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Thai phrasebook

Thai (ภาษาไทย phaasǎa Thai) is the official language of Thailand, and also spoken by the Thai diaspora around the world.

Thai, and the closely related Lao, are members of the Tai-Kadai language family. Several dialects are spoken in distinct regions of the country, spawning primarily Central, Northern, and Southern variants. Additionally, in the Northeast, Isaan is spoken; virtually identical to Lao. The Central dialect, spoken around Bangkok is taken to be the standard, and is used in all news broadcasts.

As a Buddhist country, the Thai language has been strongly influenced by Sanskrit and Pali, and numerous words from those languages can be found in Thai. Due to a long history of Chinese immigration to Thailand, the Thai language also contains a large number of loan words from various Chinese dialects, especially Teochew, most evident when it comes to culinary terms. There is also a large number of loan words from American English for modern concepts due to heavy post-World War II American influences.

Pronunciation guide
Thai is a tonal language of five tones: Mid, Low, Falling, High, and Rising. Meanings may change critically based on tone, yet Thais are fairly used to hearing foreigners mangle their language and can often work out the correct tone based on context. Try not to inflect your sentences; particularly, any questions should be pronounced as flat statements, without the rising intonation ("...yes?") typical of English questions.

The Thai written language is essentially alphabetic, but notoriously difficult to read due to a profusion of 44 consonants (many redundant), complicated tone and vowel signage around consonants, and a complete lack of spaces between words. It is an Indic script related to the Burmese, Lao and Khmer scripts, as well as to those of most Indian languages. Like other Indic scripts, the Thai script is an abugida, meaning that each letter represents a consonant, and vowels are indicated by modifications to the consonant letter (e.g. with a diacritic mark) or lack thereof.

Vowels
Thai has a complicated set of vowels and diphthongs that distinguishes between vowel length (short and long) and vowel position (front and back). In Thai script, vowel signs are always written around consonants and the letter ก (k) is used here to demonstrate. This list follows the Royal Thai General System of Transcription (except that some long vowels are doubled).

 * ka กะ : like 'a' in "car" (short vowel)
 * kaa กา : like 'a' in "father" (longer than "a")
 * kae แก : like 'a' in "man" (short vowel: "แกะ")
 * ke เก : like 'e' in "bed" (short vowel: "เกะ")
 * ki กิ : like 'y' in "greedy"
 * kii กี : like 'ee' in "see" (longer than "i")
 * ko กอ : like 'o' in "torn" (short vowel: "เกาะ")
 * ko โก : like 'oa' in "moan" (short vowel: "โกะ")
 * koe เกอ : like 'i' in "sir" (short vowel: "เกอะ")
 * ku กุ : like 'oo' in "hoop"
 * kuu กู : like 'ue' in "blue" (longer than "u")
 * kue กือ : frontal version of "u" (akin to German "ü", French "du", not found in English) (short vowel: "กึ")
 * kam กำ : like 'um' in "dummy"
 * kai ใก/ไก : like 'i' in "kind"
 * kia เกีย : like 'eer' in "beer" (but don't pronounce "r")
 * kua กัว : similar to 'ou' in "tour" (but don't pronounce "r")
 * kuea เกือ : like "ue" followed by a short "a"
 * kao เกา : like 'ow' in "cow"

Consonants
Thai distinguishes between aspirated ("with a puff of air") and unaspirated ("without a puff of air") consonants. Unaspirated consonants exist in English too, but never alone: compare the sound of 'p' in "pot" (aspirated) and "spot" (unaspirated). Many English speakers find it helpful to pronounce an imperceptible little "m" in front to 'stop' the puff.

In Thai romanized with the Royal Thai General System (used on Wikivoyage), the distinction is usually represented by writing aspirated consonants with "h" and unaspirated ones without it. In particular, "ph" represents a hard aspirated 'p' and not a soft 'f', and Phuket is thus pronounced "Poo-ket". Likewise, "th" is a hard aspirated 't' and hence Thailand is pronounced "Tie-land".

Other systems of romanization may use 'bp', 'dt' and 'g' for the unaspirated sounds, and 'p', 't', and 'k' for the aspirated sounds. This is not used in this guide.

 * b บ : like 'b' in "bed"
 * bp : not used here, but in other romanizations may represent unaspirated 'p'
 * ch ฉ ช ฌ : similar to 'ch' in "chop", but without your tongue touching your palate
 * d ฎ ด : like 'd' in "dog"
 * dt : not used here, but in other romanizations may represent unaspirated 't'
 * f ฝ ฟ : like 'f' in "fun"
 * g : not used here, but in other romanizations may represent unaspirated 'k'
 * h ห ฮ : like 'h' in "help"
 * j จ : similar to 'j' or 'dg' in "judge", but unvoiced
 * k ก : like 'k' in "skate" (unaspirated)
 * kh ข ฃ ค ฅ ฆ : like 'c' in "Kate" (aspirated)
 * l ล ฦ ฬ : like 'l' in "love"
 * m ม : like 'm' in "mother"
 * n ณ น : like 'n' in "nice"
 * ng ง : like 'ng' in "sing", but can also be used at the beginning of words
 * p ป : like 'p' in "spit" (unaspirated)
 * ph ผ พ ภ : like 'p' in "pit" (aspirated)
 * r ร ฤ : trilled, similar to Spanish and Italian 'r'
 * s ซ ศ ษ ส : like 'ss' in "hiss",
 * t ฏ ต : like 't' in "stop" (unaspirated)
 * th ฐ ฑ ฒ ถ ท ธ : like 't' in "top" (aspirated)
 * v : not used here, but in other romanizations may represent 'w'
 * w ว : like 'w' in "weight"
 * y ญ ย : like 'y' in "yes"

Grammar
Basic Thai grammar is fairly straightforward. Word order is subject-verb-object, as in English. Nouns and verbs do not change, and there are no plurals or grammatical genders. Instead, a wide array of particles and markers are employed to indicate past tense, negation, etc.

 * phom kin khao ผมกินข้าว
 * "I eat rice"

Adjectives are placed after the noun, not before.
 * phom kin khao suai ผมกินข้าวสวย
 * "I eat rice cooked" (I eat cooked rice)

The negation marker ไม่ mai goes before the verb.
 * phom mai kin khao ผมไม่กินข้าว
 * "I not eat rice" (I will not eat/am not eating rice)

The past tense marker แล้ว laew goes after the verb and its object (if any).
 * phom kin khao laew ผมกินข้าวแล้ว
 * "I eat rice already" (I ate rice)

Pronouns are often omitted if it's clear from the context who is doing what.

Phrase list
Note that the polite suffix ครับ khráp (for men) and ค่ะ khâ (for women) can and should be attached to all phrases when talking with strangers. The suffix depends solely on your gender. Also note that the pronoun for "I" is ผม phǒm for men and ดิฉัน di-chǎn for women.

When addressing people, คุณ khun is a safe, respectful all-purpose equivalent to "Mr/Ms/Mrs". People you're familiar with can be addressed as พี่ phii (if they are elders) or น้อง nong (if they are younger). These are always used with first names, so your business partner Supachai Sakulwattana is khun Supachai and your secretary Nipaporn Khampolsiri is nong Nipaporn. Surnames are generally not used to address people in Thailand. All Thais also have short nicknames, but these are only used informally.

The closer two friends are, the less often you will hear ครับ khráp and ค่ะ khâ being spoken. This is especially prominent in the lower and middle classes, but is a general trend. This can be compared to western languages, where adding "Sir" at the end of each sentence when speaking to somebody in authority is becoming less and less common, and already entirely removed in many languages. On another note, there is a trend among the upper and middle classes, especially among younger men, to call each other phii, no matter the age difference. This is part of greater age equality in Thailand.

Greeting and leave-taking

 * Hello. (informal) : สวัสดี (sa-wat-dii)
 * Hello. (polite, speaker is male) : สวัสดีครับ (sa-wat-dii, khráp)
 * Hello. (polite, speaker is female) : สวัสดีค่ะ (sa-wat-dii, khâ)
 * Hello. (answering the phone) : ฮัลโหล[ครับ/ค่ะ (haloh, khráp/khâ)
 * How are you? : สบายดีหรือ (sabaai-dii rue?)
 * Fine. : สบายดี (sabaai-dii)
 * Fine, and you? : สบายดี แล้วคุณล่ะ[ครับ/ค่ะ (sabaai-dii láe khun lá, khráp/khâ)
 * Goodbye. : ลาก่อน (laa kon)
 * Goodbye (informal). : สวัสดี[ครับ/ค่ะ (sa-wat-dii [khráp/khâ])
 * Happy New Year : (1 Jan) : สวัสดีปีใหม่ (sa-wat-dii pii mai)
 * Happy New Year : (1 Jan) สุขสันต์วันปีใหม่ (suk san wan pii mai)
 * Happy Valentine's Day : สุขสันต์วันแห่งความรัก (suk san wan haeng khwam rak)
 * Happy Songkran Day : สุขสันต์วันสงกรานต์ (suk san wan songkran)

Basics

 * What is your name? : คุณชื่ออะไร (khun chue arai?)
 * My name is ______ . :  ผม/ดิฉันชื่อ (phŏm/dì-chăn cheu _____ )
 * Nice to meet you. : ยินดีที่ได้รู้จัก (yin-dii thii dai ruu-jak)
 * Please. : กรุณา (karunaa)
 * Thank you [very much]. : ขอบคุณ[มาก] (khop khun [mâak])
 * You're welcome. : ไม่เป็นไร (mai pen rai)
 * Yes. : ใช่ (chai)
 * No. : ไม่ใช่ (mai chai)
 * Excuse me. (begging pardon) : ขอโทษ (kho thot)
 * I'm sorry. : ขอโทษ (kho thot)
 * I can't speak Thai [well]. : พูดภาษาไทยไม่ได้[ดี] (phuut phaasaa thai mai dai [dii])
 * Do you speak English? : พูดภาษาอังกฤษได้ไหม (phuut phaasaa ang-krit dai mai?)
 * Please speak more slowly. : พูดช้าๆ หน่อย (phûut cháa cháa nòi)
 * How do you say this in Thai? : พูดเป็นภาษาไทยอย่างไร (phûut pen phaa-săa thai yàang-rai)
 * Please repeat it. : พูดอีกที (phûut iik thii)
 * Help! : ช่วยด้วย (chûai dûai)
 * Look out! : ระวัง (rá-wang)
 * Be careful! : ระวังหน่อยนะ (rá-wang nòi ná)
 * Fire! : ไฟไหม้ (fai mâi)
 * I don't understand. : ไม่เข้าใจ (mai khao jai)
 * I understand. : เข้าใจ (kâo jai)
 * Where is the toilet? : ห้องน้ำ อยู่ ที่ ไหน (hông nám yùu thîi năi)
 * How? : อย่าง ไร (yangrai)
 * Where? : ที่ไหน (thii näi')
 * What? : อะไร (à'rai')
 * When? : เมื่อไหร่ (muea-rai')
 * Who? : ใคร (khrai)
 * Why? : ทำไม (thammai')
 * How much, how many? : เท่าไหร่, กี่ (thâo'rai') or (kii)
 * What’s the matter? : เป็นอะไรไป (pen a-rai pai)
 * Are you all right? : คุณไม่เป็นไรนะ (khun mâi pen-rai ná)

 * Is it far? : ไกลไหม (klai mǎi)
 * What do you think? : คุณคิดอย่างไร (khun kít yàang-rai)
 * Are you sure? : คุณแน่ใจไหม (khun nâe-jai măi)
 * Is it possible? : เป็นไปได้ไหม (pen pai dâi măi)
 * Is it good? : ดีไหม (dii măi)
 * What is this? : นี่อะไร (nii a-rai)
 * Really? : จริงๆ หรือ (jing jing rue)
 * It’s fine. : ดีแล้ว (dii láew)
 * O.K./All right. : ตกลง (tòk long)
 * That’s all right. : ไม่เป็นไร (mâi pen-rai)
 * I don’t know. : ไม่ทราบ / ไม่รู้ (mâi sâap (formal)/mâi róo)
 * I agree; I think so. : เห็นด้วย (hĕn dûai)
 * It's dangerous. : มันอันตราย (man antaraai)
 * Beautiful. : สวย (sŭai)
 * Delicious. : อร่อย (a-ròi)
 * Wonderful. : ดี,วิเศษ (dii, wí-sèt)
 * Interesting. : น่าสนใจ (nâa sŏn-jai)
 * Hot. (temperature) : ร้อน (rón)
 * Hungry. : หิว (hĭw)
 * Thirsty. : หิวน้ำ (hĭw nám)
 * Tired. : เหนื่อย (nùeai)
 * Happy. : มีความสุข (mii khwaam sùk)
 * Sad. : เศร้า (sâo)
 * Angry. : โมโห (mo-hŏ)

Problems

 * Leave me alone. : อย่ายุ่งกับ ผม/ฉัน (yàa yung kap phŏm (for men)/chan (for women))
 * Kiss off! (go away) : ไปห่างๆ (pai-hàang-hàang)
 * Don't touch me! : อย่าจับ ผม/ฉัน ! (yàa jàp phŏm (men)/chan (for women))
 * I'll call the police. : ผม/ฉัน จะแจ้งตำรวจ (phom/chan ja jaang taamruat)
 * Police! : ตำรวจ! (taamruat)
 * Stop! Thief! : หยุด! โจร/ขโมย! (yut jon/khamoy)
 * I need your help. : ผม/ฉัน ต้องการความช่วยเหลือ (phom/chan tongkaan khwaam chuai luea)
 * It's an emergency. : เรื่องฉุกเฉิน (rueang chuk chern)
 * It's urgent. : เรื่องด่วน (rueang duan)
 * I'm lost. : ผม/ฉัน หลงทาง (phom/chan long thaang)
 * I lost my bag. : กระเป๋าของ ผม/ฉัน หาย (krapao khong phom/chan haai)
 * I lost my wallet. : กระเป๋าสตางค์ของ ผม/ฉัน หาย (krapao taang khong phom/chan haai)
 * I'm sick. : ผม/ฉัน ไม่สบาย (phom/chan mai sabaai) ผม/ฉัน ป่วย (phom/chan puai)
 * I've been injured. : ผม/ฉัน บาดเจ็บ (phom/chan baat jep)
 * I need a doctor. : ผม/ฉัน ต้องการหมอ (phom/chan tongkaan mö)
 * Can I use your phone? : ผม/ฉัน ขอใช้โทรศัพท์ได้ไหม (phom/chan kho chai thorasap dai mai)

Numbers
Thai numbering is quite regular and speakers of Cantonese and/or Hakka will find many quite familiar. In casual speech, it is common to abbreviate yii-sip as yip for numbers over twenty, eg. 23 becomes yip-saam instead of yii-sip-saam. In northern and northeastern Thailand you may also hear sao for 20, so 23 would be sao-saam.

Thai has its own set of numerals, shown below, but these are used quite rarely — the major exception being sites with double pricing for Thais and foreigners, the Thai price being often disguised with Thai numbers. Being able to read the Thai price just might get you in at the Thai rate.

 * 0 : ๐ (suun) ศูนย์
 * 1 : ๑ (nueng) หนึ่ง on its own, (et) เอ็ด in compounds
 * 2 : ๒ (song) สอง
 * 3 : ๓ (saam) สาม
 * 4 : ๔ (sii) สี่
 * 5 : ๕ (haa) ห้า
 * 6 : ๖ (hok) หก
 * 7 : ๗ (jet) เจ็ด
 * 8 : ๘ (paet) แปด
 * 9 : ๙ (kao) เก้า
 * 10 : ๑๐ (sip) สิบ
 * 11 : ๑๑ (sip-et) สิบเอ็ด
 * 12 : ๑๒ (sip-song) สิบสอง
 * 13 : ๑๓ (sip-saam) สิบสาม
 * 14 : ๑๔ (sip-sii) สิบสี่
 * 15 : ๑๕ (sip-haa) สิบห้า
 * 16 : ๑๖ (sip-hok) สิบหก
 * 17 : ๑๗ (sip-jet) สิบเจ็ด
 * 18 : ๑๘ (sip-paet) สิบแปด
 * 19 : ๑๙ (sip-kao) สิบเก้า
 * 20 : ๒๐ (yii-sip) ยี่สิบ
 * 21 : ๒๑ (yii-sip-et) ยี่สิบเอ็ด
 * 22 : ๒๒ (yii-sip-song) ยี่สิบสอง
 * 23 : ๒๓ (yii-sip-saam) ยี่สิบสาม
 * 30 : ๓๐ (saam-sip) สามสิบ
 * 40 : ๔๐ (sii-sip) สี่สิบ
 * 50 : ๕๐ (haa-sip) ห้าสิบ
 * 60 : ๖๐ (hok-sip) หกสิบ
 * 70 : ๗๐ (jet-sip) เจ็ดสิบ
 * 80 : ๘๐ (paet-sip) แปดสิบ
 * 90 : ๙๐ (kao-sip) เก้าสิบ
 * 100 : ๑๐๐ (nueng roi) หนึ่งร้อย
 * 200 : ๒๐๐ (song roi) สองร้อย
 * 300 : ๓๐๐ (saam roi) สามร้อย
 * 1000 : ๑๐๐๐ (nueng phan) หนึ่งพัน
 * 2000 : ๒๐๐๐ (song phan) สองพัน
 * 10 000 : ๑๐๐๐๐ (nueng muen) หนึ่งหมื่น
 * 100 000 : ๑๐๐๐๐๐ (nueng saen) หนึ่งแสน
 * 1 000 000 : ๑๐๐๐๐๐๐ (neung laan) หนึ่งล้าน
 * 1 000 000 000 : ๑๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ (phan laan) พันล้าน
 * 1 000 000 000 000 : ๑๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ (laan laan) ล้านล้าน
 * number _____ (train, bus, etc.) : เบอร์ _____ (ber)
 * half : ครึ่ง (krueng)
 * less : น้อยกว่า (noi kwa)
 * more : มากกว่า (maak kwa)

Time

 * now : เดี๋ยวนี้ (dǐo níi)
 * later : หลัง (lăng)
 * before : ก่อน (kòn)
 * morning : เช้า (cháo)
 * afternoon : บ่าย (bàai)
 * evening : เย็น (yen)
 * night : คืน (khuen)

Clock time
There are no less than three systems for telling time in Thailand. The easiest of the three is the 24-hour official clock, encountered primarily in bus and railway schedules. To create an official time, simply affix naalikaa นาฬิกา to the number of hours, so that e.g. kao naalikaa is 9AM (09:00) and sip-saam naalikaa is 1PM (13:00).

Things get a little more difficult in the 12-hour common clock. As in the West, the number of the hour runs from 1 to 12, but instead of just AM and PM, the day is divided into four sections (ตอน ton):

 * 1) เช้า cháo (morning), from 6 AM to noon
 * 2) บ่าย bàai (afternoon), from noon to 4 PM
 * 3) เย็น yen (evening), from 4 PM to 6 PM
 * 4) คืน khuen (night), from 6 PM to 11 PM

A 12-hour time is thus composed from the hour, the word mong โมง and the correct ton ตอน. As exceptions, the word bàai comes before mong (not after); 1PM is just bàai moong with no number; and there are special words for noon and midnight. Some examples:

 * one o'clock AM : ตีหนึ่ง (tii nueng')
 * two o'clock AM : ตีสอง (tii sǒng)
 * three o'clock AM : ตีสาม (tii säam)
 * four o'clock AM : ตีสี่ (tii sìi)
 * five o'clock AM : ตีห้า (tii hâ)
 * six o'clock AM : หกโมงเช้า (hòk mong cháo)
 * seven o'clock AM : เจ็ดโมงเช้า (jèt mong cháo)
 * eight o'clock AM : แปดโมงเช้า (pàet mong cháo)
 * nine o'clock AM : เก้าโมงเช้า (kâo mong cháo)
 * ten o'clock AM : สิบโมงเช้า (sìp mong cháo)
 * eleven o'clock AM : สิบเอ็ดโมงเช้า (sìp et mong cháo)
 * noon : เที่ยง (thîang) or เที่ยงวัน (thîang wan)
 * one o'clock PM : บ่ายโมง (bàai mong)
 * two o'clock PM : บ่ายสองโมง (bàai sǒng mong)
 * three o'clock PM : บ่ายสามโมง (bàai säam mong)
 * four o'clock PM : สี่โมงเย็น (sìi mong yen')
 * five o'clock PM : ห้าโมงเย็น (hâa mong yen')
 * six o'clock PM : หกโมงเย็น (hòk' mong yen')
 * seven o'clock PM : หนึ่งทุ่ม (nueng' thum')
 * eight o'clock PM : สองทุ่ม (sǒng thum')
 * nine o'clock PM : สามทุ่ม (säam thum)'
 * ten o'clock PM : สี่ทุ่ม (sìi thum')
 * eleven o'clock PM : ห้าทุ่ม (hâ thum')
 * midnight : เที่ยงคืน (thîang khuen) or สองยาม (sǒng yaam)

Duration

 * _____ second(s) : _____ วินาที (wí na-thii)
 * _____ minute(s) : _____ นาที (na-thii)
 * _____ hour(s) : _____ ชั่วโมง (chûa mong)
 * _____ day(s) : _____ วัน (wan')
 * _____ week(s) : _____ อาทิตย์ (aathít') or สัปดาห์ (sap-daa)
 * _____ month(s) : _____ เดือน (duean)
 * _____ year(s) : _____ ปี (pii)

Days

 * today : วันนี้ (wanníi)
 * yesterday : เมื่อวานนี้ (mûea wan níi) or เมื่อวาน (mûea waan)
 * tomorrow : พรุ่งนี้ (phrûng níi)
 * this week : อาทิตย์นี้ (aathít níi)
 * last week : อาทิตย์ก่อน (aathít kòn)
 * next week : อาทิตย์หน้า (aathít nâa)

 * Sunday : วันอาทิตย์ (wan aathit)
 * Monday : วันจันทร์ (wan jan)
 * Tuesday : วันอังคาร (wan angkaan)
 * Wednesday : วันพุธ (wan phut)
 * Thursday : วันพฤหัสบดี (wan pharuehat)
 * Friday : วันศุกร์ (wan suk)
 * Saturday : วันเสาร์ (wan sao)

 * Weekend : เสาร์อาทิตย์ (sao aathít)
 * Holiday : วันหยุด (wan yoot)

Months
All Thai months end in the suffix -kom (31 days) or -yon (30 days), except February's idiosyncratic -phan. In casual speech these are often omitted, but the word month (deuan) may be prefixed instead.

 * January : มกราคม (makarakhom) or มกรา (makara)
 * February : กุมภาพันธ์ (kumphaaphan) or กุมภา (kumphaa)
 * March : มีนาคม (miinakhom) or มีนา (miina)
 * April : เมษายน (mesayon) or เมษา  (mesa)
 * May : พฤษภาคม (pruetsaphakhom) or พฤษภา  (pruetsapha)
 * June : มิถุนายน (mithunayon) or มิถุนา  (mithuna)
 * July : กรกฎาคม (karakadaakhom) or กรกฎา  (karakadaa)
 * August : สิงหาคม (singhakhom) or สิงหา (singha)
 * September : กันยายน (kanyaayon) or กันยา  (kanyaa)
 * October : ตุลาคม (tulaakhom) or ตุลา  (tulaa)
 * November : พฤศจิกายน (pruetsajikaayon) or พฤศจิกา (pruetsajikaa)
 * December : ธันวาคม (thanwaakhom) or ธันวา (thanwaa)

Writing time and date
Dates are written in day/month/year format.

Thais often use Buddhist Era (BE) พุทธศักราช (พ.ศ.) years, which runs 543 years ahead of the Gregorian Calendar. BE is thus equivalent to CE 2024.

Colors
The word sii is often omitted in compounds like kaeng daeng (red curry).

 * black : สีดำ (sii dam)
 * white : สีขาว (sii khao)
 * gray : สีเทา (sii thao)
 * red : สีแดง (sii daeng)
 * blue : สีฟ้า/สีน้ำเงิน (sii faa (light-)/sii náhm-ngern(dark-)
 * yellow : สีเหลือง (sii lueang)
 * green : สีเขียว (sii khiao)
 * orange : สีส้ม (sii som)
 * purple : สีม่วง (sii muang)
 * brown : สีน้ำตาล (sii nam taan)

Bus and train

 * train : รถไฟ (rót fai)
 * bus : รถเมล์ (rót-me)
 * coach : รถทัวร์ (rót-tour)
 * skytrain : รถไฟฟ้า (rót fai fáa)
 * metro : รถไฟใต้ดิน (rót fai tâi din)
 * railway station : สถานีรถไฟ (sà-thăa-nii rót fai)
 * bus stop : ป้ายรถเมล์ (pâai-rót-me)
 * train ticket : ตั๋วรถไฟ (tŭa rót fai)
 * bus ticket : ตั๋วโดยสาร (tŭa doi-săan)
 * How much is a ticket to _____? : ค่าตั๋วไป_____ราคาเท่าไร(kháa tŭa pai_____ráa-kháa thao-rai)
 * One ticket to _____, please. : ซื้อตั๋วไป_____หน่อย (sue tŭa pai_____noi)
 * Where does this train/bus go? : รถคันนี้ไปไหน? (rót khan nii pai nai)
 * Where is the train/bus to _____? : รถไป_____ขึ้นรถที่ไหน? (rót pai_____khûen thîinǎi)
 * Does this train/bus stop in _____? : รถคันนี้ไป_____ไหม? (rót khan níi pai_____mǎi)
 * When does the train/bus for _____ leave? : รถไป_____จะออกเมื่อไร? (rót pai_____jà òk mûearai)
 * When will this train/bus arrive in _____? : รถคันนี้จะไปถึง_____เมื่อไร? (rót khan níi jà pai thǔeng_____mûearai)

Directions

 * How do I get to _____ ? : จะไป _____ อย่างไร? (jà pai _____ yàng rai)
 * ...the train station? : สถานีรถไฟ (sà-thăa-nii rót fai)
 * ...the bus station? : สถานีรถโดยสาร (sà-thăa-nii rót doi săan)
 * ...the airport? : สนามบิน (sanăam bin)
 * ...downtown? : ...ตัวเมือง (tua mueang)
 * ...the youth hostel? : ...ที่พักสำหรับเยาวชน (tîi pák săm-ràp yao-wá-chon)
 * ...the _____ hotel? : ...โรงแรม _____ (rong-raem)
 * ...the American/Canadian/Australian/British consulate? : ... สถานกงสุล อเมริกา/แคนาดา/ออสเตรเลีย/อังกฤษ (sà-thăan kong-sun)
 * embassy : สถานทูต (sà-thăan thuut)
 * Where are there a lot of... : ที่ไหนมี ... เยอะ (tîi năi mii ... yoe)
 * ...hotels? : ...โรงแรม (rong-raem)
 * ...restaurants? : ...ร้านอาหาร (rán aa-häan)
 * ...bars? : ...บาร์ (ba)
 * ...sites to see? : ...สถานที่ท่องเที่ยว (...)
 * Can you show me on the map? : ช่วยชี้แผนที่ได้ไหม ครับ/คะ (chûai chíi păan-tîi dâi măi khrap/ká)
 * street : ถนน (tha-nǒn)
 * alley (or side-street) : ซอย (soi)
 * Turn left. : เลี้ยวซ้าย (liaao saai)
 * Turn right. : เลี้ยวขวา (liaao khwaa)
 * left : ซ้าย (sáai)
 * right : ขวา (khwäa)
 * straight ahead : ตรงไป (trong pai)
 * to/towards the _____ : ยัง _____ (yang)
 * after/past the _____ : หลังจากที่ _____ (lăng jàak thii)
 * before the _____ : ก่อนที่ _____ (kòn thii)
 * Watch for the _____. : หา _____. (hă)
 * intersection : สี่แยก (sìi yâek)
 * north : ทิศเหนือ (thít nǔea)
 * south : ทิศใต้ (thít tâi)
 * east : ทิศตะวันออก (thít tà-wan ok)
 * west : ทิศตะวันตก (thít tà-wan tòk)
 * uphill : ขึ้นเนิน (khûen noen)
 * downhill : ลงเนิน (long noen)

Taxi

 * Taxi! : แท็กซี่! (tâek-sîi)
 * Take me to _____, please. : ไป _____ นะครับ/ค่ะ (pai _____ na khrap/kâ)
 * How much does it cost to get to _____? : ไป _____ เท่าไหร่ (pai _____ thâo-rài)
 * Take me there, please. : พาผม/ดิฉันไปที่นั่นหน่อยครับ/ค่ะ (phaa phŏm/dì-chăn pai tîi nân nòi khrap/khâ)
 * Stop here. : จอด ที่นี่ (jòt thîi nîi)

Lodging

 * Do you have any rooms available? : คุณมีห้องว่างไหม? (khun mii hông wâang mǎi?)
 * How much is a room for one person/two people? : ห้องสำหรับ หนึ่งคน/สองคน ราคาเท่าไหร่? (hong samrap nueng-khon/song-khon raakaa thao rai?)
 * Does the room come with... : ในห้องมี...ไหม? (nai hông mii ... mǎi?)
 * ...bedsheets? : ...ผ้าคลุมเตียง (phâa khlum tiang)
 * ...a bathroom? : ...ห้องน้ำ (hông nám)
 * ...a telephone? : ...โทรศัพท์ (thorásàp)
 * ...a TV? : ...โทรทัศน์ (thohráthát)
 * May I see the room first? : ขอดูห้องก่อนได้ไหม? (khö duu hông kòn dâi mǎi?)
 * Do you have anything... : มีห้องที่...นี้ไหม? (mii hông thîi ... níi mǎi?)
 * ...quieter? : ...เงียบ กว่า (ngiap kwa)
 * ...bigger? : ...ใหญ่ กว่า (yài kwàa)
 * ...cleaner? : ...สะอาด กว่า (sà-aat kwàa)
 * ...cheaper? : ...ถูก กว่า (thuuk kwàa)
 * OK, I'll take it. : ตกลง ผม/ดิฉันเอา (tok long phŏm/dì-chăn ao)
 * I will stay for _____ night(s). : ผม/ดิฉันจะอยู่ _____ คืน (phŏm/dì-chăn jà yùu _____ kuen)
 * Can you suggest another hotel? : คุณช่วยแนะนำโรงแรมอื่นได้หรือไม่ (...)
 * Do you have a safe? : คุณมีตู้เซฟไหม (khun mii tûu-sêf măi)
 * ...lockers? : ...ล็อกเกอร์ (lok kêr)
 * Is breakfast/supper included? : รวม อาหารเช้า/อาหารเย็น ไหม (ruam aa-hăn-cháo/aa-hăn-yen măi)
 * What time is breakfast/supper? : อาหารเช้า/อาหารเย็น เมื่อไหร่ (aa-hăn-cháo/aa-hăn-yen muea rài)
 * Please clean my room. : ช่วยทำความสะอาดห้องหน่อย (chûai tam kwaam sà-aat hông nòi)
 * Can you wake me at _____? : ช่วยปลุกตอน _____ ได้ไหม? (chûai plùk ton _____ dâi măi)
 * I want to check out. : ผมต้องการเช็คเอ้าท์. (pǒm/dì-chăn tông kaan check out)

Money

 * Do you accept American/Australian/Canadian dollars? : คุณรับเงินอเมริกัน/ออสเตรเลียน/แคนนาดาดอลลาร์ไหม (kun ráp ngern a-me-ri-can/os-tre-lîan/cae-na-da dol-lâr mǎi)
 * Do you accept British pounds? : คุณรับเงินปอนด์ไหม (kun ráp ngern pond mǎi)
 * Do you accept credit cards? : คุณรับบัตรเครดิตไหม (kun ráp bàt kre-dìt măi)
 * Can you change money for me? : คุณจะแลกเปลี่ยนสกุลเงินกับผม/ดิฉันไหม (kun jà laek plìen sà-kun ngern kùb phŏm/dì-chăn mǎi)
 * Where can I get money changed? : ผม/ดิฉันสามารถเปลี่ยนสกุลเงินได้ที่ไหน (phŏm/dì-chăn sǎ-mâat plìen sà-kun ngern dâi tîi năi)
 * Can you change a traveler's check for me? : (...)
 * Where can I get a traveler's check changed? : (...)
 * What is the exchange rate? : อัตราแลกเปลี่ยนเท่าไร (àt-traa lâek plìen tâo rài)
 * Where is an automatic teller machine (ATM)? : เอทีเอ็มอยู่ที่ไหน (e thii em yùu thîi năi)

Eating

 * A table for one person/two people, please. : ขอโต๊ะสำหรับ หนึ่ง/สอง ที่ ครับ/ (khǒ tó sǎamràp nùeng/sǒng thî khráp/khà)
 * Can I look at the menu, please? : ขอดูเมนูครับ/ค่ะ (khǒ duu menuu khráp/khà)
 * Can I look in the kitchen? : (...)
 * Is there a house specialty? : (...)
 * Is there a local specialty? : (...)
 * I'm a vegetarian. : ผม/ดิฉัน กินเจ (phŏm/dì-chăn kin je)
 * I don't eat pork. : ผม/ดิฉัน ไม่กินหมู (phŏm/dì-chăn mâi kin mǔu)
 * I don't eat beef. : ผม/ดิฉัน ไม่กินเนื้อ (phŏm/dì-chăn mâi kin núea)
 * I only eat kosher food. : (...)
 * Can you make it "lite", please? (less oil/butter/lard) : (...)
 * fixed-price meal : (...)
 * a la carte : ที่เป็นจานๆ (tîi-pen-jaan-jaan)
 * breakfast : อาหารเช้า (aa-hăan cháo)
 * lunch : อาหารกลางวัน (aa-hăan glaang wan)
 * supper : อาหารเย็น (aa-hăan yen)
 * I want _____. : ผม/ดิฉัน อยากได้ _____. (phŏm/dì-chăn yàak dâi)
 * I want a dish containing _____. : ผม/ดิฉัน อยากได้อาหารที่มี _____. (phŏm/dì-chăn yàak dâi aa-hǎn tîi mii)
 * chicken : ไก่ (kài)
 * beef : เนื้อ (núea)
 * fish : ปลา (plaa)
 * pork : หมู (mǔu)
 * ham : แฮม (haem)
 * sausage : ไส้กรอก (sâi kròk)
 * eggs : ไข่ (khài)
 * salad : สลัด (sà-làt)
 * (fresh) vegetables : ผัก (สด) (phàk (sòt))
 * (fresh) fruit : ผลไม้ (สด) (phǒn-la-mái (sòt))
 * bread : ขนมปัง (khà-nŏm pang)
 * toast : ขนมปังปิ้ง (khà-nŏm pang pîng)
 * rice noodles : ก๋วยเตี๋ยว (kǔai tǐo)
 * wheat noodles : บะหมี่ (ba mìi)
 * rice : ข้าว (khâo)
 * beans : ถั่ว (thùa)
 * May I have a glass of _____? : ขอ _____ แก้วนึง (khǒ _____ kâew nueng)
 * May I have a cup of _____? : ขอ _____ ถ้วยนึง (khǒ _____ tûai nueng)
 * May I have a bottle of _____? : ขอ _____ ขวดนึง (khǒ _____ khûad nueng)
 * coffee : กาแฟ (kaafae)
 * hot tea : ชาร้อน (chaa rón)
 * iced tea with milk : ชาเย็น (chaa yen)
 * fruit juice : น้ำผลไม้ (náam phŏn-lá-mái)
 * water : น้ำเปล่า (náam plào)
 * beer : เบีย (bia)
 * red/white wine : ไวน์ แดง/ขาว (wai daeng/kăo)
 * May I have some _____? : (...)
 * salt : เกลือ (kluea)
 * black pepper : พริกไทยดำ (prík thai dam)
 * fish sauce : น้ำปลา (náam plaa)
 * soy sauce : ซีอิ๊ว (sii-íu)
 * Excuse me, waiter? (getting attention of server, speaker is male): น้องครับ (nóng khráp) (if the waiter looks younger than you) / พี่ครับ (phii khráp) (if the waiter looks older than you)
 * Excuse me, waiter? (getting attention of server, speaker is female): น้องคะ (nóng khá) (if the waiter looks younger than you) / พี่คะ (phii khá) (if the waiter looks older than you)
 * I'm finished. : (...)
 * It was delicious. : มันอร่อยมาก (man a-ròi mâak)
 * Please clear the plates. : เก็บจานด้วย (kèb jaan dûai)
 * The check, please. : เก็บเงินด้วย (kèb ngern dûai)

Bars

 * Do you serve alcohol? : คุณเสริฟแอลกอฮอล์? (koon serve alcohol?)
 * Is there table service? : มีบริการโต๊ะไหม? (me ba-ri-kan to mai?)
 * A beer/two beers, please. : ขอเบียร์หนึ่ง/สองแก้วครับ/ค่ะ (kor beer nueng/song keaw krap/ka)
 * A glass of red/white wine, please. : ขอไวน์แดง/ขาวหนึ่งแก้วครับ/ค่ะ (kor wine daeng/kao nueng keaw krap/ka)
 * A bottle, please. : ขอเป็นขวดครับ/ค่ะ (kor pen kuad krap/ka)
 * Thai whisky : เหล้า (lâo)
 * vodka : ว็อดก้า (vód-kâ)
 * rum : รัม (ram)
 * water : น้ำเปล่า (náam plao)
 * ice water : น้ำแข็ง (náam khăeng)
 * club soda : น้ำอัดลม (náam at lom)
 * tonic water : โทนิค (tonic)
 * orange juice : น้ำส้ม (náam sôm)
 * Coke (soda) : โค้ก (coke)
 * Do you have any bar snacks? : คุณมีขนมแกล้มเหล้าไหม? (kun me ka-nom klaem lao mai?)
 * One more, please. : ขออีกแก้ว. (kor eek keaw)
 * Another round, please. : ขอเพิ่มอีก (kor peum eek)
 * When is closing time? : ปิดเมื่อไหร่? (pit muea rài)
 * Cheers! : ชนแก้ว! (chon kaew) / ไชโย! (Chai yoo) Note: The latter is only used for special occasions such as birthdays and weddings.

Shopping

 * Do you have this in my size? : คุณมีขนาดของผมไหม? (...)
 * How much is this? : นี่เท่าไหร่? (nîi thâo rài?)
 * That's too expensive. : แพงไป (phaeng pai)
 * Would you take _____? : คุณรับ _____ ไหม? (khun ráp _____ mǎi)
 * expensive : แพง (phaeng)
 * cheap : ถูก (thùuk)
 * I can't afford it. : ผม/ดิฉันซื้อไม่ไหว (phŏm/dì-chăn súe mâi wǎi)
 * I don't want it. : ผม/ดิฉันไม่ต้องการ (phŏm/dì-chăn mâi tông karn'')
 * You're cheating me. : คุณกำลังโกงผม/ดิฉัน (khun kam-lang kong phŏm/dì-chăn)
 * I'm not interested. : ผม/ดิฉันไม่ค่อยสนใจ (phŏm/dì-chăn mâi kôi sǒn jai)
 * OK, I'll take it. : ตกลง ผม/ดิฉัน จะซื้อ (tok long phŏm/dì-chăn jà súe)
 * Can I have a bag? : ขอถุงได้มั้ย? (khǒ thǔng dâi mǎi)
 * Do you ship (overseas)? : คุณส่งของ (ไปต่างประเทศ) ให้ได้ไหม? (khun sòng khǒng (pai tàang prà-têt) hâi dâi mǎi)
 * Need... : ต้องการ... (tông kaan)
 * ...toothpaste. : ...ยาสีฟัน (yaa sǐi fan)
 * ...a toothbrush. : ...แปรงสีฟัน (praeng sǐi fan)
 * ...tampons. : ...ผ้าอนามัยแบบสอด (phâa a-năa-mai bàep sòt)
 * ...soap. : ...สบู่ (sà-bùu)
 * ...shampoo. : ...แชมพู (chaem-phuu)
 * ...medicine. : ...ยา (yaa)
 * ...pain reliever. : ...ยาแก้ปวด (yaa gâe pùat)
 * ...aspirin. : ...แอสไพริน (áet-pai-rin)
 * ...fever medicine. : ...ยาลดไข้ (yaa lód khâi)
 * ...stomach medicine. : ...ยาแก้ปวดท้อง (yaa gâe pùat tóng)
 * ...a razor. : ...มีดโกน (míit kon)
 * ...an umbrella. : ...ร่ม (rôm)
 * ...sunblock lotion. : ...โลชั่นกันแดด (lochân kan dàet)
 * ...a postcard. : ...ไปรษณียบัตร (prai-sà-nii-ya-bàt)
 * ...postage stamps. : ...แสตมป์ (sà-taem)
 * ...batteries. : ...ถ่านไฟฉาย (tàan fai chăai)
 * ...writing paper. : ...กระดาษเขียนจดหมาย (krà-dàat khĭan jòt măi)
 * ...a pen. : ...ปากกา (pàak-kaa)
 * ...a book : ...หนังสือ(năngsǔe)
 * ...a magazine : ...นิตยสาร(nít-ta-yá-săan)
 * ...a newspaper : ...หนังสือพิมพ์ (năngsǔe phim)
 * ...English-language books. : ...หนังสือภาษาอังกฤษ (năngsǔe phaasăa angkrit)
 * ...English-language magazines. : ...นิตยสารภาษาอังกฤษ (nít-ta-yá-săan phaasăa angkrit)
 * ...an English-language newspaper. : ...หนังสือพิมพ์ภาษาอังกฤษ (năngsǔe phim phaasăa angkrit)
 * ...an English-English dictionary. : ...พจนานุกรมอังกฤษเป็นอังกฤษ (phótja naanúkrom angkrit pen angkrit)

Driving

 * I want to rent a car. : ผม/ดิฉันต้องการเช่ารถ (phǒm/dì-chǎn tôngkaan châo rót)
 * Can I get insurance? : ขอประกันภัยได้ไหม? (khǔ prakan pai dâi mǎi)
 * stop (on a street sign) : หยุด (yùt)
 * one way : เดินรถทางเดียว (doen rót thaang diao)
 * yield : ให้ทาง (hâi thaang)
 * no parking : ห้ามจอด (hâam jòt)
 * speed limit : จำกัดความเร็ว (jamkàt khwaam reo)
 * gas (petrol) station : ปั๊มน้ำมัน (pám náamman)
 * petrol : น้ำมันรถ (náam man rót)
 * diesel : ดีเซล (dii-sen)

Adult talking

 * We must use a condom. : เราต้องใช้ถุงยาง (rao dtâwng chái thŏong yaang)
 * We should use a condom. : เราควรใช้ถุงยาง (rao khuaan chái thŏong yaang)

Authority

 * I haven't done anything wrong. : ผม/ฉันไม่ได้ทำอะไรผิด (phom/chan mai dai tham a-rai phit)
 * It was a misunderstanding. : มันเป็นการเข้าใจผิด. (man pen gaan khao jai phid)
 * Where are you taking me? : คุณจะพาผมไปไหน? (khun ja pha phom/chan pai nai?)
 * Am I under arrest? : ผมโดนจับใช่ไหม? (pom/chan don jap chai mai?)
 * I am an American/Australian/British/Canadian citizen. : ผมเป็นคนอเมริกัน/ออสเตรเลีย/อังกฤษ/แคนนาดา. (phom pen khon america/australia/angrit/canada)
 * I want to talk to the American/Australian/British/Canadian embassy/consulate. : ผม/ฉันอยากพูดกับสถานทูตอเมริกา/ออสเตรเลีย/อังกฤษ/แคนนาดา (phom/chan yaak phuut kap sathaan thuut)
 * I want to talk to a lawyer. : ผมอยากพูดกับทนาย(phom/chan yaak phuut kap tanai)
 * Can I just pay a fine now? : ผมจ่ายค่าปรับตอนนี้ได้ไหม? (phom/chan jai kha prap ton-nii dai mai?)

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Thai phrasebook


text:
Thakhek

Thakhek (ທ່າແຂກ) is the main town in Khammouane Province, in Central Laos.

Get in
Thakhek is connected to Nakhon Phanom, Thailand by the Third Friendship Bridge across the Mekong River. It is around 10 km north of town and the Thai-Laos International Bus runs between Nakhon Phanom bus station and Thakhek from 08:00 to 17:30 eight times daily (every 60 - 90 minutes). It is not possible to cross the bridge on foot. You must pay in baht for the bus from Nakhon Phanom to Thakhek. Kip or US dollars are not accepted. Allow about 1.5 hours for the customs rituals on both sides of the bridge. Visa on arrival available on the Laos side. If you enter Thailand from Laos, most nationalities get a 30-day visa exempt entry.

From the north: buses from Vientiane leave the Southern Bus station there every 1–2 hours in the morning, the journey takes around 7 hours, 60,000 kip standard or 80,000 kip for a very colourful VIP bus. See the section on the Vientiane Southern Bus station for the non-trivial instructions how to get there on your own. There are VIP hotel pick-up buses that can be booked from the centre of Vientiane but they make quite a mark-up charging around 130,000 kip per person.

There are three bus stations in Thakhek:
 * - also known as the South Bus Station - about 5 km east of the city centre, so a tuk-tuk ride is almost unavoidable, for which local drivers seem to have fixed a steep price of 20,000 kip (July 2019) per (foreign) person.
 * - next to the Souksomboun market, songthaews to nearby destinations.
 * - next to the morning market (maybe 100 m east of the round about in the backyard), e.g. minibus to Lak Sao.

Get around
Thakhek town is small enough to walk around, but tuk-tuks will take you most places for 5,000-10,000 kip if you are feeling lazy. One-speed bicycles can be hired from the Travellers Lodge.

A tuk-tuk to/from the south bus station can be as low as 20,000 kip per person (2019) and takes about 15 minutes.

See
The market hidden behind the shops on the roundabout corner opposite the Lao Development Bank is well worth a visit. Narrow lanes wind between the shops leading to a large open market selling fresh produce and sometimes unusual meats such as snake, squirrel, frog, and bat.

Do
Thakhek itself is a small town on the Mekong with good views of Thailand and a nearby border crossing to Thailand.

Bicycles and mopeds can be rented from the Thakhek Travellers Lodge, from Wang Wang (located at the central plaza across from Ithira Hotel, from a clothes shop on the south side of the main road leading to the Lao Development Bank, or from a few different places near the river.

An Internet cafe on the other side of the road is open until about 22:00 and charges 120 kip/minute (half the price of the dial up connection in the Travellers Lodge). There are also a couple of Internet cafes near the fountain square, charging around 5,000 kip/hour.

The Loop
The Loop is an almost 500-km-long round trip along Rte 12 to the east and then up north and around returning south to Thakhek on Rte 13. Most do it counter-clockwise and put the long, boring almost 2-hour drive (100 km) on Rte 13 to the end. It is normally done in 3–4 days on a hired moped or using your own transport. It can be done in 2 days but this involves a lot of driving and starting the day early to not have to drive in the dark.

The condition of the roads has improved greatly in the past and only rarely requires a specific skill level (mainly some bridge crossings which you could choose to push over if you really didn't dare driving). However, rain, animals (cows, water buffaloes, dogs!), and the driving standards can make driving challenging to say the least. Do not expect to be able to drive at high speeds. Do expect some heavy truck traffic on the connection roads to Vietnam. But once you have washed all of the thick orange dust out of your hair and clothing it is hard not to feel a great sense of achievement in having completed it.

Tham Nong Pafa Cave (often referred to as the Buddha Cave) is a hidden cave that is accessible via an elevated walkway which leads to a flight of concrete steps. No need for the previous canoe trips and the dangerous bamboo ladder is gone as well. Women must wear a sin (traditional Lao skirt), which can be borrowed from the huts located at the beginning of the walkway. The cave is open until 17:00. Photography is not allowed inside the cave.

Tha Falang a swimming spot in the river about 15 km east along Rte 12, is somewhat disappointing in the dry season, but the ride and friendly children still make this trip good fun. It is not signposted in English, so you will need to turn off to the north, down a sandy track after the bridge before the road bends around to the right between two cliffs. Immediately south after the bridge there is a shady spot to park and you can follow the river to Tham Xiengliab, a small cave with river flowing through it. Again a guide or pack of children will probably appear to guide you. Bring a torch and some gifts for the children if you want to go inside.

It's about another 4–5 km to the commercialized Aen Cave which is lit with a rainbow of neon strip lamps and has an amazing network of Escher-like staircases. It has a river running out of mouth and a big pool at the back and is worth a look for the staircases alone. 20,000 kip (2016) + 2,000 kip for the bike. As of Sep 2016, entrance fee to the cave is 20,000 kip. It is possible to take a two-hour boat ride through the cave from the east to the west. Prepare for 1,000 meters boat ride and 300 meters walking to reach the west exit of the cave where you can enjoy a beautiful view. The trip costs 50,000 kip per person and officially 100,000 kip if you come alone (you can bargain it to 50,000 though). The boys hanging out next to the entrance of the cave do the tour. They will not approach you so ask.

Thalang is a small town on the loop, worth stopping at to rest for a couple hours taking a swim in the lake (Nam Theun 2, protected area), surrounded by tree trunks which makes it a unique experience; or even for a day, taking a tour with a local company to explore the area, with the lake but as well a jungle and a beach.

Konglor Cave to some is the highlight of this trip. It is a 7-km-long underground river that is navigated by motorized longboat with a powerful but very narrow headlamp (rental is included in ticket) and leads through gigantic caves sometimes higher than the powerful beam can lighten up. To fully appreciate it one would need a huge and wide spreading source of light. In the dry season you will have to get out while the boatmen drag (or drive!) the long boat over the shallows, so bring flip flops (or take those available for free just before you enter the boat).

The river emerges into a valley on the far side which used to be only accessible by foot. Expect 4 or 5 food stalls selling drinks and the usual. If you have plenty of time, you may be able to rent a bicycle and try to explore the valley. Be sure to talk it through with your boat man (who usually waits for you for up to two hours) if you decide to stay for an extended period. There isn't much to do otherwise and you will quickly find yourself riding down the river and back through the cave. The round trip takes about 2 hours (one-way is 1 hour).

The entrance fee for Kong Lor is 110,000 kip/person (November 2022) and includes round trip with the boat through the cave (three tourist plus guide maximum). You can take your motorbike with you on the boat for 250,000 kip (November 2022). Motorbike parking is 5,000 kip.

The road to Konglor leads through a valley with tobacco fields. Try to have some gas in your tank to avoid having to fill up in a very remote area.

Ban Nahin village at Rte 8, 42 km from Kong Lor, has many guest houses and motorbike rentals. There are various guest houses near Kong Lor as well and some good home stays in the village about 1 km from the cave itself (50,000 kip per person with breakfast and dinner, maximum of three people in the same house).

Check your bikes thoroughly before starting this trip, make sure the brakes and lights work and check the odometer as turnings are not necessarily signed and you want to measure the distance between junctions. If your helmet does not have a visor, sunglasses are essential as dust and insects will blind you.

Carrying a spare bottle of fuel gives a sense of security and might well make your day, as there are long stretches without gas stations, and ascents might spoil average consumption. Do also keep in mind that often gas is sold in bottles of 1 liter at the side of the road (the red stuff), expect to pay a few cents more (maybe 1000 kip) or get a little less, but maybe support a family instead of (rather: and) a big corporation. Filling up the tank once it gets below half is not necessary, but will give you a peace of mind when entering vast areas.

Road #1E, the section between Yommalat and Laksao (some 80 km), is very rewarding and among the most beautiful part of the loop. It no longer (August 2019) constitutes a mere dirt track with lots of deep potholes filled with mud, especially after the local heavy rains. It is a well driveable road. However, rain and dust can make for a very slippery track.

Reasonable places for overnights on a counterclockwise roundtrip could be the Sabaidee Guesthouse in Tha Lang (after 99 km without cave watching), and maybe a homestay/guesthouse near Konglor Cave (after another 145 km), before an early visit there and return to Thakhek (another 185 km), making it an enjoyable three-day trip.

There are a number of very informative scrapbooks filled with tips, maps and other experiences on The Loop at Travellers Lodge.

The Loop by bike: Don't attempt to do the whole loop on the bicycles you can rent, unless you are very determined. It is possible to reach the Tham Nong Pafa Cave and some of the southern leg this way if you don't mind the heat and are reasonably fit, but the lack of gears and suspension would make it very uncomfortable to go further. Allow a full day if going all the way to Aen Cave by bicycle and at least half for a visit to the signposted Buddha Cave (approximately 15 km from town, the last nine of which is a dusty dirt road that winds through some stunning limestone scenery).

The Loop by car: If riding a moped or bicycle isn't your style, you can still do the loop, or a portion of it, via a hired air conditioned minivan (with guide and driver) from the Thakhek tourist office. Through InterLao travel it is possible to book this tour beforehand, but they charge a premium for the service. The guide will bring water, assist in food purchases and show you the local sights including the waterfall above Ban Nahim. The tour can also include the Lao 'Baci' (welcome to village) ceremony. The minivan can drop you back at Thakhek, leave you at the intersection of Hwy 8 for a trip up to Vientiane via VIP bus or (perhaps) take you up to Vientiane (about 240 km and 1 million kip).

You should have a valid driver's licence, if not an international one.

Eat
Cafes line the riverfront road serving the usual types of basic food.

In the market good noodle soup can be eaten under the sheltered section towards the middle.

Pork rolls in hot baguettes can be bought as a takeaway lunch from stands near the new fountain square at the end of the main road. Towards the other end, night food stalls sell pancakes and pork buns by battery-powered lamps. It makes a good stop on the way back from Rendez-Vous and is good way to spend some money outside the monopolising Travellers Lodge.

If you do want to eat dinner, do so before 21:00. Trying to find something after 21:30 can be tough.

Kyoto Restaurant makes extremely good and authentic Japanese food. Bring some time and prepare for a peculiar experience. The owner has been living in Laos for 21 years and will likely have a drink with you. Open only M-Sa, 11:00-18:00.

Le Café Bleu opened 2015. Its a stylish and friendly place with excellent coffee and Lao, Thai and Western food coming from the shiniest kitchen in Thakhek. Prices are surprisingly low, compared to DD Café in the city center.

Boton d'Or is a hotel and has a riverside restaurant with excellent local food and a great view. They also serve pizza from a woodfire oven. It is decently priced.

789cool is a bar and restaurant. It is popular among young locals. It seems to be the only place selling food even after 22:00. However, the place turns into a bar at night. It does also offer splendid views on the Mekong. Food is decent, drinks are cold and plentiful.

Sleep

Cope
There may be a police operation/scam in Thakhek in which police wait for motorcyclists at an intersection on the main road heading to and from the river. Simply obeying the road rules may not be enough: the police will invent some kind of transgression like stopping in the wrong part of the road or not stopping when the light is broken, and will take photographic 'evidence' to prove it. A valid (international) licence can help to get out without paying a 'fine'.

Domestic

 * Kong Lor Cave - From the main (south) bus station take a Vientiane or any northbound bus (30,000 kip, 1½ hr) and get off at Vieng Kham (the intersection of Rte 13 and Hwy 8) where buses and tuk-tuks are available to Ban Nahin. Take a bus (20,000 kip, 1 hr, departs at 14:00) or tuk-tuk (they asked 75,000 kip per person, but this is probably negotiable) to Ban Nahin where a minibus (25,000 kip, 1 hr departs at 15:00 for Kong Lor). Alternatively, for the return trip to Thakhek, the minibus returns to Ban Nahin at 10:30 although the same minibus will occasionally travel directly to Thakhek (75,000 kip, 5 hr).
 * Pakse: local bus, 70,000 kip (May 2023), 7 hr, regularly from 10:30; VIP 150,000 kip, 5 hr, 08:30 (Sep 2016: the 8.30 bus is not a VIP bus, just has A/C)
 * Savannakhet: local bus, 60,000 kip (May 2023), 2-3 hr, regularly from 10:30
 * Vientiane: local bus, 120,000 kip (May 2023), 7 hr, regularly from 05:30; VIP 150,000 kip, 5 hr, 09:15

International

 * Da Nang: 120,000 kip, 20:00
 * Hanoi: 160,000 kip, 01:00
 * Nakhon Phanom in Thailand
 * Vinh: 90,000 kip, 07:00, 20:00

title: Thakhek


text:
Thale

Thale is a town in the Harz Mountains in central Germany.

Understand
It is believed that Thale emerged at the beginning of the 10th century and was first mentioned in 936 in connection with Wendhausen abbey, however the abbey was later destroyed in 1525 due to the Peasant’s war.

Records have shown that from 1445 there was a working ironworks which was rebuilt in 1648 and it was partially destroyed during the Thirty Years War, it was completely destroyed in 1670. However it was later rebuilt in a small hammer mill due to the close proximity of the ore deposits and availability of wood, this lasted until 1714. Thale has always had a connection with the iron industry which shows in the number of workers it had, it went from 350 in 1872 to 4,400 in 1905. From 1916 Thale produced steel helmets and during the Second World War Thale had the monopoly on the product.

Tourism only started to flourish from the 19th century onwards this was due to the Hubertus spring which opened in 1836.

Plane

 * Leipzig Airport  is east of Thale and is around 120 km (roughly 1½ hours) from Thale. There are a number of international and national flights to/from Leipzig.
 * Hanover Airport  is about 154 km west of Thale (roughly 1 hr 40 min drive). The airport is situated in Langenhagen, 11 km the north of Hanover city centre and has easy access to the autobahn.

Car
Thale is very close to Quedlinburg and Blankenburg and in the north /east of the Harz. Thale is just off the B6, which is a newly built road connecting the East with the West.

 * North A7 direction Kassel, take Exit A2 direction Braunschweig, then continue A391 towards A39, head towards B6 via A395. Follow direction Thale.
 * South/West On the A7 direction Hannover take exit 66 to Goslar B82 and B6, Thale is sign posted.
 * East Take the A14 exit 10 direction Aschersleben, then follow B185 to Aschersleben, take theB6 and then L240, Thale is sign posted

Bus
You can take buses to any major cities and places around Harz. The Busbahnhof (main bus station) is near the Hauptbahnhof. The bus service goes via Q Bus. Check for routes and timings

By train
Thale railway station lies on the Magdeburg–Thale railway which is a single non electrified track that connect Thale to Magdeburg. You can also connect to Berlin and Stendal.

By bike
There are a number of mountain bike paths around Thale to enjoy, it is possible to hire a bike and explore them for yourself. A number of hotels and shops around the area offer bike rental so there is no need to take your own. Prices will vary from different establishments and type of bike.

By taxi
There are a number of taxi companies within the town, you will find more information on the website. Alternatively head towards the train station it will always be possible to get a taxi from there.

Parking
There are car parks just outside the town centre at reasonable prices. For more information check the website.

Buy
There are a number of family run shops within the town with the majority of them staying open until 18:00, all shops will be closed on Sunday. There is a large furniture store from kitchens to bedrooms, this store is open until 19:00 during the week.

Eat
There are a number of different types of food specific to the Harz region. The Harz cheese or known locally as Harzer roller is made from sour milk quark it takes 1638 days to mature. The cheese can be brought from any local markets or shops.

Many of the restaurants in the area will serve game on their menus, this is due to there being a number of woods for the wild animals to live in.

Go next
Rubeland is a small town nearby where you can explore the large ancient caves. The caves were inhabitated by bears and later humans during the stone age.

Blankenburg Is a large town just north of Thale. There are a number of shops and different cultural sites.

Quedlinburg Is close to Thale with some of the buildings in the style of Romanesque architecture and are part of the holiday route Romanesque Road.

Nordhausen - with its famous distillery

title: Thale


text:
Thalmässing

Thalmässing is a small town with around 2,000 inhabitants in Middle Franconia (Mittelfranken), Bavaria (Bayern), Germany.

By air
Thalmässing-Waizenhofen Airfield (IATA: unlisted, GPS Code: EDPW) is a small airfield serving the community of Thalmässing and Waizenhofen and is about 45 km south of Nuremberg. The airfield is used for General Aviation purposes, primarily by private pilots in ultralight aircraft and helicopters. The airport has a maintenance facility for helicopters and microlights. Charter flights can be arranged from this airport.

Nuremberg Airport is around 60 km to the north and is the nearest international airport to Thalmaessing.

By train
DB-Bahnhof Hilpoltstein R6, scheduled bus service 611 (VGN)

The new ICE line runs from Nuremberg to Munich and provides a rail service to the stations of Ingolstadt and Nuremberg. A bus service is provided to the region.

The Greding-Thalmässing-Rothwas railway line we was closed in 1974 and replaced by a bus service. The former rail bed was converted into a cycle path.

By bus
Buses from other nearby towns are available.

By car
Thalmässing is only a few minutes by car or bus from Greding, Eichstaett, Hilpoltstein and Heideck.

It is however a fair way from major German cities Nuernberg (40 min), Munich (1.5 hr), Berlin (6 hr).

Thalmässing is 12 km from the A9 motorway; exit 56 - Berlin-Munich-South Hilpoltstein junction about 11 km. Junction 57 Greding is about 12 km.

Turn west off the E45 at Großhöbing.

Get around
The town is manageable on foot. If not, taxis are available on call.

Buy
There are a couple of small supermarkets in the village.
 * Seasonal markets (Easter, St. Martin's, Christmas, Pentecost).

Eat
There are many restaurants in Thalmässing, most of them cooking typical German food.

Go next

 * Ingolstadt
 * Weißenburg
 * Nuernberg (40 min)
 * Munich (1.5 hr)
 * Bayreuth
 * Roth

title: Thalmässing


text:
Thame

There is more than one place called Thame:

United Kingdom

 * Thame (England) - A town in England.

Nepal

 * Thame (Nepal) - A town in Nepal.

title: Thame


text:
Thame (England)

Thame (pronounced like tame) is a small town lying on the River Thame in Oxfordshire.

Understand
Habitation at the site dated back to Anglo-Saxon times and there have been finds of jewellery & pottery.

In 1940 a couple walking their dog inadvertently discovered "the Thame Hoard" (they were looking for a stone to throw for their dog). Maybe not the largest "Hoard" found in the UK, it comprised of five medieval gold rings and ten silver groats (c.1351 – c.1457) and can be seen today in the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford.

Visitor information

 * Thame visitor information

By road
Good link to the M40 motorway, 6 miles on A418 to the W and A418 to Aylesbury 10 miles E.

By bus
Thame is served by the 280 & X8 buses which runs along the A418 from Aylesbury to Oxford.

By bicycle

 * The National Byway cycle route passes 2½ miles to the N of the town.

Get around
The town is small enough to see on foot.

Do

 * Rugby Union: Chinnor RFC play in National League One, the third tier. Their home ground is on Kingsey Rd east edge of Thame.

Drink
Thame has a large number of pubs for a small town.

Go next

 * Oxford
 * Aylesbury
 * Princes Risborough
 * High Wycombe
 * Bicester

title: Thame (England)


text:
Thame (Nepal)

Thame (3,750 m) is a village in Khumbu at the end of the old Tibetan trade route from Tingri via Nangpa La.

Understand
Thame is a traditional and pretty village, and as it is not on the main Lukla to Everest trail it receives less visitors than many other villages in the area. As the path from Namche is relatively flat, it is a good place to walk to on an altitude acclimatisation day. Sherpa Tenzing Norgay's house is located near the top of the village. Thame is also home of the famous Nepalese mountaineers Ang Rita Sherpa, who climbed Everest at least 11 times, and Appa Sherpa, who climbed Everest at least 18 times, a world record.

See

 * Thame Monastery (Gompa), one of the oldest in the region.
 * Tibetans leading yak caravans.

Do
Climb the false summit (just below 5,000 m) of Sundar Peak. The well installed path begins just northwest of the monastery.

Sleep
There are a few simple lodges in the village, including the Everest Summiteer Lodge of Apa Sherpa

title: Thame (Nepal)


text:
Thames

Thames is an old gold mining town on the west coast of the Coromandel Peninsula on the North Island of New Zealand. Thames has a rich history and is the great place to start any visit to the Coromandel Pensinsula.

Understand
Thames is a coastal settlement, close to the mouths of the Kauaeranga and Waihou Rivers. Behind the town, the ancient volcanic Coromandel Ranges rise steeply to provide a picturesque green backdrop.

The northern end of Thames, known still as Grahamstown, offers cafés and boutique shops in a charming, colonial setting. Be sure to visit the museum, which covers early Maori times, the arrival of the first pioneers and the development of mining, logging, railways and shipping. You can also visit the School of Mines, which is open from Wednesday to Saturday.

Often called the gateway to the Coromandel Peninsula, Thames makes a great base for travellers. The magnificent Kauaeranga Valley hiking and camping area is just to the south, and the road to the north follows the coast past scores of sandy beaches.

Most of the town occupies a narrow coastal strip of flat land at the western base of the Coromandel Range. On the south the country opens to the wide expanse of the Hauraki Plain. The main farming activities of the district are sheep and cattle raising, dairying, market gardening and fruitgrowing.

The Thames district was settled by the Ngāti Maru tribe. On 16 November 1769 Captain James Cook in his ship Endeavour cast anchor off Tararu Point, about 3 km north-west of the present town, and made a short excursion on the Waihou River by ship's boat. In 1870 the Caledonian mine in just over a year produced 140,000 ounces (3,969 kilograms) of bullion (silver and gold). At the peak of the rush in 1868, 18,000 people were living in Thames.

Get in
There are two main routes for driving from Auckland. The fastest is via State Highways 1, 2 and 25. A more scenic route is via the Seabird Coast (Kawakawa Bay, Kaiaua and Miranda). If you take the scenic route, the Miranda Hot Pools are worth a visit.

 * InterCity Coachlines operate daily bus services to Thames from around the North Island.
 * Thames Airfield, the Hauraki Aero Club operates an airfield for small private aircraft.

Get around
There are a variety of ways to get around including bus, taxi and hiring your own car or bike.

See
Built on the pioneering industries of gold mining and kauri logging, Thames is the largest town in the region. Its fascinating history can be uncovered by visiting two excellent museums and taking a tour through an old gold mine.

 * Gold Mine Tours, Cnr of Moanataiari Rd and State Highway 25. You can go deep underground into the 100 year old Golden Crown Mine and also see the old stamper battery actually working. Check out the photo history room and try your hand at panning for gold.
 * Thames School of Mines, Cnr of Brown and Cochrane Streets. The school opened in 1886 offering practical instruction to goldminers working the quartz fields and closed 1954. Today as one of the most significant museums of its type in Australasia, it is administered by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust. If antique buildings is your thing don’t miss the old laboratory classroom, untouched since the last student went off home.
 * Thames Historical Museum, Cnr Cochrane & Pollen Streets. Displays of early European settlement, the days of the famous 19th-century gold rush and of 20th-century development. The remarkable history and production of the Thames foundries is also covered; timber jacks, logging locos and even cast iron houses! The museum is in a garden setting.
 * Shortland Wharf, Queen St. Once a port for small cargo vessels and the kauri timber industry, the historic wharf is a good place to see the intertidal mudflats and mangrove ecosystem. It is also an important base for commercial fishing in the Firth of Thames and elsewhere in the Hauraki Gulf. The fish wholesaler sells fresh seafood, bait and frozen fish products.
 * War Memorial Monument and Lookout, Waiotahi Creek Rd. Overlooking the township from a great viewpoint, take Waiotahi Creek Rd to the top at the north end of Thames.
 * Historic buildings. Pick up the guide pamphlets produced by the Historic Places Trust and take a self-guided tour of historic sites. There is a pamphlet for the old-time suburb of Grahamstown, and another for Shortland and Tararu.
 * Thames Society of Arts Gallery, Thames Cultural Centre, Old North School, Tararu Rd (3 km north of Thames). Housed in the historic building that once was the North School, the Thames Society of Arts Gallery is definitely worth a visit. Just three minutes from town along the Thames Coast Rd, the gallery displays a unique selection of high quality original works by local artists.
 * Karaka Bird Hide, Brown St, north of Pak'nSave and the Goldfields Shopping Mall. Sit and watch seabirds in the Firth of Thames.
 * William Hall Reserve, Brunton Cres, Parawai. The oldest arboretum in New Zealand with a large range of native and introduced plant and tree species.
 * Karaka Bird Hide, Brown St, north of Pak'nSave and the Goldfields Shopping Mall. Sit and watch seabirds in the Firth of Thames.
 * William Hall Reserve, Brunton Cres, Parawai. The oldest arboretum in New Zealand with a large range of native and introduced plant and tree species.

Do
Do outdoor activities such as horse riding, mountain biking, abseiling, hunting, fishing, kayaking, swimming, camping, walking and tramping.
 * Thames Golf Club, cnr of State Highway 26 (Kopu Paeroa Rd) and Kopu Hikuai Rd, Kirikiri (6 km south of Thames). An 18-hole undulating course situated a short drive south of Thames.
 * Thames Golf Club, cnr of State Highway 26 (Kopu Paeroa Rd) and Kopu Hikuai Rd, Kirikiri (6 km south of Thames). An 18-hole undulating course situated a short drive south of Thames.

Annual events

 * Thames Gold Rush Market Day, Pollen St.
 * Thames Race Day, Thames Racecourse, Parawai Rd.
 * Thames Heritage Day, various historic venues.

Buy

 * Thames Main Street, the shopping is excellent in the mile long Pollen Street.
 * Thames Markets, northern end of Pollen St. There's something for everyone here. Sa 9AM-noon.
 * Thames Markets, northern end of Pollen St. There's something for everyone here. Sa 9AM-noon.
 * Thames Markets, northern end of Pollen St. There's something for everyone here. Sa 9AM-noon.

Eat
The Firth of Thames provides an important fishery of local significance with flounder and snapper the main species caught as well as incidental catches of other species such as sandshark.

 * Flounder or flatfish are in demand on account of their excellent flavour and delicate texture. They frequent the shallow tidal waters in the Thames area.
 * Snapper from the sea bream family is one of the most popular food fishes in the Firth of Thames. Try out some of the best smoked fish in the world!
 * Green-lipped mussels from this area are some of the best in New Zealand and are farmed commercially in the Firth of Thames. Extracts from mussels are also marketed as health products.

Historic pubs
At its height, Thames was credited with having had 112 hotels, one more than Auckland. By the 1970s this number had been reduced to seven. The hotels of the goldfields served a variety of purposes in addition to the provision of accommodation, a liquor outlet and entertainment. They provided the venues for formal public meetings held to discuss roading, bridging and wharf facilities and were the places where certain mining companies held their meetings. Accident victims were often taken to a nearby hotel for treatment.

 * Brian Boru Hotel, Corner Pollen & Richmond Streets. Established during the Thames gold rush of 1867.
 * Imperial Hotel, Cnr Pollen and Sealey Sts.

Go next
Continue north along State Highway 25. This tree-lined road hugs the coastline offering memorable views across the Firth of Thames and the Hauraki Gulf. Take a short detour inland at Tapu to visit the beautiful Rapaura Watergardens and the Square Kauri and again just before Coromandel Town for a delightful stop at Waiau Waterworks.

title: Thames


text:
Thames Ditton

Thames Ditton is a village in Surrey.

Get in
Trains to Thames Ditton are available twice an hour from London Waterloo.

Get around
Getting around is quite easy. Buses such as the K3 cut straight through Thames Ditton if you want to get into the surrounding area. Thames Ditton isn't that big and everything is a short walk away.

Taking the train is also very easy. There are two stations in the Thames Ditton area: Thames Ditton and Surbiton station. While the Thames Ditton station drops you off smack dab in Thames Ditton experience shows that the Surbiton station, one of the busiest stations in the area, has more departures and arrivals. Especially if you want to go directly into Central London, which is 20 minutes away by a South West train out of Surbiton.

Do
Because of its location you can catch some great shopping in surrounding area of Thames Ditton. It's a 20-minute walk and you'll arrive at Surbiton's main Victoria Road where most Thames Ditton residents get there shopping done. There are a couple markets, charity shops, and pharmacies. About a 10-minute drive from there is where most Thames Ditton residents get their clothes-shopping done at various chains inside the Bentall Centre and the surrounding area.

Go next

 * Hampton Court, just across the river in Richmond on Thames
 * Weybridge to the south west.

title: Thames Ditton


text:
Thami phrasebook

Thami (Thangmi Kham or Thangmi Wakhe) is a language of Nepal.

Thangmi, known in Nepali as Thāmī, is a Tibeto-Burman language spoken by around 30,000 people in eastern Nepal. Unfortunately, much of this local knowledge is falling into disuse as fluency in Nepali increases.

Basics

 * Hello. : Hara chha?.
 * Hello. (formal) : Namaste.
 * How are you? : Nangkai hara(kuni) chha?
 * What is your name? : Nangko name hara ho?
 * My name is ______ . : Gaiko name __________ ho.
 * Yes. : Ho, hodu.
 * No. : Matha.
 * I can't speak Thami. :
 * Do you speak English? : Nang-e Angreji chijyangdu?
 * I am from _________ . : Gai _________ ngi(ni) ho.
 * I would like _________.: Gai ______________ chyangadu
 * Where is the toilet? : Paikhana(toilet) kuta hodu?

Shopping

 * How much is this? : Ka hani ho?

title: Thami phrasebook


text:
Thane

Thane (ठाणे Ṭhāṇe), formerly known as Thana, is a city in North Konkan, Maharashtra. Its biggest claim to fame is that the first railway line laid in India was from Bori Bunder to Thane station.

Understand
Thane (tthah-nneh) is known as the Elder Sister of Mumbai, as Thane district was divided and part of Thane district that is from Mulund to Sion was given to Mumbai for its future development. Also, Mumbai depends heavily on Thane for water supply from lakes. Thane for all practical purposes is a suburb of Mumbai. Today Thane city area is with more than 1.2 million population.

Thane was inhabited by people of the Agri and Koli communities, and their villages still exist today as "Chendani Koliwada", "Kopari Goan", and "Uthalsar". It also includes Majiwade, Balkum, Dhokali, Kolshet, Wadavli, and others. In 1825, when the British explored their newly annexed territories in Bassein, they discovered that Thane was inhabited primarily by Roman Catholics, who are both native and Portuguese, and that the latter was virtually indistinguishable from the former in skin colour and custom. The local villagers, like Kolis (fishermen), are converted into indigenous Catholics mostly from the villages of Chendani, Koliwada, and Majiwada. The Agri and Koli community people had their own cultures. Some of the upper-class East Indian families in the Khatri ward of Thane still speak Portuguese.

There are 30 lakes within and around the city, earning it the sobriquet of Lake City. Apart from being a source of water for Thane and its larger neighbour, Mumbai, the lakes are also tourist attractions. The areas surrounding the city are beautiful. The scenic locales, old forts, boat rides and resorts make Thane a great getaway from Mumbai.

This article also covers Kalwa, an important industrial hub in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. The massive industrialisation around the Belapur Road, passing through Kalwa has supposedly turned it into one of the biggest industrial and manufacturing hubs in India. Now, its parks are also on the way to development in Navi Mumbai. The important old Mumbai-Pune highway passes through Kalwa. The leading industrial product exported from this suburb is fuel filters for Ford Motor Corporation.

Climate
Thane's climate is almost the same as Mumbai's climate but slightly cooler.

History
The earliest evidence of Thane appears in the works of the Greek geographer, Ptolemy, who, in his writings (135 - 150 AD) refers to a place called Chersonesus, which, according to researches, is the area around Thane creek. The city crops up again in the Middle Ages and slabs and copper plates dating back to the period have been discovered in Thane. One of them, dug up from the foundations of Thane Fort in 1787, dated 1078 AD, is apparently a land grant from Arikesara Devaraja, sovereign of the city of Tagara, wherein he address the inhabitants of a city called Sri Sthanaka. Friar Jordanus, a great traveler, who visited the city between AD 1321 and 1324, describes it as being under a Muslim governor. He leaves a detailed sketch of early Christians in Thane and refers to the martyrdom of four Christian priests in the region, more than 200 years before the Portuguese ever set foot in India. The celebrated Ibn Batuta and Abul Feda, contemporaries of Friar Jordanus, also came here. They refer to Thane as Kukin Tana and speak of its fame as a port from which ships sailed to the gulf carrying a kind of cloth called 'Tanasi' which was produced in Thane. Duarte Barbosa, a noted traveler, described Thane by the name Tana Mayambu 25 years before the Portuguese conquest. He paints a vivid picture of the town as one of Moorish mosques and temples, with many pleasant gardens. The Portuguese came to Thane about 1530 and ruled for over 200 years till 1739. Thane was then known as Cacabe de Tana. Work on the Thane Fort began in 1730. The Marathas, who conquered Bassein and Thane in 1737 and 1739, held sway over the region till 1784, when the British captured the Fort and ruled Thane, then also called Tana. They made it the headquarters of the district administration with a district collector stationed in Thane.

The Thane Municipal Council was formed in 1863 when the city had a population of 9,000 people.

Economy
Thane is witnessing a gradual transition from being a manufacturing hub to an economy driven by services sector. The state government in general and MIDC in particular are also acting as a catalyst to boost this transition. The Wagle Estate MIDC is gradually becoming a major IT & ITES, services industry hub. The Ashar IT Park marks a key milestone towards achieving it.

Most of the global IT & ITES companies have started shifting focus and relocating to Thane on account of its cost efficiencies and highly skilled low attrition manpower. The IT parks are built using state-of-the-art technology, packed with all the ingredients comparable to any international IT park.

By plane
The nearest airport is the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, Mumbai. Once you get off, you will need to take a taxi or hire a car. The distance to Thane is about, the drive can take between 45 and 75 minutes depending on the traffic.

By taxi
Mumbai's taxis are allowed into Thane. The prepaid taxi service available at the airport is the recommended hassle-free way of getting to Thane. The fare you pay at the counter includes the toll you need to pay when you leave Mumbai.

By train
The best way to get to Thane from Mumbai using public transport is to take the local train service.

Although Andheri is the nearest railway station from the airport a better option would be to take an auto-rickshaw to Kurla or Ghatkopar station(both these stations fall on the central suburban line) and then board any suburban Northbound Local Suburban train (all local suburban trains halt at Thane) to Thane. You have the option to board a fast or a slow train. But the better option is to board Thane Local Train which ends at Thane station. Trains can be located by abbreviations for example T - Thane so any train with the T abbreviation on the Digital Train time display will end at Thane.

The auto-rikshaw ride to Kurla or Ghatkopar stations would cost a little more, about ₹60 to ₹70, compared with Andheri which will be about ₹40 to ₹50 but you would end up saving 1-1½ hour. An added benefit is that you get to board a direct train to Thane thus avoiding the change over at Dadar.

Another option if you are coming from the airport is, to take an auto-rickshaw to Andheri station which is served by the Western Railway and buy a ticket to Thane. You need to take a southbound train towards Churchgate and get off at Dadar (which is the interchange point) if possible avoid peak hour journey if you are new in Mumbai especially between 8 and 11AM or between 6 and 8PM, get on the Central Railway Line and then take a northbound train to Thane. This method is recommended only if you are adventurous at heart and are not carrying any luggage.

Thane is also well served by long-distance trains, many of which stop at Thane station en route Mumbai.

By car

Two main roads enter the city from Mumbai. The older one is the Lal Bahadur Shastri Marg (commonly abbreviated as LBS Marg) and Eastern Express highway. Both of them are toll roads - the toll gate (called naaka) for the former is called Teen Hath Naka while that for the latter is called Check Naka. The toll at both the naakas is ₹30 one way which is somewhat unfair because there is a huge difference in the condition of the two roads.

LBS marg is invariably congested, encroached upon and potholed. It goes through the heart of Mumbai's Mumbai/Central Suburbs. The Eastern Express highway is wide, well-maintained and smooth. It goes through an uninhabited area where development is prohibited. Use this road to get in, even though the distance will be slightly more. The roads intersect at Marathon chowk ("Marathon square", because that's where the Thane Mayor's Marathon starts.). LBS Marg then goes right through the city, while the Eastern Express highway skirts it and turns into NH - 3 highway to Nashik and Agra.

By bus
There are very few BEST buses that go right up to Marathon Chowk (It is known as "Teen Haath naka")- 399 and 496 Ltd. Once you get off, catch a TMT bus or auto-rickshaw. From this spot Thane railway station is hardly 10-12 min walk if you go by following Gokhale Road, & auto should not cost more than ₹10-15.

BEST bus kinglong number 700 for Borivali, from Thane railway station east, frequency every 15 minutes. early bus 6AM last bus 11:30PM

Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) also called ST bus service from Thane railway station West frequency every 15 minutes.

BRTS Buses originate from Cadbury Junction for Backbay and Nehru Planetarium

Most private buses from various parts of the country will stop in Thane. Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) buses will ply from various parts of Maharashtra to Thane.

Thane Municipal Transport (TMT) commuters helpline number 1800-22-9901 to get information about TMT buses

By auto-rickshaw
Note that auto-rickshaws from Mumbai cannot enter Thane city limits. You will have to change over to another one at the toll-gate.

By car
Ram Maruti Road, Gokhale Road and LBS Marg are the important roads to criss-cross this area. The other important road is Ghodbunder Road which connects the eastern and western halves of the city and joins the Eastern Express Highway.

By bus
Thane Municipal Transport (TMT) runs a bus service through the city. Even Brihanmumbai (BMC) has started bus service in selected parts of the city

By auto-rickshaw
The most common way to get around in Thane is to hire an auto rickshaw. Payment is by meter. The amount to pay, however, is not the amount shown by the meter, but scaled up by a factor which changes whenever there is a rate adjustment. Check the tariff card for the right fare. Ensure Tariff card is stamped & signed by RTO. It is better still to know the approximate distance to destination and negotiate the charge lumpsum beforehand since the meters are invariably tampered with, e.g. Thane to Sion is 15-18 km and fair charge would be ₹130-140 (latest rate) but the meter will show ₹180-190. Thus fixing ₹140-150 before sitting saves you a lot of headache.

By taxi
If you are on a day trip from Mumbai, one of the options is to catch a taxi in Mumbai and use it to go around Thane city. You cannot flag down taxis in the city as you won't find any, but you can certainly hire one.

Buy
The old shopping areas are the ever busy Ram Maruti Road and the Naupada road towards Thane Station. There you will find shops on the roadside. New malls are coming up on Ghodbunder Road and the Eastern Express highway. Prominent among them are:

Eat
In addition, there is a McDonald's close to the railway station, another McDonald's at the Lake City Mall, a Pizza hut at Paanch Pakadi area & Wonder mall (see Buy) and  a Dominos near Paanch Pakadi area & Hiranandani Estate.
 * Gopalashram at LBS marg. Serves liquor till 6AM. The food isn't that great but if you are hungry at 3AM, check the place out.
 * Goras Upahar Gruh and Goras Gruha, Gokhale Road for authentic Marathi snacks and sweets.
 * Hotel Vijaydurg:Famous for Malvani food with delicious & spicy prawns, crabs, shell masala, malvani thali with fried pamphlet, bombil, halva etc. Solkadi to drink after food for digestion, at Majiwada before Flyover from station end.
 * Indian Swad at LBS marg. Good food and serves liquor till 2AM. Serves Indian and Oriental cuisine.
 * Kunjvihar, Near Thane railway station, Thane(W). A famous place for Jumbo (i.e. oversized) Vada-Paav, a typical Mumbaiya delicacy. You can have it either spicy or very spicy. ₹17.
 * Mamledar Misal, opposite Zilla Parishad Office
 * Moni's Near Malhar Talkies while entering Naupada market. It is a wonderful restaurant with a play area for children and fish tanks everywhere. The sizzlers are good if not the best and you could try the Royal Chicken sizzler if you ever do go there. The door man is rather peppy and the parking is always available on the adjacent road.
 * Oriental Spice, Shreeji Arcade, Almeda Rd, Panchpakhadi, +91 22 2539 4917, +91 22 2542 1111. Chinese restaurant.
 * Panchali is a bar and a restaurant. It is open till wee hours and is a better option than Gopal Ashram
 * Prashant corner Panchpakhadi thane (west) A great place to try chaats and stuff.
 * Raj Mata, Ram Maruti road, Thane. Famous for scrumptious vada pav, samosa pav. Be a sport and try this one out, and for a moment forget the calorie counting.
 * Royal Challenge, Eastern Express highway service road, Near Nitin company, Thane (W). Vegetarian restaurant and bar.
 * Sheetal Grille, Royal Inn, Old Agra road, Thane(W) +91 22 2538 4422. Indian restaurant and bar.
 * Tip top, fast food joint - near the railway station. A great place to try chaats and stuff. ₹15-50.
 * Tip top restaurant, L.B.S. Marg, Near Teen Hath Naka, Thane (W) (attached to Hotel Tip top) Great Gujarati/Rajasthani thali for ₹160. (Buffet for ₹110)
 * Vihang Orchid, restaurant - at Ghodbunder road opposite Wonder Mall. A Multi cuisine restaurant where you can enjoy the dhaba on terrace.
 * Woodland restaurant, L.B.S. Marg, Near Teen Hath Naka, Thane (W) Best South Indian food at very reasonable price. Very good service and simple and nice ambience.
 * Raj Mata, Ram Maruti road, Thane. Famous for scrumptious vada pav, samosa pav. Be a sport and try this one out, and for a moment forget the calorie counting.
 * Royal Challenge, Eastern Express highway service road, Near Nitin company, Thane (W). Vegetarian restaurant and bar.
 * Sheetal Grille, Royal Inn, Old Agra road, Thane(W) +91 22 2538 4422. Indian restaurant and bar.
 * Tip top, fast food joint - near the railway station. A great place to try chaats and stuff. ₹15-50.
 * Tip top restaurant, L.B.S. Marg, Near Teen Hath Naka, Thane (W) (attached to Hotel Tip top) Great Gujarati/Rajasthani thali for ₹160. (Buffet for ₹110)
 * Vihang Orchid, restaurant - at Ghodbunder road opposite Wonder Mall. A Multi cuisine restaurant where you can enjoy the dhaba on terrace.
 * Woodland restaurant, L.B.S. Marg, Near Teen Hath Naka, Thane (W) Best South Indian food at very reasonable price. Very good service and simple and nice ambience.
 * Vihang Orchid, restaurant - at Ghodbunder road opposite Wonder Mall. A Multi cuisine restaurant where you can enjoy the dhaba on terrace.
 * Woodland restaurant, L.B.S. Marg, Near Teen Hath Naka, Thane (W) Best South Indian food at very reasonable price. Very good service and simple and nice ambience.
 * Woodland restaurant, L.B.S. Marg, Near Teen Hath Naka, Thane (W) Best South Indian food at very reasonable price. Very good service and simple and nice ambience.

Drink
Some of the restaurants listed under Eat have bars where you can have a drink, but Thane is not a place known for its nightlife. The lower end bars tend to be sleazy, so you need to be careful.

 * Cafe Coffee Day has two outlets here.
 * Desi Garbar, Shop No. 6 & 7, Akanksha Society, Panchpakadi, Thane(W)
 * Shop no 14,15, Ground Floor, Siddhachal Phase 4, Near Vasant Vihar, Pokhran Rd no 2, Thane(W).
 * Desi Garbar, Shop No. 6 & 7, Akanksha Society, Panchpakadi, Thane(W)
 * Shop no 14,15, Ground Floor, Siddhachal Phase 4, Near Vasant Vihar, Pokhran Rd no 2, Thane(W).

Sleep
There are many lodges near the railway station, but there is a lack of decent hotels.

Go next

 * Mumbai
 * Navi Mumbai
 * Vasai-Virar has some nice beaches, and an old fort built by the Portuguese.
 * Ganeshpuri, near Bhivandi (Kalyan) has hot springs, a temple and an ashram of Swami Nityanand.

title: Thane


text:
Thanedar

Thanedar (sometimes spelled Thanadar) is a village in Southern Himachal Pradesh, India. At 2,400 m, it is 445 km from Delhi and is about 3-hr drive from Shimla.

Understand
The pretty orchard country of Thanedar and Kotgarh is famous for being home to one of the first apple plantations in the country. It was here in Kotgarh in 1916 that Samuel Stokes, a social worker from Philadelphia, brought the first apple saplings, the place he adopted as his home. The area around Thanedar is also the orchard region of Himachal Pradesh, where cherries, strawberries and apples etc. abound.

Get in
Thanedar is slightly higher than Shimla, and the road linking the two runs almost near the crest of the mountain with a gradual ascent. One is constantly treated to a bird's-eye view of different valleys as the road twists and turns from one spur to another.

See
What gives Thanedar is its awe-inspiring view of the snowy peaks is its location on the ridge. Below Thanedar is the Sutlej Valley and beyond it is the snowy Kinner Kaillash massif. The Narkanda ridge, a short distance away, is the watershed between the Sutlej on the north and the Giri River in the south.

Further afield

 * The orchard towns of Kotgarh and Narkanda are nearby. The latter is also popular for its ski slopes.
 * Khadrala and Baghi with their dense forests and Kumarsain with an interesting wooden palace are also easily accessible from Thanedar.

Go next

 * Rampur
 * Sarahan
 * Chindi

title: Thanedar


text:
Thanh Hoa

Thanh Hoa is a city in the Central Coast region of Vietnam. It is a major crossroads for buses to the Lao border at Na Meo, but otherwise the town has little of interest to the average tourist.

Get in
You can get here by bus or by train from Hanoi. The city is 153 km south of Hanoi, about 3 hours by bus or 3½ hours by train. Bus tickets are 100,000-120,000 dong for a seat on air-con bus. The road is good. Train tickets from 100,000 dong for air-con hard-seat class.

You can also get in from Xam Nua (Sam Neua), Laos for 180,000 kip via the Na Meo border crossing. It takes about 10-12 hours along winding mountain roads in a small bus with padded seats. The aisle will be full of rice bags.

Get around
Best choice in every town in Vietnam to get around is "xe ôm" (moto-taxi). Negotiate price before you ride. For a trip of 5 km, pay 50,000 dong. Meter taxis are available with the same price throughout the country, call +84 37 858585 or dial 858585 if using a land line phone in town.

There are town buses you can use to get to the bus station and other areas around town.

See
Sam Son Beach is located in Sam Son town, a small provincial town 16 km from Thanh Hoa. The beach is crowded from Apr-Sep. There are buses from Thanh Hoa to the town, departing every 30 minutes from the bus station.

Ben En National Park is a good destination for eco-tours. This park is 46 km southwest of Thanh Hoa. It is 16,000 ha of mountains and jungles with many kinds of wild animals and tropical trees. There is a big lake in the park, covering 4,000 ha containing 21 islands.

Do
Come to Thanh hoa, you can walk around and see the city, a typical city of central Vietnam with an economy growing strong.

Buy

 * Souvenirs are available at supermarkets
 * Big C Hypermarket
 * Co-op Mart Supermarket
 * Thanh Hóa Supermarket
 * HC Electronics Supermarket
 * Chợ Tây Thành (West Market)
 * Chợ Nam Thành (South Market)
 * Chợ Vườn Hoa (Flowergarden Market)

Sleep
Hotel rooms average 200,000 dong per night.

Go next

 * Hanoi – Frequent buses from the bus station or flag one down on Hwy 1.
 * Ninh Binh – A good base for visiting Tam Coc or Cuc Phuong National Park. Takes just over an hour. 40,000 dong.
 * Dong Hoi – A sleepy beach and seaside town on the way to Hue with all the necessary infrastructure; laid back, authentic and genuinely friendly, with at least half a dozen hostels, convenient for accessing Phong Nha Ke Bang national park.

Laos:
 * Sam Neua – Daily bus to Laos leaves from the Western Bus Station. Note that according to Lao immigration officials, Laotian visas on arrival will no longer be available at Na Meo crossing after 31 December, 2019, so you must have a Laotian visa beforehand.

title: Thanh Hoa


text:
Thanjavur

Thanjavur, also known as Thanjai or Tanjore, is a historic Chola-era city in Tamil Nadu, from Chennai. It is also considered the granary and 'rice bowl' of Tamil Nadu.

Understand
Thanjavur thrived as the ancient capital of the Chola kingdom, later of Marathas and Nayaks. Thanjavur was at the height of its glory during the Chola period between the 10th and 14th centuries and became a great centre of learning and culture. The Chola Empire eventually grew into one of the most powerful empires India had ever seen under the rule of Rajaraja Chola I, also known to many Tamils as Rajaraja the Great, and his son, Rajendra Chola I. Under Rajendra Chola I, the capital was moved from Thanjavur to the nearby Gangaikondacholapuram.

An important landmark in Thanjavur is the great Brihadisvara Temple, also known as the Big Temple, built by Rajaraja Chola I. It is one of the most magnificent pieces of South Indian temple architecture. Established in 1011 CE in celebration of the victory of the Chola kingdom that extended to Ceylon and some parts of the Malaya archipelago. Now it is a world heritage site.

Even today Thanjavur is not only considered the rice bowl of Tamil Nadu but also many linguists consider it the cultural capital and the dialect of Tamil spoken here to be the purest form of the language. Though the Thanjavur district is dominated by agriculture, the town itself is diverse, having a literacy rate of more than 75% and a heterogeneous mix of populations of all religions. The presence of numerous Engineering colleges nearby has increased the student population in Thanjavur.

Thanjavur is very famous for its fine paintings done with studded gems and gold leaf.

By plane
The nearest airport is Tiruchirapalli International Airport ( on road). There are direct flights from Chennai.

By train
Thanjavur is also reachable by train from other Indian cities. is the station to alight. There are daily trains to or from Chennai, Bangalore, Mysore, Ernakulam, Palakkad, Thrissur, Coimbatore, Tiruchirappalli, Madurai, Erode, Salem, Tirupur, Tirunelveli, Rameswaram and weekly trains to Tiruchendur, Bhubaneswar, Varanasi, Prayagraj, Jabalpur, Vijayawada,  Vizianagaram and to all main cities. For train timings and online reservations visit the IRCTC website. The station is nearer to the Old Bus Stand than the New Bus Stand.

By bus
There are several state and private buses that ply daily from Mannargudi, Pattukkottai, Kumbakonam, Pondicherry, Bangalore, Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai and Tiruchirappalli. The journey from Bangalore and Chennai takes about 9 hours and there are overnight buses. Some buses (from Madurai or Tiruchirappalli) arrive at the New Bus Stand in Thanjavur; located about from the centre. To travel into the city, you can take another bus (town bus, commonly in brown colours) to the centre for ₹10, asking for the Old Bus Stand.

By auto-rickshaw
Negotiate a rate with the driver before riding in an auto. Any place within the city costs a minimum of ₹80 to ₹100. The auto drivers will charge extra if you don't speak Tamil or don't negotiate well (if you seem like a pushover). Bargaining for the prices before alighting is a must.

By tourist cab
Tourist cabs are the best choice in case you want to tour the temples around Thanjavur. Drivers don't follow a fixed method for charging. But it's wise to negotiate at least the rates that are applicable in Chennai.

By cycle rickshaw
Though not popular among the locals, foreign travellers usually hire cycle rickshaws to go around Thanjavur. One can inquire about the hotel's service desk for help.

By town bus
Town buses are the cheapest means of transport for moving within the town. The maximum price of a ticket is less than ₹20. However, buses in peak hours are crowded and are filled with office goers and college students. The stopping name is Cholan Silai where you can see the statue of Rajaraja Chola I.

See and do

 * Thanjavur Palace & Saraswathi Mahal Library - Possesses very old manuscripts mostly in Tamil and Sanskrit. The library is situated inside the Saraboji Palace which contains many rare paintings depicting various Indian cities during the reign of King Saraboji.
 * Sangeetha Mahal
 * South Zone Cultural Centre
 * Siva Ganga Garden - A cute little park sandwiched between the Brihadeshwara Temple and the Schwartz Church. There are children playing area at the heart of the park and it is very pleasant to watch the innocent laughs and smile. The park has a cute little train and also a theppakulam ( a temple in the middle of the pond). Boating is also available in the pond.
 * Siva Ganga Garden - A cute little park sandwiched between the Brihadeshwara Temple and the Schwartz Church. There are children playing area at the heart of the park and it is very pleasant to watch the innocent laughs and smile. The park has a cute little train and also a theppakulam ( a temple in the middle of the pond). Boating is also available in the pond.

In and around Thanjavur there are other ancient temples like Vellai Pillaiyar Temple, Thiruvanajozhi, Lord Murugan Temple, Swami Malai, Chandra Bagawan Temple, Thingalur Moon Temple, Sukkiran Temple, Kanchanur, Kethu Temple, Keelaperumpallam, Sani Bhagawan Temple, Punnainallur Mariamman Temple, Thirunallar, Mercury Temple, Thiruvenkadu, Raaghu Temple, Thirunageshwaram, Guru Baghawan Temple at Alangudi, Thirumananjeri.

Buy
Thanjavur is famous for its 'Thanjavur dancing doll' (Thanjavur thalai attu bommai), Tanjore Paintings (Lord Krishna paintings are the best) and Tanjore art plates (Lord Balaji are the best).

There is an outlet inside the palace where old and new art works are sold. You can pay with your credit card too. Many shops accept UPI payments nowadays.

There is a Phoompuhar art Gallery, which exhibits and sell a wide range of artistic bronze idols, Thanjavur paintings and artistic plates.Its been a hot spot for the foreign travellers.

Bargaining is a necessary skill that needs to be used. Like everywhere else, foreign travellers may be charged extra and may be fleeced. Adequate precautions must be taken.

Mid-range

 * Dheen Garden - The only place where you can get grilled chicken. The food is decent. Tandoori chicken is delicious and the portion they serve is very good. Check out their murthapa.
 * Hotel Sangamam
 * Popular - This is the cheapest among the lot and the Chinese dishes are nice.
 * Rice Bowl (pla) - They serve awesome Chinese food and their starters also pretty good.
 * Thevars- The best biriyani in town
 * Thevars- The best biriyani in town
 * Thevars- The best biriyani in town

Sleep
Hotels in Thanjavur are generally not that expensive. Try to avoid booking rooms from online websites as these websites may show increase in demand and may charge extra. Calling the hotel's phone and booking is the best way. For a more adventurous soul, going to the hotel, haggling and then booking the rooms may be another way. Hotels in the centre of the town tend to cost extra due to ease of access to the tourist spots. However, one can avoid the crowds and stay at hotels near to the New Bus Stand, for ease of travel to other cities.

Budget

 * Hotel Karthik has double rooms at ₹370 and single at ₹200. Air conditioned rooms cost ₹600. This is somewhat old hotel and cleanliness is about 3 on the scale of 5, but it is just a 5 minute walk away from Bridhadeeswara Temple and 10 minute walk from the palace. Has a restaurant in the ground floor where food is good south Indian vegetarian cuisine.

Mid-range

 * Hotel Sangam - Near Ramanadhan Hospital
 * Hotel ASK Residency - located near the New Bus Stand, the hotel has a modest rate ( around ₹800 to ₹1200 depending on the type of room). They provide clean rooms as well as towels and soaps. Air conditioned rooms cost extra.
 * Hotel ASK Residency - located near the New Bus Stand, the hotel has a modest rate ( around ₹800 to ₹1200 depending on the type of room). They provide clean rooms as well as towels and soaps. Air conditioned rooms cost extra.

Splurge

 * Ideal River View Resort A little out of town but well kept and quiet.
 * Parisutham a perfectly adequate hotel with a nice pool area and good food.
 * Temple Tower near Membalam
 * Parisutham a perfectly adequate hotel with a nice pool area and good food.
 * Temple Tower near Membalam

Go next

 * Chidambaram
 * Kodaikanal
 * Kumbakonam
 * Madurai
 * Mannargudi
 * Pondicherry
 * Rajaghiri
 * Thiruvayaru

title: Thanjavur


text:
Thanlyin

Thanlyin is a city in the Yangon Division of the Irrawaddy region in Myanmar.

Understand
Thanlyin and Kyauktan (Syriam) was once an important city on the Irrawaddy Delta, but is today an almost forgotten suburb of Yangon. In the early seventeenth century the Portuguese adventurer and mercenary, and short-time self-proclaimed king, Filipe de Brito, was the de facto ruler of Syriam. In 1613, he was defeated by Burmese forces led by Alaungpaya, the founder of The Konbaung dynasty.

Get in
Thanylin is a short taxi ride away (USD30 round trip) or catch a local bus from Bogoyoke Aung San Rd in Pazundaung Township for a crowded ride into the past (around 350 kyat) From Thanlyin, a boat (1,500 kyat) takes a few minutes to get across to Kyauktan.

title: Thanlyin


text:
Than Sadet-Ko Pha Ngan National Park

Than Sadet-Ko Pha Ngan is a national park on Ko Pha Ngan, Thailand.

Understand
The park protects 65.93 km², mostly on the island Pha Ngan. The park was established in 1983 covering an area of 39.12 km², and was enlarged to its present size in 1999.

The park is named after the river Than Sadet (Royal River). The river forms the largest waterfall on the island, which was visited by several Thai kings. Especially Rama V liked the place and visited 14 times. Not far from the waterfall the river empties into the sea at Than Sadet Bay, with its sandy beach another popular place in the park.

Khao Ra is both the highest elevation of the park as well as on the whole island of Pha Ngan, peaking at 727 m above sea level.

In addition to the forest on Pha Ngan itself, the park also includes several small islands north of Pha Ngan, like the Wao and Hin Bai archipelagos.

title: Than Sadet-Ko Pha Ngan National Park


text:
Thargomindah

Thargomindah is a town in the southwest of Outback Queensland.

Understand
Locally, the town is known as Thargo. Standing in Thargomindah it is easy to see the grand vision of Australia's pioneers. Where every corner of the continent would be settled, and the outback areas would flourish with rich sheep properties. Thargomindah is remote today, yet was planned as a grand town in the 1870s.

By car
The town is accessible via sealed road from Cunnamulla via Eulo. The sealed section is one lane wide in places, meaning that you must pull one wheel off onto the gravel to pass oncoming traffic. From New South Wales via well formed but unsealed road from Bourke via Hungerford.

Get around
The town is fairly small, only a few blocks in each direction. It is only 1 km walk from the Airport to the centre of town.

Cars seem to be allowed everywhere. Only the main road is sealed, and the other roads are indicated by street signs, but often it isn't really clear where the road ends and when the dirt begins.

There is no public transport in town.

Sleep
There are a few accommodation choices in Thargo. If there is a local event, like a wedding, it is possible for all the accommodation in town to be booked out. Check with the place you are intending to stay, and they will tell you if there is going to be room without the need to make a confirmed booking.

Connect
There are two payphones in town, one outside the Post Office. The post office is open M-F, and Saturday mornings until 11AM.

Go next
If you keep going west, who knows where you might end up, the road just keeps going. Back east, to Eulo and the Currawinya National Park, and the relative civilisation of Cunnamulla.

title: Thargomindah