The details the main page skips — the wai, the particles, the etiquette Thai people quietly notice, and the words you will actually use.
The greeting usually comes with a wai — palms together at chest height, a small bow of the head. The more senior or respected the person, the higher the hands and the deeper the bow.
As a visitor nobody expects you to get it exactly right. Returning a wai with a smile reads as polite and is plenty.
One thing worth knowing: you do not need to return a wai from a child, a server or anyone in a service role — a nod and a smile is the norm.
Kòp-kun kâ / kráp — thank you · Mâi pen rai — no worries, let it go · Tâo-rài? — how much? · A-ròi — delicious.
Mâi pen rai is used so widely it reads almost as an outlook. It answers a thank-you, accepts an apology, and waves off something that was never a big deal.
The particle follows the speaker, not the listener. A man always says kráp, a woman always says kâ, whoever they are talking to.
Shoes come off at homes, temples and plenty of shops. A pile of shoes at the door is the whole instruction.
Cover shoulders and knees in temples, men included. Some will lend you a wrap at the gate.
The head is the highest part of a person, the feet the lowest. Don't pat heads; don't point your feet at people or Buddha images.
A smile is doing real work — greeting, thanks, apology, and defusing whatever just went sideways.
| Thai | Say it | When |
|---|---|---|
| สวัสดีค่ะ / ครับ | sà-wàt-dee kâ / kráp | Hello, and also goodbye |
| ขอบคุณค่ะ / ครับ | kòp-kun kâ / kráp | Thank you |
| ขอโทษค่ะ / ครับ | kŏr-tôht kâ / kráp | Sorry — and also 'excuse me' |
| ไม่เป็นไร | mâi pen rai | It's nothing, never mind |
| เท่าไหร่ | tâo-rài | How much? |
| อร่อย | a-ròi | Delicious |
| เผ็ดไหม | pèt mái | Is it spicy? — worth asking first |
| ไม่เผ็ด | mâi pèt | Not spicy |
| ห้องน้ำอยู่ไหน | hông-náam yòo năi | Where is the toilet? |
| ไม่เอาถุง | mâi ao tŭng | No plastic bag, thanks |
A man saying “sawatdee kâ”. It is the most common slip visitors make, nobody minds, and getting it right still reads as effort.
Wai-ing everyone, including children and service staff. Not necessary — a nod and a smile is more natural.
Believing the tones must be perfect to be understood. Context carries a lot — saying it beats not saying it.
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