The Thai language contains a great number of compound words formed from a noun and one or more qualifying or descriptive words. Some of these words you have already met but it will help you to enlarge your vocabulary if we draw attention to certain important groups at this stage.

1. Compounds with PAH (ผ้า) “Cloth”.

   	PAH CHET NAH	ผ้าเช็ดหน้า	Handkerchief. (Cloth wipe face)
   	PAH CHET DTOO-A	ผ้าเช็ดตัว	Towel. (Cloth wipe body)
   	PAH CHET MEU	ผ้าเช็ดมือ	Napkin, Serviette. (Cloth wipe hands)
   	PAH POOK KOR	ผ้าผูกคอ	Necktie. (Cloth tie throat)
   	PAH POO DTO	ผ้าปูโต็ะ	Tablecloth. (Cloth cover table)

2. Compounds with RONG (โรง) “A building” or “A shed”.

   	RONG NUNG	โรงหนัง	Movie hall, Cinema hall.
   	RONG NGAHN	โรงงาน	Factory. (Work building)
   	RONG RAAM	โรงแรม	Hotel. (Lodging building)
   	RONG PA-YAHBAHN	โรงพยาบาล	Hospital. (Nursing building)
   	RONG ROT	โรงรถ	Garage. (Motor car building)

3. Compounds with KEU-ANG (เครื่อง).

   KREU-ANG has the rather varied meanings of “an instrument”, “a utensil”, “equipment for”, “appliances” etc. and forms a large number of miscellaneous nouns.

   	KREU-ANG BIN	เครื่องบิน	Aeroplane. (Flying machine)
   	KREU-ANG KEE-AN	เครื่องเขียน	Stationary. (Writing things)
   	KREU-ANG LEN	เครื่องเล่น	Toys. (Playing things)
   	KREU-ANG MEU	เครื่องมือ	Tools. (Hand things)
   	KREU-ANG JUK	เครื่องจักร	A machine.
   	KREU-ANG GRAPORNG	เครื่องกระป๋อง	Tinned goods.
   	KREU-ANG KROO-A	เครื่องครัว	Kitchen utensils.
   	KREU-ANG DEUM	เครื่องดื่ม	Drinks. (Drinking things)

4. Compounds with RAHN (ร้าน) “A shop” and KAI (ขาย) “To sell”.

   With the help of these two words we can make up the names of most sorts of shops.

   	RAHN KAI YAH	ร้านขายยา	Chemist shop.
   	RAHN KAI PAH	ร้านขายผ้า	Soft goods shop.
   	RAHN KAI KREU-ANG GRAPORNG	ร้านขายเครื่อง กระป๋อง	Grocery. (Shop sell tinned goods)
   	RAHN KAI AH-HAHN	ร้านขายอาหาร	Eating house, Coffee shop.

   A more formal word for “restaurant” is PUTDTAHKAHN (ภัตตาคาร) but this though commonly used in writing is seldom met with in conversation.

   It should be noted that in Thailand there are really no such things as butchers shops, fruit shops, greengrocers shops etc. as all these things are normally sold in the market.

5. Compounds with ROT (รถ) “A vehicle”.

   Throughout this book we have used the word ROT for “a motor car”. Strictly speaking the correct word is ROT YON made up from ROT “a mechanical vehicle” and YON “an engine”, but in all ordinary conversation and even in writing unless there is some chance of being misunderstood, the word ROT alone is used.

   Other combinations with ROT which are always given in full are:

   	ROT FY	รถไฟ	Railway train.
   	ROT RAHNG	รถราง	Tram. (Rail vehicle)
   	ROT BUS	รถบัส	Bus.
   	ROT MAY	รถเมล์	Bus. (Mail vehicle)
   	ROT PRAJUM TAHNG	รถประจำทาง	Bus. (Vehicle on regular route)
   	ROT DUP PLERNG	รถดับเพลิง	Fire engine. (Vehicle extinguish blaze)

6. Compounds with BY (ใบ) “A leaf” or “A leaflet”.

   The word BY which you first met as a classifier for round and hollow things and then as the word for “a leaf”, also has the meaning of “a leaflet” or small piece of paper, and is used in a number of compound words in everyday use.

   	BY ANOOYAHT	ใบอนุญาต	Licence. (Permission leaflet)
   	BY RUP NGERN	ใบรับเงิน	Receipt. (Leaflet receive money)
   	BY SET	ใบเสร็จ	Receipt.
   	BY PLIW	ใบปลิว	Leaflet, handbill.
   	BY REU-A	ใบเรือ	A sail.
   	BY SONG SIN KAH	ใบส่งสินค้า	Bill of lading. (Leaflet send goods)

Although if you get stuck you can often make up your own words for unfamiliar things in this way, don’t be surprised if you are not understood straight away as if there is a proper word for something a Thai may not recognise your improvisation immediately.

Generated by Lyndon Hill on Thu Jul 20 18:40:34 BST 2006.

Copyright remains with the original authors.