The Two Ways To Ask What? in Thai
What are you thinking? What is your name? Learn how to ask and answer these common questions.

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· published May 18, 2021
· last update June 16, 2021
Note: In Thai, you usually put polite particles at the end of each question. In this article, we skip that, to keep our examples to the point and gender-neutral. But when you speak Thai, please follow the instructions in our article on Thai polite particles and apply them to each sentence.
What...? in Thai
What? questions in the Thai language are formed using one of these patterns:
- อะไร what; whatever
See in Dictionary at the end of the question - ยังไง how
See in Dictionary at the end of the question
What? questions with อะไร
As mentioned above, you simply put อะไร what; whatever
See in Dictionary at the end of the question. To answer, you put the answer in the place of อะไร what; whatever
See in Dictionary.
See in Dictionary at the end of the question. To answer, you put the answer in the place of อะไร what; whatever
See in Dictionary.
Examples
Q: What is your name?
คุณ Ms, Mrs, Mr; you
See in Dictionaryชื่อ name
See in Dictionaryอะไร what; whatever
See in Dictionary?
Literally: You - name - what?
คุณ Ms, Mrs, Mr; you
See in Dictionaryชื่อ name
See in Dictionaryอะไร what; whatever
See in Dictionary?
Literally: You - name - what?
A: My name is Somchai
ผม I (for men); hair
See in Dictionaryชื่อ name
See in Dictionaryสมชัย Somchai
See in Dictionary
Literally: I - name - Somchai
Q: What country are you from?
คุณ Ms, Mrs, Mr; you
See in Dictionaryเป็น be, is, am, are
See in Dictionaryคน person, human; person
See in Dictionaryประเทศ country, nation
See in Dictionaryอะไร what; whatever
See in Dictionary?
Literally: You - be - person - country - what?
ผม I (for men); hair
See in Dictionaryชื่อ name
See in Dictionaryสมชัย Somchai
See in Dictionary
Literally: I - name - Somchai
Q: What country are you from?
คุณ Ms, Mrs, Mr; you
See in Dictionaryเป็น be, is, am, are
See in Dictionaryคน person, human; person
See in Dictionaryประเทศ country, nation
See in Dictionaryอะไร what; whatever
See in Dictionary?
Literally: You - be - person - country - what?
A: I am Thai
ผม I (for men); hair
See in Dictionaryเป็น be, is, am, are
See in Dictionaryคน person, human; person
See in Dictionaryไทย Thai; Thailand
See in Dictionary
Literally: I - be - person - Thai
ผม I (for men); hair
See in Dictionaryเป็น be, is, am, are
See in Dictionaryคน person, human; person
See in Dictionaryไทย Thai; Thailand
See in Dictionary
Literally: I - be - person - Thai
Exceptions
There are two exceptions, when อะไร what; whatever
See in Dictionary is not at the end of the question:
See in Dictionary is not at the end of the question:
- when อยู่ is (located at); live (at); happening now
See in Dictionary is used to express that some action is happening now, then is at the end, and อะไร what; whatever
See in Dictionary is right before อยู่ is (located at); live (at); happening now
See in Dictionary. - อะไร what; whatever
See in Dictionary is placed before directional words. Directional words are, for example, มา come, arrive
See in Dictionary "to come".
Examples for Exceptions
Q: What are you doing (right now)?
คุณ Ms, Mrs, Mr; you
See in Dictionaryทำ do, make, cook
See in Dictionaryอะไร what; whatever
See in Dictionaryอยู่ is (located at); live (at); happening now
See in Dictionary?
Literally: You - do - what? - now
คุณ Ms, Mrs, Mr; you
See in Dictionaryทำ do, make, cook
See in Dictionaryอะไร what; whatever
See in Dictionaryอยู่ is (located at); live (at); happening now
See in Dictionary?
Literally: You - do - what? - now
A: (I am) watching TV
ดู watch, look
See in Dictionaryทีวี TV
See in Dictionaryอยู่ is (located at); live (at); happening now
See in Dictionary
Literally: Watch - TV - now
ดู watch, look
See in Dictionaryทีวี TV
See in Dictionaryอยู่ is (located at); live (at); happening now
See in Dictionary
Literally: Watch - TV - now
Q: What are you thinking (right now)?
คุณ Ms, Mrs, Mr; you
See in Dictionaryคิด think
See in Dictionaryอะไร what; whatever
See in Dictionaryอยู่ is (located at); live (at); happening now
See in Dictionary?
Literally: You - think - what? - now
Q: What did you buy?
คุณ Ms, Mrs, Mr; you
See in Dictionaryซื้อ buy
See in Dictionaryอะไร what; whatever
See in Dictionaryมา come, arrive
See in Dictionary?
Literally: You - buy - what? - come
คุณ Ms, Mrs, Mr; you
See in Dictionaryคิด think
See in Dictionaryอะไร what; whatever
See in Dictionaryอยู่ is (located at); live (at); happening now
See in Dictionary?
Literally: You - think - what? - now
Q: What did you buy?
คุณ Ms, Mrs, Mr; you
See in Dictionaryซื้อ buy
See in Dictionaryอะไร what; whatever
See in Dictionaryมา come, arrive
See in Dictionary?
Literally: You - buy - what? - come
What? ยังไง vs. อะไร
If you ask for someone else's opinion on something, Thai speakers prefer the use of ยังไง how
See in Dictionary, which is literally translated to "How?". So, for example, "What do you think (about something)?" is expressed as คิด think
See in Dictionaryว่า that
See in Dictionaryยังไง how
See in Dictionary, which means "How do you think (about this)?". But the general question "What are you thinking (right now)?" does not ask the opinion, and therefore it is คิด think
See in Dictionaryอะไร what; whatever
See in Dictionaryอยู่ is (located at); live (at); happening now
See in Dictionary?
To learn more about How? questions in Thai, please read this article: How do you say? (Questions of manner in Thai).
See in Dictionary, which is literally translated to "How?". So, for example, "What do you think (about something)?" is expressed as คิด think
See in Dictionaryว่า that
See in Dictionaryยังไง how
See in Dictionary, which means "How do you think (about this)?". But the general question "What are you thinking (right now)?" does not ask the opinion, and therefore it is คิด think
See in Dictionaryอะไร what; whatever
See in Dictionaryอยู่ is (located at); live (at); happening now
See in Dictionary?
To learn more about How? questions in Thai, please read this article: How do you say? (Questions of manner in Thai).
Examples
Q: What do you think (about this)?
คุณ Ms, Mrs, Mr; you
See in Dictionaryคิด think
See in Dictionaryว่า that
See in Dictionaryยังไง how
See in Dictionary
Literally: You - think - that - how?
Q: What will you do (about this)?
คุณ Ms, Mrs, Mr; you
See in Dictionaryจะ will (in the future)
See in Dictionaryทำ do, make, cook
See in Dictionaryยังไง how
See in Dictionary
Literally: You - will - do- how?
คุณ Ms, Mrs, Mr; you
See in Dictionaryคิด think
See in Dictionaryว่า that
See in Dictionaryยังไง how
See in Dictionary
Literally: You - think - that - how?
Q: What will you do (about this)?
คุณ Ms, Mrs, Mr; you
See in Dictionaryจะ will (in the future)
See in Dictionaryทำ do, make, cook
See in Dictionaryยังไง how
See in Dictionary
Literally: You - will - do- how?