How to Say Thank You in Thai: Complete Guide for Every Situation

How Do You Say Thank You in Thai?

If you want to say thank you in Thai, the word is "khàawp khun" (ขอบคุณ). However, to be polite, males should say "khàawp khun khráp" (ขอบคุณครับ) and females should say "khàawp khun khâ" (ขอบคุณค่ะ). The difference is in the polite particle at the end - "khráp" for men and "khâ" for women. This is the most important thing to remember when learning to say thank you in Thai language.

Watch: How to Say Thank You in Thai (Video Tutorial)

Watch this video where myself and a Thai friend explain the most important 3 ways to say thank you in Thai with proper pronunciation:

All Ways to Say Thank You in Thai - Quick Reference

How to Respond to Thank You in Thai

When someone thanks you in Thai, here's how to say "you're welcome":

• ไม่เป็นไร [mâi pen rai] - No problem/You're welcome
• ยินดีครับ/ยินดีค่ะ [yin dii khráp/khâ] - Happy to help
• ด้วยความยินดี [dûay khwaam yin dii] - With pleasure (formal)

How to Be Polite in Thai

If you want to be extra polite, you can add kha ค่ะ (for females) and khrap ครับ (for males) at the end of the phrase. These are gender based polite particles and you'll hear and use them a lot in Thai language.

*Note about Spelling: There are a number of different systems to transliterate the Thai language and none of them are very effective. You may see other spellings for "thank you" in Thai such as; kob kun krap/ka. If you plan to learn Thai, I highly recommend learning the script as soon as possible.

How to say 'thank you' in Thai depends on few things such as your age and relationship to the person you are thanking. This post covers all the important phrases you need to know how to say as well as a few common ones you might hear when in Thailand.

How to Say Thank You Very Much in Thai

To say thank you very much in Thai, add มาก (mâak) meaning "very much" before the polite particle:

Thank You Very Much in Thai (Male Form)

Thank You Very Much in Thai (Female Form)

Key points:

• มาก [maak] - very (falling tone) *Can be added at the end of any phrase to mean "very much" but place it before polite particle.
• ครับ [khrap] - male polite particle (high tone, can drop the ร/r sound)
• ค่ะ [kha] - female polite particle (falling tone)

How to Say Thank You in Thailand: Cultural Context

In Thailand, saying thank you in Thai shows respect and effort to engage with local culture. Using the proper form demonstrates cultural awareness and is appreciated by locals throughout Thailand.

The standard polite forms (ขอบคุณครับ for males, ขอบคุณค่ะ for females) are considered proper etiquette in most situations and will serve you well whether you're in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket, or anywhere else in Thailand.

How to Say Thank You Among Friends (and people younger than you)

These are the three main "thank you"s to use with your friends:

1. ขอบคุณ [khawp khun] - It's the same as above, but we can drop the polite particle.
2. ขอบใจ [khawp jai] - thanks **
3. แต้งกิ้ว - [tang kiw] - This is just a transliteration of "thank you" and is used ALL THE TIME so don't feel bad or weird about using it.

**ขอบใจ [khawp jai] - is a bit informal and shouldn't be used with people older than you or with higher "status" (eg; your boss, your girlfriend's parents).

This word can come across as a bit abrupt so it's pretty common to throw a นะ (na) at the end. The นะ (na) is often used as a softener to make things sound nicer.

ขอบใจน้า [khawp jai naa] - When typing this word, the short vowel นะ may be written with the long vowel น้า and it's often pronounced this way for emphasis and/or niceness.

Female Casual Forms

• ขอบใจจ้ะ [khawp jai jaa] - Thanks (female) - Women sometimes use a จ้ะ
• ขอบใจจ้า - [khawp jai jaa] - As above, when typed this may be written with the longer vowel and is often pronounced this way.

Fun Fact About แต้งกิ้ว

There's a mini-joke/pun associated with the word above. If you pronounce the word as แทงคิ้ว [tang khiw] (or someone else says it) and then poke yourself in the eyebrow. Do it to a friend (or almost anyone really) and I promise you'll get a laugh. You're basically saying "stab (my) eyebrow."

• แทง [tang] - to stab; to pierce
• คิ้ว [khiw] - eyebrow

Close Friends

Close friends using the intimate (and rude if not intimate) particles กู (goo) / มึง (mueng) can be used with any of the above. So you will definitely hear things like:

• แต้งกิ้วมึง [tang giw mueng]- Thanks buddy
• ขอบใจนะมึง [khawp jai na mueng]- Thanks (the addedนะ [na] makes it a bit more endearing)

*Sometimes แต้ง (falling tone) may be spelled/pronounced แต๊ง (high tone)

How to Say Thank You in Thai to Acquaintances and Older People

The particle word used at the end of a phrase is very important both in terms of applying the appropriate level of politeness as well as "coloring" the feeling behind the sentence. The first level of politeness, is just adding the polite gender particle ครับ /ค่ะ [khap / kha] for male/female respectively.

• ขอบคุณครับ/ค่ะ - [khawp khun (khap /kha)] - Thank you. You can use this with older relatives or people at the office that you don't feel you are close enough to drop the polite particle.

If someone is much older than you (grandparents age for example) or if someone goes out of their way to help you or do something for you, or is being celebrated for some reason (eg; retirement/wedding/etc) then you probably want toไหว้ [wai] them along with the more formal language.

• ไหว้ [wai] - the wai is when you put your hands together in prayer-like position and it may or may not include a slight bow. The position of the hands in relation to the face/head as well as the deepness of the bow convey differing levels of respect. Thai kids have to wai their teachers everyday. Most Thai people will wai a monk on sight. Young people wai their elders. Employees wai their bosses. Learning when to do this is a very valuable skill in Thailand and it will endear you to just about everybody except for angry farang.

Example Situation: You get a flat tire on your motorbike and someone with a pickup truck stops to help you load up your bike onto their truck and drive you to a shop. Even if that person is the same age or a bit younger than you, this is the type of situation where a wai along with "ขอบคุณมากครับ /ค่ะ [khawp khun maak (khap / kha)] - Thank you so much" is appropriate.

Continue Your Thai Learning Journey

Now that you've mastered how to say thank you, expand your vocabulary with these essential Thai lessons:

• How to Count in Thai (Numbers 1-100)
• How to Say Hello in Thai
• How to Say Sorry in Thai
• Complete Thai Learning Guide