Renting a scooter is the moment most people first need Thai they cannot mime. The shop is quick, the paperwork is thin, and everything you did not check becomes your problem about four minutes later on a road you do not know.
The whole conversation is about ten words long. Ask the price per day, ask for a helmet, look at the tyres, and say something about the brakes before you leave. That is it, and saying it in Thai changes how carefully you get answered.
1In the shop
The whole rental, in ten words.
| เช่ามอเตอร์ไซค์ | châo maw-dtoe-sai | Rent a motorbike | |
| ต่อวัน | dtàaw-wan | Per day | |
| น้ำมันเต็มถัง | náam-man dtem-thǎng | Full tank of gas | |
| หมวกกันน็อคด้วย | mùak-gan-nók dûay | A helmet too | |
| ยางแบน | yaang-baaen | Flat tire | |
| ใบขับขี่ | bai-khàp-khìi | Driver's license | |
| ระวังตำรวจ | rá-wang dtam-rùat | Watch out for police | |
| คืนรถ | khuuen-rót | Return the vehicle | |
| ขับดีๆ | khàp-dii-dii | Drive safely | |
| เติมน้ำมัน | dtoem náam-man | Fill up with gas |
2On the road
What the signs, the police and the petrol station will throw at you.
| ตรงข้าม | dtrong khâam | Opposite | |
| ข้างๆ | khâang-khâang | Next to | |
| มุมถนน | mum thà-nǒn | Street corner | |
| ไฟแดง | fai daaeng | Red light | |
| ทางด่วน | thaang dùan | Expressway | |
| ที่จอดรถ | thîi jàawt rót | Parking | |
| น้ำมัน | náam-man | Gasoline | |
| รถติด | rót dtìt | Traffic jam | |
| ทางม้าลาย | thaang máa-laai | Crosswalk | |
| ป้ายรถเมล์ | bpâai rót-mee | Bus stop | |
| หมวกกันน็อก | mùak gan-nók | Helmet |
3When something is wrong
Broken, doesn't work, I want my deposit back.
| มีปัญหา | mii bpan-hǎa | There's a problem | |
| ไม่ทำงาน | mâi tham-ngaan | Doesn't work | |
| เสีย | sǐia | Broken / out of order | |
| ช้าเกินไป | cháa gooen-bpai | Too slow | |
| ผิดพลาด | phìt-phlâat | Mistake / error | |
| ขอคืนเงิน | khǎaw khuuen-ngoen | I want a refund | |
| รอนานมาก | raaw naan-mâak | Waited too long | |
| ไม่พอใจ | mâi phaaw-jai | Not satisfied | |
| ขอคุยกับผู้จัดการ | khǎaw khui gàp phûu-jàt-gaan | Speak to the manager | |
| ขอโทษที่ทำให้รอ | khǎaw-thôot thîi tham-hâi raaw | Sorry for the wait |
The app has a teacher you can actually talk to. You say it, it tells you what landed and what didn't. 27 languages, no account needed, nothing to download.
Open STKD WRLD →Questions people ask
How do you say "rent a motorbike" in Thai?
เช่ามอเตอร์ไซค์ (châo maw-dtoe-sai). Add ต่อวัน (dtàaw-wan) to ask the price per day.
How do you ask for a helmet in Thai?
หมวกกันน็อคด้วย (mùak-gan-nók dûay), "a helmet too". Rental shops usually have one; they do not always offer it.
Do I need a licence to ride a scooter in Thailand?
You are supposed to hold a licence that covers motorcycles, and an international permit if yours is foreign. Shops do not always ask. The police do, and your travel insurance almost certainly will if anything happens. Check the current rules before you ride.
What do I say if the bike is damaged?
เสีย (sǐia), broken. Photograph every scratch before you leave the shop; that is the argument you are avoiding, not the sentence.
How do you say "flat tire" in Thai?
ยางแบน (yaang-baaen).