How to Say “I don't speak Thai” in Thai
พูดภาษาไทยไม่ได้
phûut phaa-sǎa-thay mây dâay
I don't speak Thai
ค่ะ and ครับ are polite particles — they depend on the speaker's gender, not the listener's.
Word by word
When to use it
พูด (phûut) is "to speak," ภาษาไทย (phaa-sǎa-thai) is "Thai language," ไม่ได้ (mâi-dâai) is "cannot." This manages expectations clearly. A softer version: พูดภาษาไทยได้นิดหน่อย (phûut-phaa-sǎa-thai-dâai-nít-nɔ̀y) — "I speak a little Thai" — which often earns a warmer response.
Why you've seen it spelled differently
You may have seen พูดภาษาไทยไม่ได้ written as: phut phasa thai mai dai, pood passa tai mai dai.
There is no single standard for writing Thai in the Roman alphabet — phrasebooks, road signs, and tourist guides each follow a different system, and many just invent their own spellings. The romanization on this page uses a consistent IPA-based system that marks all five tones and distinguishes short from long vowels. The same word always gets the same spelling. Paste any Thai to see it romanized →
Related phrases
Get the free Thai starter pack
Join the list for the beginner starter path, practice resources, and early access to the full lesson library.