Daily Thai Confidence — Using ที่ผ่านมา (thêe phàan māa)

Relative Clause: ที่ผ่านมา (t^hêe p^hàan māa)
Meaning: that has passed / last / in the past

In this Thai lesson, we learn how to use the relative clause ที่ผ่านมา (t^hêe p^hàan māa), which means ‘that has passed’ or ‘during the past period’. It is commonly used after time words to form an adverbial phrase of time referring to a period of time before now — time word + clause ที่ผ่านมา (t^hêe p^hàan māa). In this usage, it can be translated as ‘last’ or ‘just gone’.

For examples (ตัวอย่างเช่น — dtūa-^awyàang chên)

dēuan t^hêe p^hàan māa, chǎn yûng mâak
Literal: Month that has passed, I busy very.
Last month, I was very busy.

The adjective ยุ่ง (yûng) means ‘is busy’. It describes a person who has many things to do or does not have free time. To describe a place that is busy or crowded with people, use the phrase มีคนเยอะ (mēe k^hōn yèuh), which means ‘there are a lot of people’. For example: วันนี้ฉันยุ่งมาก (wān-née, chǎn yûng mâak = Today, I am very busy.); ร้านนี้มีคนเยอะมาก (ráan née mēe k^hōn yéuh mâak = This shop is very crowded.

fǒn-dtòk ^hnàk t^húk wān nāi chûang sǎam sàb-dāa t^hêe p^hàan māa
Literal: Rain fall heavy every day in period three weeks that has passed.
It has rained heavily every day during the past three weeks.

The prepositional phrase of time ในช่วง (nāi chûang) means ‘during’ or ‘over the period of’ and is used to talk about a period of time in which something happens. It tells when something happens, usually over a stretch of time rather than a single moment. It is usually followed by a time period. For example: ในช่วงสัปดาห์นี้ (nāi chûang sàb-dāa née = during this week); ในช่วงปีที่ผ่านมา (nāi chûang bpēe t^hêe p^hàan māa = during the past year); ในช่วงวันหยุด (nāi chûang wān ^hyùd = during the holiday period / during the time off); ในช่วงเดือนเมษายน (nāi chûang dēuan māy-sǎa-yōn = during the month of April), etc.

nāi chûang réu-dūu fǒn t^hêe p^hàan māa, ^hmùu-bâan hàeng née bprà-sòb nám-t^hûam bòi k^hráng
Literal: In period season rain that has passed, village location this encounter flood often occasion.
During the past rainy season, this village experienced frequent flooding.

The verb phrase ประสบ (bprà-sòb) means ‘to experience,’ ‘to encounter,’ or ‘to go through’. It is used when someone experiences an event, usually something significant or challenging, like a problem, accident, success, or difficulty. For example: ประสบอุบัติเหตุ (bprà-sòb u-bad-dti-haed = to be involved in an accident / to experience an accident); ประสบปัญหา (bprà-sòb bpān-hǎa = to encounter a problem); ประสบความยากลำบาก (bprà-sòb k^hwāam-yâak-lām-bàak = to experience difficulties); ประสบความสำเร็จ (bprà-sòb k^hwāam-sǎm-^hrèd = to achieve success / to experience success); ประสบภัยพิบัติ (bprà-sòb p^hāi-p^hí-bàd = to experience a disaster) etc.

k^hǎo bprà-sòb k^hwāam-yâak-lām-bàak mâak nāi chûang ^hlǎai bpēe t^hêe p^hàan māa
Literal: He encounter difficulties very in period many years that have passed.
He has experienced many difficulties in the past several years.

The abstract noun ความยากลำบากมาก (k^hwāam-yâak-lām-bàak) means ‘difficulty’ or ‘hardship’. It describes a situation or period that is hard, challenging, or full of problems. To describe how hard an action or task is, use the adjective ยาก (yâak = is difficult / is hard). For example: การบ้านนี้ยากมาก (gāan-bâan née yâak mâak = This homework is very difficult.); ความยากลำบากทำให้เรารู้ว่าใครเป็นเพื่อนแท้ (k^hwāam-yâak-lām-bàak t^hām-hâi rāo rúu wâa k^hrāi bpēn p^hêuan t^háe = Hardship reveals who our true friends are.

Practise putting your newly learned Thai word into a sentence by translating the following sentences below.

1. Last year, I went on holiday in Chiang Mai.
2. Last month, I read several books.
3. During the past year, we couldn’t go on holiday abroad.
4. During the past few years, this shop had many customers.
5. During the past few days, I met up with many old friends in the city centre.

About Post Author

Urai Khomkham

Hi, I’m Urai Khomkham, a Thai language teacher and the creator of Thai Language Tuition UK. I help learners understand how Thai really works, so they can stop guessing and start feeling confident using the language in real life. Inside the community, I share clear lessons, practical explanations, and gentle guidance to support steady, meaningful progress — without pressure or overwhelm. I also share free Thai lessons and learning tips on my YouTube channel, where I break things down step by step and help you build strong foundations at your own pace. By subscribing, you’re not only supporting your own learning — you’re also helping me continue creating free resources to support you and other learners on their Thai journey.

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