You bought the thing easily enough. It is the second visit that stops you: a week later, the fan back in its carrier bag, the receipt somewhere in your wallet, and an assistant asking what is wrong with it. Everyone who lives here makes that walk, and the money back you are picturing is mostly not on offer. An exchange, another size or a store voucher is the realistic outcome, and getting it turns on saying when you bought it and naming the fault flatly: too tight, too loose, it will not switch on. The set runs the arc: sizes, colours and trying something on, instalments and delivery for what you cannot carry, the warranty question that matters in month nine, the paid add-on that sounds like the free cover, the repair slip you should never leave a phone without. What comes back at you is the counter's own questions, the limits that are policy rather than personal, and เดี๋ยว dǐao, in a moment, a promise to go and check.
What you say first.
อันนี้เท่าไหร่ครับ
an-níi thâo-rài khráp
How much is this one?
Male speaker
Point at anything in a market and say this: อันนี้ (an-níi), this one, saves you from needing the word for the thing itself. The vendor will often answer by typing the price on a calculator and turning it toward you, which is normal and not rude. Still, train your ear on the round numbers you will hear constantly: ยี่สิบ (yîi-sìp) twenty, ห้าสิบ (hâa-sìp) fifty, ร้อย (ráwy) a hundred.
Female speaker
อันนี้เท่าไหร่คะ
an-níi thâo-rài khá
ลดหน่อยได้ไหมครับ
lót nàwy dâi mǎi khráp
Can you lower the price a little?
Male speaker
The polite bargaining opener: ลด (lót) means reduce, and หน่อย (nàwy) keeps the request small and friendly. Use it at markets and independent shops, never at 7-Eleven, malls or anywhere with printed price tags. Ask once with a smile; if the answer is ไม่ได้ครับ (mâi dâi khráp), that is the real price and pushing further just sours the exchange. Buying several items is your best leverage: ซื้อสองอันลดได้ไหมครับ (séu sǎwng an lót dâi mǎi khráp), if I buy two can you discount?
Female speaker
ลดหน่อยได้ไหมคะ
lót nàwy dâi mǎi khá
เปลี่ยนได้ไหมครับ
bplìan dâi mǎi khráp
Can I exchange this?
Male speaker
Set your expectations: cash refunds are rare in Thailand, so the realistic ask is an exchange, เปลี่ยน (bplìan). Bring the receipt, ใบเสร็จ (bai-sèt), and go back to the same branch. For clothes, name what you need: ขอเปลี่ยนไซส์ครับ (khǎw bplìan sai khráp), I'd like to change the size. If you do want to try for money back, the word is คืนเงิน (kheun ngoen), return the money, but treat a yes as a pleasant surprise.
Female speaker
เปลี่ยนได้ไหมคะ
bplìan dâi mǎi khá
หมดครับ
mòt khráp
It's sold out. There's none left.
Male speaker
This is one you will HEAR, and it is a single syllable doing a lot of work: หมด (mòt) means used up, none left. A shop says it when the shirt in your size is gone; a food stall says it at 1pm when the good dish is finished, ข้าวหมด (khâao mòt), the rice is gone. Often it comes as หมดแล้วครับ (mòt láew khráp), all gone already. The useful comeback: มีอีกไหมครับ (mii ìik mǎi khráp), do you have any more?
Female speaker
หมดค่ะ
mòt khâ
พี่ครับ
phîi khráp
Excuse me (to a shop assistant).
Male speaker
This is what Thai shoppers actually call across a shop. พี่คะ (phîi khá) if you are a woman. น้อง (náwng) to a young clerk is common between Thais but lands as condescending from a foreigner, so use พี่ whatever their apparent age.
ขอโทษครับ
khǎw-thôot khráp
Excuse me.
Male speaker
The neutral alternative to พี่ครับ, and the safer one in a bank, a phone shop or anywhere the staff wear a uniform. Same word for apologising, so tone of voice carries the difference.
ขอดูอันนี้หน่อยได้ไหมครับ
khǎw duu an-níi nàwy dâi mǎi khráp
Could I have a look at this one?
Male speaker
Use it for anything behind glass or up on a shelf: phones, watches, kitchenware. อัน is the all-purpose classifier when you do not know the right one, and nobody will correct you for it.
มีไซส์ใหญ่กว่านี้ไหมครับ
mii sai yài gwàa níi mǎi khráp
Do you have this in a bigger size?
Male speaker
Hold the item up while you say it. กว่านี้ means 'more than this one', so swap ใหญ่ for เล็ก (lék) to ask for smaller. The answer is either หมดแล้วค่ะ (sold out), ฟรีไซส์ค่ะ (one size only), or รอสักครู่นะคะ while she goes to look.
มีไซส์คนต่างชาติไหมครับ
mii sai khon dtàang-châat mǎi khráp
Do you have sizes for foreigners?
Male speaker
Thai sizing runs one to two sizes small against Western labelling, so an L on the tag is not an L. This question saves the whole rack-by-rack search in markets and small shops.
ขอลองได้ไหมคะ
khǎw lawng dâi mǎi khá
Can I try it on?
Female speaker
ขอ ... ได้ไหม is the all purpose 'may I' frame, and any verb drops into the middle. In a mall she points you to the fitting room; at a market or a street stall the answer is often ลองไม่ได้ค่ะ, and underwear and swimwear never. Note คะ here, not ค่ะ: a woman ends a question with the high tone.
มีสีอื่นไหมคะ
mii sǐi èun mǎi khá
Do you have this in another colour?
Female speaker
สีอื่น is 'another colour' in general. To name one, say สีดำ (sǐi dam, black), สีขาว (sǐi khǎao, white), สีน้ำเงิน (sǐi náam-ngoen, blue) or สีกรมท่า (sǐi grom-thâa, navy).
อันนี้เท่าไหร่ครับ
an-níi thâo-rài khráp
How much is this one?
Male speaker
The sentence you use more than any other. Swap in ตัวนี้ for clothing, คู่นี้ (khûu níi) for shoes, เครื่องนี้ (khrêuang níi) for an appliance. If you miss the number, ask her to write it down.
ทั้งหมดเท่าไหร่คะ
tháng-mòt thâo-rài khá
How much is that altogether?
Female speaker
For a basket of items at a market, where nothing is scanned and the total is done in someone's head. ทั้งหมด also means 'all of it' in any other context.
ลดหน่อยได้ไหมคะ
lót nàwy dâi mǎi khá
Could you knock a bit off?
Female speaker
Bargaining belongs at markets, street stalls and independent shops. Trying it at a mall counter, a chain or 7-Eleven embarrasses everyone. หน่อย keeps it light, and a smile does more than the words.
ถ้าเอาสองตัวลดได้ไหมครับ
thâa ao sǎwng dtua lót dâi mǎi khráp
If I take two, can you give me a discount?
Male speaker
Volume is the argument that actually works in a Thai market, where straight haggling on one item often does not. Swap ตัว for the right classifier: อัน for general things, คู่ for shoes.
จ่ายบัตรได้ไหมครับ
jàai bàt dâi mǎi khráp
Can I pay by card?
Male speaker
Ask before they start ringing it up. Small shops often have a minimum, or add the fee to your bill, in which case you will hear บวกสามเปอร์เซ็นต์ (bùak sǎam bpoe-sen).
สแกนจ่ายได้ไหมครับ
sà-gaen jàai dâi mǎi khráp
Can I pay by scanning the QR code?
Male speaker
PromptPay QR is now the default everywhere down to fruit carts, and is more widely accepted than cards. Show her the payment screen after, since she will want to see the confirmation.
ผ่อนได้ไหมครับ
phàwn dâi mǎi khráp
Can I pay for it in instalments?
Male speaker
ผ่อน is how most Thais buy phones, fridges and mattresses, usually zero interest through a credit card. Foreigners need a Thai credit card for the zero interest deals, so expect to be asked which bank.
ขอเปลี่ยนตัวนี้ได้ไหมครับ
khǎw bplìan dtua níi dâi mǎi khráp
Can I exchange this one?
Male speaker
ตัว is the counter for clothing, so ตัวนี้ is 'this one' for a shirt or a dress. Shoes take คู่นี้ (khûu níi), an appliance เครื่องนี้ (khrêuang níi). Department stores and chains usually allow 7 to 14 days with the tag still attached; market stalls and small shops normally take nothing back once you have paid.
พอดีซื้อไปเมื่อวานครับ
phaw-dii séu bpai mêua-waan khráp
I bought this here yesterday.
Male speaker
Open a return with this before you ask for anything; walking up and demanding a refund lands badly. พอดี softens it to 'as it happens', and ซื้อไป means bought and taken away.
ซื้อไปอาทิตย์ที่แล้วครับ
séu bpai aa-thít thîi láew khráp
I bought it last week.
Male speaker
ที่แล้ว after a time word means 'last': อาทิตย์ที่แล้ว, เดือนที่แล้ว (deuan thîi láew), ปีที่แล้ว (bpii thîi láew). Say the date early, since it decides whether the return window is still open.
ขอเงินคืนได้ไหมครับ
khǎw ngoen kheun dâi mǎi khráp
Can I get a refund?
Male speaker
คืน means to give back, so ขอเงินคืน is literally 'ask for the money back'. Say it with the receipt already in your hand. An exchange or a credit note is the realistic outcome almost everywhere, including Thai department stores; cash back is rare outside foreign chains and online orders.
ไม่ทราบว่ารับประกันกี่ปีครับ
mâi sâap wâa ráp bprà-gan gìi bpii khráp
May I ask how many years' warranty it has?
Male speaker
ไม่ทราบว่า softens a question at a counter and is the register you want in a bank, a phone shop or a service centre. รับประกัน is the collocation printed on the box and used by staff, so you will hear it again in the answer: รับประกันหนึ่งปีค่ะ (ráp bprà-gan nèung bpii khâ).
ยังอยู่ในประกันไหมครับ
yang yùu nai bprà-gan mǎi khráp
Is it still under warranty?
Male speaker
The question that matters in month nine, when the fan or the phone dies. Bring the receipt and the box; the serial number on the box is often what they check.
ส่งซ่อมได้ไหมครับ
sòng sâwm dâi mǎi khráp
Can you send it in for repair?
Male speaker
ส่งซ่อม is sending an item away to a service centre, which is what a shop does rather than fixing it there. Nothing is repaired on the spot except phone screens.
ส่งที่บ้านได้ไหมครับ
sòng thîi bâan dâi mǎi khráp
Can you deliver it to my house?
Male speaker
The question for anything you cannot carry: a fan, a mattress, a gas bottle, a fridge. Have your address written in Thai on your phone to show them.
ติดตั้งให้ไหมครับ
dtìt-dtâng hâi mǎi khráp
Do you install it for me?
Male speaker
Essential for air conditioners, water heaters and wall-mounted anything, where installation is a separate crew and a separate fee. Follow with ค่าติดตั้งเท่าไหร่ครับ (khâa dtìt-dtâng thâo-rài khráp).
ขอใบกำกับภาษีด้วยครับ
khǎw bai gam-gàp phaa-sǐi dûay khráp
Could I have a full tax invoice as well?
Male speaker
Ask before they ring it up: it cannot be issued afterwards at most shops. You will need a name and address, in Thai, and a tax ID if it is for a company. This is the document that matters for a work permit, a company or a condo renovation, not the ordinary ใบเสร็จ.
ที่ซื้อไปคราวที่แล้วดีมากครับ
thîi séu bpai khraao thîi láew dii mâak khráp
The one I bought last time was very good.
Male speaker
Open the second visit with this rather than a question. It tells the stall you came back on purpose, which is the whole basis of the relationship.
มาบ่อยครับ อยู่แถวนี้
maa bàwy khráp yùu thǎew níi
I come here often, I live around here.
Male speaker
The single sentence that converts a foreigner from tourist to neighbour, and it changes the price you are quoted from the next visit on. แถวนี้ is 'around here, this area'.
What they will say back, and how you answer it.
รับอะไรดีคะ
ráp à-rai dii khá
What would you like?
Female speaker
The first thing said to you in most shops, said fast and often before you are through the door. It is an offer, not a demand, and ดูก่อนนะครับ is a complete answer.
สนใจตัวไหนคะ
sǒn-jai dtua nǎi khá
Which one are you interested in?
Female speaker
Asked while you stand at a rack. Point and say อันนี้ครับ (an-níi khráp) or ตัวนี้ครับ, or fall back on ดูก่อนนะครับ.
ดูก่อนนะครับ
duu gàwn ná khráp
I'm just looking for now, thanks.
Male speaker
ก่อน means 'for now, first', which is what makes this polite rather than a brush-off. Say it once with a smile and staff will usually leave you alone.
ลองไม่ได้ค่ะ
lawng mâi dâi khâ
You can't try it on.
Female speaker
Standard at markets, night stalls and small shops, and not personal. It is a hygiene and stock rule, so arguing gets nowhere; ask to hold it up against yourself instead.
ตัวนี้ลองได้ แต่ตัวนั้นลองไม่ได้ค่ะ
dtua níi lawng dâi dtàe dtua nán lawng mâi dâi khâ
You can try this one on, but not that one.
Female speaker
Usually the split is between outerwear and anything worn next to the skin. นี้ is 'this' near you, นั้น 'that' near her.
ฟรีไซส์ค่ะ ไซส์เดียว
frii-sai khâ sai diao
It's free size, one size only.
Female speaker
ฟรีไซส์ is the wall behind most non-answers to the bigger-size question, and it means one Thai-cut size for everyone. Hearing it is your signal to stop asking and go elsewhere.
ใหญ่สุดมีแค่นี้ค่ะ
yài sùt mii khâe níi khâ
This is the biggest one we have.
Female speaker
สุด after an adjective makes a superlative, so ถูกสุด (thùuk sùt) is cheapest and เล็กสุด (lék sùt) smallest. แค่นี้ is 'only this much' and closes the subject.
สีนี้หมดแล้วค่ะ
sǐi níi mòt láew khâ
This colour is sold out.
Female speaker
หมดแล้ว is 'all gone' and covers stock, sizes and dishes on a menu alike. It is a statement of fact, not a refusal, so the useful next moves are when stock comes in, whether another branch has it, and whether they will order or hold one.
แล้วมีสีอะไรบ้างครับ
láew mii sǐi à-rai bâang khráp
So what colours do you have?
Male speaker
บ้าง is what turns this into 'which ones', plural. Without it you are asking about one single colour and will get one single answer. แล้ว at the front is 'so, then', not the 'already' of หมดแล้ว.
ของจะเข้าเมื่อไหร่ครับ
khǎwng jà khâo mêua-rài khráp
When is the stock coming in?
Male speaker
ของเข้า is the standard phrase for stock arriving. Deliveries in most shops are weekly, so the answer is usually a day of the week or อาทิตย์หน้า (next week).
สาขาอื่นมีไหมครับ
sǎa-khǎa èun mii mǎi khráp
Does another branch have it?
Male speaker
Chains share a stock system and staff will phone another branch for you, which is faster than travelling to check. สาขา is the word on every shopfront sign after the mall name.
สั่งได้ไหมครับ
sàng dâi mǎi khráp
Can you order one in?
Male speaker
สั่ง covers ordering stock, ordering food and giving instructions. In small shops the answer often depends on you paying a deposit, มัดจำ (mát-jam).
ฝากไว้ก่อนได้ไหมครับ
fàak wái gàwn dâi mǎi khráp
Could you hold it for me for now?
Male speaker
ฝากไว้ is leaving something in someone's care, the same verb as leaving a bag at a counter. Small shops will hold an item until the end of the day on your word alone.
ของเข้าแล้วโทรบอกได้ไหมครับ
khǎwng khâo láew thoo bàwk dâi mǎi khráp
When the stock arrives, could you call and let me know?
Male speaker
They will ask for your number straight after. Many shops now use LINE rather than a phone call, so be ready for ขอไลน์ด้วยค่ะ (khǎw lai dûay khâ).
อาทิตย์หน้าเข้าค่ะ
aa-thít nâa khâo khâ
It comes in next week.
Female speaker
หน้า after a time word means 'next': อาทิตย์หน้า, เดือนหน้า (deuan nâa, next month), ปีหน้า (bpii nâa, next year). Treat it as an estimate rather than a date.
สาขาอื่นมีค่ะ เดี๋ยวโทรเช็คให้นะคะ
sǎa-khǎa èun mii khâ dǐao thoo chék hâi ná khá
Another branch has it, I'll ring and check for you.
Female speaker
ให้ after a verb means she is doing it for you, which is the mark of good service Thai. Wait where you are; she will come back with an answer.
ขอเบอร์ด้วยค่ะ
khǎw boe dûay khâ
Could I have your phone number?
Female speaker
เบอร์ is from the English 'number' and means a phone number specifically. Say the digits one by one; if she does not catch them, ask her to write them and read them back.
รอสักครู่นะคะ
raw sàk-khrûu ná khá
Please wait a moment.
Female speaker
The single most frequent sentence a shopper hears in Thailand, and it follows almost every question in this set. It means she is going to deal with you, so stay put rather than repeating yourself.
เดี๋ยวไปดูให้นะคะ
dǐao bpai duu hâi ná khá
I'll go and have a look for you.
Female speaker
เดี๋ยว at the front of a sentence means 'in a moment I'll go and', never a brush-off. Learn to hear it as a promise of action, because it opens half of what staff say to you.
เดี๋ยวเช็คให้นะคะ
dǐao chék hâi ná khá
I'll check for you.
Female speaker
เช็ค is the English 'check', used for stock, prices and bookings alike. She may check on a screen, on paper, or by phoning someone.
เดี๋ยวเรียกหัวหน้าให้นะคะ
dǐao rîak hǔa-nâa hâi ná khá
I'll call the supervisor for you.
Female speaker
What you get after a price dispute or a return she cannot authorise, and it is progress rather than a stall. หัวหน้า is any boss, from a shift leader to a department head.
ลดไม่ได้ครับ ราคาป้ายครับ
lót mâi dâi khráp raa-khaa bpâai khráp
I can't discount it, it's the marked price.
Male speaker
Hardware shops, phone shops and anywhere with a printed tag answer like this, and the man behind the counter genuinely has no authority to change it. Note ครับ: shop staff are not always women.
ราคาสุดท้ายแล้วค่ะ
raa-khaa sùt-tháai láew khâ
That's my final price.
Female speaker
The market close, said once the haggling is over. Push past it and you lose the goodwill you were trading on, so either buy or say ไว้มาใหม่ครับ and walk.
เอาสองตัวลดให้ค่ะ
ao sǎwng dtua lót hâi khâ
Take two and I'll reduce it for you.
Female speaker
The usual counter-offer to a haggle: no discount on one, a real one on two. ลดให้ with ให้ means the reduction is a favour done for you, which is how it is meant to feel.
ผ่อนกี่เดือนครับ
phàwn gìi deuan khráp
Over how many months?
Male speaker
Ten months is the common offer, four and six for smaller amounts. Ask ดอกเบี้ยศูนย์ไหมครับ (dàwk-bîa sǔun mǎi khráp) to confirm it is genuinely zero interest.
เงินสดหรือบัตรคะ
ngoen-sòt rěu bàt khá
Cash or card?
Female speaker
Answer by repeating one of the two words plus a particle: เงินสดครับ or บัตรครับ. For QR, say สแกนครับ.
รับถุงไหมคะ
ráp thǔng mǎi khá
Would you like a bag?
Female speaker
Asked at every till since the plastic bag ban, and in chains a bag usually costs a couple of baht. รับ here is 'take, accept', the same รับ as in รับอะไรดีคะ.
ไม่รับค่ะ มีถุงมาแล้วค่ะ
mâi ráp khâ mii thǔng maa láew khâ
No thanks, I've brought a bag.
Female speaker
Echoing her verb in the negative, ไม่รับ, is how Thai says no to a yes/no question. มา ... แล้ว means you arrived already having done it.
ขอถุงด้วยครับ
khǎw thǔng dûay khráp
Could I have a bag as well?
Male speaker
ขอ ... ด้วยครับ is the frame for asking for a small extra: a bag, a spoon, a receipt. Expect to be charged for the bag in any chain.
มีบัตรสมาชิกไหมคะ
mii bàt sà-maa-chík mǎi khá
Do you have a membership card?
Female speaker
Asked before the total at every chain. ไม่มีครับ ends it; if you live here, the cards are free at the counter and worth having at supermarkets and pharmacies.
สะสมแต้มไหมคะ
sà-sǒm dtâem mǎi khá
Do you want to collect points?
Female speaker
The same question as the member card one, phrased from the points side, and often followed by a request for your phone number instead of a card. ไม่สะสมครับ or ไม่มีครับ both work.
มีครับ
mii khráp
Yes, I have.
Male speaker
Thai answers yes and no by echoing the verb of the question, so มีไหมคะ takes มีครับ or ไม่มีครับ, and a woman says มีค่ะ or ไม่มีค่ะ. ใช่ (châi) is not a general yes: answering ใช่ครับ to มีไหมครับ marks you as a beginner.
ได้ครับ
dâi khráp
Yes, I can. That's fine.
Male speaker
The echo answer to anything asked with ...ได้ไหม, including waiting, paying by card, or coming back tomorrow. The refusal is ไม่ได้ครับ, and staff will say ไม่ได้ค่ะ to you a great deal.
มีใบเสร็จไหมคะ
mii bai-sèt mǎi khá
Do you have the receipt?
Female speaker
The first thing said at any returns counter. If you have it, hand it over and say มีครับ or มีค่ะ. Keep receipts for anything electrical; Thai shops treat the receipt as the warranty document.
มีใบเสร็จไหมครับ
mii bai-sèt mǎi khráp
Do you have the receipt?
Male speaker
The same question in a man's mouth, which is what you will hear at a service centre, a phone repair counter or a hardware shop. Do not assume ค่ะ is simply the shop particle.
มีในมือถือครับ
mii nai meu-thěu khráp
I have it on my phone.
Male speaker
E-receipts are normal at chains now, so this is a real answer rather than an excuse. Have the email or the app open before you say it.
เป็นอะไรคะ
bpen à-rai khá
What's wrong with it?
Female speaker
The very next question after the receipt one, and the point where most learners go silent. The same words asked about a person mean 'what's the matter with you', so context does the work.
มีปัญหาอะไรคะ
mii bpan-hǎa à-rai khá
What problem is there with it?
Female speaker
The counter version of เป็นอะไรคะ, more common in electronics and service centres. Answer with one short sentence and let her ask for more.
ใส่ไม่ได้ครับ
sài mâi dâi khráp
It doesn't fit me.
Male speaker
ใส่ is to wear or put on, so this literally says 'I can't wear it'. It is the standard and entirely acceptable reason for a clothing exchange.
คับไปครับ
káp bpai khráp
It's too tight.
Male speaker
Adjective plus ไป is 'too much of it': แพงไป (phaeng bpai, too expensive), เล็กไป (lék bpai, too small). This is the sentence that gets you the next size up.
หลวมไปค่ะ
lǔam bpai khâ
It's too loose.
Female speaker
The opposite of คับ, and the one you want for anything cut for a broader frame. For shoes, หลวม and คับ are also the words for the fit.
มันเสียครับ
man sǐa khráp
It's broken.
Male speaker
เสีย covers broken, gone off and out of order, from a fan to a lift to fish. มัน is 'it' for objects and is not rude here.
ใช้ไม่ได้เลยครับ
chái mâi dâi loei khráp
It doesn't work at all.
Male speaker
เลย after a negative means 'at all' and is what stops the counter suggesting you try again at home. ใช้ไม่ได้ also means 'not usable, not valid' for a coupon or a card.
เปิดไม่ติดครับ
bpòet mâi dtìt khráp
It won't switch on.
Male speaker
The exact phrase for a device that will not power up, used for fans, motorbikes and air conditioners alike. ติด is 'to catch, to start', so ไม่ติด is 'it won't catch'.
เปลี่ยนได้ แต่คืนเงินไม่ได้ค่ะ
bplìan dâi dtàe kheun ngoen mâi dâi khâ
You can exchange it, but we can't refund it.
Female speaker
The standard policy in most Thai shops, and it is not aimed at you. What is left on the table is a different size, a different colour, or store credit. Cash back is a chain store thing.
งั้นขอเปลี่ยนเป็นไซส์เอ็มครับ
ngán khǎw bplìan bpen sai em khráp
In that case I'll change it to a medium.
Male speaker
งั้น is the spoken 'in that case' and is how you accept the exchange they just offered. เป็น here means 'into', changing one thing into another. Sizes are said with the English letters: เอส (èet), เอ็ม (em), แอล (aen).
คืนเป็นบัตรกำนัลได้ค่ะ
kheun bpen bàt gam-nan dâi khâ
We can refund it as a gift voucher.
Female speaker
The usual middle ground at department stores when cash is refused. The voucher normally has an expiry date, so ask ใช้ได้ถึงเมื่อไหร่ครับ (chái dâi thěung mêua-rài khráp).
ซ่อมกี่วันครับ
sâwm gìi wan khráp
How many days will the repair take?
Male speaker
Ask before you hand anything over, because the item is going to a city you are not in. Two weeks is a normal answer and the estimate slips.
ซ่อมฟรีไหมครับ
sâwm frii mǎi khráp
Is the repair free of charge?
Male speaker
In warranty it should be, but shipping and 'inspection fees' get added, so also ask มีค่าใช้จ่ายอะไรไหมครับ (mii khâa chái jàai à-rai mǎi khráp). Get any charge agreed before you leave the item.
ขอใบรับซ่อมด้วยครับ
khǎw bai ráp sâwm dûay khráp
Could I have the repair receipt?
Male speaker
Never leave a phone or an appliance without this slip. It is the only proof the shop has your item, and you will be asked for it when you come to collect.
หมดประกันแล้วครับ ส่งซ่อมได้ครับ
mòt bprà-gan láew khráp sòng sâwm dâi khráp
The warranty has expired, but we can still send it for repair.
Male speaker
Service centre counters are commonly staffed by men, hence ครับ. หมด is the same 'all used up' as in หมดแล้ว for stock. Ask for the repair estimate before agreeing: ประเมินราคาก่อนได้ไหมครับ (bprà-moen raa-khaa gàwn dâi mǎi khráp).
ประมาณสองอาทิตย์ค่ะ
bprà-maan sǎwng aa-thít khâ
About two weeks.
Female speaker
ประมาณ is 'about, approximately' and attaches to any number, including prices. Treat repair estimates as a floor, not a promise.
เดี๋ยวโทรบอกนะคะ
dǐao thoo bàwk ná khá
We'll call and let you know.
Female speaker
Said when the item goes away for repair or the stock is on order. If nothing comes in a week, phoning them yourself is normal and not rude.
ซื้อประกันเพิ่มไหมคะ
séu bprà-gan phôem mǎi khá
Would you like to buy additional insurance?
Female speaker
This follows every phone, laptop and appliance purchase, and it sounds like the warranty question you just asked. It is a paid add-on: people agree to it thinking they are confirming the free cover. ซื้อ and เพิ่ม are the two words that give it away.
ประกันจอแตกไหมครับ
bprà-gan jaw dtàek mǎi khráp
Does the cover include a cracked screen?
Male speaker
The one thing that actually happens to a phone, and the one thing standard warranties exclude. If the answer is yes, ask กี่ครั้งครับ (gìi khráng khráp), since these policies usually cover one claim.
ราคารวมประกันหรือยังครับ
raa-khaa ruam bprà-gan rěu yang khráp
Does that price already include the insurance?
Male speaker
Ask it before you tap the card, because the add-on is often already in the total on the screen. หรือยัง asks 'or not yet' and gets a straight รวมแล้วค่ะ or ยังค่ะ.
ไม่เอาครับ เอาแค่ประกันศูนย์ครับ
mâi ao khráp ao khâe bprà-gan sǔun khráp
No thanks, just the manufacturer's warranty.
Male speaker
ประกันศูนย์ is the manufacturer's centre warranty, included and honoured nationwide. ประกันร้าน (bprà-gan ráan) is the shop's own cover, usually paid for and worthless once that shop closes. Insist on the first when buying grey market electronics.
ค่าส่งเท่าไหร่ครับ
khâa sòng thâo-rài khráp
How much is the delivery charge?
Male speaker
ค่า in front of a verb or noun makes it a fee: ค่าน้ำ (khâa náam, water bill), ค่าเช่า (khâa châo, rent), ค่าแรง (khâa raeng, labour charge). Ask before agreeing to delivery, not after.
ส่งกี่วันถึงครับ
sòng gìi wan thěung khráp
How many days until it gets here?
Male speaker
ถึง is 'to arrive, to reach'. In town it is often same day or next day; upcountry deliveries run on the shop's own truck and go by area, so ask which day they come to yours.
ส่งฟรีค่ะ
sòng frii khâ
Delivery is free.
Female speaker
Usually free above a spending threshold or within a set radius, so it is worth asking which. ฟรี attaches to anything: ติดตั้งฟรี, จอดฟรี (jàwt frii, free parking).
ส่งเฉพาะในเมืองค่ะ
sòng chà-pháw nai meuang khâ
We only deliver within town.
Female speaker
เฉพาะ is 'only, exclusively' and turns up on signs restricting parking, seating and services. If you live outside the line, ask whether they will deliver for an extra fee: เพิ่มเงินได้ไหมครับ (phôem ngoen dâi mǎi khráp).
เอาอันนี้ครับ
ao an-níi khráp
I'll take this one.
Male speaker
เอา is how you buy, order and choose in Thai, from a market stall to a restaurant. For clothing say เอาตัวนี้ครับ, for shoes เอาคู่นี้ครับ.
เอาตัวนี้ค่ะ
ao dtua níi khâ
I'll take this one.
Female speaker
Same sentence with the clothing classifier, which is the one you will use most in a market. Point as you say it and the transaction is closed.
เอาสองอันครับ
ao sǎwng an khráp
I'll take two.
Male speaker
Number then classifier is the fixed order: สองอัน, สามตัว (sǎam dtua), สี่คู่ (sìi khûu). This is also the sentence that cashes in the two-for-a-discount offer.
ไม่เอาครับ ขอบคุณครับ
mâi ao khráp khàwp-khun khráp
I won't take it, thank you.
Male speaker
The clean way to decline anything from a bag to an insurance add-on to a whole item. ไม่เอาครับ on its own can sound curt, so the ขอบคุณครับ is doing real work.
ขอบคุณมากค่ะ
khàwp-khun mâak khâ
Thank you very much.
Female speaker
Say it whether you bought anything or not, and with a slight nod. Leaving a Thai shop in silence reads as displeasure, even when none was meant.
ไว้มาใหม่ครับ
wái maa mài khráp
I'll come back another time.
Male speaker
The standard way to leave without buying, and it keeps the door open rather than closing the sale badly. Nobody expects you to mean it literally, and nobody minds if you do come back.
ขอบคุณค่ะ โอกาสหน้าเชิญใหม่นะคะ
khàwp-khun khâ oo-gàat nâa choen mài ná khá
Thank you, do come again next time.
Female speaker
The set closing line at counters, said fast and half sung. No reply is needed beyond ขอบคุณครับ.
มาอีกแล้วเหรอคะ
maa ìik láew rǒe khá
You're back again?
Female speaker
Warm, not a complaint, and the sign that you have crossed from customer to regular. เหรอ is the spoken question particle for mild surprise. Answer มาบ่อยครับ or just laugh and say ครับ.
จำได้ค่ะ
jam dâi khâ
I remember you.
Female speaker
Worth more than any discount: being remembered is what gets stock held for you and problems fixed without a receipt. The mirror sentence from your side is จำได้ครับ.
ลูกค้าประจำลดให้ค่ะ
lûuk-kháa bprà-jam lót hâi khâ
Regular customers get a discount.
Female speaker
ลูกค้าประจำ is a regular customer, and becoming one is the real discount available to a resident, larger than anything haggling produces. It is offered, never demanded.
ฝากด้วยนะครับ
fàak dûay ná khráp
I'm in your hands, look after me.
Male speaker
Said when you leave something with someone or hand a problem over: a repair, an order, a favour. It asks for care rather than a service, and Thais use it constantly.
ห้องลองอยู่ตรงนั้นค่ะ
hâwng lawng yùu dtrong nán khâ
The fitting room is over there.
Female speaker
ตรงนั้น (over there) and ตรงนี้ (right here) do most of the pointing in Thai. She may add กี่ตัวคะ, asking how many items you are taking in; answer with a number plus ตัว.
You did not catch it, or something is not right.