"Baht Dem ngun" "Card fill money" The biggest problem most of us have is trying to communicate too much complexity. Dumb it down man! English is a complex language and when we try to relate all the nuances an subtleties we normally communicate in day-to-day conversation in our native language it just get's fuckin' lost.
This is the most difficult aspect of communicating in Thai (for me)
May I use the bathroom? "Khao horng Naam?" Add Dai mai? and then maybe your asking if that person can use it, Cut it short. Verb, noun; that's it. Sometimes just "Noun" is all that is expected. I never ask, "May I have a 500 Baht, 1-2 call, calling card please?" Or, "I'd like a..." Walk in and state "calling card, 1-2 call, 500 baht" in english this may be overly curt and even considered rude, in Thai? Thais will wonder at your command of the language.
Transliterating between the two just ain't gonna work. And those books, CDs, etc. tend to leave that idea out of the mix.
i've been here for a bit over four years now and I am no way fluent. But I only now getting by, understanding and being understood. Some times though I just want to kill somebody I get so fuckin frustrated. Don't give up. Get even when the mood strikes. refuse to speak Thai for a day.