How to say “you're welcome” in Thai

Q: How do you say you're welcome in Thai?

ไม่เป็นไร (mâi bpen rai), with ครับ (kráp) (men) or ค่ะ (kâ) (women) to be polite. Staff often say ยินดี (yin-dii), 'my pleasure'.

Q: How do you say no problem in Thai?

ไม่เป็นไร (mâi bpen rai). To say 'no problem, I'll do it', use ได้เลย (dâi loei), 'sure, right away'.

Q: How do you reply to khob khun ka?

With ไม่เป็นไร (mâi bpen rai) plus your own particle: ไม่เป็นไรครับ (mâi bpen rai kráp) if you're a man, ไม่เป็นไรค่ะ (mâi bpen rai kâ) if you're a woman. The particle depends on you, not on who thanked you.

The short answer

The usual way to say you're welcome in Thai is ไม่เป็นไรmâi bpen rai, literally "it's nothing". Add ครับkráp (men) or ค่ะkâ (women) to be extra polite. Hotel and shop staff often say ยินดีครับyin-dii kráp or ยินดีค่ะyin-dii kâ, "my pleasure". "Welcome" as in "welcome to Thailand" is a different phrase: ยินดีต้อนรับyin-dii dtâwn-ráp.

“You're welcome” in Thai

Tap a Thai word for its meaning

Men and women say

ไม่เป็นไร mâi bpen rai

Practise it free (2 min)

Audio: AI voices, quality-checked for tones. No sign-up needed.

Other spellings you'll see

There's no single official way to write Thai in English letters, so you'll see ไม่เป็นไรmâi bpen rai spelled many ways. We write it with the tone of every syllable marked; online you'll also find:

mai pen rai
mai bpen rai
my pen rai
mai pen lai
mai pen rai krap
mai pen rai ka
yin dee
yindee

Other ways to say “you're welcome”

ยินดี yin-diiครับ kráp Men
ยินดี yin-diiค่ะ kâ Women

my pleasure

Pleasant and a touch formal; staff use it a lot.
ด้วย dûayความ kwaamยินดี yin-diiครับ kráp Men
ด้วย dûayความ kwaamยินดี yin-diiค่ะ kâ Women

with pleasure

Formal: customer service, speeches and emails.
ไม่เป็นไร mâi bpen raiเลย loei

no problem at all

Extra reassurance.
ไม่ mâiต้อง dtâwngเกรงใจ greeng-jai

don't mention it (no need to feel bad)

When someone thanks you as if they'd been a burden.
ไม่ mâiต้อง dtâwngขอบคุณ kàwp-kunหรอก ràwk

no need to thank me

Warm and modest.
เรื่อง rûeangเล็ก lék

it's nothing, no big deal

Casual: literally 'a small matter'.
จ้า jâa

sure! (cheerful)

Vendors and older women often answer your thanks with a bright จ้าjâa.

How to reply

ยินดี yin-diiที่ tîiได้ dâiช่วย chûayครับ kráp Men
ยินดี yin-diiที่ tîiได้ dâiช่วย chûayค่ะ kâ Women

glad I could help

When you really did help someone out.
คราว kraaoหน้า nâaเลี้ยง líangคืน kuuenนะ ná

next time it's your treat!

The joking reply when you've paid for a friend.

Example sentences

ไม่เป็นไร mâi bpen raiเรื่อง rûeangเล็ก lék

No problem, it's nothing.
มี miiอะไร à-raiให้ hâiช่วย chûayบอก bàwkได้ dâiเลย loeiนะ náครับ kráp Men
มี miiอะไร à-raiให้ hâiช่วย chûayบอก bàwkได้ dâiเลย loeiนะ náคะ ká Women

If you need anything, just tell me.
ไม่ mâiต้อง dtâwngเกรงใจ greeng-jaiนะ ná

Please don't feel bad about asking.

Mai pen rai: the all-purpose answer

ไม่เป็นไรmâi bpen rai breaks down as ไม่mâi (not) + เป็นbpen (to be) + ไรrai (short for อะไรà-rai, anything): "it isn't anything". That's why it works as a reply to almost everything:

to thanks: "you're welcome"
to an apology: "never mind, it's okay"
to an offer you're declining: "no thanks, I'm fine"
to a small disaster: "don't worry about it"

It's one of the most-used phrases in Thailand, and it carries an attitude many visitors notice: don't make a fuss, keep things light, let small things go. Say it with a relaxed smile. With anyone older or senior, add your particle: ไม่เป็นไรครับmâi bpen rai kráp or ไม่เป็นไรค่ะmâi bpen rai kâ.

Yin dee: my pleasure

ยินดีyin-dii means glad or pleased. On its own, ยินดีค่ะyin-dii kâ is the hotel receptionist's "my pleasure", and ด้วยความยินดีdûay kwaam yin-dii, "with pleasure", is the customer-service version. You'll meet the same word in ยินดีที่ได้รู้จักyin-dii tîi dâi rúu-jàk (nice to meet you) and ยินดีด้วยyin-dii dûay (congratulations).

When Thais feel they've imposed

Thais value เกรงใจgreeng-jai: a strong reluctance to trouble other people. A Thai friend you've helped may thank you several times, apologise for the bother, or try to pay you back straight away. ไม่ต้องเกรงใจนะmâi dtâwng greeng-jai ná, "no need to feel bad", reassures them, and เรื่องเล็กrûeang lék ("it's nothing") keeps it light.

Welcome is not "you're welcome"

English uses "welcome" for two different things, and Thai doesn't. ยินดีต้อนรับyin-dii dtâwn-ráp greets someone arriving: welcome to my home, welcome to Thailand. After "thank you", it would sound as if you were greeting them at the door. The reply to thanks is ไม่เป็นไรmâi bpen rai.

Pronunciation

Three quick syllables: mâi (falling), bpen (mid), rai (mid). The "bp" is a Thai p with no puff of air, halfway between English b and p, which is why some spellings write mai ben rai. Run it together smoothly, almost like one word. In relaxed speech and in parts of the country the r becomes an l, so you'll also hear "mai pen lai".

You're welcome in Thai: questions people ask

How do you say you're welcome in Thai?

ไม่เป็นไรmâi bpen rai, with ครับkráp (men) or ค่ะkâ (women) to be polite. Staff often say ยินดีyin-dii, 'my pleasure'.

What does mai pen rai mean?

Literally 'it isn't anything'. It means you're welcome, never mind, no problem or no thanks, depending on what came before.

How do you say no problem in Thai?

ไม่เป็นไรmâi bpen rai. To say 'no problem, I'll do it', use ได้เลยdâi loei, 'sure, right away'.

How do you reply to khob khun ka?

With ไม่เป็นไรmâi bpen rai plus your own particle: ไม่เป็นไรครับmâi bpen rai kráp if you're a man, ไม่เป็นไรค่ะmâi bpen rai kâ if you're a woman. The particle depends on you, not on who thanked you.

Is mai pen rai ever rude?

Not as a reply to thanks or an apology. It can sound dismissive if you use it to brush off someone's real complaint, as if you were saying 'whatever'. Listen first, then reassure.

Hear it in songs and culture

Learn this in Unit 1, free

Unit 1 · Hello, Thailand · Thanks, sorry, yes and no. Short lessons with audio for every word, speaking practice and spaced review. No sign-up needed.

Practise it free (2 min) See Unit 1

Written by the Learn Thai For Free team
Audio: AI voices, quality-checked for tones