- อย่า + verb is "don't", said to someone: อย่าลืมนะ, "don't forget, OK?"
- ห้าม + verb states a rule, "it's forbidden to". It's the word on most signs: ห้ามสูบบุหรี่, "no smoking".
- กรุณางด ("please refrain from") and ขอความร่วมมือ ("we ask for your cooperation") are polite notices.
- ไม่ + verb on a banner is a pledge, not an order: ไม่ฝ่าฝืนสัญญาณไฟจราจร, "(we) don't run traffic lights".
- เด็ดขาด makes a rule absolute; นะ makes a "don't" friendly.
The short answer
English has one word, "don't", for everything from "don't worry" to "do not enter". Thai picks a different word depending on who's talking and how firm they mean to be:
| Pattern | Feels like | Where you'll meet it |
|---|---|---|
| อย่า + verb (+ นะ)yàa (… ná) | "Don't…", to the person you're talking to | Everyday speech: อย่าลืมนะ, "don't forget" |
| ห้าม + verbhâam | "It's forbidden to…": a rule | Signs and rules: ห้ามจอด, "no parking" |
| กรุณางด + verbgà-rú-naa ngót | "Please refrain from…": formal and polite | Notices: กรุณางดใช้เสียง, "please keep quiet" |
| ขอความร่วมมือ…kŏr kwaam rûuam meuu | "We ask for your cooperation…": the softest | Building and shop notices |
| verb + ไม่ได้… mâi dâi | "You can't…": a fact, not an order | Explaining a rule to someone |
| ไม่ควร + verbmâi kuuan | "You shouldn't…": advice | Speech and articles |
| ไม่ต้อง + verbmâi dtông | "No need to…": a soft "don't" | ไม่ต้องห่วง, "don't worry" |
| ไม่ + verbmâi | "(We) don't…": a pledge or a norm | Campaign slogans: เมาไม่ขับ |
Below, we take each one in turn, then show how to make any of them stronger or softer. You can hear every word in a real recording, and try all the levels in the "How firm?" tool.
Why the banner says ไม่
Under an expressway in Bangkok, one big banner shows a car, a motorbike rider sent flying, and in red letters, ไม่ฝ่าฝืนสัญญาณไฟจราจร. Learners who know อย่า, "don't", often wonder why it says ไม่, "not".
Word for word, it's "not violate traffic-light signal". Thai leaves out the subject when it's obvious, so this reads as a statement: "(we) don't run traffic lights". ไม่ denies a statement; อย่า tells the person in front of you what not to do. So the banner isn't telling you off. It states the norm, the way an English sign might say "We drive safely here".
Thailand's best-known road-safety slogan works the same way: เมาไม่ขับ, "drunk, (I) don't drive". It's the name of the Don't Drive Drunk Foundation, whose campaign began in 1996 as a club with a long, descriptive name: ชมรมคนรุ่นใหม่ไม่ขับรถเมื่อเมาสุรา, "the club of young people who don't drive when drunk". The slogan describes the kind of driver you are, rather than giving an order. No grammar book we found spells this out, but it's the most natural reading of the pattern.
The order is on the banner's bottom line: หยุดคิดสักนิด ก่อนเหยียบคันเร่งฝ่าไฟแดง, "stop and think for a moment before you hit the accelerator to run a red light". It was sponsored by กต.ตร. สน. บางโพงพาง, the local citizens' committee that monitors the police station's work. And the stakes are real: running a red light carries a fine of up to 4,000 baht, four times the old maximum, since September 2022.
อย่า: telling someone not to
อย่า (yàa) goes before the verb and speaks to the person in front of you, just like English "don't": อย่าไปคนเดียว, "don't go alone". On its own it can sound blunt, so in conversation it nearly always comes with a softener at the end.
- อย่า… นะ is the friendly default: อย่าลืมนะ, "don't forget, OK?" Add ครับ or ค่ะ to be polite: อย่าลืมนะครับ.
- อย่า… เลย talks someone out of something: อย่าไปเลย, "don't go, it's not worth it". It sounds like advice or a plea, not an order.
- อย่าเพิ่ง is "don't… yet": อย่าเพิ่งไปนะ, "don't go yet". On its own, อย่าเพิ่ง! means "wait!"
- กรุณาอย่า is a polite, written "please don't": กรุณาอย่าจับ, "please do not touch".
Our guide to Thai particles explains นะ, เลย and the other little words that set the mood of a sentence.
ห้าม: rules and signs
ห้าม (hâam) means "to forbid". Before a verb with no subject, it states a rule: ห้ามสูบบุหรี่, "smoking is forbidden", or simply "no smoking". It's the word you'll see on most Thai signs, in school and office rules, and in the law.
- ห้าม is also an ordinary verb. With a person after it, it means someone is forbidding someone else: แม่ห้ามฉันกลับบ้านดึก, "my mum won't let me come home late". You'll often hear ห้าม… ไม่ให้…: แม่ห้ามไม่ให้ไป, "Mum won't let me go".
- In speech, ห้าม lays down the law. Parents, teachers and bosses use it: ห้ามรังแกน้องนะ, "you're not allowed to pick on your little brother". Between friends, ห้ามบอกใครนะ, "you're not allowed to tell anyone, OK?", sounds bossy or playful. With a stranger, use อย่า or ไม่ได้ instead.
- ไม่อนุญาตให้ ("not permitted to") is a more formal, more distant alternative: ไม่อนุญาตให้ถ่ายรูป, "photography is not permitted".
งด and polite notices
งด (ngót) means "to refrain from", "to give up" or "to call off". On a notice, it's the polite cousin of ห้าม: ห้ามสูบบุหรี่ is "no smoking"; งดสูบบุหรี่ is closer to "please refrain from smoking". It usually comes with a "please":
- กรุณา (gà-rú-naa) is the standard formal "please": กรุณางดใช้เสียง, "please keep quiet", literally "please refrain from using voice".
- โปรด (bpròht) is a "please" for announcements and written instructions: โปรดงดใช้เสียงดังหลังสี่ทุ่ม, "please keep the noise down after 10 p.m."
- ขอความร่วมมือ (kŏr kwaam rûuam meuu), "we ask for your cooperation", is the softest of all, and very common on condo, office and city notices. What follows can be งด, ไม่ or a positive request: ขอความร่วมมือทุกท่านทิ้งขยะให้ลงถัง, "we ask everyone to put their rubbish in the bins".
You can see the difference on election weekends, when alcohol sales are banned from 6 p.m. the day before the vote until 6 p.m. on the day. News reports call it a ห้าม: ห้ามจำหน่ายสุรา, "alcohol sales are prohibited". The notice at the shop counter usually puts it politely: งดจำหน่ายสุรา, "we're not selling alcohol".
งด has two other everyday meanings worth knowing. People งด things they give up for a while: งดเหล้าเข้าพรรษา, "give up alcohol for Buddhist Lent", is a national campaign every year, and a doctor might tell you to งดของหวาน, "cut out sweets". And businesses งด services they call off: งดให้บริการ, "service suspended", on a closed counter or a cancelled ferry.
ไม่: can't, shouldn't, no need
ไม่ (mâi) just means "not", so on its own it doesn't forbid anything. But combined with other words, it gives you some of the most useful, and gentlest, ways to say "don't":
- Verb + ไม่ได้ is "can't": จอดรถตรงนี้ไม่ได้นะ, "you can't park here". It states a fact rather than giving an order, so it's a kind way to tell a stranger about a rule.
- ไม่ควร is "shouldn't": advice, not a rule. ไม่ควรขับรถเร็ว, "you shouldn't drive fast".
- ไม่ต้อง is "no need to", and often the friendliest "don't" of all: ไม่ต้องห่วง, "don't worry", or ไม่ต้องจ่าย, "don't pay, it's on me".
- ไม่ + verb, with no subject, is the pledge or norm from the banner: เมาไม่ขับ, ไม่ฝ่าฝืนสัญญาณไฟจราจร. You'll find it on campaign posters and school pledges, not in conversation.
Making it stronger
To show that a rule has no exceptions, Thai adds an intensifier at the end. These are the ones you'll meet most:
- เด็ดขาด (dèt kàat), "absolutely, strictly": ห้ามจับเด็ดขาด, "absolutely no touching". It works in speech too: อย่าบอกใครเด็ดขาดนะ, "don't tell anyone, I mean it".
- โดยเด็ดขาด (doi dèt kàat) is the more formal version, standard on official signs: ห้ามเข้าโดยเด็ดขาด, "strictly no entry".
- เป็นอันขาด (bpen an kàat), "under no circumstances", follows อย่า or ห้าม and sounds very serious: อย่าเปิดประตูให้ใครเป็นอันขาด, "whatever you do, don't open the door to anyone".
- ทุกกรณี (túk gà-rá-nee), "in every case", is common on parking signs: ห้ามจอดทุกกรณี, "no parking, no exceptions". ไม่ว่ากรณีใดๆ, "whatever the case", is the written equivalent.
Official signs often add the consequence too. ฝ่าฝืนมีโทษ means "violators will be penalised", and ฝ่าฝืนปรับ followed by an amount gives the fine in baht. One Bangkok parking sign reads ห้ามจอดรถทุกชนิด ฝ่าฝืนล็อคล้อ ปรับ 200 บาท: "no vehicles may park; violators will be clamped and fined 200 baht". โทษ is "penalty", and ปรับ is "to fine".
Making it softer
Going the other way, these turn a bare อย่า into something you can say to anyone:
- นะ at the end, the all-purpose softener: อย่าเสียงดังนะ, "keep it down, OK?"
- A polite particle after นะ: อย่าลืมนะครับ, or อย่าลืมนะคะ for women, with คะ in a high tone after นะ. Our guide to Thai pronouns covers when politeness matters most.
- เลย after อย่า, to dissuade rather than forbid: อย่าซื้อเลย แพงเกินไป, "don't buy it, it's too expensive".
- A reason instead of an order. Thais often skip the "don't" altogether: ตรงนี้จอดไม่ได้นะครับ, "you can't park here", or ข้างในห้ามถ่ายรูปนะคะ, "photos aren't allowed inside".
How firm? Try it
Pick a situation and a level, from advice to a strict rule, and see how Thai says it. The pattern word is highlighted; tap the button next to it to hear it.
How firm do you want to be?
อย่า tells the person in front of you not to do something. นะ at the end makes it friendly, like "OK?"
Signs you'll see
With ห้าม, งด and กรุณา, you can read most Thai notices. These are some of the most common:
| Sign | Meaning | Where |
|---|---|---|
| ห้ามเข้าhâam kâo | No entry | Staff areas, building sites |
| ห้ามจอดhâam-jɔ̀ɔt | No parking | Kerbs, gates, driveways |
| ห้ามสูบบุหรี่hâam-sùup-bù-rìi | No smoking | Almost everywhere indoors |
| ห้ามถ่ายภาพhâam tàai-pâap | No photography | Temples, museums, palaces |
| ห้ามทิ้งขยะhâam tíng-kà-yà | No littering | Streets, canals, empty lots |
| ห้ามรับประทานอาหารและเครื่องดื่มhâam ráp-bprà-taan-aa-hǎan lɛ́ krʉ̂ʉang-dʉ̀ʉm | No eating or drinking | BTS Skytrain platforms and trains |
| ห้ามให้อาหารสัตว์hâam hâi-aa-hǎan-sàt | Do not feed the animals | Zoos, parks |
| กรุณาถอดรองเท้าgà-rú-naa tɔ̀ɔt rɔɔng-táao | Please take off your shoes | Temples, homes, clinics, some shops |
| กรุณางดใช้เสียงgà-rú-naa ngót chái sǐiang | Please keep quiet | Libraries, hospitals |
| งดให้บริการngót hâi-bɔɔ-rí-gaan | Service suspended | Closed counters, broken machines |
| ไม่อนุญาตให้ถ่ายรูปmâi-à-nú-yâat hâi tàai-rûup | Photography not permitted | Exhibitions, shops |
Notice that signs prefer formal words: ถ่ายภาพ rather than everyday ถ่ายรูป for "take photos", รับประทาน rather than กิน for "eat", and สวม rather than ใส่ for "wear". You'll understand both, but say the everyday ones.
Some of these carry real fines. Under the national Cleanliness Act, littering in a public place can cost up to 2,000 baht, and dumping rubbish onto a road or into a canal up to 10,000 baht.
Saying no to an offer
Refusing isn't forbidding, and Thai uses different words for it. When a vendor offers a bag, a host offers more food or a stranger offers to help, these are the polite ways out:
- ไม่เป็นไร, "it's fine", is the gentlest no: ไม่เป็นไรครับ ขอบคุณ, "no, thank you".
- ไม่เอา, "I don't want it", is direct. Add ครับ or ค่ะ and a thank you: ไม่เอาค่ะ ขอบคุณค่ะ. Without them, it can sound abrupt.
- ไม่ต้อง, "no need", turns down something being done for you: ไม่ต้องใส่ถุงครับ, "no bag, thanks".
- ไม่ได้, "can't", is the answer to a request you have to refuse: ขอยืมหน่อยได้ไหม, "can I borrow it?", ไม่ได้จริงๆ ขอโทษนะ, "I really can't, sorry".
Thais often avoid a flat "no" altogether, especially to someone older or more senior. A vague ไม่เป็นไร, a smile, or a reason, such as อิ่มแล้ว, "I'm full", does the job without anyone losing face.
Common mistakes
- Using ไม่ for "don't" in conversation. ไม่ไป means "(I'm) not going", not "don't go". To tell someone not to go, say อย่าไปนะ.
- Using ห้าม with people you don't know. It sounds like you're laying down the law. Try ไม่ได้นะครับ, or กรุณาอย่า.
- Reading เลย the wrong way. ไม่… เลย strengthens ("not at all"), but อย่า… เลย softens ("better not").
- Putting ไม่ได้ before the verb. "You can't park here" is จอดตรงนี้ไม่ได้, with ไม่ได้ after the verb. Before a verb, ไม่ได้ usually means "didn't" or "not really": ไม่ได้จอด, "I didn't park".
- Getting the tone of อย่า wrong. It's a low tone, yàa. The silent อ in front makes ย follow mid-class rules, so the tone mark gives a low tone, not a falling one. Our guide to Thai tones explains how that works.
Hear every "don't" in context.
ThaiFlip's dictionary has recorded example sentences for อย่า, ห้าม, งด and thousands of other words, so you learn how real Thai sounds, not just what the words mean.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say "don't" in Thai?
Put อย่า (yàa) before the verb: อย่าไป, "don't go". Add นะ at the end to make it friendly: อย่าลืมนะ, "don't forget, OK?" For rules and signs, Thai uses ห้าม (hâam), "it's forbidden to": ห้ามสูบบุหรี่, "no smoking".
What's the difference between อย่า and ห้าม?
อย่า is spoken to the person in front of you, like English "don't". ห้าม states a rule: "it's forbidden to". It's the word on signs and in regulations, and it's also a verb, "to forbid": แม่ห้ามไม่ให้ไป, "Mum won't let me go". Telling a friend ห้ามไป sounds bossy or playful, like "you're not allowed to go".
Why does the Bangkok banner say ไม่ฝ่าฝืน instead of อย่าฝ่าฝืน?
Because it isn't an order. ไม่ฝ่าฝืนสัญญาณไฟจราจร is a statement with the subject left out: "(we) don't run traffic lights". Campaigns use this pattern to state a norm or a pledge, as in the famous drink-driving slogan เมาไม่ขับ, "drunk, (I) don't drive". อย่า would be telling you off.
What does งด mean on a sign?
งด means "refrain from" or "hold off on", and on notices it reads as a polite "please don't": งดสูบบุหรี่, "no smoking, please", or งดใช้เสียง, "please keep quiet". It also means "suspended": งดให้บริการ, "service suspended".
What does เด็ดขาด mean?
"Absolutely" or "strictly". After a rule, it means no exceptions: ห้ามจับเด็ดขาด or ห้ามจับโดยเด็ดขาด, "touching is strictly forbidden". You'll also hear อย่า… เป็นอันขาด, "don't, under any circumstances".
Is อย่า rude?
No. It's the normal way to say "don't". What makes it sound harsh is a bare อย่า with no softener. Add นะ, ครับ or ค่ะ, or use กรุณาอย่า for a polite "please don't".
How do you say "you can't" in Thai?
Put ไม่ได้ after the verb: จอดรถตรงนี้ไม่ได้, "you can't park here". It sounds less like an order than อย่า or ห้าม, so it's a good way to tell a stranger about a rule. Add นะ to soften it further.
How do you say "no, thank you" in Thai?
ไม่เป็นไร ขอบคุณ (mâi bpen rai, kòp kun) or ไม่เอา ขอบคุณ, with ครับ or ค่ะ. ไม่เป็นไร, "it's fine", is the gentlest. To turn down something that's being done for you, say ไม่ต้อง, "no need".
Recordings and example sentences come from the ThaiFlip dictionary. Spotted a mistake? Tell us and we'll check it.
