Introducing yourself is the second conversation you will have in Thai and the first one that goes both ways. Someone asks your name, where you are from, and how you are — and unlike ordering food, you are expected to answer.
There is one thing to sort out before the phrases, because it changes every sentence you say for the rest of your life in Thai: which word you use for "I".
Saying "I"
Men use ผม, women use ฉัน. Thai speakers drop the pronoun far more than English speakers do, so once you are comfortable, leave it out.
Names
ชื่อ is both the noun "name" and the verb "to be called", so ผมชื่อ… is literally "I name…" and is the whole construction.
Where you are from
มาจาก is "come from" and takes a country straight after it. ประเทศ means "country" and is what you need to ask the question rather than answer it.
Descriptive, not an insult. Also the word for guava.
How are you
Closer to a real question than the English version, but not much deeper. สบายดี is the expected answer and แล้วคุณล่ะ hands it back.
ผม or ฉัน — the decision Thai makes you take
English has one word for "I". Thai has dozens, and which one you pick says something about your gender, your age relative to the listener, and how formal you are being. For a learner it collapses to two.
Men say ผม (pǒm). Women say ฉัน (chǎn). Use those, they are always safe, and ignore the rest for now.
What you should know is that Thai speakers drop the pronoun constantly. สบายดี on its own is a complete answer to "how are you". Adding ฉัน to everything is grammatically fine and sounds like a textbook. Once you are comfortable, leave it out.
Nicknames are the real names
Nearly every Thai person has a ชื่อเล่น — a one-syllable nickname given in childhood and used by everyone including colleagues and bosses. Nok, Ploy, Bank, Beer, Gift. Formal names are long, Sanskrit-derived and reserved for documents.
So when you ask someone's name and they give you something short, that is their nickname and it is what you should use. Asking ชื่อเล่นอะไร — "what's your nickname" — is normal and friendly rather than intrusive. It is also worth picking a short version of your own name, because Thai speakers will otherwise do it for you.
ฝรั่ง is not an insult
You will hear ฝรั่ง (fà-ràng) constantly. It means a white Westerner, it is also the word for guava, and the overlap is a long-running joke rather than a slur.
It is descriptive in the way "foreigner" is, and it is used in front of you without any intention to offend. Hearing it in a sentence about you is normal. It is only rude in the way any label is when someone means it that way, and you will be able to tell.
"How are you" is a real question here
สบายดีไหม is closer to a genuine enquiry than the English "how are you", which is a greeting with no expected answer. It is still not deep — สบายดี, "fine", is the normal response — but you are expected to say something rather than repeat the question back.
Then hand it back with แล้วคุณล่ะ, "and you?". That three-syllable phrase is what turns an exchange of greetings into a conversation, and it is the most underrated thing on this page.
Common questions
How do you say "my name is" in Thai?
ผมชื่อ… (pǒm chêu…) if you are male, ฉันชื่อ… (chǎn chêu…) if you are female, followed by your name. ชื่อ works as both the noun "name" and the verb "to be called", so no other word is needed.
How do you ask someone's name in Thai?
คุณชื่ออะไร, kun chêu à-rai — literally "you name what". Add krap or ka on the end. If the answer is very short, that is their nickname, and it is the name you should use.
What is the difference between pom and chan?
Both mean "I". ผม (pǒm) is used by men and ฉัน (chǎn) by women. Thai has many more pronouns that signal age and formality, but these two are always safe for a learner.
Is farang offensive?
No. ฝรั่ง means a white Westerner and is used descriptively, in front of you, without any intent to offend. It is also the Thai word for guava, which is a long-standing joke rather than an insult.
Why does everyone in Thailand have a nickname?
Formal Thai names are long and Sanskrit-derived, so nearly everyone is given a short nickname in childhood and uses it for life, including at work. Asking for someone's ชื่อเล่น is normal and friendly.