Basic Thai Phrases You’ll Need in the Land of Smiles

Step off the plane, and humidity coats your skin in a film of moisture and heat. Your eyes wander from one local to the next, seeing not a drop of sweat on Thai people’s faces, only smiles and spontaneous laughter. There’s always time for good-natured banter in Thailand, and before you know it, you’re in the middle of everyday life and social customs. For those situations, you’ll want to have a few basic Thai phrases up your sleeve. Whether in a restaurant, at the market, or to get to know people – here’s some local lingo that’ll win you smiles.

Essentials

To be polite, you should end each of the phrases below with a gender particle. End them with the word kaa if you’re a woman and kap if you’re a man (or krap in more formal situations). Note that kaa and kap or krap can also indicate understanding, e.g., okay, okay then, yes, right.

 Kop Koon (Thank You)

Politeness goes a long way in Thailand; more so if you wai when you say kop koon krap, one of the Thai phrases to know. The wai is a common Thai greeting that involves a slight bow with the palms pressed together in a prayer-like way. Aside from thank you, it has three other meanings:

 

• Sawasdee kaa/kap (good morning, hi, hello, good afternoon, good evening, bye)
• Showing respect
• Kho Thoht (sorry)

Na 

You’ll hear Thai people use na at the end of a sentence in several situations. E.g., to support a claim or assumption (isn’t it/aren’t you/aren’t we/isn’t that so), with imperatives (will you – while that sounds peremptory in English, Thais use na to make commands softer), or to be extra courteous (kop koon na kap).

 

Chai (Yes) / Mai Chai/Mai (No)

Chai means yes. As for no – well, a BBC article reads that the closest thing to no is mai chai, or not yes. While it’s true that Thai people avoid saying no, mai chai isn’t the closest thing to no. You’ll occasionally hear them say mai as a way of saying no, which does mean no and not “not” in this context.

For instance, one of the phrases in Thai is:

Gin kao mai? (Do you want to eat?)

Mai. (No)

 

Mai Dai (It’s Not Okay/You Can’t/You’re Not Allowed)

“Mai dai kaa/krap” is one of the Thai phrases you need to know. When you hear this, it means you can’t or aren’t allowed to do what you want to do or won’t get what you want. Invariably, there’s no way around it. Mai dai is mai dai.

Sabai Sabai (Relaxed)

Sabai dee mai kaa/kap (How are you)? While most people respond with, “Sabai dee kaa/kap” (I’m good), you could also say, “Sabai sabai” (I feel relaxed).

 

Mai Khao Jai (I Don’t Understand)

Among the useful phrases in Thai is mai khao jai. It’s okay to say mai khao jai when something is unclear to you. Thais frequently say that, too, when they don’t understand something.

No, Thanks

Do you want to know how to say no thank you in Thai? There’s no literal translation for that. You can say:

• Mai pen rai kaa/krap (here, it means something like, “it’s okay”)
• Mai aow kaa/krap (I don’t want)

 Pop Gan Mai (See You)

While pop gan mai translates to see you, jerr gann means the same. It’s much more common among Thai people, though more challenging for English speakers to pronounce.

Counting/Haggling

Many travelers google “how much Thai,” and rightfully so. Thai people are accommodating, but like anywhere, scams exist. Very useful Thai phrases are “Ta-o-rai kaa/krap” (How much does it cost) and “Lod dai mai kaa/krap (Can I get a discount)?” They may help you avoid paying twice as much as a local for an identical item.

Of course, you’d need to understand a taxi driver’s or a vendor’s answer. Suppose they say, “Roy,” (100). Your response, Haa-sib, dai mai kaa/krap? (Fifty, okay?) does wonders.

If the guy’s answer is still not a price you want to pay, you can say, “paeng maak,” (very expensive). Or walk away if they say, “Mai paeng” (not expensive) and see their reaction.

These are the most important numbers:

Soon – 0

Nueng – 1 

Song – 2

Sam – 3

See – 4

Haa – 5

Hog – 6 

Jed – 7

Baed – 8

Gaow – 9

Sib – 10

Roy – 100 

Nueng Pan – 1,000

Food Lingo

Spicy Thai food is among the most popular cuisines in the world, with restaurants springing up like mushrooms in European cities and the States. While rubbing your tummy should do the trick, a more elegant way to show you’re hungry is by using basic Thai phrases.

 Mai Sai Gatiam (Don’t Add Garlic)/Mai Ginn Gatiam (I Don’t Eat Garlic)

The Thai way of using garlic cloves is to add them as whole pieces without peeling. This gives meals the full garlic flavor, which offsets the hot chili taste. If you don’t eat garlic, you can say mai ginn gatiam or simply tell them not to add garlic (mai sai gatiam). Should you be allergic to garlic, say, “pae gatiam,” and pay attention to how it sounds. Thais pronounce the “ae” as the E in Eric, but longer.

Mai pet (not spicy)

It’s not a secret that Thais love to feel the burn. Some restaurants know that farangs (westerners) can’t handle that and make your dish mildly spicy. To ensure your mouth doesn’t catch fire, stress that you want your food mai pet.

Mai Sai Nam Tan (Don’t Add Sugar)

Many Thais have a sweet tooth and add sugar virtually anywhere, even to noodle soups together with chili. Say this phrase to avoid the calories.

A-Roi Maak (Very Yummy)

If the cook shows up and the food is very delicious, you can praise them by saying, a-roi maak maak. That’ll win you a smile.

For the Rest – Yim (Smile)

Thai people smile for many reasons besides the obvious one: to express regret, control emotions, or flatter someone. So flash a winning smile – anytime, anyplace. And if you’ve spilled your coffee or lost your sunglasses, yim from ear to ear and remember the Thai way of looking at things: mai pen rai (it doesn’t matter), arguably the most helpful of the basic Thai phrases.

In any case, you get a bit of everything in Thailand if you travel with TAGTHAi, an app that gives you access to attractions like Bangkok’s Mahanakhon SkyWalk, Chiang Mai’s Lanna Kingdom Elephant Sanctuary, or Koh Hey, aka Coral Island near Phuket.

Looking for some trip ideas? We’ve got you covered in our Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and Phuket blogs.