How to Say Hello, Thank You, and Sorry in Thai

Your first useful Thai does not need to be impressive.

It needs to work at the hotel desk, in 7-Eleven, on the BTS platform, and at the food stall when someone hands you change and you want to sound like a human instead of a confused receipt printer.

So start with three phrases.

Hello. Thank you. Sorry.

These are not glamorous. Good. Glamour is useless when you are blocking a narrow market aisle with a backpack and a melting iced coffee.

If you want the bigger travel phrase set, start with the full guide to basic Thai phrases for travelers. This post is the tiny polite set you can use today.

First, Learn the Polite Endings

Thai often uses polite particles at the end of a phrase.

Men usually say khráp (ครับ). Women usually say khâ (ค่ะ). These do not have a clean English translation, but they make your phrase polite.

Use them.

khráp (ครับ) — polite particle used by men
Literal translation: no direct English translation

khâ (ค่ะ) — polite particle used by women
Literal translation: no direct English translation

If you remember nothing else, remember this: rough Thai with a polite ending usually lands better than confident English shouted louder.

How to Say Hello in Thai

Sawàtdee khráp / khâ (สวัสดีครับ / ค่ะ) — Hello / goodbye
Literal translation: greeting

Use it when you enter a shop, greet hotel staff, meet a driver, or leave a restaurant.

Thai uses sawàtdee for both hello and goodbye. Beautifully efficient. Your jet-lagged brain gets one phrase for two jobs.

Examples:

Sawàtdee khráp — Hello (said by a man)
Sawàtdee khâ — Hello (said by a woman)

Do not overthink the perfect tone on day one.

Say it clearly. Add the polite particle. Smile like a normal person, not like you are auditioning for a tourism commercial.

When to Use Sawàtdee

Use sawàtdee khráp / khâ in low-pressure moments.

At the hotel front desk. At a massage shop. With a restaurant host. When you walk into a small shop and someone looks up.

You do not need to say it to every passing stranger on the sidewalk.

This is not a parade.

How to Say Thank You in Thai

Khàwp khun khráp / khâ (ขอบคุณครับ / ค่ะ) — Thank you
Literal translation: thank you

This is probably the highest-return Thai phrase you can learn.

Use it after someone gives you food, points you toward the bathroom, hands back change, opens a door, corrects your pronunciation, or waits patiently while you try to say the dish name.

Examples:

Khàwp khun khráp — Thank you (said by a man)
Khàwp khun khâ — Thank you (said by a woman)

A Thai thank you often changes the temperature of a small interaction.

Not because locals expect perfect Thai from you. They do not. Because effort is visible.

A Stronger Thank You

If someone really helps you, use this.

Khàwp khun mâak khráp / khâ (ขอบคุณมากครับ / ค่ะ) — Thank you very much
Literal translation: thank you very much

Use it when a hotel worker calls a driver, a vendor helps you find something, or someone gives you patient directions while you look like your map is personally betraying you.

Do not use it every three seconds.

Save it for moments with a little weight.

How to Say Sorry or Excuse Me in Thai

Kŏr thôht khráp / khâ (ขอโทษครับ / ค่ะ) — Sorry / excuse me
Literal translation: ask forgiveness

This phrase does two jobs.

Use it to apologize. Use it to get attention politely.

Examples:

Kŏr thôht khráp — Sorry / excuse me (said by a man)
Kŏr thôht khâ — Sorry / excuse me (said by a woman)

You will use this constantly in Thailand.

You step too close to someone on the BTS. You need to squeeze past people at a night market. You want to get a server's attention without waving like you are flagging down a rescue helicopter.

Kŏr thôht khráp / khâ.

Done.

Sorry vs Excuse Me

English separates these pretty cleanly.

Thai is more flexible here. Kŏr thôht can mean sorry or excuse me, depending on the situation.

If you bump into someone, it means sorry.

If you need someone's attention, it means excuse me.

The context does the work.

The Phrase That Smooths Over Small Friction

You should also learn this one.

Mâi bpen rai (ไม่เป็นไร) — No worries / it's okay / never mind
Literal translation: it is not anything

Use it for small friction.

Someone apologizes after bumping into you. A vendor cannot make change and needs a moment. Your order comes out slightly different but it is fine.

Mâi bpen rai.

Keep it light.

Do not use this to ignore serious problems. Use it when the situation is genuinely small and you want to move forward without making it weird.

The Tiny Polite Script

Here is the whole beginner script.

You walk into a shop:

Sawàtdee khâ.
Hello.

The staff helps you find something:

Khàwp khun khâ.
Thank you.

You need to squeeze past someone near the door:

Kŏr thôht khâ.
Excuse me.

Someone says sorry after brushing your shoulder:

Mâi bpen rai.
No worries.

That is not fluency.

It is better than silence.

What Most Travelers Get Wrong

They wait until they know more Thai before using any Thai.

Bad plan.

These three phrases are made for immediate use. They are short. They are forgiving. They show respect fast.

You do not need to understand Thai grammar to thank someone.

You do not need to study tones for six months to say excuse me.

You do need to open your mouth.

How to Practice Today

Say each phrase out loud ten times.

Not in your head. Your head is where phrases go to look good and then die at the counter.

Say:

Sawàtdee khráp / khâ
Khàwp khun khráp / khâ
Kŏr thôht khráp / khâ
Mâi bpen rai

Then use one today.

At the coffee shop. In the elevator. At the hotel desk. Anywhere low-stakes.

One real use beats a week of silent study.

FAQ: Hello, Thank You, and Sorry in Thai

What is hello in Thai?

Hello in Thai is sawàtdee khráp / khâ (สวัสดีครับ / ค่ะ).

Men usually say khráp. Women usually say khâ.

What is thank you in Thai?

Thank you in Thai is khàwp khun khráp / khâ (ขอบคุณครับ / ค่ะ).

For thank you very much, say khàwp khun mâak khráp / khâ (ขอบคุณมากครับ / ค่ะ).

What is sorry in Thai?

Sorry in Thai is kŏr thôht khráp / khâ (ขอโทษครับ / ค่ะ).

The same phrase can also mean excuse me.

Do I need to wai when saying hello or thank you?

You will see the wai, the Thai greeting gesture with palms together.

As a traveler, you do not need to force it in every tiny interaction. When in doubt, a polite phrase, a small smile, and respectful body language will carry you a long way.

Watch what locals do. Do not perform culture like a costume.

Start Small

Learn these three first.

Hello. Thank you. Sorry.

They will not make you fluent. They will make you less awkward, more respectful, and a little easier to help.

That is a good start.

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Want the rest of the travel set after the polite basics? The ThaiQwik course teaches basic Thai for travelers in 5 short video lessons with certified Thai teacher Tree Thaleikis. Food stalls, taxis, markets, polite particles, and pronunciation practice. The Thai you will actually say.