KrubKa

Guide

Your landlord only writes Thai on LINE? Here's how to keep up

Rent reminders, a repair visit, a notice from the condo office: in Thailand it all happens on LINE, and usually in Thai. KrubKa sits in the chat you already have with them. You write English, they read polite Thai, and their Thai replies appear in English right under the original. It works the same with a repair person, the condo office or any business you deal with on LINE.

Set it up in two minutes

  1. Add KrubKa as a friend on LINE: @858tccji.
  2. Open the chat you already have with your landlord, tap Menu (☰) → Invite, select KrubKa and tap Next. There's no need to create a group first: LINE turns your chat into a shared conversation for the three of you, and your earlier messages stay in the original chat.
  3. Send one new message, then keep chatting. Every message is translated both ways, automatically.
  4. Connect your LINE account in the KrubKa app so the conversation runs on your monthly allowance. Until someone in it has connected, it gets a one-time trial of 10 translations.

Polite Thai that still says what you mean

When a message is meant for a landlord, an office or a business, KrubKa writes more formal Thai: complete sentences and polite request forms, never slang. Polite doesn't mean vague, so “Please fix the air conditioner by Friday” still says Friday. Pick your ending, ครับ or ค่ะ, in the KrubKa app or by typing /krub or /ka in the chat.

Rent, dates and amounts stay exact

Numbers, times, prices and names are kept exactly as written, so the rent, the deposit and the meter reading come through unchanged. Month names are translated but day numbers never change, and a Thai Buddhist-era year comes back with the Western year next to it: 2569 (2026).

Bills and notices

Photos in the shared conversation aren't translated. Send a photo of a Thai bill, a condo notice or a letter to KrubKa in your private chat with it instead, and it explains what it is, the amount, the due date and anything you need to do. It's a summary to help you understand, not a certified translation: for a lease or anything legally binding, get a professional translation.

What it doesn't do

  • Voice messages aren't translated.
  • Filler like “ok”, “thanks”, “555” or emoji-only messages is left alone, so the chat doesn't fill up with translations of nothing. It doesn't count towards your allowance either.

What it costs

Free: 50 translations a month, shared between your chats. KrubKa Unlimited ($4.99/month or $39.99/year) makes your translations unlimited and covers every chat you've added KrubKa to, under fair use. Your landlord never pays or signs up.

Questions

Does my landlord need to install anything?

No. They keep using LINE exactly as before — no app, no account, no sign-up.

Will my landlord see KrubKa in the chat?

Yes. KrubKa joins the chat, and each translation appears as a reply that quotes the original message, so both of you can see what was said and how it was translated.

Does it work in the condo or building group?

Yes. Invite KrubKa into that LINE group the same way, and every message is translated both ways for everyone in it.

Can KrubKa read our old messages?

No. KrubKa only sees messages sent after it joins, and your earlier messages stay in the original chat.

Can it help me with my lease?

To get the gist of a page, yes: send a photo of it in your private chat with KrubKa. Before signing anything legally binding, get a professional translation.

Can I stop it for a while?

Type /pause in the chat to stop translating and /resume to start again.