- Ten digit words and six place names are enough to say any number in Thai.
- Two exceptions: in numbers above ten, a final 1 is เอ็ด (11 is สิบเอ็ด), and 20 is ยี่สิบ.
- Thai has words for 10,000 and 100,000, หมื่น and แสน, so big numbers aren't named in groups of three as in English.
- Ask the price with เท่าไหร่tâo-rài. In shops, round prices are shortened: พันสอง (pan sɔ̌ɔng) means 1,200.
- Bargain at markets and street stalls, with a smile. Not in 7-Eleven, malls, restaurants or at food stalls.
The short answer
Thai numbers are one of the easiest parts of the language. There are ten words for the digits, one word for each place (tens, hundreds, thousands and so on), and only two exceptions. Learn those and you can say any number, from a ten-baht bottle of water to a million-baht condo.
The hard part is hearing them. Numbers come fast, the tones matter, and sellers shorten round prices. This guide covers counting, how big numbers are built, how prices are said and written, and how to ask and bargain politely. Every word card has a real recording from the ThaiFlip dictionary, and the converter below reads any number you type.
Counting from 0 to 10
Listen for the tones: ห้า (five) and เก้า (nine) fall, ศูนย์ (zero), สอง (two) and สาม (three) rise, and the rest are low. Our guide to Thai tones explains what the marks mean.
Thai also has its own digits, ๐ to ๙. You'll see them on official documents, banknotes, temple signs and some price lists, but Western digits are far more common in everyday life.
| Digit | Thai digit | Word |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | ๐ | ศูนย์sǔun |
| 1 | ๑ | หนึ่งnʉ̀ng |
| 2 | ๒ | สองsɔ̌ɔng |
| 3 | ๓ | สามsǎam |
| 4 | ๔ | สี่sìi |
| 5 | ๕ | ห้าhâa |
| 6 | ๖ | หกhòk |
| 7 | ๗ | เจ็ดjèt |
| 8 | ๘ | แปดbpɛ̀ɛt |
| 9 | ๙ | เก้าgâao |
| 10 | ๑๐ | สิบsìp |
11 to 99: two exceptions
Tens work like English: say the digit, then สิบ (ten). So 30 is สามสิบ, "three ten", and 45 is สี่สิบห้า, "four ten five". Ten itself is just สิบ, never หนึ่งสิบ. There are two exceptions:
- A final 1 is เอ็ด. When a number bigger than ten ends in 1, that 1 is เอ็ด (èt), not หนึ่ง: 11 is สิบเอ็ด, 21 is ยี่สิบเอ็ด, 51 is ห้าสิบเอ็ด. The same goes for 101, 1,001 and so on, although for those you'll also hear หนึ่ง.
- Twenty is ยี่สิบ. In the tens, two is ยี่ (yîi), not สอง: 20 is ยี่สิบ and 25 is ยี่สิบห้า. Everywhere else it's สอง, so 200 is สองร้อย and 22 is ยี่สิบสอง.
| Number | Thai |
|---|---|
| 11 | สิบเอ็ดsìp-èt |
| 12 | สิบสองsìp-sɔ̌ɔng |
| 15 | สิบห้าsìp-hâa |
| 20 | ยี่สิบyîi-sìp |
| 21 | ยี่สิบเอ็ดyîi sìp-èt |
| 22 | ยี่สิบสองyîi sìp-sɔ̌ɔng |
| 30 | สามสิบsǎam-sìp |
| 31 | สามสิบเอ็ดsǎam-sìp èt |
| 45 | สี่สิบห้าsìi sìp-hâa |
| 99 | เก้าสิบเก้าgâao sìp gâao |
Hundreds, thousands and millions
English names big numbers in groups of three: thousand, million, billion. Thai has its own word for every place up to a million, including two that English doesn't have: หมื่น for ten thousand and แสน for a hundred thousand.
| Number | Thai |
|---|---|
| 100 | หนึ่งร้อยnʉ̀ng-rɔ́ɔi |
| 1,000 | หนึ่งพันnʉ̀ng-pan |
| 10,000 | หนึ่งหมื่นnʉ̀ng mʉ̀ʉn |
| 100,000 | หนึ่งแสนnʉ̀ng-sɛ̌ɛn |
| 1,000,000 | หนึ่งล้านnʉ̀ng láan |
| 10,000,000 | สิบล้านsìp-láan |
| 1,000,000,000 | หนึ่งพันล้านnʉ̀ng-pan-láan |
To build a number, say each digit with its place, biggest first, and skip the zeros. 3,450 is สามพันสี่ร้อยห้าสิบ, "three thousand four hundred five ten". 20,500 is สองหมื่นห้าร้อย, "two ten-thousand five hundred". 250,000 is สองแสนห้าหมื่น, "two hundred-thousand five ten-thousand".
Above a million, ล้าน works like a new unit and the counting starts again in front of it: สิบล้าน is ten million, ร้อยล้าน a hundred million, พันล้าน a billion, and ล้านล้าน, "a million millions", a trillion.
Say any number
Type any number or price, in Western or Thai digits, to see it in Thai digits and words with its romanization. For round prices, it also shows the shorter form you'll hear in shops.
Say any number in Thai
The converter gives the full reading taught in school. In speech, Thais usually drop the หนึ่ง at the start: ร้อยบาท is a hundred baht, and พันบาท a thousand.
How Thais say prices
A price is the number plus บาท: ห้าสิบบาท is 50 baht, สองร้อยบาท 200 baht. In shops and markets you'll hear a few shortcuts:
- Round prices drop the last place. หนึ่งพันสองร้อย (1,200) becomes พันสอง (pan sɔ̌ɔng), "thousand two". สองพันห้า is 2,500, หมื่นห้า is 15,000 and ล้านห้า is 1.5 million.
- กว่า (gwàa) means "and a bit". สองร้อยกว่าบาท (sɔ̌ɔng-rɔ́ɔi gwàa bàat) is "two hundred and something baht".
- ละ means "each" or "per". ขวดละสิบบาท is ten baht a bottle, and กิโลละร้อย (gì-loo-lá rɔ́ɔi) a hundred baht a kilo.
- ครึ่ง is half. ครึ่งราคา (krʉ̂ng raa-kaa) is half price, and ครึ่งกิโล (krʉ̂ng gì-loo) half a kilo.
Baht, satang and paying
The Thai currency is the baht (บาท), written ฿ or THB. A baht is 100 satang (สตางค์). Banknotes come in 20, 50, 100, 500 and 1,000 baht; coins in 1, 2, 5 and 10 baht, plus 25 and 50 satang. Most prices are in whole baht, so you'll rarely handle satang.
- ตังค์ is the everyday word for money, short for สตางค์.
- แบงก์ is a banknote: แบงก์ร้อย is a 100-baht note and แบงก์พัน a 1,000. It also means "bank".
- เงินทอน is your change, and ทอน (ton) means to give change. To tell a taxi driver to keep it, say ไม่ต้องทอน (mâi-dtɔ̂ng tɔɔn), "no need to give change".
Many shops and stalls display a QR code to scan (สแกน) and pay by bank transfer (โอน). Visitors from some countries, including China and Malaysia, can scan these codes with payment or banking apps from home, thanks to links between national payment systems; most other visitors need a Thai bank account. Carry cash anyway, with some small notes for markets: a seller may struggle to change a 1,000-baht note for a 40-baht purchase.
Thai digits on price tags
Thai digits are still official: in 2022 the deputy prime minister said printed government documents and school textbooks must keep them. Day to day, you're most likely to meet them at places that charge two prices.
Many national parks, some museums and temples, and a few private attractions charge foreign visitors more than Thais. Sometimes the Thai price appears only in Thai digits. At Bangkok's Grand Palace, foreign visitors pay 500 baht and Thai citizens enter free. At the waterfalls and trails of Doi Suthep–Pui National Park in Chiang Mai, foreign adults have paid 100 baht and Thai adults 20 since October 2025.
In 2017, a Tourism Authority of Thailand official called this two-tier pricing and said the lower price at government sites reflects Thais' lower purchasing power. Critics, including long-time residents, say signs in Thai digits hide the difference from visitors. Reading Thai digits won't get you the Thai price, but you'll know what you're paying. Some places charge residents with a work permit the Thai rate, so if you live in Thailand, it's worth asking politely.
| Sign | Price | Said |
|---|---|---|
| ๔๐ บาท | 40 | สี่สิบบาทsìi-sìp bàat |
| ๑๕๐ บาท | 150 | หนึ่งร้อยห้าสิบบาทnʉ̀ng-rɔ́ɔi hâa-sìp bàat |
| ๒๕๐ บาท | 250 | สองร้อยห้าสิบบาทsɔ̌ɔng-rɔ́ɔi hâa-sìp bàat |
| ๕๐๐ บาท | 500 | ห้าร้อยบาทhâa-rɔ́ɔi bàat |
| ๑,๒๐๐ บาท | 1,200 | หนึ่งพันสองร้อยบาทnʉ̀ng-pan sɔ̌ɔng-rɔ́ɔi bàat |
Asking the price
Point and ask อันนี้เท่าไหร่ (an-níi tâo-rài), "how much is this?", ending with ครับ or คะ. You can also ask กี่บาท (gìi bàat), "how many baht?" For more than one, put the number in front: สองอันเท่าไหร่ (sɔ̌ɔng an tâo-rài), "how much for two?" The reply is usually just the number, often without บาท.
เท่าไหร่ is how most people write it; the dictionary spelling is เท่าไร. It works for any amount, not just prices: อายุเท่าไหร่ is "how old are you?", a question Thais ask early because it tells them whether to call you พี่ or น้อง. More on that in our guide to Thai pronouns.
Bargaining politely
Bargaining is normal in some places and out of place in others. A simple rule: if the price is printed or shown on a tag, it's usually fixed. If you have to ask, there may be some room.
- Bargain: markets and night markets, street stalls selling clothes and souvenirs, souvenir shops, and tuk-tuks (agree the fare before you get in).
- Maybe: small independent shops without price tags, and when you buy several things from one stall.
- Don't: 7-Eleven and other convenience stores, supermarkets, malls and department stores, chain shops, restaurants, food stalls, and metered taxis.
| Thai | Meaning |
|---|---|
| อันนี้เท่าไหร่an-níi tâo-rài | How much is this? |
| แพงไปหน่อยpɛɛng bpai-nɔ̀i | It's a bit expensive. |
| ลดได้ไหมlót dâai-mǎi | Can you lower the price? |
| ลดหน่อยได้ไหมlót nɔ̀i dâai-mǎi | Could you take a little off? |
| สองชิ้นเท่าไหร่sɔ̌ɔng chín tâo-rài | How much for two? |
| ร้อยห้าสิบได้ไหมrɔ́ɔi hâa-sìp dâai-mǎi | Would you take 150? |
| ลดได้อีกไหมlót dâai ìik mǎi | Can you go any lower? |
| เอาอันนี้ao-an-níi | I'll take this one. |
| ขอดูก่อนนะkɔ̌ɔ-duu gɔ̀ɔn-ná | I'll just have a look first. |
| ไม่เป็นไร ขอบคุณmâi-bpen-rai kɔ̀ɔp-kun | That's fine, thank you (as you leave). |
How it usually goes: ask the price, smile, say it's a bit expensive and ask if they can lower it. The seller names a lower price or asks what you'd pay; you meet somewhere in between. Buying two or three things from the same stall is the easiest way to a better price, and sometimes the seller will throw something in (แถม) instead of cutting the price.
- Keep it light. A smile and a few words of Thai go further than a hard number. Raising your voice or arguing makes the seller lose face, and the deal usually ends there.
- Only offer what you'll pay. If the seller accepts your price, buy it.
- Know when to stop. Travel guides suggest that at tourist markets you might end up a quarter to a half below the first price. At local markets, where prices start fair, expect a few baht off or a small extra, if anything. Twenty baht matters more to the seller than to you.
- Walk away politely. ไม่เป็นไร ขอบคุณ and a smile is enough. Sometimes the seller calls you back with a better price; sometimes they don't, and that's fine too.
Numbers in everyday life
- Phone numbers are read digit by digit: 081 is ศูนย์แปดหนึ่ง (sǔun bpɛ̀ɛt nʉ̀ng). Thai mobile numbers have ten digits and start with 06, 08 or 09. To ask for someone's number, say ขอเบอร์โทรได้ไหม (kɔ̌ɔ bəə-too dâai-mǎi).
- 555 is laughter. Five is ห้า (hâa), so 555 in a message reads "ha ha ha". The more fives, the bigger the laugh.
- Nine is lucky. เก้า (nine) sounds like ก้าว, "to step forward", so it stands for progress. Phone numbers and licence plates full of 9s sell for more, sometimes much more.
- Chinese beliefs count too. Many Thais have Chinese ancestry, and some avoid 4, which sounds like "death" in Chinese, and look for 8, which stands for prosperity.
Common mistakes
- Saying หนึ่งสิบ for 10 or สองสิบ for 20. It's สิบ and ยี่สิบ.
- Saying สิบหนึ่ง for 11. Above ten, a final 1 is เอ็ด: สิบเอ็ด, ยี่สิบเอ็ด.
- Mixing up หมื่น and แสน. หมื่น is 10,000, แสน is 100,000.
- Hearing พันสอง as 1,002. In a shop it's 1,200.
- Confusing สี่ and สิบ. Both are low, but สิบ ends in a short, clipped p.
- Bargaining where prices are fixed. Not at 7-Eleven, in malls, in restaurants or over a plate of street food.
Hear numbers the way Thais say them.
ThaiFlip's dictionary has a recording for every number word and real example sentences with prices, so พันสอง starts to sound like 1,200.
Frequently asked questions
How do you count to 10 in Thai?
หนึ่ง (nʉ̀ng), สอง (sɔ̌ɔng), สาม (sǎam), สี่ (sìi), ห้า (hâa), หก (hòk), เจ็ด (jèt), แปด (bpɛ̀ɛt), เก้า (gâao), สิบ (sìp). Zero is ศูนย์ (sǔun).
Why is 11 สิบเอ็ด and not สิบหนึ่ง?
When a number bigger than ten ends in 1, Thai says เอ็ด (èt) for that 1 instead of หนึ่ง: 11 is สิบเอ็ด, 21 is ยี่สิบเอ็ด and 101 is หนึ่งร้อยเอ็ด. For 101 and similar numbers you'll also hear หนึ่งร้อยหนึ่ง; both are understood.
How do you say 20 in Thai?
ยี่สิบ (yîi-sìp). ยี่ replaces สอง only in the tens: 22 is ยี่สิบสอง, but 200 is สองร้อย and 2,000 is สองพัน.
How do you ask "how much" in Thai?
Say เท่าไหร่ (tâo-rài), with ครับ or คะ: อันนี้เท่าไหร่ครับ is "how much is this?" You can also ask กี่บาท (gìi bàat), "how many baht?"
Is it rude to bargain in Thailand?
Not at markets, street stalls and souvenir shops, where it's normal, as long as you keep it friendly. Don't bargain in convenience stores, supermarkets, malls, restaurants or anywhere with printed prices, or over the price of street food.
Do Thais use Thai numerals?
Less often than Western digits. Thai digits appear on official documents, in school textbooks, on banknotes and temple signs, and on some price lists. Most prices, phone numbers and receipts use Western digits.
What does 555 mean in Thai?
It's laughter in messages and online. Five is ห้า (hâa), so 555 reads "ha ha ha". More fives mean a bigger laugh.
What is a million in Thai?
ล้าน (láan). Thai also has single words for 10,000 (หมื่น) and 100,000 (แสน), and ล้าน repeats for bigger numbers: สิบล้าน is ten million and พันล้าน is a billion.
Recordings and example sentences come from the ThaiFlip dictionary. Fees and prices were checked on 11 October 2026 and can change. Spotted a mistake? Tell us and we'll check it.
