Thai Proverbs I

* กงเกวียนกำเกวียน
o Transliteration: Kong kwean kum kwean
o Literal: A cart's wheels fall into the track.
o Meaning: Like karma, deeds repay.

* กบเลือกนาย
o Transliteration: Kob Luek Nai
o Literal: The frog picking a leader.
o Meaning: if you change your mind too much, you'll get hurt

* กบในกะลา
o Transliteration: Khob nai ka la
o Literal: Frog in a coconut shell.
o Meaning: Referring to those who's insular but ignorant, like a frog living in a coconut shell.

* กระดังงาลนไฟ
o Transliteration: Kra dang nga lon fai
o Literal: A Kradanga flower (thai) is fragrant when toasted on fire.
o Meaning: Old but hot.

* กระต่ายตื่นตูม
o Transliteration: Kra tay teun toom
o Literal: Like a shocked and frenzied bunny.
o Meaning: When you are excited, you cannot see the real issue.

* กระต่ายหมายจันทร์
o Transliteration: Kra-tie' mai jhun
o Literal: A rabbit aims for the moon.
o Meaning: Don't aim at the impossibilities; get grounded.

* กลมเป็นลูกมะนาว
o Transliteration: Glom pen luge mar-now
o Literal: Round like a lime.
o Meaning: Referring to those who's quick to run out of the problem (negative).

* กว่าถั่วจะสุกงาก็ไหม้
o Transliteration: Kwar thua ja suek, nga kor mai
o Literal: Before the nut is cooked, a sesame is burnt.
o Meaning: Don't let issues hang for too long until they're all burnt.

* กันไว้ดีกว่าแก้
o Transliteration: Gan wy dtee gwaa gae
o Literal and meaning: Preventive measure is better than curative measure.

* กาคาบพริก
o Transliteration: ka kab prik
o Literal: A crow holds the chilli in its mouth.
o Meaning: Evaluate yourself well before putting on that glaring red dress. (Dare not putting on a red dress when you're not fair-skinned.)

* กินน้ำพริกถ้วยเดี่ยว
o Transliteration: gin nam phrik thuay diaao
o Literal: Eat the spicy chili sauce only from one cup.
o Meaning: Be always faithful to your wife.

* กินบนเรือนขี้รดบนหลังคา
o Transliteration: Kin bon ruen, khee bon lung kar
o Literal: Eat in a house then excrete on the roof.
o Meaning: Referring to those who are ungrateful to who did good things to them.

* กิ่งทองใบหยก
o Transliteration: Ging tong by yok
o Literal: A gold branch with a jade leaf.
o Meaning: A perfect couple (often use with the fiancees; in Chinese it means a princess).

* กิ้งก่าได้ทอง
o Transliteration: King-khar dhai thong.
o Literal: A chameleon acquires gold.
o Meaning: Those who like to call for the other's attention by showing their belongings.

* แกะดำ
o Transliteration: Kare dum
o Literal: Black sheep.
o Meaning: The different one; the weird one.

* แกว่งตีนหาเสี้ยน
o Transliteration: Kwang teen har siean.
o Literal: Swing a foot into thorns.
o Meaning: Those who like to court trouble.

* กำแพงมีหู ประตูมีตา
o Transliteration: Kum-pang mee hu, pra-tu mee tar
o Literal: Walls have ears; doors have eyes.
o Meaning 1: Be aware when you have confidential information.
o Meaning 2: There are doors into everything, regardless of the tight security one's set up to guard that secret.

* กำขี้ดีกว่ากำตด
o Transliteration: Kum khee dee kwa kum tod
o Literal: Grabbing excrement is better than grabbing flatulence.
o Meaning: Having something is better than having nothing.

* ไก่เห็นตีนงู งูเห็นนมไก่
o Transliteration: Kai hen teen ngu, ngu hen nom kai
o Literal: A chicken sees the snake's foot and a snake sees the chicken's breast.
o Meaning: Two parties who know each other secret.

* ไก่ได้พลอย
o Transliteration: Kai die' ploy
o Literal: A chicken gets a gem.
o Meaning: A person who has a good thing, but he doesn't know about value.

* ไก่งามเพราะขน คนงามเพราะแต่ง
o Transliteration: Kai ngam pror khon, kon ngam pror thang
o Literal: Chicken are beautiful because of their feathers; women are beautiful because of their make-up.
o Meaning: Beauty comes after one grooms her appearance and puts on cosmetics.

* ขี่ช้างจับตั๊กแตน
o Transliteration: Kee chang jahb thak-a-thaen
o Literal: Ride an elephant to catch a grasshopper.
o Meaning 1: Don't make something easy difficult.
o Meaning 2: Use the correct tool for the correct job.

* เข็นครกขึ้นภูเขา
o Transliteration: Khen krok kheun phu kao
o Literal: Push the stone to the top of the mountain.
o Meaning: To perform a Herculean task.

* เข้าเมืองตาหลิ่ว ต้องหลิ่วตาตาม
o Transliteration: Khao mueng tar-lew, tong lew-tar tarm
o Literal: When in the city of the slanted-eyed, do squint your eyes.
o Meaning: Follow the majority, if you are minority; adapt to situations and people around you.
o English version: When in Rome, do as the Romans do.

* เข้าหูซ้ายทะลุหูขวา
o Transliteration: Khao hu sai, ta-lu' hu khwa
o Literal: In the left ear, out the right ear.
o Meaning: Referring to an oblivious attitude; referring to people's ignorance, in letting others' cautionary/instructional words slip off.

* ความแน่นอน คือความไม่แน่นอน
o Transliteration: Kwam nae-norn keu kwam mai nae-non
o Literal: The only certainty is uncertainty.
o Meaning: Things are dual in nature: certain things are uncertain things.

* ความงามไม่คงที่ ความดีสิคงทน
o Transliteration Kwam ngam mai kong tii, kwam dee si kong ton
o Literal: Beauty fades, good deeds are permanent.
o Meaning: Don't judge people by their appearance, but their behaviour.

* ความพยายามอยู่ที่ไหน ความสำเร็จอยู่ที่นั่น
o Transliteration: Kwam pa-ya-yam yoo tee nhai, kwam sum-red yoo tee nun
o Literal: Where there is a will, there is a way.
o Meaning: Try your best, and there's success.

* ความลับไม่มีในโลก
o Transliteration: Kwan lub mai mee nai loke
o Literal: There are no secrets in the world.
o Meaning: There is no such thing as secret; try not to hide what can't be hidden.

* คับที่อยู่ได้คับใจอยู่ยาก
o Transliteration: khap thee yuu dai khap jai yuu yaak
o Literal: Tight residence can, tight heart presence difficult
o Meaning: It is possible to live in a small residence if you're happy, but it is difficult to live in a big residence if you're unhappy.

* คิดก่อนเจรจา
o Transliteration: kid-kon-je-ra-ja
o Literal: Think before speaking.
o Meaning: (straightforward)Think before making a verbal exchange.

* ฆ่าควายอย่าเสียดายพริก
o Transliteration: Ka kwai ya sia die prig
o Literal: Don't lament over a chilli when killing a buffalo.
o Meaning: Don't mind little things when grand tasks/responsibilities/achievements are at hand.