Getting by in Thailand without speaking Thai

Thailand is an easy country to travel without Thai. Most of the time you can point, smile or use an app, and it works. A few situations are worth knowing about before you go.

Massages

Thai massage is everywhere, from shopfronts to hotel spas. One of the best-known places is the traditional massage at Wat Pho in Bangkok. Its own site lists Thai massage at 340 baht for 30 minutes, 520 baht for an hour and 1,040 baht for two hours, open from 08:00 to 19:30.

If you want a particular time or a longer treatment, ask ahead, especially at smaller places that don’t take bookings online.

Clinics and hospitals

Bangkok’s large private hospitals are set up for international patients. Bumrungrad International Hospital, for example, says it employs more than 100 full-time interpreters and that the interpreter service is free; for less common languages, it asks you to contact customer service in advance. You can book online or through its 1378 line.

Smaller clinics are a different matter. Many have no online booking, so a phone call is the usual way in.

In an emergency, Canada’s travel advice for Thailand lists 191 for the police, 1155 for the tourist police and 1669 for medical assistance.

Getting around

Ride-hailing apps make cities simple. Grab and Bolt both list Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket among the Thai cities they serve. For tuk-tuks, agree on the price before you get in.

LINE is how much of Thailand talks

If you install one extra app, make it LINE. LY Corporation, which runs it, says LINE is used by about 54 million people in Thailand, around 80% of the population, and that some 6 million LINE Official Accounts are used by businesses and government agencies.

When you still have to call

There are still moments when the phone wins: a restaurant with no online booking, a clinic you want to see today, a tour or a driver you need to rebook. A few words of Thai go a long way. Polite sentences end with a particle: khráp for men, and khâ or khá for women.

If your Thai stops there, an app like Alfred can make the call in Thai and bring back the answer.