บทที่ 1 (Lesson 1) — Greetings & Introductions

Introduction

The first words you'll use in Thai are greetings. Thai has one versatile greeting word — สวัสดี (sà-wàt-dii) — that works for hello, goodbye, and general well-wishing. Combined with the polite particle, it's your key to making a good first impression.

The Universal Greeting

Time-Specific Greetings

While สวัสดี works anytime, you can also use:

Introducing Yourself

Key Phrases

The Wai (ไหว้)

The traditional Thai greeting gesture:

1. Press palms together at chest level, fingers pointing up
2. Bow slightly from the shoulders
3. Say สวัสดี + polite particle

When to wai:

• Meeting someone for the first time
• Greeting elders or superiors
• Showing respect or gratitude
• Formal situations

When NOT to wai:

• To children younger than you
• To service workers (a smile is fine)
• When your hands are full (nod instead)

Countries & Nationalities

Sample Conversation

A: สวัสดีครับ/ค่ะ (Hello) B: สวัสดีครับ/ค่ะ (Hello) A: ผม/ดิฉันชื่อจอห์น คุณชื่ออะไรครับ/คะ (My name is John. What's your name?) B: ดิฉันชื่อสมศรีค่ะ ยินดีที่ได้รู้จักค่ะ (My name is Somsri. Nice to meet you.) A: ยินดีที่ได้รู้จักครับ (Nice to meet you too.)

Key Points

1. สวัสดี works everywhere: Morning, afternoon, evening, hello, goodbye
2. Always add polite particle: ครับ for men, ค่ะ/คะ for women
3. Wai appropriately: Match the depth to the relationship
4. Smile: It's called the Land of Smiles for a reason!

What's Next

In Lesson 2, you'll master the polite particle system — the key to speaking properly in all situations.