How to write "hong teow" (approx. transl.) i.e. cheap single-room housing for rent

[Lannig]

Hello folks,

In a mail I have to send in Thai, I need to refer to these cheap, mostly single-room housing for rent that are common in Thailand.

I usually hear them referred as "hong teow" but I don't know how to write the "teow" part.

Probably not the same word as in "song teow" where it refers to the benches at the back of the pick-up taxis.

Anyone can help?

Thanks in advance.

[Smokin Joe]

ห้องเดี่ยว

[Lannig]

Thanks so much but are you sure? This is for "single room" and I'm pretty sure that I could hear the difference between (phonetically) "dieow" and "teow". And that's the latter I hear when people use it.

[Sattphalat]

IT can be that you thinking about the word

ห้องเช่า common word for single rom apartment, rented.

ให้เช่า - for rent

[cooked]

Thanks so much but are you sure? This is for "single room" and I'm pretty sure that I could hear the difference between (phonetically) "dieow" and "teow". And that's the latter I hear when people use it.

Google the word and you'll see

[Smokin Joe]

Thanks so much but are you sure? This is for "single room" and I'm pretty sure that I could hear the difference between (phonetically) "dieow" and "teow". And that's the latter I hear when people use it.

Google the word and you'll see

Not sure at all but I used Google translate for "Apartment" and that was just the English word written in Thai. The synonyms listed included "Single Room" which seemed to be what you wanted.

[starrdog]

"Probably not the same word as in "song teow" where it refers to the benches at the back of the pick-up taxis."

It very well could be the same word. แถว doesn't mean "bench", it means "line" or "row". So ห้องแถว could be what you're looking for. Do a picture search in google to verify.

[CMBob]

Thanks so much but are you sure? This is for "single room" and I'm pretty sure that I could hear the difference between (phonetically) "dieow" and "teow". And that's the latter I hear when people use it.

Yes, it's right. The ต sounds like a "t" to most people. And "dieow" means single or alone, depending on the context.

[Lannig]

OK, got the answer from a Thai friend. It's actually ห้องแถว with the same exact word as used for the pick-up taxis because "teow" here doesn't mean "bench" as I thought but "row", "line". These housings are usually aligned in a long building, townhouse-style so that's where the name comes from.

Thanks for your inputs anyway.

[KhunBENQ]

ห้องแถว

Like this? Typical "dormitory" for singles (students, migrant workers).

[Lannig]

Yes, exactly this.

it's far from being for this kind of people only. Many complete Thai families living in such housing around where I usually am.

[puukao]

• room (ห้อง is also the classifier for rooms.)

ห้อง เดี่ยว
hôngdìeow

• solo ; alone
• [to be] alone ; single ; sole

• ห้องเช่า [ ห้อง เช่า ]
• hông châo
• [ Noun ]
  • rented room

• This is an approximate indication of how common a word ห้องเช่า is in Thai.