Key takeaways
- Sawatdi (สวัสดี) works as hello and goodbye; add khrap if you are a man or kha if you are a woman.
- Wikipedia says the word was coined in the mid-1930s, from Sanskrit svasti, 'well-being'.
- Ask 'how are you?' with sabai di mai, answer sabai di, and say thank you with khop khun.
- Use khun before a given name; Wikipedia notes that most people also have a nickname, which takes no title.
- Return any respectful wai you are offered, but Wikipedia advises visitors not to wai someone younger first.
A Thai greeting has two parts: the words, and often a gesture, the wai. This guide covers the phrases for meeting and leaving, how to address people, and when to give or return a wai. Romanisations follow RTGS, which does not show tone.
Sawatdi: hello and goodbye
The all-purpose greeting is สวัสดี, sawatdi, often romanised sawasdee. Wiktionary lists it for greeting or farewell, answering the phone and attracting attention, so one word covers arriving, leaving and picking up a call. The casual form หวัดดี, watdi, is slang.
The word is younger than it seems. Wikipedia's article on the wai says it was coined in the mid-1930s by Phraya Upakit Silapasan of Chulalongkorn University, from Sanskrit svasti, "well-being"; Wiktionary dates its first use to 1933 and its first official use to 1943. Before that, the wai article adds, the word had appeared only as a formulaic opening to inscriptions, until Plaek Phibunsongkhram's government promoted it in the early 1940s as part of a set of cultural edicts.
Add khrap or kha
Thai greetings end with a polite particle chosen by the speaker's gender. The wai article notes that sawatdi is usually followed by kha from a woman and khrap from a man:
- a man says สวัสดีครับ, sawatdi khrap;
- a woman says สวัสดีค่ะ, sawatdi kha.
Khrap and kha explains the particles in full.
The phrases for a first conversation
| Thai | RTGS | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| สวัสดี | sawatdi | hello, goodbye |
| สบายดีไหม | sabai di mai | how are you? |
| สบายดี | sabai di | I'm well |
| ขอบคุณ | khop khun | thank you |
| ขอโทษ | kho thot | sorry, excuse me |
| ลาก่อน | la kon | goodbye (said by the person leaving) |
| อรุณสวัสดิ์ | arun sawat | good morning |
| ราตรีสวัสดิ์ | ratri sawat | good night |
Add the particle to any of them: สบายดีไหมครับ from a man, สบายดีไหมคะ from a woman, with the high-tone kha because it is a question. Wiktionary notes that ลาก่อน is used only by the person leaving, and that plain ขอบคุณ and ขอโทษ suit people of equal or lower status; more formal forms exist for seniors.
Names and khun
Wikipedia's article on Thai honorifics explains that a Thai name is a given name followed by a surname, and that people are addressed by their given name, often preceded by คุณ khun with friends or acquaintances. Khun, said with a mid tone, is a courtesy title used to address nearly anyone politely, and is not the old noble title ขุน. The article adds that most people also have a nickname, which is affectionate, used between people who are close, and generally takes no title.
So a colleague called Somchai Jaidee is khun Somchai, not "Mr Jaidee".
The wai
Wikipedia describes the wai as a slight bow with the palms pressed together in a prayer-like position, related to the Indian namaste. The key rule: the higher the hands relative to the face, and the lower the bow, the more respect the person giving it is showing.
For visitors, its advice is practical:
- Always return a wai that is offered as a sign of respect.
- Do not wai someone younger than you, except in return for theirs.
- Shop wais, such as a convenience store cashier's, are generally acknowledged with a smile or a nod.
The wai is traditionally made on formally entering a house, and when the visit ends the visitor asks permission to leave and repeats it.
A worked example: visiting a friend's family
You are a woman visiting a friend's home, and her mother answers the door.
- On arrival, wai the mother and say sawatdi kha. The wai is traditional on formally entering a house.
- If she asks sabai di mai kha, answer sabai di kha, then return the question.
- When given a drink, say khop khun kha.
- When leaving, ask to take your leave and wai again: sawatdi kha, or la kon kha as the one leaving.
A man would use khrap in each of the same places.
Similar greetings next door
The wai article lists similar greetings in neighbouring countries: sampeah in Cambodia, sabaidee in Laos and mingalaba in Myanmar. Khmer greetings and Lao greetings cover two of them.
Practising Thai greetings
Regal - Learn Thai Language teaches polite particles and everyday conversation, and its speaking practice has you say phrases aloud rather than only read them. It is one of our language-learning apps. Thai numbers is a good next step for travel.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
How do you say hello in Thai?
What is a wai?
Should tourists wai in Thailand?
How do you ask how are you in Thai?
Sources
- Wai (gesture) (opens in a new tab)Wikipedia — accessed
- Thai honorifics (opens in a new tab)Wikipedia — accessed
- สวัสดี (opens in a new tab)Wiktionary — accessed
- สบายดีไหม (opens in a new tab)Wiktionary — accessed
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