mai pen rai

If you are walking down the street in Thailand and a vendor tries to sell you something you are not interested in buying, a useful phrase to have on hand is mai pen rai. If someone thanks you, an appropriate response is mai pen rai. If a family offers you a meal, and you want to say yes, but you don’t want to inconvenience them, the best answer is—you guessed it—mai pen rai.This diverse and culturally significant phrase carries many meanings, and Thai people use it frequently in everyday conversation. It roughly translates to “no problem” in English, but it’s almost more than just a phrase—it seems to encompass the culture and attitude of Thailand.