ไม่เป็นไร ขอบคุณ
/maj˥˩.pen˧.raj˧ kʰɔːp̚˨˩.kʰun˧/word by word
The English phrase "no thank you" is expressed in Thai as ไม่เป็นไร ขอบคุณ.
In Thai, 'no thank you' is often expressed by saying 'it's okay, thank you' to signal that you are declining an offer without being rude.
Meaning: polite way of saying no (intj)
Which one should you use?
While ไม่ (mai) means "no", using it alone to decline an offer can sound blunt or even rude. ไม่เป็นไร ขอบคุณ is the preferred polite way to decline.
How do you pronounce it?
/maj˥˩.pen˧.raj˧ kʰɔːp̚˨˩.kʰun˧/. The word has 4 syllables.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using the word ไม่ by itself to decline an offer, as this can come across as rude. Use ไม่เป็นไร ขอบคุณ instead.
Did you know?
- Using ไม่เป็นไร is often a way to maintain kreng jai, a uniquely Thai social concept of being considerate and avoiding imposing on others or causing them discomfort.
- While ไม่เป็นไร ขอบคุณ is polite, Thais often accompany this phrase with a wai gesture, placing their palms together like a prayer to show extra respect to the person offering.
- The phrase ไม่เป็นไร is used for much more than 'no thank you'. It is the ultimate Thai expression of resilience and forgiveness, functioning as 'no worries', 'it is okay' and 'don't mention it'.
Examples in context
- ไม่เป็นไร ขอบคุณครับmai pen rai khop khun khrapNo thank you.
Example conversation
A street vendor offers a snack to a customer.
- ธนกฤต Thanakritรับขนมเพิ่มไหมครับrap kha nom phoem mai khrapWould you like some more snacks?
- ณิชา Nichaไม่เป็นไร ขอบคุณค่ะmai pen rai khop khun khaNo thank you.
- ธนกฤต Thanakritน้ำดื่มด้วยไหมครับnam duem duai mai khrapWould you like some water too?
- ณิชา Nichaไม่เป็นไร ขอบคุณมากค่ะmai pen rai khop khun mak khaNo thank you very much.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “no thank you” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (ไม่เป็นไร, ขอบคุณ) and can differ in connected speech.
