Your nanny speaks another language: how to communicate every day

With Piou, you write in English, your nanny writes in Thai, and each of you reads the other in your own language, because every message is translated on the phone that receives it. For everyday instructions, that works well as long as you keep sentences short. For allergies and emergencies, nothing replaces a document translated by a person.

This guide is for English-speaking families who work with a Thai nanny, whether you live in Bangkok or your nanny moved with your family to another country. Most of the advice applies to any of Piou's 20 languages.

How it works, in plain terms

Each message is stored in the language it was written in. When your nanny opens the chat, her phone translates your English into Thai. When she replies in Thai, your phone translates it into English. A "Translated" label appears under each translated message, and "Show original" displays the exact words that were sent.

Two things to know before you start:

• Translation is personal. It's part of Piou Premium. If only you have it, you read your nanny in English, but she still sees your messages in English. For both of you to read in your own language, you need two subscriptions: yours, and one you can pay for her with Gift Piou to someone.
• Messaging itself is free: texts, voice messages, photos, videos, calls and groups. Your nanny can use Piou at no cost, just without translation.

One honest note: Piou supports a closed list of 20 languages. Thai, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Hindi and Chinese are on it; Tagalog, Burmese, Khmer, Lao and Nepali are not. If your nanny's first language isn't on the list, Piou can't translate it.

Getting set up

1. Install Piou on your phone (iPhone, Android or the web app) and set English in Settings → Language & translation.
2. Invite your nanny from your contacts, with a link or a QR code. Help her through sign-up if she wants: her phone number is verified once and lets her contacts find her; it's never used to sign in.
3. Check that she picked Thai as her language.
4. If you want her to read you in Thai, gift her Premium from the app or the website. She gets a notification, and you manage or cancel the gift from Settings → Premium, in the gifted subscriptions section.
5. Try it together, side by side: one simple message each, then tap "Show original" so you both see what the app does.

A day of messages that translate well

Machine translation handles short, literal sentences with times written as numbers. It struggles with hints, jokes and abbreviations. Think of the day in four moments.

Morning handover. "Mia slept badly. She may be tired. No TV this morning, please." One idea per sentence, no slang.

Meals. "Lunch at 12:00. Rice, chicken, vegetables. No juice." Avoid "go easy on the sweets" or "she's being picky lately": figurative phrases can come out strange in Thai.

Nap and outings. "Nap from 1:30 to 3:00 p.m. After that, the park is OK if it doesn't rain."

End of day. Ask a simple question that invites a clear answer: "How did lunch go? Did she eat everything?"

You'll learn to spot translation quirks, too. Many Thai speakers refer to a child as "น้อง" (nong) followed by a nickname. Depending on the context, a translation may turn "น้องหลับแล้ว" into "Younger sibling is asleep" instead of "She's asleep now." When a message reads oddly, tap "Show original" or ask her to rephrase before you assume anything.

Photos and voice messages during the day

Many parents love a photo at lunchtime or a short video from the playground. Agree on what you'd like up front: one photo at noon, a message when they get home from school, nothing during the nap. A nanny who knows what you expect doesn't have to guess.

If she'd rather talk than type, voice messages are transcribed and then translated on your phone with Premium, and the original audio stays playable. Speech recognition depends on what each device offers for each language, so a voice message recorded somewhere quiet, in short sentences, transcribes better than one recorded on a busy street.

For photos of your children, you can turn on Disappearing messages in the chat (24 hours, 7 days or 90 days), so messages are deleted when they expire.

Write the weekly schedule once, and pin it

Put the week in a single message, day by day, with times as numbers: school, activities, meals, when a parent gets home. Pin it at the top of the chat. When something changes, send a new, clear message rather than editing the old one bit by bit: "Change on Wednesday: no swimming. Home at 4:00 p.m."

Allergies and emergencies: never machine translation alone

With an allergy, a medication or an emergency plan, a single translation error can be dangerous. Ask a bilingual person you trust, or a professional, to write a card in English and Thai, and put it on the fridge. Include:

• the exact allergy and the foods to avoid, with their Thai names;
• the warning signs and what to do;
• local emergency numbers, your number and a second adult's number;
• your full home address, written in both languages.

Remember that Piou doesn't call regular phone numbers. To reach emergency services, your nanny uses her phone's normal dialer. Piou is for letting you know afterward, by message or by a call between the two of you.

Respect and trust are still your job

Translation carries meaning, not always tone. Thai often signals politeness through particles and set phrases that machine translation doesn't reliably add, so a blunt English message can read as cold. Open with a kind word, say thank you, and avoid a string of commands.

• Respect her hours. No late-night messages unless it's urgent; send tomorrow's instructions before her day ends.
• Ask for her view. "Anything I should know about today?" starts a conversation; a to-do list doesn't.
• Assume good faith. If a message seems off, check the original first: the mistake may be the translation's, not hers.
• Keep pay, time off and hours in writing. For an employment contract, use a human translation and check the rules with the official authorities of the country where she works.

What it costs

Messaging is free, with no time limit. Piou Premium starts with a 7-day free trial: a payment card is required, and nothing is charged for 7 days. After that, the subscription starts automatically unless you cancel before the trial ends. In the United States, Premium costs $5.99 a month or $47.99 a year; in the United Kingdom, £4.99 a month or £39.99 a year; in Thailand, 89 baht a month or 690 baht a year. Prices are adapted to your country and shown in your currency before you subscribe.

Chat between English and Thai with Piou