How to Do Laundry in Thailand (What to Say at the Shop)

Hand over the bag and say ซัก sák — to wash. That's the transaction. Price is per กิโล gì-loo, kilo, and they'll weigh it in front of you.

Then one question: เสร็จ sèt — done, ready — with a questioning look, to find out when to come back.

It costs almost nothing and you should absolutely use it

Laundry shops are on nearly every street in Thailand, they charge by the kilo, and the total for a week of clothes is genuinely small. They wash, dry, fold, and return everything in a neat bag, usually the next day.

Travelers who spend their evenings washing shirts in a sink are doing it out of habit, not economics. Hand it over.

phâa is cloth, and it's inside a word you already know

ผ้า phâa means cloth or clothes generally, and you met it on the hotel room page inside the word for towel. Same piece, doing the same job: this is a fabric thing.

What's the difference between sák and rîit?

sák is washing. รีด rîit is ironing, and it's usually priced separately — sometimes by the piece, sometimes as a small addition to the per-kilo rate. If you want it, say it at the counter; if you don't say it, you'll get clean, folded and unironed, which for most travel clothing is exactly right.

Worth knowing if you're here for a job interview, a wedding, or anything involving a shirt with a collar.

When will it be ready?

sèt is the word, and the answer will usually be a day word from the days page: today, tomorrow, or a number plus day. Next-day is the standard.

Two practical notes. Same-day and express service usually exists and costs more — ask, don't assume. And in the rainy season, drying takes longer at the smaller places that hang things outside, so build in a buffer if you're leaving town.

Anything I shouldn't hand over?

Anything delicate, white, or expensive. This is high-volume machine washing with loads mixed together, and colors run. Bring a couple of things you'd be sad to lose? Wash those yourself.

Also worth doing: count what you hand in. Mistakes are rare and always innocent, but bags get mixed up, and it's much easier to sort out a missing shirt when you know a shirt is missing.

Takeaways

• sák = wash. Hand over the bag, they weigh it, you pay per gì-loo.
• rîit = iron, and it's usually a separate charge. Say it if you want it.
• sèt = ready. Next-day is standard; express usually exists for more.
• phâa is the same "cloth" piece that's inside the word for towel.
• Keep delicates and whites out, and count what you hand in.