Convenience Store

1. อุ่นไหมครับ / คะ

   Ùn mǎi khráp / khá

   Would you like it heated up?

   Usage

   Said by staff. At 7-Eleven and other Thai convenience stores you will be asked this whenever you bring a boxed meal or frozen food to the counter. Answer "un khrap / kha" (yes, heat it) or "mai un khrap / kha" (no thanks)

   Grammar Note

   An extremely short service phrase with no subject or object — Thai freely drops anything recoverable from context. Because it is a question, female staff use the high-toned "kha" (คะ), not the falling "kha" (ค่ะ)

2. ช่วยอุ่นในไมโครเวฟให้หน่อยครับ / ค่ะ

   Chûai ùn nai maikhrowêf hâi nòi khráp / khâ

   Could you heat this up in the microwave, please?

   Usage

   Use this to ask before staff offer. In Thai convenience stores the microwave usually sits behind the counter and staff operate it — customers rarely use it themselves

   Grammar Note

   "Chuai + verb + hai noi" is the core request pattern: "chuai" = please do, "hai" = for me, "noi" = a little (softener). As a request without "mai", women end with the falling-tone "kha" (ค่ะ), not the high-toned คะ

3. รับช้อนไหมครับ / คะ

   Ráp chón mǎi khráp / khá

   Would you like a spoon?

   Usage

   Said by staff. Thailand has cut back on single-use plastic cutlery, so a spoon is no longer added automatically — you will be asked. Reply "ao khrap / kha" (yes) or "mai ao khrap / kha" (no)

   Grammar Note

   "Rap + noun + mai" is the standard service pattern for "would you like [noun]?". A spoon-and-fork set is "chon som" (ช้อนส้อม)

4. ขอตะเกียบด้วยครับ / ค่ะ

   Khǒ tàkìap dûai khráp / khâ

   Chopsticks, please

   Usage

   Thai convenience stores default to a spoon and fork, so ask separately for chopsticks when buying instant noodles or stir-fried noodles. Some branches have none — you can also ask "mi takiap mai khrap / kha" (do you have chopsticks?)

   Grammar Note

   "Kho + noun + duai" is the most common way to ask for something. "Duai" literally means "also" but here softens the request. This is not a question, so women end with "kha" (ค่ะ)

5. รับหลอดไหมครับ / คะ

   Ráp lòt mǎi khráp / khá

   Would you like a straw?

   Usage

   Said by staff. Straws are now given on request only as part of the plastic-reduction push. You will be asked whenever you buy a drink — decline with "mai ao khrap / kha"

   Grammar Note

   "Lot" is the general word for a thin tube — also used in "lot fai" (light bulb) and "lot ya si fan" (toothpaste tube). In a shop it means a drinking straw

6. อันนี้ซื้อ 1 แถม 1 ครับ / ค่ะ

   An ní súe nueng thǎem nueng khráp / khâ

   This one is buy-one-get-one-free

   Usage

   Said by staff. "Sue 1 thaem 1" is the most common Thai convenience-store promotion and is printed large on shelf tags. If you only picked up one, staff will often point it out — you can go back and grab the second

   Grammar Note

   "Thaem" is the verb "to throw in for free", distinct from "lot" (to discount). This is a statement, so women end with "kha" (ค่ะ)

7. รับใบเสร็จไหมครับ / คะ

   Ráp bai sèt mǎi khráp / khá

   Would you like the receipt?

   Usage

   Said by staff. If you decline, it is thrown away on the spot. Campaign entry codes and e-wallet balances are sometimes printed on the receipt, so it can be worth taking

   Grammar Note

   If you are the one asking for it, say "kho bai set duai khrap / kha". "Bai" is the classifier for sheet-like things and heads many document names: bai set (receipt), bai khap khi (driving licence)

8. ขอแยกถุงหน่อยครับ / ค่ะ

   Khǒ yâek thǔng nòi khráp / khâ

   Could you put them in separate bags?

   Usage

   Use it to separate cold drinks from hot food, or to split purchases between people. Since January 2020 Thai stores no longer give free plastic bags, so each extra bag is usually charged

   Grammar Note

   "Kho + verb + noi" asks someone to do something (whereas "kho + noun + duai" asks for an object). To split the bill say "yaek chai khrap / kha". Being a request, women end with "kha" (ค่ะ)

9. สแกนจ่ายได้ไหมครับ / คะ

   Sàkaen chài dâi mǎi khráp / khá

   Can I pay by scanning a QR code?

   Usage

   Nearly every Thai convenience store accepts PromptPay QR payments — you scan the code shown at the till with your banking app. Note this differs from "on ngoen" (transferring money to someone); paying at a shop counter is "sakaen chai" (scan and pay)

   Grammar Note

   "Verb + dai mai" asks "can I / may I …?" — "dai" covers both ability and permission. Being a question, women use the high-toned "kha" (คะ)

10. นั่งกินที่นี่ได้ไหมครับ / คะ

    Nâng kin thî nî dâi mǎi khráp / khá

    Can I sit and eat here?

    Usage

    Some Thai convenience stores have an eat-in corner with tables and some have none at all. Where seating exists you can eat your heated meal on the spot; without seating staff will politely say no

    Grammar Note

    "Nang kin" is a serial-verb construction (sit + eat); Thai strings verbs together to describe one flow of action. For a more refined register, swap "kin" for "than" (ทาน)

11. ไมโครเวฟอยู่ตรงไหนครับ / คะ

    Maikhrowêf yù trong nǎi khráp / khá

    Where is the microwave?

    Usage

    Stores with an eat-in corner sometimes have a customer-operated microwave. In most branches it is behind the counter, and asking will simply prompt staff to heat the food for you

    Grammar Note

    Using "trong nai" rather than "thi nai" narrows the question to "whereabouts around here", which fits looking for something inside a shop. Wh-questions also take the high-toned "kha" (คะ) for women

12. เครื่องดื่มร้อนอยู่ชั้นไหนครับ / คะ

    Khrûeang dùem rón yù chán nǎi khráp / khá

    Which shelf are the hot drinks on?

    Usage

    Chilled cabinets dominate Thai convenience stores; hot drinks sit on a separate warming shelf or by the coffee machine. Ask for "kafae sot" (freshly ground coffee) to be pointed toward the machine

    Grammar Note

    Thai adjectives follow the noun, hence "khrueang duem" + "ron". Cold drinks are "khrueang duem yen". "Chan" means both a shelf level and a building floor

13. เติมเงินมือถือที่นี่ได้ไหมครับ / คะ

    Toem ngoen mue thǔe thî nî dâi mǎi khráp / khá

    Can I top up my mobile phone here?

    Usage

    Prepaid AIS, dtac and TrueMove SIMs can be topped up straight at the till — just give your number and the amount. It is the easiest option for travellers who run out of data on a tourist SIM. Some branches use a self-service top-up terminal

    Grammar Note

    "Toem" means to refill or add: "toem nam man" (refuel), "toem nam" (add water). "Mue thue" is literally "hand" + "hold" — the thing you hold in your hand

14. จ่ายค่าน้ำค่าไฟที่นี่ได้ไหมครับ / คะ

    Chài khâ nám khâ fai thî nî dâi mǎi khráp / khá

    Can I pay water and electricity bills here?

    Usage

    Thai convenience stores double as Counter Service outlets, taking payment for water, electricity, phone bills and even flights and concert tickets. Just show the barcode on the bill; a fee of roughly 10-20 baht applies per item. Handy for long-stay visitors renting a condo

    Grammar Note

    "Kha" prefixes a noun to mean "fee for": kha nam (water), kha fai (electricity), kha chao (rent), kha doi san (fare). The pair "kha nam kha fai" is the idiomatic way to say "utility bills" in general

15. ข้าวกล่องนี้ต้องกินวันนี้ไหมครับ / คะ

    Khâo klòng ní tông kin wan ní mǎi khráp / khá

    Does this boxed meal need to be eaten today?

    Usage

    Thai convenience-store meals have a short shelf life and the label is in Thai only. "Khuan boriphok kon" marks the best-before date and "mot ayu" the expiry date. Items reaching their date are sometimes discounted in the evening

    Grammar Note

    The demonstrative "ni" follows the noun: "khao klong ni" = this boxed meal. The same "ni" appears in "wan ni" (today). "Tong + verb" expresses necessity

16. มีบัตรสมาชิกไหมครับ / คะ

    Mi bàt sàmachík mǎi khráp / khá

    Do you have a membership card?

    Usage

    Said by staff. You will be asked for a loyalty card (7-Eleven All Member, The 1, etc.) at almost every purchase. If you do not have one, just say "mai mi khrap / kha" — no app sign-up is needed to buy

    Grammar Note

    "Mi + noun + mai" asks about possession or availability — both "do you have" and "is there any". "Bat" covers all cards: bat kredit (credit card), bat prachachon (ID card)

17. ซื้อเบียร์ได้ตั้งแต่กี่โมงครับ / คะ

    Súe bia dâi tâng tàe kì mong khráp / khá

    From what time can I buy beer?

    Usage

    Thai law restricts off-premise alcohol sales to 11:00-14:00 and 17:00-24:00; outside those hours the till will refuse it. Sales are banned all day on major Buddhist holidays (Makha Bucha, Visakha Bucha) and the day before elections. A padlocked drinks cabinet means the ban is in effect

    Grammar Note

    "Tang tae" marks the starting point and pairs with "thueng" (until): "tang tae 11 mong thueng bai song" = from 11 to 2pm. "Ki mong" asks the clock time; wh-questions also take the high-toned "kha" (คะ) for women

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