Just a train ride away

Me: Saya nak makan daging.
Server (nods and smiles): Bahasa Malay.

We've finally started our trip and here's what I've learnt so far. Although a lot of people speak English, not all do so very confidently. And they, like Thai people, appreciate it when you make an effort in their language.

Case in point was asking for food on our first full day in Kota Kinabulu. We were asking the lady at a noodle shop in English if she had any vegetarian food.

She didn't understand so I tried to use the phrase Saya tak makan daging I don't eat meat. She then smiled and nodded saying approvingly Bahasa Malay Malay language...and then proceeded to list in Malay the many meat types available.

So I got out our vegan passport instead as I had reached the limit of my memorised Malay outside of numbers and saying thank you. At which point she took one look at the page, shook her head and said 'No, cannot' and walked away.

After the end of our exchange I realised the cause of the confusion. I must have said the very similar phrase Saya nak makan daging I want to eat meat.

What I took away from our experience at the noodle bar was not that I made a mistake, but instead that making an effort to speak the local language led to a smile and that made me want to keep on practising.

I've done Khmer and Thai first as Malaysia didn't have a wikitravel phrasebook. I'll add to the rest and put in tones for Thai when I get a chance.

UPDATE (31/05/2013): I've found the Malay phrase book on wikitravel (language is called Malay not Malaysian as I was typing).

Malaysia

Good morning.	Selamat pagi.
Good day. [in two hours around noon]	Selamat tengahari.
Good afternoon.	Selamat petang.
Good evening. after 6 pm	Selamat malam.
*Hello. (informal)*	Hai (Hi)
*Hello. (polite)*	Hello (Hello)
See you later.	Sampai jumpa lagi.
Goodbye [when you are leaving]	Selamat tinggal.
Goodbye [when you are staying]	Selamat jalan.
Welcome!	Selamat datang!
How are you?	(Literally: What news?) Apa khabar? (AH-puh KAR-bar?)
Fine.	Khabar baik (Literally: Good news) (KAH-bar BAEE[glottal stop])
What is your name?	Siapa nama awak? (SAH-puh NAH-muh AH-wah[glottal stop]?)
My name is ______.	Nama saya ____. (NAH-muh SAH-yuh ___.)
Nice to meet you.	Saya gembira jumpa awak. (SAH-yuh gum-BEER-uh JOOM-puh AH-wah[glottal stop])
Please.	Sila. (SEE-luh)
Thank you.	Terima kasih. (TREE-muh KAH-seh)
How much is this?	Berapa harganya ini?
Where’s the toilet?	Dimana tandas?
Cheap/expensive	Murah/mahal
Please stop here	Sila berhenti di sini
Left / right	Kiri / Kanan

Thailand

*Hello. (informal)*	สวัสดี (sa-wat-dii)
*Hello. (polite, speaker is man)*	สวัสดีครับ (sa-wat-dii, khráp)
*Hello. (polite, speaker is woman)*	สวัสดีค่ะ (sa-wat-dii, khâ)
*Hello. (answering the phone)*	ฮัลโหล[ครับ/ค่ะ] (haloh, khráp/khâ)
How are you?	คุณสบายดีไหม/หรือ (sabaai-dii mái/rue?)
Fine.	ผม/ฉันสบายดี (phóm/chán sabaai-dii)
Fine, and you?	สบายดี แล้วคุณล่ะ[ครับ/ค่ะ] (sabaai-dii láe khun lá, khráp/khâ)
What is your name?	คุณชื่ออะไร (khun chue arai?)
My name is ______ .	ผม/ดิฉันชื่อ (phŏm/dì-chăn cheu _____ )
Nice to meet you.	ยินดีที่ได้รู้จัก (yin-dii thii dai ruu-jak)
Please	กรุณา(ga-roo-naa)
Thank you	คอบคุณ[ครับ/ค่ะ] (khorp khun, khráp/khâ)
How much is this?	อันนี้เท่าไร[ครับ/ค่ะ] (a-nee thao-rai, khráp/khâ)
Where’s the toilet?	ห้องน้ำอยู่ที่ไหน[ครับ/ค่ะ] (horng-naam yuu tee nai, khráp/khâ)
Cheap/expensive	ถูก / แพง (thuuk/pairng)
Please stop here	กรุณาจอดที่นี่ (ga-roo-naa jort tii nii)
Left / right	ซ้าย / ขวา

Cambodia

*Hello. (informal)*	សួស្តី (soo-a s’day)
*Hello. (polite)*	ជំរាបសួរ (johm riap sua)
*Hello. (answering the phone)*	(allo)
How are you?	ខ្ងុំសុខសប្បាយទេ ចុះអ្នក? (niak sohk sabaay te?)
How are you? (to a man)	លោកសុខសប
Fine.	ខ្ងុំសុខសប្បាយទេ (kh’nyohm sohk sabaay)
Fine, and you?	ខ្ងុំសុខសប្បាយទេ ចុះអ្នក? (kh’nyohm sohk sabaay, coh niak?)
What is your name?	អ្នកឈ្មោះអី? (nahk ch’muah ei?)
My name is ______ .	ខ្ងុំឈ្មោះ ... (kh’nyohm ch’muah)
Nice to meet you.	ខ្ញុំត្រេកអរណាស់ដែលបានស្គាល់លោក (kh’nyohm trawk aw naa dael baan skoal loak)
Please	សូម (soam)
Thank you.	ឣរគុណ(aw kohn)
How much is this?	នេះថ្លៃប៉ុន្មាន? (nih th’lay pohnmaan?)
Where’s the toilet?	បង្គន់នៅឯណា? (bawng-kohn neu ai naa?)
Cheap / expensive	ថោក/ថ្លៃ (taok/t’lai)
Please stop here.	សូមឈប់ទីនេះ(soam chOOp tee neeh)
Left / right	ឆ្វេង/ស្តាំ (ch’wayng/s’dam)

Vietnam

*Hello. (informal)*	Chào (chow)
Hello. (polite)	Xin chào (seen chow)
*Hello. (answering the phone)*	A-lô (AH-loh)
How are you? (to a man)	Anh khỏe không?
How are you? (to a woman)	Chị khỏe không?
Fine.	Khoẻ.
Fine, thanks, and you?	Khoẻ, cảm ơn. Bạn thì sao?
What is your name?	Bạn tên gì?
My name is ______ .	Tôi tên là___.
Nice to meet you.	Hân hạnh gặp ông
Please	Làm ơn
Thank you (to a man)	Cảm ơn ông
Thank you (to a woman)	Cảm ơn bà
Thank you	Xin cảm ơn
How much is this?	Cái này giá bao nhiêu?
Where’s the toilet?	Cầu tiêu ở đâu?
Cheap/expensive	rè / đat
Please stop here	Dưng lại ở đây
Left / right	bên trái / bên phài

Hong Kong

*Hello. (informal)*	你好 lay hoe / néih hóu
How are you?	你好嗎? néih hóu ma? / lay hoe ma? 點呀? dím a?
Fine.	好好hóu hóu; 幾好géi hóu
Fine, and you?	我幾好，你呢？ngóh géi hóu, néih nē?
What is your name?	你叫(做)乜野名呀？ néih giu(jouh) mātyéh méng a? 你點稱呼呀？néih dím chìngfù a
My name is ______ .	我叫做 ... ngóh giujouh ...
Nice to meet you.	好開心見到你 hóu hòisàm gindóu néih
Thank you	唔該 m̀hgòi
How much is this?	呢個幾多錢呀? Nīgo géidō chín a?
Where’s the toilet?	廁所喺邊度呀? chisó hái bīndouh a?
Cheap/expensive
Please stop here
Left / right
I’m a Buddhist / vegetarian	Ngor hi fut gow toe / 我食齋 ngóh sihk jāai
Bill / check	Mai daan

Mainland China

*Hello. (informal)*	你好 (Nĭ hăo)
*Hello. (polite)*	您好(Nín hăo)
How are you?	你好吗 (Nĭ hăo ma)
Fine.	我很好(Wŏ hĕn hăo)
Fine, and you?	我很好, 你呢 (Wŏ hĕn hăo, nĭ ne)
What is your name?	你叫什么名字 (Nĭ jiào shénme míngzi)
My name is ______ .	我叫… (Wŏ jiào _____.)
Nice to meet you.	很高兴认识你(hěn gāoxìng rènshi nǐ)
Please	请 (Qĭng)
Thank you	谢谢(Xìe xie)
How much is this?	这个多少钱 (Zhège duōshao qián)
Where’s the mens’ toilet?	男厕所在那里 (nán cèsuŏ zài nălĭ)
Where’s the womens’ toilet?	女厕所在那里 (nü V cèsuŏ zài nălĭ)
Cheap \| expensive	便宜 (piányi) \| 贵 (guì)
Could you please stop here?	请在这儿停，可以吗？ (Qĭng zài zhè’er ting, kĕyĭ ma?
Left \| right	左 (zuŏ) \| 右 (yòu)

Mongolia

*Hello. (informal)*	Сайн уу? (Sain uu?)
Hello.	Юу байна? (Yuu baina?)
How are you?	Сайн байна уу? (Sain baina uu?)
What’s up?	Сонин юутай? (Sonin yuutai?)
How’s it going?	Сонин сайхан юу байна даа? (Sonin saikhan yuu baina daa?)
Fine.	Сайн. (Sain.)
Fine, and you?	Сайн. Сайн уу? (Sain. Sain uu?)
Who are you / Who is it?	Чи/Та* хэн бэ? (Chi/Ta khen be?)
My name is ______ .	Миний нэрийг _____ гэдэг. (Minii neriig __gedeg.)
Nice to meet you. **	Танилцахад таатай байна. (Taniltsakhad taatai baina.)
Please	Гуйж байна. (Guij baina.)
Thank you	Баярлалаа. (Bayarlalaa.)
How much is this?	Энэ ямар үнэтэй вэ? (Ene yamar unetei ve?)
Where’s the toilet?	Бие засах газар хаана байдаг вэ? (Bie zasakh gazar khaana baidag ve?)
Cheap/expensive	хямдхан (hyamdhan) / үнэтэй (unetei)
Please stop here
Left / right	Зуун (Suun) / Баруун (Varuun)
straight on	Чигээрээ (Chigeeree)

*Ta / Tany is a polite pronoun showing deference to the person you are speaking to

** Nice to meet you not generally said in Mongolia on first meeting someone (Source:http://www.livelingua.com/peace-corps/Mongolian/MN_Mongolian_Language_Lessons.pdf)

Russia

*Hello. (informal)*	Привет (Privyet) / Здрово (Strovo)
*Hello. (polite)*	Здравствуйте (Stravstvuytye)
Hello. (on the phone)	Алло? (Allo?)
How are you?	как дела? (Kak dyela?)
I’m fine, thank you. And you?	Хорошо, спасибо. А у вас? (Khorosho, spacibo. A u vas?)
What is your name?	Как вас зовут? (Kak vas zovut?)
My name is ______ .	Меня зовут (Men'a zovut ...)
Nice to meet you.	Приятно познакомиться. (Prijatno poznakomit'sa.)
Please.	Пожалуйста. (Pozhaluysta.)
Thank you.	Cпасибо. (Spacibo)
How much is this?	Сколько это стоит? (Skol'ko eto stoit?)
Where’s the toilet?	Где находится туалет? (Gde naхoditsa tualet?)
Cheap/expensive	дёшево (deshyevo) / дорого (dorogo)
Please stop here	Пожалуйста, остановитесь здесь.
Left / right	налево (nalyevo) / направо (napravo)