At the bank in Thai

แลกเงินครับ

lâek ngoen khráp

I would like to exchange money.

Male speaker

Works at a bank counter or an exchange booth. Have your passport ready; it is always required.

เปิดบัญชีครับ

bpòet ban-chii khráp

I would like to open an account.

Male speaker

The same เปิด (bpòet) as opening the taxi meter. Expect to be asked for passport, visa and sometimes a work permit.

มาเปิดบัญชีครับ ใช้อะไรบ้างครับ

maa bpòet ban-chii khráp chái à-rai bâang khráp

I have come to open an account. What do I need?

Male speaker

มา plus a verb is the whole pattern and it answers both the greeter and the kiosk: มาฝากเงินครับ (maa fàak ngoen khráp) to deposit, มาถอนเงินครับ (maa thǎwn ngoen khráp) to withdraw, มาขอหนังสือรับรองครับ (maa khǎw nǎng-sěu ráp-rawng khráp) for a bank letter. ใช้อะไรบ้างครับ is the four-word version of the documents question, which is what people actually fire off standing up. Keep the full sentence for the seated interview at the desk. A woman says the same words and ends with คะ.

ผมอยากเปิดบัญชีออมทรัพย์ ต้องใช้เอกสารอะไรบ้างครับ

phǒm yàak bpòet ban-chii awm-sáp dtâwng chái èek-gà-sǎan à-rai bâang khráp

I would like to open a savings account. What documents do I need?

Male speaker

This is the seated version, for once you are at the desk with a ticket in your hand; standing at the door, the four-word มาเปิดบัญชีครับ ใช้อะไรบ้างครับ does the same work. Ask before anything else, because the answer decides whether the whole trip is worth it. Expect passport, a visa with real time left on it, and then one of: a work permit, a certificate of residence from immigration or your embassy, or a letter from a Thai employer. Requirements vary by bank and even by branch, so if the answer is no, ask which branch will: สาขาไหนเปิดได้ครับ (sǎa-khǎa nǎi bpòet dâi khráp).

อยากเปิดบัญชีออมทรัพย์ ต้องใช้เอกสารอะไรบ้างคะ

yàak bpòet ban-chii awm-sáp dtâwng chái èek-gà-sǎan à-rai bâang khá

I would like to open a savings account. What documents do I need?

Female speaker

Two changes from the male form. The pronoun ผม is simply dropped, which is what a woman usually does rather than swapping in ดิฉัน, and the particle is คะ with a high tone because the sentence is a question. In a statement it would be ค่ะ with a falling tone. Both are aspirated, so they start like the kh in khaki; kâ is the wrong sound and the most common particle mistake foreigners make.

เปิดบัญชีต้องฝากขั้นต่ำเท่าไหร่ครับ

bpòet ban-chii dtâwng fàak khân-dtàm thâo-rài khráp

What is the minimum deposit to open an account?

Male speaker

Ask this before you sign anything, because the opening deposit and the card charge are billed separately and the second one is the surprise. ขั้นต่ำ is the minimum of anything, so the same word gets you the balance you have to keep in the account: ต้องมีเงินในบัญชีขั้นต่ำเท่าไหร่ครับ (dtâwng mii ngoen nai ban-chii khân-dtàm thâo-rài khráp). Bring cash, since you cannot fund a new account by card. A woman ends with คะ.

ค่าธรรมเนียมบัตรรายปีเท่าไหร่ครับ

khâa-tham-niam bàt raai-bpii thâo-rài khráp

How much is the annual fee on the card?

Male speaker

Debit cards come in tiers and the fee is deducted straight from the account every year without anyone telling you. รายปี is per year and รายเดือน (raai-deuan) is per month, which is how some insurance premiums are billed. Ask this before you pick a card, not after, and pair it with the previous phrase so you know the true cost of walking out with an account. A woman ends with คะ.

ช่วยสมัครแอปให้หน่อยได้ไหมคะ

chûay sà-màk àep hâi nàwy dâi mǎi khá

Could you sign me up for the app?

Female speaker

In the branch people say the app by name, so ลงแอป K PLUS (long áep kee-phlát) or สมัคร SCB EASY is more natural than the textbook แอปธนาคารในมือถือ. แอป is a loan from English app; spelled with a dead final it derives a low tone, àep, though you will hear many Thais say it high, as if spelled แอ๊ป. Ask on the day you open the account, because registration almost always needs a staff member to scan the card and the passport at the counter, and bring the Thai SIM you intend to keep, since the app binds itself to that number. ช่วย ... ให้หน่อยได้ไหม is the standard polite request frame and works for anything you want done for you. A man ends with ครับ.

ขอฝากเงินเข้าบัญชีนี้ครับ

khǎw fàak ngoen khâo ban-chii níi khráp

I would like to deposit money into this account.

Male speaker

Say it as you put the passbook, or the account number written down, on the counter with the cash. The teller will ask ฝากเท่าไหร่คะ (fàak thâo-rài khá), how much are you depositing, so have the figure ready in Thai. Keep the slip she hands back: until the passbook is updated it is the only proof the money moved. A woman ends with ค่ะ.

ขอถอนเงินห้าหมื่นบาทค่ะ

khǎw thǎwn ngoen hâa mèun bàat khâ

I would like to withdraw fifty thousand baht.

Female speaker

The figure is chosen deliberately: five thousand is an ATM amount and nobody queues at a counter for it, so drill the sum that actually forces a branch visit. หมื่น is ten thousand, so ห้าหมื่น is fifty thousand and แสน (sǎen) is a hundred thousand. Bring the passbook and your passport, not just the card. For a large sum the teller may ask what the money is for, which is routine anti-fraud procedure and not suspicion of you. A man says ขอถอนเงินห้าหมื่นบาทครับ (khǎw thǎwn ngoen hâa mèun bàat khráp).

ขอโอนเงินไปบัญชีนี้ครับ

khǎw oon ngoen bpai ban-chii níi khráp

I would like to transfer money to this account.

Male speaker

Hand the account number over written down rather than reading digits aloud under pressure; one wrong digit and the money is gone to a stranger. The teller will read the receiving name back and ask ชื่อนี้ถูกไหมคะ (chêu níi thùuk mǎi khá), is this name right, and you answer ถูกครับ (thùuk khráp). Most people now transfer inside the app, so the counter is mainly for the cases the app refuses. A woman ends with ค่ะ.

เงินโอนจากต่างประเทศเข้าบัญชีหรือยังครับ

ngoen oon jàak dtàang-bprà-thêet khâo ban-chii rěu-yang khráp

Has the transfer from abroad gone into my account yet?

Male speaker

หรือยัง is the has it happened yet question and the answer comes back เข้าแล้วค่ะ (khâo láew khâ), it is in, or ยังค่ะ (yang khâ), not yet. Bring the date and the amount, because that is what she searches on. Incoming foreign money often sits a day, and a large sum can be held pending questions. If the money is for a condo or land purchase, ask in the same breath for the foreign exchange paperwork, ขอเอกสารการโอนเงินจากต่างประเทศด้วยครับ (khǎw èek-gà-sǎan gaan-oon ngoen jàak dtàang-bprà-thêet dûay khráp), because the land office will want it and it is far harder to obtain months later.

ขอปรับสมุดบัญชีด้วยครับ

khǎw bpràp sà-mùt ban-chii dûay khráp

Please update my passbook as well.

Male speaker

ปรับสมุด is the single most frequent errand at a Thai branch and the verb ปรับ, to bring up to date, appears nowhere else in the phrasebooks. Most branches have a self-service machine in the lobby, so also learn ตู้ปรับสมุดอยู่ไหนครับ (dtûu bpràp sà-mùt yùu nǎi khráp), where is the passbook machine. This matters for immigration: officers want the passbook printed up to the day of your appointment, and an app screenshot does not replace it. A woman ends with ค่ะ.

ขอสำเนาสมุดบัญชีแล้วรับรองให้ด้วยครับ

khǎw sǎm-nao sà-mùt ban-chii láew ráp-rawng hâi dûay khráp

I would like a photocopy of my passbook, certified by the bank.

Male speaker

รับรอง is the stamp and signature that makes a photocopy count, and without it immigration treats the copy as paper. Ask for the front page with your name and account number plus every page of recent transactions. Update the passbook first, then copy it, in that order, on the same day. A woman ends with ค่ะ.

ขอหนังสือรับรองยอดเงินฝากสำหรับต่อวีซ่าครับ

khǎw nǎng-sěu ráp-rawng yâwt ngoen-fàak sǎm-ràp dtàw wii-sâa khráp

I would like a letter certifying my deposit balance, for a visa extension.

Male speaker

Immigration normally wants two separate things, so name them separately or you will walk out with one: หนังสือรับรอง (nǎng-sěu ráp-rawng), the stamped certificate of balance, and รายการเดินบัญชี (raai-gaan doen ban-chii), the statement of movements, asked for with ขอรายการเดินบัญชีด้วยครับ (khǎw raai-gaan doen ban-chii dûay khráp). A screenshot from the app replaces neither. Get the letter as close to your appointment as you can, since many offices only accept one dated within the last few days. There is a charge, so ask เท่าไหร่ครับ (thâo-rài khráp) rather than trusting a figure someone quoted you.

ช่วยตรวจชื่อในสมุดให้หน่อยครับ ต้องตรงกับพาสปอร์ตครับ

chûay dtrùat chêu nai sà-mùt hâi nàwy khráp dtâwng dtrong gàp phâat-sà-bpàwt khráp

Could you check the name in my passbook? It has to match my passport.

Male speaker

Thai systems truncate long foreign names and staff frequently drop a middle name when opening the account, which nobody notices until an immigration officer compares the letter with the passport and rejects it. Do this check on a quiet day, not on the morning of your appointment, because correcting it means paperwork. ตรง is to tally exactly, the same word used when an amount does not add up. A woman ends both halves with ค่ะ.

ผมเปลี่ยนพาสปอร์ตเล่มใหม่ ขอแก้ข้อมูลในบัญชีด้วยครับ

phǒm bplìan phâat-sà-bpàwt lêm mài khǎw gâe khâw-muun nai ban-chii dûay khráp

I have a new passport. Please update the details on my account.

Male speaker

Your account outlives your passport, and until you do this the bank still holds the old number, which is what starts getting transfers, counter withdrawals and the visa letter refused. เล่ม is the counter for books and is what a passport is counted with in Thai. Bring both books if immigration left you the cancelled one, plus the passbook and card, and re-check the app afterwards since the identity change can log you out. A woman drops ผม and ends with ค่ะ.

ขอปิดบัญชีครับ

khǎw bpìt ban-chii khráp

I would like to close my account.

Male speaker

Needed when you leave Thailand or move banks, and the answer is very often ต้องไปที่สาขาที่เปิดบัญชีค่ะ, you have to go to the branch where you opened it. Bring the passbook, the card and the passport that the account is registered to; a passport you have since renewed has to be updated first. They close it, hand you the balance in cash and keep the book. Ask มีค่าธรรมเนียมไหมครับ (mii khâa-tham-niam mǎi khráp), since an account closed soon after opening can carry a charge. A woman ends with ค่ะ.

ขอคุยกับคนเดิมที่ช่วยเมื่อวานได้ไหมครับ

khǎw khui gàp khon doem thîi chûay mêua-waan dâi mǎi khráp

Could I speak to the same person who helped me yesterday?

Male speaker

เดิม is the original or the previous one, so คนเดิม is the same person as before, and it saves you explaining a half-finished case from scratch. Swap the day freely: อาทิตย์ที่แล้ว (aa-thít thîi láew) last week. If she is not in, they will say วันนี้ไม่เข้าค่ะ (wan-níi mâi khâo khâ), she is not in today. Taking the name badge down on your first visit is what makes this phrase usable at all. A woman ends with คะ.

มาติดต่อเรื่องอะไรคะ

maa dtìt-dtàw rêuang à-rai khá

What have you come in about?

Female speaker

A greeter or a guard intercepts you a few steps inside the door, before you reach the ticket machine, and this is what they say. The short version is just ทำอะไรคะ (tham à-rai khá) or even ติดต่อเรื่องอะไรครับ from a male guard. Answer in one breath with มา plus a verb; they are not making conversation, they are deciding which button to press on the kiosk for you.

รับบัตรคิวแล้วนั่งรอเรียกนะคะ

ráp bàt-khiu láew nâng raw rîak ná-khá

Take a queue ticket, then sit and wait to be called.

Female speaker

The kiosk asks what you have come about. Most branches offer an English toggle on the first screen; if you cannot find one, show your passport to the greeter by the door and let them press it for you, which is part of the job. Note the particle: after นะ a woman says คะ with a high tone, never ค่ะ, and that pairing is worth learning as one fixed unit. Your number goes up on the screen with a chime, but the announcement usually runs ahead of the display, so listen as well as watch.

หมายเลข เอ สิบสอง เชิญที่ช่องสี่ค่ะ

mǎai-lêek ee sìp-sǎwng choen thîi châwng sìi khâ

Number A twelve, please come to counter four.

Female speaker

เชิญ (choen) is your cue to stand up, and ช่อง (châwng) is the counter, which is numbered and never named. Tickets carry a letter prefix said as English: เอ (ee), บี (bii), ซี (sii). The whole line comes out fast and flat, so drill hearing the numbers rather than saying them, and if you lose it ask the person next to you เรียกหมายเลขอะไรครับ (rîak mǎai-lêek à-rai khráp), which number was called. Miss your turn and the machine puts you back at the end.

ขอหนังสือเดินทางกับใบอนุญาตทำงานด้วยค่ะ

khǎw nǎng-sěu-doen-thaang gàp bai à-nú-yâat tham-ngaan dûay khâ

May I have your passport and your work permit as well.

Female speaker

You will hear this within ten seconds of sitting down, and most bank tellers are women, so it usually comes with ค่ะ; a male officer says ครับ. ขอ opening and ด้วย closing make it a soft request rather than an order, which is why it can sound gentler than it is. Hand over the originals, they photocopy and return them. If you do not have a work permit, do not go silent, use the phrases below.

ต้องมีใบอนุญาตทำงานเท่านั้นค่ะ ถ้าไม่มี เปิดให้ไม่ได้ค่ะ

dtâwng mii bai à-nú-yâat tham-ngaan thâo-nán khâ thâa mâi mii bpòet hâi mâi dâi khâ

You must have a work permit, nothing else will do. Without one we cannot open an account for you.

Female speaker

ไม่ได้ค่ะ is the sound of a closed door in Thailand, said flatly and without apology, and arguing with it at the counter never works. เท่านั้น means only that and is what tells you no substitute is being offered here. You may also hear เปิดให้ชาวต่างชาติไม่ได้ค่ะ (bpòet hâi chaao-dtàang-châat mâi dâi khâ), we cannot open one for foreigners, and ชาวต่างชาติ is the word that tells you the refusal is about your nationality rather than your paperwork. The way through is usually ต้องมีใบรับรองที่อยู่จาก ตม. ค่ะ (dtâwng mii bai ráp-rawng thîi-yùu jàak dtaw-maw khâ), a residence certificate from immigration; ตม. is always said dtaw-maw, never spelled out.

ถ้าไม่มีใบอนุญาตทำงาน เปิดบัญชีได้ไหมครับ

thâa mâi mii bai à-nú-yâat tham-ngaan bpòet ban-chii dâi mǎi khráp

If I do not have a work permit, can I still open an account?

Male speaker

This is the answer you give when they ask for the permit and you are retired, on a student visa or on a marriage visa. The honest reality is often no at that branch and yes at another, so follow up with สาขาไหนเปิดได้ครับ (sǎa-khǎa nǎi bpòet dâi khráp). What usually unlocks it is a certificate of residence from immigration or your embassy, so also try ถ้ามีใบรับรองที่อยู่ล่ะครับ (thâa mii bai ráp-rawng thîi-yùu lâ khráp), what if I have a residence certificate. A woman ends with คะ.

กรอกแบบฟอร์มแล้วเซ็นชื่อตรงนี้ค่ะ

gràwk bàep-fawm láew sen chêu dtrong-níi khâ

Fill in the form, then sign your name right here.

Female speaker

Slips at the big retail banks are often bilingual, but the wording is bank jargon either way, and it is completely normal to say ช่วยกรอกให้หน่อยได้ไหมครับ (chûay gràwk hâi nàwy dâi mǎi khráp), could you fill it in for me. She will do it and tap the boxes that need a signature. Sign every box in exactly the same hand, because a signature that varies from the one on file is what gets a later withdrawal refused. Letting her fill it in means she will ask you the contents question by question, which the next card covers.

อาชีพอะไรคะ ที่อยู่ในไทยอยู่ไหนคะ

aa-chîip à-rai khá thîi-yùu nai thai yùu nǎi khá

What is your occupation? Where is your address in Thailand?

Female speaker

The form is filled in by interrogation, not in silence, and เบอร์โทรอะไรคะ (boe-thoo à-rai khá), your phone number, always follows. Have short answers ready: เกษียณแล้วครับ (gà-sǐan láew khráp) for retired, ครูสอนภาษาครับ (khruu sǎwn phaa-sǎa khráp) for a language teacher, ทำงานบริษัทครับ (tham-ngaan baw-rí-sàt khráp) for company work. Write the address out on paper and hand it over rather than spelling a Thai street name aloud; one misheard soi and the letter for immigration comes back wrong.

เซ็นสำเนาด้วยค่ะ

sen sǎm-nao dûay khâ

Please sign the photocopy as well.

Female speaker

They photocopy your passport page and visa, then slide the copies back for signing. Above your signature you are expected to write รับรองสำเนาถูกต้อง (ráp-rawng sǎm-nao thùuk-dtâwng), certified a true copy, which is learned as one unbreakable unit and never varied. สำเนา is a word you will meet at every office in Thailand, from the bank to immigration to the land office, so it is worth more than the phrase it sits in here. If you cannot write Thai script, ask her to write the line and sign under it: ช่วยเขียนให้หน่อยครับ (chûay khǐan hâi nàwy khráp).

บัตรแบบนี้มีประกันอุบัติเหตุด้วยค่ะ

bàt bàep-níi mii bprà-gan ù-bàt-dtì-hèet dûay khâ

This type of card comes with accident insurance too.

Female speaker

The mid and upper card tiers bundle ประกันอุบัติเหตุ, accident cover, and the premium is billed against your account, often monthly. It is presented as a feature, not as a sale, which is exactly why people nod through it and find the deduction months later. You will also be asked straight out จะทำบัตรแบบไหนคะ (jà tham bàt bàep nǎi khá), which card type, and สนใจทำประกันไหมคะ (sǒn-jai tham bprà-gan mǎi khá), interested in insurance. Before you agree to anything, ask หักจากบัญชีเดือนละเท่าไหร่ครับ (hàk jàak ban-chii deuan lá thâo-rài khráp), how much comes out of the account each month.

ไม่เอาประกันครับ ขอบัตรแบบธรรมดาที่ถูกที่สุดครับ

mâi ao bprà-gan khráp khǎw bàt bàep tham-má-daa thîi thùuk thîi-sùt khráp

I do not want the insurance. I would like the plain card, the cheapest one.

Male speaker

ไม่เอา is a flat refusal of a thing being offered and carries no rudeness at a counter, unlike in some other settings. ธรรมดา is the plain or basic version of anything and is the word that gets you the entry-tier card. ถูก here is cheap; the same syllable means correct in ถูกไหมคะ, and only context separates them. If she offers again, repeat ไม่เอาครับ ขอบคุณครับ and she will move on. A woman ends both halves with ค่ะ.

ขอเป็นแบงก์ร้อยด้วยครับ

khǎw bpen baeng ráwy dûay khráp

In hundreds, please.

Male speaker

Say it before she starts counting, because once the stack is banded she has to start again. แบงก์ is the everyday word for a banknote, from English bank, and แบงก์พัน (baeng phan) is a thousand baht note, which no market stall, motorcycle taxi or food cart will break for you. The general version is ขอแบงก์ย่อยหน่อยครับ (khǎw baeng yâwy nàwy khráp), some small notes please, where ย่อย means broken up small. A woman ends with ค่ะ.

ถอนห้าหมื่นนะคะ ถูกไหมคะ

thǎwn hâa mèun ná-khá thùuk mǎi khá

Withdrawing fifty thousand, is that right?

Female speaker

Every counter transaction ends with the figure read back, and this is where hearing Thai numbers matters more than saying them. Answer ถูกครับ (thùuk khráp) if it is right, or ไม่ใช่ครับ (mâi châi khráp) followed by the correct amount. Learn the three that get confused under pressure: พัน (phan) a thousand, หมื่น (mèun) ten thousand, แสน (sǎen) a hundred thousand. If you did not catch it, do not nod; say อีกทีครับ (ìik-thii khráp) and make her repeat it.

เงินก้อนนี้มาจากไหนคะ

ngoen gâwn níi maa jàak nǎi khá

Where did this sum of money come from?

Female speaker

ก้อน is a lump, so เงินก้อนนี้ is this particular sum rather than money in general, and hearing it tells you the anti-money-laundering questions have started. เอาไปทำอะไรคะ (ao bpai tham à-rai khá), what is it for, usually follows. Answer plainly and consistently: เป็นเงินบำนาญจากต่างประเทศครับ (bpen ngoen bam-naan jàak dtàang-bprà-thêet khráp), it is a pension from abroad, เงินเก็บของผมเองครับ (ngoen gèp khǎwng phǒm eeng khráp), my own savings, or เอาไว้ซื้อคอนโดครับ (ao wái séu khawn-doo khráp), to buy a condo. Improvising a different story on a second visit is what turns a routine question into a held transaction.

พรุ่งนี้มารับได้ไหมคะ

phrûng-níi maa ráp dâi mǎi khá

Could you come and collect it tomorrow?

Female speaker

Bank letters often go away for a manager's signature, and a branch that says tomorrow can wreck a same-week immigration appointment. Push back once with the reason, which is what moves things in Thailand: วันนี้ได้ไหมครับ ผมมีนัดที่ ตม. พรุ่งนี้ครับ (wan-níi dâi mǎi khráp phǒm mii nát thîi dtaw-maw phrûng-níi khráp), can I have it today, I have an appointment at immigration tomorrow. Going in early in the morning rather than after lunch is what usually gets it signed the same day.

อันนี้มีค่าธรรมเนียมนะคะ จะทำต่อไหมคะ

an-níi mii khâa-tham-niam ná-khá jà tham dtàw mǎi khá

There is a fee for this. Do you want to go ahead?

Female speaker

You will hear it before a statement, a bank letter, a replacement card and most cross-bank transfers, and it is a genuine check, not a sales line. Answer ทำเลยครับ (tham loei khráp) to go ahead, or ask the amount first with เท่าไหร่ครับ (thâo-rài khráp). Fees differ between banks and change without notice, so never treat a figure a friend quoted last year as current.

ต้องไปที่สาขาที่เปิดบัญชีค่ะ

dtâwng bpai thîi sǎa-khǎa thîi bpòet ban-chii khâ

You have to go to the branch where you opened the account.

Female speaker

This ends more visits than any other sentence: it lands on passbook replacement, changes to your details, closing the account and some certificate requests. Two pushbacks are worth having. ที่นี่ทำให้ไม่ได้เหรอครับ (thîi-nîi tham hâi mâi dâi rǒe khráp), you cannot do it here at all, sometimes finds an exception. If not, get the destination in writing: สาขาไหนครับ ช่วยเขียนให้หน่อยครับ (sǎa-khǎa nǎi khráp chûay khǐan hâi nàwy khráp), which branch, please write it down, because branch names are place names you will not catch spoken.

มาอีกแล้วเหรอคะ

maa ìik láew rǒe khá

Back again?

Female speaker

For a resident the branch is four or five familiar faces, and the staff who process your visa letter every year will let you know they remember you. เหรอ is the casual spoken question particle, softer than ไหม and warm rather than nosy. Answer in kind: ครับ มาบ่อยจนจำได้แล้วครับ (khráp maa bàwy jon jam dâi láew khráp), I come so often you know me now. You may also get ไม่ได้เจอกันนานเลยนะคะ (mâi dâi joe gan naan loei ná khá), long time no see, where the reply is ใช่ครับ ไม่ได้มาตั้งนานครับ (châi khráp mâi dâi maa dtâng naan khráp).

ขอบคุณมากครับ วันหลังมาใหม่ครับ

khàwp-khun mâak khráp wan-lǎng maa mài khráp

Thank you very much. I will come again another day.

Male speaker

Nobody in Thailand ends a counter exchange in silence, and leaving without this reads as displeasure whatever your face is doing. วันหลัง is another day, vague on purpose, and มาใหม่ is I will come back. It is worth more here than in a shop, because the same person will handle your visa letter next year and will fetch the right form for a customer she knows. A woman ends both halves with ค่ะ.

พูดช้า ๆ อีกทีได้ไหมครับ

phûut cháa-cháa ìik thii dâi mǎi khráp

Could you say that again slowly?

Male speaker

Bank Thai is fast and made of set phrases, which makes this the single most useful line in the branch. พูดช้า already means speak slowly; doubling it with the repeat sign ๆ softens the request to nice and slow, which is why it lands as a polite ask rather than an order. The same softening works with เบาๆ (bao-bao), a bit more quietly. Note the space before ๆ, which is the standard way to set it. A woman ends with คะ, and if the second attempt still does not land, do not nod politely, ask her to write it down.

ไม่เข้าใจค่ะ ช่วยเขียนให้ดูหน่อยได้ไหมคะ

mâi khâo-jai khâ chûay khǐan hâi duu nàwy dâi mǎi khá

I do not understand. Could you write it down for me?

Female speaker

Amounts, dates and document names are far easier to read than to hear, and every teller has a pad within reach. Watch the two particles in one breath: ค่ะ with a falling tone closes the statement, คะ with a high tone closes the question, and getting that pair right marks you out immediately. A man says ครับ in both slots.

ยอดไม่ตรงครับ ช่วยตรวจสอบให้หน่อยได้ไหมครับ

yâwt mâi dtrong khráp chûay dtrùat-sàwp hâi nàwy dâi mǎi khráp

The amount does not match. Could you check it for me?

Male speaker

Use it for a passbook line that is wrong, a transfer that arrived short, or cash counted out light at the counter. ยอด is the amount or the balance and ตรง is to tally, so you are saying the figures disagree, not accusing anyone, which is what keeps the conversation workable. Have the slip or the app screen open; she will ask วันไหนคะ (wan nǎi khá), which day. Count cash before you step away from the counter, because afterwards there is nothing to check against.

โอนผิดบัญชีครับ ช่วยระงับให้หน่อยได้ไหมครับ

oon phìt ban-chii khráp chûay rá-ngáp hâi nàwy dâi mǎi khráp

I transferred to the wrong account. Could you freeze it?

Male speaker

Speed is the whole game here, so go to any branch the same hour and phone the hotline on the way. ระงับ is to halt or hold and อายัด (aa-yát) is to freeze, and either word gets you taken seriously; ผิด is simply wrong, as in โอนผิด, sent to the wrong place. The bank cannot take the money back without the recipient agreeing, so what you are asking for is a hold while they contact them. Expect to be sent to the police for a report, ใบแจ้งความ (bai jâeng-khwaam), which the bank needs before it will chase anything.

เงินตัดจากบัญชีแล้ว แต่ปลายทางไม่ได้รับครับ

ngoen dtàt jàak ban-chii láew dtàe bplaai-thaang mâi dâi-ráp khráp

The money has come out of my account, but the other end never received it.

Male speaker

This is the ATM or app failure, distinct from a figure that does not tally, and it needs its own sentence. ตัด is the verb for money being taken off a balance, and ปลายทาง is the far end, the receiving side, a word you will also hear about parcels and taxi rides. Bring the reference number, the time and the amount, or the app screen showing the failed transaction. Most cases settle themselves within a working day, but ask ช่วยตรวจสอบให้หน่อยครับ (chûat, spoken chûay, dtrùat-sàwp hâi nàwy khráp) so it is logged rather than left to reconcile on its own.

ตู้กินบัตรผมครับ ต้องทำยังไงครับ

dtûu gin bàt phǒm khráp dtâwng tham yang-ngai khráp

The machine ate my card. What do I have to do?

Male speaker

This is what people actually say standing at the counter: the machine ate it. The word on the paperwork is ยึด (yéut), to seize or retain, as in ตู้เอทีเอ็มยึดบัตร, so you will read that on the form even though nobody says it. Go to the branch that owns the machine, with your passport, the same day; if it belonged to another bank you often do not get the card back at all, so ask ได้บัตรคืนไหมครับ (dâi bàt kheun mǎi khráp), do I get the card back, and be ready to request a replacement instead. A woman drops ผม and says ตู้กินบัตรค่ะ ต้องทำยังไงคะ (dtûu gin bàt khâ dtâwng tham yang-ngai khá): ค่ะ closes the statement, คะ closes the question.

บัตรหายค่ะ ขออายัดบัตรแล้วทำบัตรใหม่ด้วยค่ะ

bàt hǎai khâ khǎw aa-yát bàt láew tham bàt mài dûay khâ

My card is lost. Please block it and issue me a new one.

Female speaker

อายัด is the banking word for freezing or blocking, and it is the part you say first, before any talk of a replacement. Phone the bank hotline the moment you notice, then go to a branch with your passport for the new card, because the phone line can block but not reissue. There is a card charge and a wait, so ask กี่วันได้บัตรคะ (gìi wan dâi bàt khá), how many days until the card is ready. A man ends both halves with ครับ.

บัตรใช้ไม่ได้ครับ โดนล็อกหรือเปล่าครับ

bàt chái mâi dâi khráp doon láwk rěu-bplàao khráp

My card does not work. Has it been blocked?

Male speaker

Thai banks lock a card automatically after wrong PIN attempts, after a payment the system reads as unusual, or when it has expired with the replacement sitting unclaimed in a branch. โดน is the spoken passive marker for something unwelcome happening to you, so โดนล็อก is got locked; ถูกล็อก (thùuk láwk) means the same and is what you will see written, and neither ถูก here has anything to do with ถูก meaning correct or cheap. She will check and answer ใช่ค่ะ (châi khâ) or ไม่ใช่ค่ะ (mâi châi khâ). To get it released, ask ช่วยปลดล็อกให้หน่อยครับ (chûay bplòt-láwk hâi nàwy khráp). A woman ends with คะ.

เปลี่ยนมือถือใหม่ เข้าแอปไม่ได้ครับ ต้องลงทะเบียนใหม่ไหมครับ

bplìan meu-thěu mài khâo àep mâi dâi khráp dtâwng long-thá-bian mài mǎi khráp

I have a new phone and cannot get into the app. Do I have to register again?

Male speaker

The app is tied to the device it was installed on, so a new phone de-registers you and the answer is almost always yes. ลงทะเบียนใหม่ is to register again, and some banks let you do it at an ATM with the card and PIN, others insist on the counter. Bring the passport, the card and the phone with the Thai SIM already in it. This is one of the two or three visits a foreign resident makes every year, so it is worth having the sentence ready rather than miming at the counter. A woman ends both halves with ครับ replaced by คะ.

ขอคุยกับผู้จัดการสาขาได้ไหมครับ

khǎw khui gàp phûu-jàt-gaan sǎa-khǎa dâi mǎi khráp

Could I speak to the branch manager?

Male speaker

A teller works from a script and a manager works from discretion, which is why this sentence sometimes reopens a door that ไม่ได้ค่ะ just closed. Ask it calmly and without an edge, because raising your voice in a Thai branch loses you the room and the favour. It is the right move for account opening refusals, a letter refused before your immigration date, and disputed amounts. A woman ends with คะ.

เดี๋ยวผมเอาเอกสารมาใหม่ครับ

dǐao phǒm ao èek-gà-sǎan maa mài khráp

I will come back with the documents.

Male speaker

This is how you leave without either arguing or walking off in silence, and it is the real answer to a work permit refusal: you go, get the residence certificate from immigration, and return. เดี๋ยว is in a moment or shortly, used loosely for any near future. Before you go, get a way back to the same branch: ขอเบอร์สาขาไว้ติดต่อได้ไหมครับ (khǎw boe sǎa-khǎa wái dtìt-dtàw dâi mǎi khráp), may I have the branch number, and note that most branches also run a LINE account, which is far more likely to be answered than the phone. A woman drops ผม and ends with ค่ะ.