Ordering Water in Thai – Tips for Beginners

In this post, you will learn how to properly order water in Thai without causing confusion.

How do you order a water in Thai? Anyone who already has basic knowledge of Thai certainly knows the word น้ำ - náam (water). However, to actually get a glass or a bottle of still water, you should not just say "น้ำ - náam", but "น้ำเปล่า - náam-bplàau".

In many video clips on YouTube, you often hear "เอาน้ำค่ะ/ครับ - au náam kâ/kráp". Anyone who does this in real life often gets skeptical looks. Furthermore, it would be even more confusing if it were a noodle soup restaurant. There, the word "náam" can also refer to the type of dish – i.e., whether you are ordering the noodles with soup (gúai-dtǐao náam).

Therefore, next time, it is best to say: "เอาน้ำเปล่าค่ะ/ครับ - au náam-bplàau kâ/kráp". By the way: Even when ordering a Coke, Thais often say: "เอาน้ำโค้กค่ะ/ครับ - au náam-kóok kâ/kráp".

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