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In this section the most commonly used Thai phrases and sayings are translated and explained.
| Saying | Literal translation | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| มดแดงแฝงพวงมะม่วง | Red ants swarming on a bunch of mangos | Stop someone from getting something you don't want |
| ปากหวานก้นเปรี้ยว | Sweet mouth, sour bottom | Sweet talker but a heart of stone |
| น้ำตาลใกล้มด | Sugar near ants | A girl near a boy |
| เกลียดตัวกินไข่เกลียดปลาไหลกินน้ำแกง | Hate the animal but eat the eggs, hate eels but eat eel curry | Despise someone although you wish to benefit from them |
| ย้อมแมวขาย | Paint stripes on a cat | Dressing something up to look good but underneath it's not |
| เสียน้อยเสียยากเสียมากเสียง่าย | Wasting a little is difficult, wasting a lot is easy | Try to save money by buying cheap things that don't last very long |
| กบเลือกนาย | Frogs choose the boss | Wait too long to make a decision and get something worse |
| เอามะพร้าวห้าวไปขายสวน | Take coconuts to a coconut grove | To carry coals to Newcastle |
| อย่าเอากุ้งฝอยไปตกปลากระพง | Don't use shrimps as bait to catch a perch | You've got to spend money to make money |
| จับเสีอมือเปล่า | Catch the tiger with bare hands | Get the benefit without any investment |
| อัฐยายซื้อขนมยาย | Borrow from Grandmother to buy her sweets | Borrow money and then give the lender a present |
| เล่นกับหมา หมาเลียปาก | If you play with dogs, they'll lick your mouth | Don't be too kind to subordinates |
| พ่อพวงมาลัย | Garland man | A man who lets his life drift aimlessly |
| หมากัด อย่ากัดตอบ | If a dog bites you, don't bite back | Don't stoop as low as others |
| หัวสูง | A long neck | To have extravagant tastes |
| กินไม่เข้า คายไม่ออก | Can't swallow it, can't spit it out | A catch 22 situation |
| น้ำเชี่ยวอย่าขวางเรือ | When the current is strong, don't steer your boat across it | Don't strive against the stream |
| ทุบหม้อข้าว | To smash the rice pot | To take the bread out of one's mouth |
| เอาหูไปนาเอาตาไปไร่ | To take the ears to the paddy field, take the eyes to the plantation | To turn a blind eye |
| ไม้อ่อนดัดง่ายไม้แก่ตัตยาก | It is easy to bend a young tree, it is hard to bend an old tree | It is difficult to teach an old dog new tricks |
| ล้วงคองูเห่า | To put ones hand on the cobras throat | To step into the lions den |
| เหยียบเรือสองแคม | To step on both gunwales of a boat | To run with the hare and hunt with the hounds |
| หนีเสีอปะจระเข้ | Run away from a tiger and into a crocodile | Out of the frying pan into the fire |
| อาบน้ำร้อนมาก่อน | To bathe in hot water before others | To have more experience |
| ลูกไก่อยู่ในกำมือ | A chick in the hand | Have control over someone |
| เฒ่าหัวงู | Old man with a snake's head | A dirty old man |
| จับได้คาหนังคาเขา | Catch with the hide and horns | Catch red handed |
| อ้อยเข้าปากช้าง | The sugar cane in the elephants mouth | Something that has been given away and is now difficult to retrieve |
| จับปลาสองมือ | Catch two fish in two hands | The dog that chases two rabbits catches neither |
| ม้าดีดกระโหลก | The horse kicks a coconut | Committing adultery |
| เข้าเมืองตาหลิ่วต้องหลิ่วตาตาม | When in the town where people wink, you must also wink | When in Rome, do as the Romans do |
| ตัดหางปล่อยวัด | Cut off a dogs tail and leave it at the temple | Disown a misbehaving child |
| วัวแก่เคี้ยวหญ้าอ่อน | Old cow likes to eat fresh grass | Old men like young girls |
| ถอนผมหงอก | Pull out your grey hair | Show disrespect to an elder |
| หนูตกถังข้าวสาร | A mouse falls into a bin of rice | A poor man who married a rich girl |
| สวยแต่รูปจูบไม่หอม | A pretty girl doesn't always smell good | A fair face may be a foul bargain |
| หน้าเนื้อใจเสือ | Face of a dear, heart of a tiger | A wolf in sheep's clothing |
| น้ำท่วมปาก | Water floods the mouth | To know the truth but be unable to reveal it |
| น้ำขึ้นให้รีบตัก | Get water at high tide | Make hay while the sun shines |
| น้ำลดตอผุด | Stumps appear at low tide | The past always catches up with you |
| ข้าวใหม่ปลามัน | Fresh rice and tasty fish | A newly married couple |
| รักพี่เสียดายน้อง | Love the older sister and long for the younger one | The grass is greener on the other side |
| กว่าถั่วจะสุกงาก็ไหม้ | When the peas are cooked, the sesame is burnt | Get one thing, lose another |
| รีดเลือดกับปู | Get blood from a crab | Get blood from a stone |
| วัวสันหลังหวะ | A bull with a wounded back | To be worried about skeletons in your closet |
| น้ำมาปลากินมดน้ำลดมดกินปลา | At high tide fish eat ants, at low tide ants eat fish | Every dog has his day |
| ปั้นน้ำเป็นตัว | Make a sculpture out of water | To be good at telling lies |
| รำไม่ดีโทษปี่โทษกลอง | Dance badly and blame the flute and drum | A poor workman blames his tools |
| อดเปรี้ยวไว้กินหวาน | Don't eat something sour when you could eat something sweet | Patience brings rewards |
