How to say “I would like to order … ” in Thai?
Let’s learn some of the common ways to order food & drinks in Thai below!
Note: You can always put the particles ค่ะ /kâ/ (female speakers) and ครับ /kráp/ (male speakers) in the end of the sentences to increase the politeness level.
เอา /ao/ = [to] want … + noun/object
เอาผัดไทยค่ะ
/ao pàt tai kâ/
(want + food/drinks + polite particle)
= I want Pad Thai.
สั่ง /sàng/ = [to] order …
สั่งเป๊ปซี่ครับ
sàng bpép-sêe kráp
(order + food/drinks + polite particle)
= I want to order Pepsi.
ขอสั่ง /kŏr sàng/ = [to] want to order …
ขอสั่งต้มยำกุ้งครับ
/kŏr sàng dtôm yum gûng kráp/
(want to order + food/drinks + polite particle)
= I want to order Tom Yum Gung.
ขอเป็น /kŏr bpen/ = I’d like …
ขอเป็นน้ำส้มค่ะ
/kŏr bpen náam sôm kâ/
(I’d like* + food/drinks + polite particle)
= I’d like some orange juice, please.
*ขอเป็น /kŏr bpen/ in this context, doesn’t mean “I want to be the orange juice”!
เอาเป็น /ao bpen/ = I’d like …
เอาเป็นน้ำมะนาวค่ะ
/ao bpen náam sôm kâ/
(I’d like + food/drinks + polite particle)
= I’d like some lemon juice, please.
อยากได้ /yàak dâai/ = [to] want to get …
อยากได้น้ำเปล่าค่ะ
/yàak dâai náam bplào kâ/
(want to get + food/drinks + polite particle)
= I’d like some drinking water.
ขอ /kŏr/ = [to] request …
ขอน้ำแข็งหน่อยค่ะ
/kŏr náam kăeng nòi kâ/
(request + food/drinks + (please) particle* + polite particle)
= I’d like some ice, please.
*หน่อย /nòi/ doesn’t mean please, but it’s a particle added to soften a request or command.
Common Mistakes
DON’T SAY…
X อยากผัดไทยครับ
/yàak pàt tai kráp/
This doesn’t sound natural, and native speakers don’t say it.
We use อยาก /yàak/ + verb such as want to eat, want to go, want to get, etc.
While, we use เอา /ao/ + noun/object such as want Pad Thai, want drinking water, etc.
X ชอบผัดไทยค่ะ
/chôp pàt tai kâ/
This doesn’t mean I’d like Pad Thai.
This means “I like Pad Thai“. It sounds like you just want to tell someone what you like to eat, but you don’t really want to order that food.
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