Say Hello, Thank You and More in Thai
When traveling to Thailand, learning a few key phrases like hello or thank you in Thai can enhance your experience and help you connect with the locals. Whether you’re greeting someone, expressing gratitude, or simply asking how someone is doing, knowing the right words can make all the difference. In this article, we’ll cover the most used Thai phrases that every tourist should know, making your trip more enjoyable and immersive. Let’s dive into these essential expressions and get you ready for your next adventure in the Land of Smiles!
How to Say “Hello!” in Thai: The Proper Way to Greet Like a Local
When you arrive in Thailand, the first thing you’ll likely hear from the friendly locals is “สวัสดี” (sa-wàd-dee), the common Thai greeting. However, you’ll never hear a Thai person say “สวัสดี”(sa-wàd-dee)on its own. It is always followed by “ครับ” (kráb) for men or “ค่ะ” (kâ) for women. If you want to address someone by name, simply add it after the greeting, like “สวัสดีค่ะเบน” (sa-wàd-dee kâ Ben) or “สวัสดีครับไมค์” (sa-wàd-dee kráb Mike). In casual situations, close friends often shorten the phrase to “หวัดดีครับ” (wàddee kráb) or “หวัดดีค่ะ” (wàddee kâ). The word “สวัสดี” is not just a greeting, it can also be used to say goodbye at any time of the day.
Thai Greeting Culture: Beyond “sa-wàd-dee”
It’s important to understand that while “sa-wàd-dee” is the standard greeting taught to foreigners, Thai people don’t always use it in every situation, particularly with family and close friends. In fact, Thai people typically don’t greet their spouse or family members with “sa-wàd-dee” when waking up in the morning. Instead, they might ask:
- “Are you awake now? ตื่นแล้วเหรอ (dtùen láew rĕu)
- “Did you sleep well?” นอนหลับสบายไหม (noorn làb sa-baay mái)
- “What would you like to eat today? วันนี้อยากกินอะไร (wan-née yàag gin a-rai)
These more casual and caring questions are much more common among Thais in close relationships than the formal “sa-wàd-dee” When visiting Thailand, you’ll notice that while service staff and people in formal situations will use “sa-wàd-dee” friends often greet each other with phrases like:
- “How’s it going?” เป็นยังไงบ้าง (bpen yang ngai bâang)
- “Are you well?/How are you?” สบายดีไหม (sa-baay-dee mái)
- “Where have you been?” ไปไหนมา (bpai năi maa)
- “Have you eaten yet?” กินข้าวแล้วหรือยัง (gin kâaw láew rŭe yang)
How to Respond to “ไปไหนมา” (bpai năi maa)- “Where have you been?”– A Common Thai Greeting
One of the most common casual greetings in Thailand is “ไปไหนมา” (bpai năi maa), which literally translates to “Where have you been?” or “Where are you coming from?”. This greeting reveals the community-oriented nature of Thai society, where people express care and interest in others’ activities. It’s not considered nosy or intrusive as it might be in some Western cultures, but rather a way to show that you notice and care about the other person.
For foreigners in Thailand, understanding this greeting helps you engage in natural, friendly conversations with locals. Just remember that your answer doesn’t need to be detailed – a brief, general response followed by returning the question is perfectly acceptable.
Thai people use this phrase “ไปไหนมา” (bpai năi maa) when:
- Meeting a friend they haven’t seen in a while
- Seeing someone arrive at a gathering
- Running into someone unexpectedly
- Starting a casual conversation
When a Thai person asks you “ไปไหนมา” (bpai năi maa), they’re not necessarily expecting a detailed account of your activities. You can respond in several ways:
- “I went to see/meet xxx (person’s name).” ไปหา xxx มา (bpai hăa xxx ma)
- “I’ve been to work.” ไปทำงานมา (bpai tam ngaan maa)
- “I’ve been out eating.” ไปกินข้าวมา (bpai gin kâaw maa)
- “I’ve been out and about.” ไปเที่ยวมา (bpai tîaw maa)
- “I had some errands to run.” ไปธุระนิดหน่อย (bpai tú-rá-níd-nòy)
- “I haven’t been anywhere” ไม่ได้ไปไหน (mai dâay bpai năi)
The structure for answering this question is to say ไป ‘bpai’ (go) + location + มา ‘maa’ (come) or ไป ‘bpai’ (go) + verb + มา ‘maa’ (come).“
This explains the Thai grammatical pattern where ไป “bpai” (go) and มา “maa” (come) surround either a location or action verb to indicate movement to do something and then returning.
Return the question:
After giving your brief answer, it’s common to ask them back:
“And you? Where have you been?” แล้วคุณล่ะ ไปไหนมา (láew kun là? bpai năi maa?)
Saying “Thank you” and responding with “You’re welcome” in Thai
Expressing gratitude is important in Thai culture. The word for “thank you” is ขอบคุณ (kòorb kun). Sometimes, some adults will respond to children by saying “ขอบใจนะ“ (kòorb djai ná). The phrase ‘ขอบใจ‘ (kòorb djai). (thank you) can be used by adults when speaking to someone younger. The word นะ ‘ná’ is a final particle that makes the speech sound more informal.
If you want to emphasize your gratitude, you can add the word ‘much’ มาก (mâag) to the sentence, saying ‘thank you very much’ ขอบคุณมากค่ะ/ครับ (kòorb kun mâag kâ/kráb).
Responding with “You’re welcome”
When someone thanks you, respond with ยินดี (Yin dee). Again, add the gender-specific particles:
- Female: ยินดีค่ะ (yin dee kâ)
- Male: ยินดีครับ (yin dee kráb)
Another common response is ไม่เป็นไร (mâi bpen rai), which has multiple meanings including “you’re welcome,” “it’s nothing,” or “no problem.”
Apologizing with “Sorry” and saying, “It’s okay” or “No problem” in Thai
To apologize in Thai, say ขอโทษ (kŏor tôod). This phrase is versatile and can be used to say “excuse me” when passing through crowds or getting someone’s attention. You can add the word ‘really’ จริงๆ (djing djing) at the end of the sentence. The phrase ขอโทษจริงๆ (kŏor tôod djing djing) means you are sorry that you made some mistake.
Saying “It’s okay” or “No problem”
As mentioned earlier, “ไม่เป็นไร” (mâi bpen rai) is a multipurpose phrase that can mean “it’s okay,” or “never mind.” In this case, you can also say “No problem.” ไม่มีปัญหา (mâi mee bpan-hâa).
Polite Thai Phrases for Saying Goodbye at Social Events
When attending a Thai party or gathering, knowing how to politely excuse yourself or say goodbye can help you navigate social situations with ease and respect. Here are some common phrases used in Thai:
When you want to excuse yourself to talk to someone else:
“Excuse me for a moment.” ขอตัวก่อนนะคะ/ครับ kŏor dtua gòorn ná ká/kráb
When you’re ready to go home:
“I’m heading off now. Goodbye.”
กลับก่อนนะคะ/ครับ สวัสดีค่ะ/ครับ glàp gòorn ná ká/kráb. sà-wàd-dee kâ/kráb
When you wish someone luck:
“Good luck!” โชคดี (chôog-dee).
This common phrase is used in various situations where you want to wish someone success or fortune.To make it sound more natural and conversational, Thais often add “นะ” (ná) at the end, making it โชคดีนะ (chôog-dee ná).
When traveling in Thailand, using this simple phrase can create a connection with locals who will appreciate your effort to speak their language.
The Thai Wai: A Cultural Gesture for Greetings, Gratitude, and More
Thais use the wai ไหว้ (wâay) gesture for multiple purposes: greeting others, expressing thanks, receiving items from elders, apologizing, and saying goodbye before heading home. This versatile gesture truly serves many occasions in Thai culture.
How to Perform a Proper wai ไหว้ (wâay)
You should learn how to perform an elegant wai by:
- Not spreading your elbows outward
- Keeping your fingers together (not spread apart)
Different Levels of wai ไหว้ (wâay)
The level at which you position your hands indicates the level of respect:
- Highest level (hands at face level, fingertips near forehead): Reserved for monks, Buddha images, and royalty
- High level (hands at nose level): For elders, parents, teachers, and people deserving high respect
- Slight nod with hands at chest: For service staff and younger people
When to wai ไหว้ (wâay)
As a visitor to Thailand, you should wai:
- When being introduced to someone (especially elders or people of high status)
- When saying hello or goodbye to someone you respect
- When thanking someone who has helped you significantly
- When passing monks, entering temples, or in front of Buddha images
- When apologizing sincerely
When You Don’t Need to wai ไหว้ (wâay)
Not every situation requires this gesture. You don’t need to wai ไหว้ (wâay):
- Service staff (like waiters, hotel staff, shop clerks) – though they will often wai you
- Children or people significantly younger than you
- Multiple times during a short interaction (one initial wai is sufficient)
- In casual settings with friends of similar age
- When your hands are full (a polite nod is acceptable)
Practice Dialogue
Alright, you’ve learned a lot already. Now, try reading this conversation and practicing speaking. The situation is that John and Malee are acquaintances, not very close friends. They haven’t met for a long time and happen to meet by chance at the bus stop.
Malee: Hi John!สวัสดีค่ะจอห์น (sà-wàd-dee kâ John)
John: Hello Malee! สวัสดีครับมาลี (sà-wàd-dee kráb Malee)
Long time no see. ไม่ได้เจอกันตั้งนาน (mâi dâay djoe gan dtâng naan)
How are you? สบายดีไหมครับ (sà-baay dee mái kráb)
Malee: I’m fine. สบายดีค่ะ (sà-baay dee kâ). And you? แล้วคุณล่ะคะ (láew kun là ká)
John: I’m fine, thank you. ผมสบายดีครับ
ขอบคุณครับ (pŏm sa-baay dee kráb, kòorb kun kráb)
I’m sorry ขอโทษนะครับ (khǎaw thôot ná khráp)
I haven’t been in touch at all. ผมไม่ได้ติดต่อไปเลย
(pŏm mâi dâay dtìd dtòor bpai loey)
Malee: No problem. ไม่เป็นไรค่ะ (mâi bpen rai kâ).
You travel a lot. คุณเดินทางเยอะ (kun doen taang yóe)
I understand. ฉันเข้าใจ (chán kâo djai)
Where have you been? นี่ไปไหนมาคะ (nêe bpai nǎi maa ká)
John: I went shopping. ผมไปซื้อของมาครับ (pǒm bpai súue kŏorng maa kráb).
And you? แล้วคุณล่ะ (láew kun là )
Malee: I went to work. ฉันไปทำงานมาค่ะ (chǎn bpai tam ngaan maa kâ).
Oh, the bus is here. รถเมล์มาแล้ว (ród may maa láew)
I have to go now. กลับก่อนนะคะ (glàb gòrn ná ká). Good Bye. สวัสดีค่ะ (sà-wàd-dee kâ).
John: Good luck! โชคดีครับ (chôog dee kráb). Bye Bye. สวัสดีครับ (sà-wàd-dee kráb).
In the next lesson, we will learn how to introduce yourself in simple Thai. You will be able to tell your name, the country you come from, your age, and your occupation. Sounds fun, right? Don’t forget to stay tuned!
