Knowing how to ask questions is an essential step in learning Thai.

In English, question words usually appear at the beginning of a sentence.

Thai sentence structure is much easier for beginners to learn.

Most Thai question words are simply placed at the end of the sentence.

You just say a normal statement and attach the question word at the very end.

I’ll show you exactly how to use the five most common question words in Thai.

How to ask who (ใคร)

The Thai word for “who” is ใคร (krai).

It goes at the end of the sentence if you’re asking who is receiving an action or being identified.

It can also go at the beginning if you’re asking who is performing an action.

How to ask what (อะไร)

The Thai word for “what” is อะไร (a-rai).

This is the most common question word you’ll use in Thailand.

It’s almost always placed at the end of the sentence.

How to ask where (ที่ไหน)

The Thai phrase for “where” is ที่ไหน (tîi-nǎi).

The word ที่ (tîi) means “at” and ไหน (nǎi) means “which”.

Together, they form the phrase for “where”.

You place this word at the very end of your sentence.

How to ask when (เมื่อไหร่)

The Thai word for “when” is เมื่อไหร่ (mêua-rài).

This word is used to ask general questions about time or dates.

Just like most other question words, it sits neatly at the end of the sentence.

How to ask why (ทำไม)

The Thai word for “why” is ทำไม (tam-mai).

This word is the main exception to the rule about putting question words at the end.

The word ทำไม can be placed at the beginning or at the end of a sentence.

Placing it at the beginning sounds slightly more natural in everyday conversational Thai.

Regional variations of Thai question words

Thailand has several distinct regional dialects that use different question words.

If you travel to the Northeast region (Isaan), you’ll hear local variations.

For example, instead of อะไร (a-rai) for “what”, Isaan speakers say อีหยัง (ii-yǎng).

In Northern Thailand, locals use อะหยัง (a-yǎng) to ask “what”.

You’ll also hear ไผ (pǎi) used for “who” in both Isaan and Northern Thai.

Learning these small regional differences helps you connect better with locals outside of Bangkok.

Summary of Thai question words

Here’s a quick reference table for the five main question words.