Wanderlust World Wanderlust World Southeast Asia's linguistic diversity means "thank you" takes many forms across the 10 ASEAN member states. Below is a practical guide with native scripts, transliteration, and usage notes.
| Country | Language | "Thank You" | Pronunciation / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brunei | Malay | Terima kasih | teh-REE-mah KAH-seh; formal/standard |
| Cambodia | Khmer | អរគុណ (Orkun) | aw-KOON; add chran for "thanks very much" |
| Indonesia | Indonesian | Terima kasih | Same as Malay; makasih casual |
| Laos | Lao | ຂອບໃຈ (Khop jai) | kawp JAI; lai lai = "very much" |
| Malaysia | Malay | Terima kasih | Standard; makasih informal |
| Myanmar | Burmese | ကျေးဇူးတင်ပါတယ် (Kyay zu tin ba de) | CHAY zu tin BA deh; ja de casual |
| Philippines | Filipino/Tagalog | Salamat | sa-LA-mat; Maraming salamat = thanks very much |
| Singapore | English / Singlish | Thank you / "Tank you lah" | English official; Singlish colloquial |
| Thailand | Thai | ขอบคุณครับ/ค่ะ (Khop khun krap/ka) | KHAWP khun KRP (male) / KHA (female); polite particles essential |
| Vietnam | Vietnamese | Cảm ơn | gahm UHN; add bạn (peer), anh/chị (older M/F), cô/chú (aunt/uncle age) |
East Timor (Timor-Leste), ASEAN applicant, uses Portuguese obrigado/a and Tetum obrigadu.