Conditionals with ถ้า...ก็

If, then

ถ้าฝนตกก็ไม่ไปthâa fǒn dtòk gô mâi bpai

If it rains, I will not go.

ถ้าว่างก็โทรมานะthâa wâang gô thohn maa ná

If you are free, give me a call.

ถ้าอร่อยจะกลับมาอีกthâa à rôi jà glàp maa èek

If it is good, I will come back again.

tha (ถ้า) is if, and it opens the sentence. ko (ก็) sits in front of the result clause and does roughly the work of 'then'. tha fon tok ko mai pai: if it rains, then I will not go. The two halves are in the same order as English, which makes this one of the easier structures to build early. Thai has no separate set of conditional verb forms - no would, no had been. The verbs stay exactly as they are, and tha and ko carry the whole meaning.

Dropping the words

ก็ได้ครับgô dâi khráp

That is fine by me.

ก็ดีนะgô dee ná

That would be good.

ไม่ว่างก็ไม่เป็นไรmâi wâang gô mâi bpen rai

If you are busy, no problem.

In speech, tha is often left out and the two clauses simply sit side by side: fon tok mai pai, rains, not going. Context does the rest. ko is dropped just as freely. What survives longest is ko, because it also has a life of its own meaning 'also' or 'well then', so it shows up even where there is no explicit if. That second use is worth knowing: ko dii (ก็ดี) means 'that would be good', and ko dai (ก็ได้) means 'that is fine by me', two of the most common short replies in the language.

When, whenever, as soon as

พอถึงก็โทรมานะphor thěung gô thohn maa ná

Call me as soon as you arrive.

เวลาว่างชอบอ่านหนังสือway laa wâang chôrp àan nǎng sěu

When I am free I like to read.

พอกินเสร็จก็ไปได้phor gin sèt gô bpai dâi

Once you have finished eating we can go.

For a condition that will definitely happen, Thai uses phor (พอ) meaning 'as soon as' or 'once', or wela (เวลา) meaning 'when' in the habitual sense. phor thueng ko tho ma: once you arrive, call me. wela wang chan an nangsue: when I am free, I read. The difference from tha is certainty. tha leaves it open; phor and wela assume it happens.

Unless, and otherwise

ถ้าไม่ฝนก็ไปthâa mâi fǒn gô bpai

If it does not rain, I will go.

รีบหน่อยไม่งั้นจะสายrêep nòi mâi ngán jà sǎi

Hurry up, otherwise we will be late.

ถ้าเป็นผมจะไม่ซื้อthâa bpen phǒm jà mâi séu

If it were me, I would not buy it.

tha mai (ถ้าไม่) is 'if not', which covers unless: tha mai fon ko pai, if it does not rain, I will go. mai ngan (ไม่งั้น) means 'otherwise' or 'or else' and opens the second half: rip noi mai ngan cha sai, hurry up or we will be late. For a polite hypothetical, tha pen phom (ถ้าเป็นผม) means 'if it were me', a gentle way to give advice without giving an instruction.

Conditions worth having ready

ถ้าแพงไปจะไม่เอาthâa phaeng bpai jà mâi ao

If it is too expensive I will not take it.

ถ้ามีเวลาจะแวะไปthâa mee way laa jà wáe bpai

If I have time I will drop by.

ถ้าไม่เผ็ดจะกินได้thâa mâi phèt jà gin dâi

If it is not spicy I can eat it.

ถ้าอยากไปบอกได้นะthâa yàak bpai bòrk dâi ná

If you want to go, just say.

ก็ได้ แล้วแต่คุณgô-dâi láeo-dtàe khun

Fine by me, up to you.

ถ้าไม่ว่างไว้คราวหน้าthâa mâi wâang wái khrao nâa

If you are busy, another time then.

These are the sentences that let you negotiate, arrange and hedge, which is most of what conversation with strangers consists of.

Looking for a would

ถ้ามีเงินจะซื้อthâa mee-ngern jà séu · Same ja as a plain future.

If I had money I would buy it.

There is no conditional verb form to find. 'I would go' and 'I will go' are the same in Thai: ja pai. The if-clause is what supplies the hypothetical flavour. Stop hunting for the extra word and let tha do the job. If you want to stress the hypothetical, tha pen phom (if it were me) is the natural way.

Reading ko as if

ผมก็ไปด้วยphǒm gô bpai dûai · ko as also. No condition anywhere.

I will come along too.

ko is the 'then', not the 'if'. It also means 'also' and 'well', so learners meet it in a lot of places and start treating it as a general connector. If you need to mark the condition, tha is the word. ko marks the result, or softens a reply, or means too.