กัญชา
gan-chaa/kan˧.t͡ɕʰaː˧/
The Thai word for weed is กัญชา (gan-chaa).
While the English word 'weed' often serves as slang for cannabis, the Thai word กัญชา is used both as the formal name for the plant and as the common way to refer to the drug.
Meaning: unwanted plant (noun)
Which one should you use?
กัญชา refers specifically to cannabis, whereas วัชพืช is the general term for any unwanted plant or weed in a garden or field.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has two syllables: gan-chaa. The IPA is /kan˧.tɕʰaː˧/.
Did you know?
- Thailand became the first Asian country to decriminalize กัญชา in 2022, leading to a sudden surge of cannabis-themed cafes and shops across cities.
- In Thai culture, กัญชา is sometimes used in traditional medicine and cooking, appearing in certain local recipes as a seasoning long before its modern legal status.
- The word กัญชา is believed to have roots in Sanskrit, specifically from the word ganja, which refers to hemp.
Example conversation
Nicha and Theeraphat are cleaning their backyard together.
- ณิชา Nichaธีรภัทร ดูสิ กัญชาขึ้นเต็มไปหมดเลยTheeraphat du si kancha khuen tem pai mot loeiTheeraphat, look, it's full of weeds.
- ธีรภัทร Theeraphatเราต้องรีบกำจัดกัญชาพวกนี้ออกrao tong rip kamchat kancha phuak ni okWe need to get rid of these weeds quickly.
- ณิชา Nichaคุณมีถุงมือสำหรับถอนกัญชาไหมkhun mi thung mue samrap thon kancha maiDo you have gloves for pulling weeds?
- ธีรภัทร Theeraphatมีครับ อยู่ในห้องเก็บของmi khrap yu nai hong gep khongYes, I do. They are in the storage room.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry กัญชา, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries กัญชา, CC BY-SA 4.0.
