

ummm any space would be unnecessary wouldn't it?

I would imagine any spaces shown would be to make it easier to read, and not for any other significant reason.

totster

Excuse granted Obi wan....

[meadish_sweetball]

Hi, complete beginner here, learning Thai mainly from a book, because I'll be going to Bangkok on business in a couple of weeks and I like a challenge.

I want to announce this through a blog post with the title "I am going to Thailand" in Thai (there are some people in Thailand who'll be reading it and I want to impress them with my awesome command of the language . Assuming my name is "Jan", is this anything near correct?

คุนแจนไปไทย

(It should say "khun jan bpai thai", but this is the first time I've typed / copied&pasted in Thai so apologies if it's wrong and / or says something rude .

Should I leave out the "คุน" because I'm talking about myself; or should I just say

"พมไปไทย" ("phom bpai thai")? Or am I barking up the wrong tree completely?

Use "pom ja bpai mueang thai" (I will go country/city* thai) as suggested above, if these people are not close friends with whom you are on a first name basis - then you can use your name. You would normally not use "khun" in front of your own name, that is for others to use when addressing you (although I know some teachers in their work refer to themselves as "khun khruu" Mr/Mrs teacher).

The "ja" indicates future tense.

Related to that, what is the correct / best / usual way of referring to Thailand? The Thai Wikipedia entry for Thailand is titled "ประเทศไทย", which is evidently not the full formal name ("ราชอาณาจักรไทย") - should I use this, or is plain simple "ไทย" enough?

Any advice gratefully received.

ประเทศไทย Bpratehd Thai is just a more formal way of saying the same thing. It would be perfectly acceptable for you to say "pom ja bpai bpratehd thai" as well, although it is a bit more formal (you may even be given a compliment for using higher than average language, many Thais appreciate foreigners who try to speak "correctly", but it really depends on the situation and your desired effect.). To just use "thai" is also correct, but sounds even more informal and I would advise against it, if anything for the sake of yourself learning the correct words to use for the future. In sports commentary, newspaper articles and villager speak though, you commonly see just "Thai" used when referring to the country.

*A bit of history - the word "mueang" reflects that South East Asia historically consisted of city states without clearly designated borders. The stronger cities craved tribute from the weaker. The lack of borders is especially interesting. One dispute concerning taxation rights between one "Viet" and one "Thai/Lao" city state was determined by agreeing that all houses built on stilts Lao style would be taxed by the Lao city, and houses built on the ground would be taxed by the Viet state - even if the houses happened to be situated next to each other!

[Tim207]

Hi, complete beginner here, learning Thai mainly from a book, because I'll be going to Bangkok on business in a couple of weeks and I like a challenge.

I want to announce this through a blog post with the title "I am going to Thailand" in Thai (there are some people in Thailand who'll be reading it and I want to impress them with my awesome command of the language . Assuming my name is "Jan", is this anything near correct?

คุนแจนไปไทย

(It should say "khun jan bpai thai", but this is the first time I've typed / copied&pasted in Thai so apologies if it's wrong and / or says something rude .

Should I leave out the "คุน" because I'm talking about myself; or should I just say

"พมไปไทย" ("phom bpai thai")? Or am I barking up the wrong tree completely?

Related to that, what is the correct / best / usual way of referring to Thailand? The Thai Wikipedia entry for Thailand is titled "ประเทศไทย", which is evidently not the full formal name ("ราชอาณาจักรไทย") - should I use this, or is plain simple "ไทย" enough?

Any advice gratefully received.

It does indeed say khun Jan bpai thai. Leave off the khun, and add ja infront of bpai do denote future tense. Also use muang thai or prathet thai rather than just thai. Other than that, pretty good. Mind you I don't know about the Thai spelling, I can read but I can't spell very well. I assume you copy/pasted it together so it should be correct.

[Johpa]

You would normally not use "khun" in front of your own name, that is for others to use when addressing you (although I know some teachers in their work refer to themselves as "khun khruu" Mr/Mrs teacher).

I can't recall anyone refering to themselves in the third person by using khun alone with the name although it is common to address a teacher as khun khruu or khun achaan. But it is very common for people to refer to themselves in the third person. As Svenske noted, in academic settings one normally refers to oneself as khruu or achaan. It did take me some time to refer to myself as achaan when interacting with my students.

In less formal situations, it is the norm to refer to oneself in the third person using familial pronouns such as phii, nong, lung, paa, etc. And when addressing say a stranger who is a generation older than yourself, adressing them as Khun lung/paa is always an appropriate form of address. If the person wishes to maintain some distance or maintain some formality they will refer to themselves as khun lung in return.

[Shimokitazawa]

Thanks for the replies everyone, nice to know I was thinking along the right lines. I'll go for:

ผมจะไปเมืองไทย

I have found one speling mistake in my original post (I think): I wrote "คุน" (khun / kOOn or whatever) but closer inspection reveals it's written "คุณ".

My, what an interesting writing system Thai has . The chart in my book gives six different letters which can be transliterated as "n". Is spelling an issue in Thailand?

Edited October 1, 2006 by Shimokitazawa

[In the Rai!]

Thanks for the replies everyone, nice to know I was thinking along the right lines. I'll go for:

ผมจะไปเมืองไทย

I have found one speling mistake in my original post (I think): I wrote "คุน" (khun / kOOn or whatever) but closer inspection reveals it's written "คุณ".

My, what an interesting writing system Thai has . The chart in my book gives six different letters which can be transliterated as "n". Is spelling an issue in Thailand?

Yes,

spelling is a real tough one!

In The Rai!

[gburns57au]

Just to be pedantic....the question was....How do I say I am going to Thailand

The correct answer would be ....

Phom ja bpai Prathet Thai...

[Rikker]

Nothing wrong with being a pedant, but I don't follow your logic for saying that ประเทศไทย is more valid than เมืองไทย for "Thailand." What, to you, is the crucial difference?

[In the Rai!]

Nothing wrong with being a pedant, but I don't follow your logic for saying that ประเทศไทย is more valid than เมืองไทย for "Thailand." What, to you, is the crucial difference?

I agree with Rikker, no real difference and either way is correct.

ผมจะไปเมืองไทย I am going to go to Thailand

ผมจะไปประเทศไทย I am going to go to the country Thailand

No major differences there in my opinion.

I agree that เมือง on its own means city etc but when it is เมืองไทย it changes the meaning to Thailand.

In The Rai!

[jdinasia]

I would suggest that Pratet is a tish more formal ... as well as more 'correct' when going 'to' somewhere as opposedto being someplace....