The Focus of This Lesson Is เกี่ยวกับ (gìiao-gàp), Which We Use to Mean "About" or to Indicate a Topic.
แต่พลอยว่ามันไม่เกี่ยวกับหมอดูหรอกนะคะ
dtàae phlaawy wâa man mâi gìiao-gàp mǎaw-duu ràawk ná khá.
"But I'm telling you this isn't about any fortune teller."

We use เกี่ยวกับ (gìiao-gàp) to mean "about" or to indicate a topic. We use it just like the English word "about," with a noun following it to indicate the topic or object. The first example from the conversation was รายละเอียดเกี่ยวกับราคา (raai-lá-ìiat gìiao-gàp raa-khaa), meaning "details about the cost."

In this phrase, we use เกี่ยวกับ (gìiao-gàp) to link two nouns together. The second example from the conversation was มันไม่เกี่ยวกับหมอดู (man mâi gìiao-gàp mǎaw-duu), meaning "it's not about the fortune-teller."

In this phrase, เกี่ยวกับ (gìiao-gàp) has the negative particle before it. And again, we use it to link two things: in this case, a pronoun and a noun.

We also commonly use เกี่ยวกับ (gìiao-gàp) to link a verb with a noun. Here are some examples of this.

For Example:

1. แดนพูดเกี่ยวกับครอบครัว
   daaen phûut gìiao-gàp khrâawp-khruua
   "Dan speaks of his family."
2. คุณกำลังคิดเกี่ยวกับอะไร
   khun gam-lang khít gìiao-gap à-rai
   "What are you thinking about?"
3. ผมเรียนเกี่ยวกับเศรษฐศาสตร์
   phǒm riian gìiao-gàp sèet-tà-sàat
   "I study economics."

กี่ราย (gìi raai)
This phrase is a question asking "How many individuals?" or "How many instances?" กี่ (gìi) is the question word "how many?" and ราย (raai) is a classifier that has a wide range of possible meanings. Among its possible uses are "case," "instance," "person," "story," "account," "record," and "item." It is used often in work situations, such as in the conversation where they are talking about the number of bookings being made.

อีกที่หนึ่ง (ìik thîi nùeng)
This phrase simply means "one more." อีก (ìik) means "another" or "again," and ที่ (thîi) in this sentence is a very general pronoun that could mean "person," "place," or "thing." Its exact meaning will depend on the surrounding context. หนึ่ง (nùeng) is of course the number "one," so altogether, อีกที่หนึ่ง (ìik thîi nùeng) gives us "one more thing," or simply "one more." To use this same pattern with a number greater than one, the number would come before ที่ (thîi). So "another two" would be อีกสองที่ (ìik sǎawng thîi).

โทรเข้ามา (thoo khâo maa)
This phrase means "to call in." โทร (thoo) is the verb "to call on the phone." It comes from the word for telephone, โทรศัพท์ (thoo-rá-sàp). So it is just like saying "to phone" in English. เข้า (khâo) is the verb "to enter" or "to go in," and มา (maa) is the verb "to come." However when มา (maa) follows another verb it indicates the direction of action relative to the speaker. In this case it means the call is coming in towards the speaker from somewhere outside.

How to Tell the Future in Thailand

The Thai word for a fortune-teller is หมอดู (mǎaw-duu), which literally means "doctor of looking." หมอดู (mǎaw-duu) are quite popular in Thailand, and the average person will consult with one at least twice a year. Fortune-tellers can be found set up in public parks, along the sidewalk, in some shopping malls, and near the entrances to temples. People seek their advice for many issues such as determining marriage compatibility, forecasting finances, choosing lottery numbers, constructing new buildings, installing spirit houses, and avoiding danger.

The type of horoscope used in Thailand is a complex mix of Chinese, Indian, and Western astrology systems. The year of birth is important, following the Chinese zodiac. Likewise, the day of the week on which one was born is important, following the Indian system. Dream interpretation is considered important as well. Many fortune-tellers have large illustrated charts filled with possible dream scenarios. Apart from these, fortune-tellers also use physical features to tell fortunes. They perform palm reading according to a Chinese style in which they analyze many aspects of the surface of the hand, such as the temperature, texture, and appearance of shapes. Another system they use to give fortunes is based on the location of moles on the body.

หมอดู (mǎaw-duu) usually work on a donation basis. But this works to their advantage. Clients don't want to appear stingy, so they often feel compelled to make a generous contribution to the fortune-teller.