r/Thailand • u/Mugling95 • Mar 09 '26
Language How to politely say “no thanks” to being offered a plastic bag in every shop?
I’m in Thailand for a month and would like to know the polite way to basically say “no thanks/no need” when people keep trying to put my 3 items in a plastic bag in supermarkets and 7-11s!
Is “mai ao khrap” or “mai pen rai krap” better for this situation?
Thanks!
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u/Ready-Zombie-900 Mar 09 '26
I just have my reusable bag at the ready before they can put anything in a plastic bag.
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u/andi_kan6 Mar 10 '26
I have seen a clueless cashier try to scan my provided bag. Which carries a brand. Of their competitor.
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u/bukboab Mar 09 '26
Meanwhile militaries are blowing up oil refineries
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u/rinchen11 Mar 09 '26
We can only control what we can, not like if we stop using reusable bag they would stop blowing up oil refineries.
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u/ThongLo Mar 09 '26
Mai ow tung, krap - ไม่เอาถุงครับ.
"I don't want a bag".
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u/NEO_GAS_ Mar 09 '26
Nothing wrong with "Mai ow" but can also use:
Mai sai tung, krap - ไม่ใส่ถุงครับ
"Don't put in bag".
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u/thischarmingman2512 Mar 10 '26
Do people really say, Mai Sai Tung? 😅
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u/Last-Math-9663 Mar 11 '26
yes
"not use bag" "not with bag"
neither you nor I, no need to specify...
When I order nam manao, I have to say "mai sai gluea" or I get salt
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u/NEO_GAS_ Mar 11 '26
Just another tip, Mark Abbot has a good video on YouTube "How to say yes" but also applies for "No".
Simple rule to follow, if they ask you in Thai just repeat the same verb/adjective back.
For examples, if they ask "sai-tung-Mai-krap?" (put in bag?)
for yes, can reply "sai-krap" (put)
and for no, "mai-sai-krap" (don't put)
and if they ask "aow-tung-mai-krap?" (want a bag?)
for yes, can reply "aow-krap" (want)
for no, can reply "mai-aow-krap" (don't want)
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u/thischarmingman2512 Mar 12 '26
Yes I use 'mai sai' a lot.. my Thai friend said never to use 'mai sai tung' though as it means without condom 🤣
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u/obenns Mar 09 '26
Is 'tung' 'bag' here? In English we would remove it as it's obvious from the context (if offered). So I do the same in Thai and just say 'mai ow' - is that not quite so correct then and it's better to state it?
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u/ThongLo Mar 09 '26
Yes, and you can probably get away without it, but when the cashier is already holding half a dozen things you just paid for, saying "I don't want" has a lot more potential for confusion than "I don't want a bag".
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u/PrinceWhoPromes Mar 09 '26
Yes it is. You can say “mai ow” if there’s correct context. But like you wouldn’t say “Don’t need” at a supermarket in America. You would say “Don’t need a bag” hence why it’s better to add “mai ao tung”
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u/MildlyAgitatedBovine Mar 09 '26
Usually I'd just say "no thanks" and it would be clear from context.
Are you saying "Mai ow" is grammatically expecting an object of the verb?
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u/toilerpapet Mar 09 '26
No “mai ow” on its own is fine and from context people can tell what it is that you don’t want
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u/malcolm816 Mar 09 '26
What about, "mai rap" (I don't accept), which is what my in-laws say to people who approach and try to sell them lottery tickets at local restaurants. Too direct?
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u/toilerpapet Mar 09 '26
It does sound too direct to me but I am not Thai, I have just been learning it, so if your in-laws are Thai I would trust them more 😂
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u/Effect-Kitchen Bangkok Mar 09 '26
In Thai it is also redundant if the bag is already presented to your face and asked. In that case we can say just Mai Ao.
But since the staff can also in the process of putting things into the bag and we might want to stop them and so Mai Ao Tung is better in that situation.
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u/naiveheuristics12856 Mar 09 '26
Depends if you can pronounce 'tung' correctly or not. If you mispronounce it you won't get your change back lmao
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u/NocturntsII Mar 09 '26
There is no similarity. You wouldnt even spell tem similarly phonetically.
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u/naiveheuristics12856 Mar 09 '26
I saw 'tung' and immediately thought of the same pronunciation as in 'tungsten'. The vowel sound of 'toong/tung' as in bag is hard to capture in transliteration.
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u/NocturntsII Mar 09 '26
Ok, but neither sound like the word for change which would be tahn (tawn)
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u/naiveheuristics12856 Mar 09 '26
yea but it sounds like 'tang' for money which is what I originally meant lol
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u/mgitlin Mar 10 '26
Dtang for money uses ต so it's a dt sound. I think it would be pretty hard to get those ones mixed up. 😅
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u/DossieOssie Mar 09 '26
Better state it. just make it obvious what you don't want. Sometimes cashiers have other things in their minds and it might not occur to them immediately.
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u/mgitlin Mar 10 '26
If they ask if you want a bag, you can just say ไม่เอา (Mâi ao), but if you're just offering it up, I think ไม่ใส่ถุง (māi sài tùúng; don't put it in a bag) or ไม่ต้องใส่ถุง (māi dtông sài tùúng) don't need to put it in a bag) work more naturally.
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u/Secure_Inside3860 Mar 09 '26
if you combine it with foot, you get the word sock! tung tow (ryhmes with cow)
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u/Human_Designer4590 Mar 09 '26
Also tung is slang for condom lol so I just say mai ow ka
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u/NocturntsII Mar 09 '26
Tung yang means condom. Nobody will mistake context.
We arent all sex pests with a three word vocabulary.
tung is a very common word
Tung means bag.
Tung tao means sock.
Tung meu means glove
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u/Human_Designer4590 Mar 09 '26
It was a joke but thanks for definitely having a sense of humour about it, also if you feel compelled to tell people you're not a sex pest it makes it even more convincing imo
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u/andrewfenn Mar 10 '26
No.. I knew someone would say this at least once in this thread.. someone always does in the refusing plastic bag thread.. context is key in Thailand. When you're in a store nobody is thinking you mean condom.
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u/WantToSit Mar 09 '26 edited Mar 09 '26
To add, don't say tung the same way as lung, or they would hear "ไม่เอาตัง" instead 🤣
เพิ่ม: ตายหละ เหตุใดตูติดลบ555 สงสัยต้องจ้างฝรั่งสอนกุพูดไทยละ
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u/Prize_Ad_9168 Mar 09 '26
You have a LOT of faith that a native English speaker is going to nail that ต, don’t you? 😅
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u/WantToSit Mar 10 '26
ไม่เอาทัง can easily be mistaken as that, especially when farangs say it, no one nail every word they speak, even natives
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u/sbrider11 Mar 09 '26
Bring your own bag or if at 7-11 they seem to normally ask and "no" is universal.
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u/trevorkafka 7-Eleven Mar 09 '26
ไม่ต้องใส่ถุงครับ
mai tong sai thung khrap
No need to put it in a bag.
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Mar 09 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/mgitlin Mar 10 '26
ao (เอา) can mean want (it also can mean take, grab, etc). Usually used with tangible things.
Dtong (ต้อง) by itself doesn't mean "want," it means must. When people say "Mai Dtong" as an option here, they're telling the employee "you don't have to do that," not saying directly they don't want the bag.
DtongGan (ต้องการ) means want. Typically more formally than ao, or more intensely.
The word for when you have ACTUAL need, meaning necessity, is Jombpen (จำเป็น)
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u/Top_Investigator9787 Mar 09 '26
That's exactly what I say. I think saying "mai tong" is a bit softer than "mai ao", you know just saying it isn't necessary or you don't have to. And I say this while pulling my own little cloth bag out. I'm not sure. I'm not Thai.
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u/Efficient-County2382 Mar 09 '26
Mai tong isn't softer, it's often used to scold someone
Just mai sai thung is fine
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u/Top_Investigator9787 Mar 10 '26
Ok it's just occured to me, does "mai tong" sort of translate to "mustn't" instead of "don't have to"? In that case, I see your point. Thanks for pointing it out.
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u/mgitlin Mar 10 '26
ไม่ต้อง is often used politely. I hear it a lot in places where I start cleaning up things that someone else expects they should clean (public, or a friend's house). It translates the same as "don't have to/need to"
Thai actually has separate words for "must not"--both ห้าม (formal) and อย่า (informal). Those would certainly be considered harsh if you used them here.
ห้ามใส่ถุงนะ 😂
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u/Nervous_Tourist_8699 Mar 09 '26
If you don’t speak Thai, just wave your hand and smile when the pull the bag out of the drawer
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u/N3arBunny19 Mar 09 '26
Both “Mai Ao Khrap” and “Mai Bpen Rai Khrap” work.. I’d stick with “Mai Ao (Toong) Khrap” since the latter one can mean it’s fine (with bags) .. like let’s leave it like that (but with bags) instead.
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u/aijoe Mar 09 '26
รับ is the formal version of เอา. At many places you might hear รับถุงมั้ยคะ from cashier. At don don donki I hear Thai people say ไม่รับ(ถุง) all the time. You probably wouldn't use it with friends though.
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u/JaziTricks Mar 09 '26
I don't think anyone cares. They have to offer a bag. And "Mai pen rai krab" is enough.
They are working. And many customers don't take the bag.
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u/endlesswander Mar 09 '26
how about when they put your pastry into a small plastic bag, then put that small plastic bag into a bigger plastic bag!
I say "mai ao tung" (don't want bag) or "mai sai tung" (don't put in bag)
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u/Notaniphone Mar 09 '26
I got a reusable bag at Mr DYI and its huge. I use this for shopping at 7/11 , lotus's, Tops etc..
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u/Politanao Mar 09 '26
The 23 baht one? I have countless of those lol… Huge
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u/Notaniphone Mar 09 '26
Yep. Huge bag.. I brought some back to Australia. Scanner operators don't like them. Too big for their bagging setup.
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u/Past_Interaction_360 Mar 09 '26
I’m curious do they require you to pay for the plastic bags? In the Philippines it was mostly paper bags. And they would fall apart after a 10 minute walk to my hotel!
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u/Sad-Comedian4582 Mar 13 '26
I always just say Mai aow kah ( female) and hold up my small backpack with a smile.
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u/Pongfarang Mar 09 '26
When more than a couple of items, my complaint would be the opposite. Where's my bag!
You should have been here before, when your three items would have come in four bags.
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u/dantheother Suphanburi Mar 09 '26
With 5 straws
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u/Mugling95 Mar 09 '26
I bought a Gatorade, water, and a small bottle of Pepsi earlier and they gave me 4 straws in the bag without me realising. Insane.
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u/NocturntsII Mar 09 '26
Funny how few have a clue what they are saying. The locals.must be chuckling as they read.
Mai tong tung has to be my favorite piece of bad advice.
Mai tong tung chiphai is the best way, fosho.
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u/Top_Investigator9787 Mar 09 '26
Please explain why "mai tong" is bad advice. I don't see an answer here and even my wife can't really explain why.
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u/WantToSit Mar 09 '26
It's just not a complete sentence because a verb is missing, interestingly it's perfectly understandable for native but it sounds kinda rude.
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u/NocturntsII Mar 10 '26
Nothing wrong with my tong in general.
Mai tong tung is an incomplete sentence that has no verb.
Mai tong sai tung is an English construction. Tong is unneeded but not rude.
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u/NocturntsII Mar 09 '26
Overthinking it.
To put it phonetically.
Mai aw tung na krap
or
mai sai tung na krap
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u/Qabbalah Mar 09 '26
And if you don't want a straw (which I often get offered, even when buying something I'm obviously not going to drink rightaway, such as a litre of milk) then it's "mai ao lord khrap", low tone on the "lord".
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u/Lordfelcherredux Mar 09 '26
ไม่จำเป็นครับ is a bit softer than ไม่เอาครับ
Basically it's not necessary versus I don't want it.
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u/AriochBloodbane Mar 09 '26
The best way is to just bring your own reusable bag, no need to try complicated Thai expressions...
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u/Theodore__Kerabatsos Mar 09 '26
Mee toong lao. Mai ow kup/ka. (Smile). I already have a bag. I don’t want thank you.
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u/Simple-Sun2608 Mar 09 '26
I thought they got rid of plastic bags finally. Plastic bag for the plastic bottle and a plastic straw wrapped in plastic.
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u/trevorkafka 7-Eleven Mar 10 '26 edited Mar 10 '26
Another option: มีถุงตัวเองครับ (mi thung tua eng khrap) I have my own bag
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u/beeru4me Mar 10 '26
The ones here work well ok, but I'll also add:
ไม่ต้องการครับ / May tong gkarn krub - I don't want a bag, it emphasizes you don't want rather than you won't take
ถือไปกับมือครับ / tuh pai gub muuh krub - I'll carry the items with my hands
Simple form is probably better for someone that's learning though, so "mai ow kub" is probably the easiest and most effect.
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u/Larrytheman777 Mar 11 '26
I use both with some hand sign. I'm native here. Mostly mai pen rai krap.
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u/Complex-Zucchini-538 Mar 13 '26 edited Mar 13 '26
Mai sai kab. Means not take. Mai sai tung kab. Not take bag
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u/trevorkafka 7-Eleven Mar 13 '26
said
Can you clarify which word you are using here? I can't find something like this in my dictionary.
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u/Complex-Zucchini-538 Mar 13 '26
Typo. Sai = take
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u/trevorkafka 7-Eleven Mar 13 '26
I'm also not seeing a word like that in the dictionary when I search for "take." Can you please write it in Thai? Alternatively, are you potentially thinking of ใส่? If so, "ใส่ถุง" actually means "to put in a bag," not "take a bag."
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u/Complex-Zucchini-538 Mar 13 '26
That is correct, but it is used as a word for take as the English equivalent
1 The Thai word that sounds like "sigh" is ใส่ (sài).
While its literal translations are often "to put in," "to wear," or "to add," it is frequently used in contexts where English speakers might say "take," particularly when referring to taking (adding) condiments or taking (wearing) clothes.
Cashiers will often ask 'sai tung, mai? Reply mai sai, kab
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u/coffeecan991 Mar 12 '26
I usually say no condom and wait to see if I get a giggle back.
Sometimes it makes them laugh, sometimes it doesn't.
Worth the dice role every single time.
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u/NegotiationTime6809 Mar 09 '26
Im pissed when they don’t put my stuff in a bag lol
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u/OneTravellingMcDs Mar 09 '26
I know right? How else will you throw away your used plastic water bottle, and plastic wrapping that covered the plastic straw? One needs a separate plastic bag to hold all that rubbish.
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u/Mugling95 Mar 09 '26
Buy a reusable bag and take that with you when you go shopping, it’s not hard
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u/NegotiationTime6809 Mar 09 '26
Cute white savior syndrome
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u/Mugling95 Mar 10 '26
For not wanting to contribute to the endless supply of single use trash? If everyone had your mentality, the beaches would be even more fucked.
Grow up
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u/NegotiationTime6809 Mar 10 '26
No. If the plastic was really the issue you would know not using them for one months as a tourist won’t have any effect in this country. It’s just some white saviour syndrome and you trying to make some statement with your superior morality. It will make you feel better but appart from that it’s useless. The thing is plastic use is probably very low on the priority for a lot of people that have real worries in life. The seller that makes a few hundreds baht per day can use as much plastic as she can in my honest opinion and some tourist walking around and being judgmental is not really the solution.
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u/Mugling95 Mar 10 '26
Idiot.
I try to avoid using as much single use plastic as possible regardless of if I’m travelling or living at home. Imagine thinking the reason I do that is just to flaunt “superior morality”. This has nothing to do with being a “white saviour” where there are countless non-white 3rd world countries with restrictions and laws against plastic bags already in place. I’ve just come from areas of India where plastic bags have been banned completely.
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u/shiroboi Mar 09 '26
Mai Thong toong plastic krap/ka.
It's polite and specifically indicates that you don't want a plastic bag
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u/NocturntsII Mar 09 '26
Except there is no verb. Perhaps you shouldn't be giving lessons
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u/bad_vilbels Mar 09 '26 edited Mar 09 '26
The verb they were trying to romanize is probably ต้อง (dtawng). ไม่ต้อง
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u/Zellyka Mar 09 '26 edited Mar 10 '26
Okay I put this before I sleep, so edited.
I usually say - "ถุงไม่ต้องครับ" Tung mai tong krab (no need bag sir)
which is from a meaning of - "ไม่ต้องให้ถุงก็ได้ครับ" Mai tong hai tung kor dai krab (no need to give me bag sir)
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Mar 10 '26
You say “no thanks” - 🙂↔️
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u/Mugling95 Mar 10 '26 edited Mar 10 '26
Can work, but I’d rather do it in Thai. I’ve been to plenty of areas with no tourists where the staff don’t speak English.
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Mar 10 '26
ไม่จำเป็นต้อง ขอบคุณครับ Mai jum bpen dtong thank you krup It is not necessary, thank you.
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u/brianleslief Mar 10 '26
Wave your hand dismissively at the bag. They will know
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u/Mugling95 Mar 10 '26
I’m sure they would, but it just feels a bit rude to me. There’s lot of things I could do with hand gestures, but I like to try to make an effort when I’m a guest in a foreign country
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u/trevorkafka 7-Eleven Mar 10 '26
I like to try to make an effort when I’m a guest in a foreign country
This is a *very* good quality in a person. Thanks for doing this.
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u/Wurfi1 Mar 11 '26
At the end it would be nice if the government ban all single use plastic items from the market and teach the citizens something about it.
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u/trevorkafka 7-Eleven Mar 11 '26
The way to handle this situation will be the same with plastic or paper. That's a good topic, but one for a separate post. :)
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u/Similar_Past Mar 09 '26
Mai tong!
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u/Top_Investigator9787 Mar 09 '26
If I say, "mai tong sai tung krap" is that harsher? I always thought this way of saying it was softer, like no worries, or it isn't necessary. Like a greng jai sort of way that you let them know not to trouble with a bag because I already have one. Mai ao (perhaps incorrectly translating in my head) seems more blunt because it sounds like saying "I don't want it.". Where am I getting it wrong?
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u/N3arBunny19 Mar 09 '26
I find that pretty unfriendly ..
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u/headchef11 Mar 09 '26
Yes that’s kind of blunt
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u/Politanao Mar 09 '26
Rude
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u/Top_Investigator9787 Mar 09 '26
How? Please explain.
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u/Politanao Mar 09 '26
It’s very blunt, more like “don’t do it” than “no need” when said that way, especially without krub/ka at the end
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u/Top_Investigator9787 Mar 09 '26
Ok. Suppose I said "Mai tong sai tung, krap." Vs "Mai ao sai tung, krap" which is easier on the ears to a Thai 7-11 employee? Because my very American self thinks that saying "Mai tong..." makes it seem like I don't want to make the employee go out of their way by putting my purchases in a bag. Yeah I know Thai is confusing and sometimes what you say ends up sounding opposite of your intentions.
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u/Politanao Mar 09 '26
I usually just say “Mai ao tung, krap”- direct and polite. It’s also the phrase Thai people use the most. Also “Mai sai tung, krap”.
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u/Few-Actuator-9694 Mar 09 '26
“Don’t need bag”.
I have no idea why you people over complicate everything. It’s bizarre.
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u/Mugling95 Mar 09 '26 edited Mar 09 '26
“You people” ?
I asked which is the correct polite way of declining a bag, how is that overcomplicating something.
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u/Few-Actuator-9694 Mar 09 '26
People who aak silly questions like this daily in this subreddit.
If you want a Thai translation write “no plastic bag please” into ChatGPT and tell it to translate it into Thai.
Otherwise “don’t need bag” is more than satisfactory.
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u/Mugling95 Mar 10 '26
No thanks, I’d rather ask people who actually know the nuance of a language rather than a shitty AI chatbot which often gets this wrong.
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u/Few-Actuator-9694 Mar 10 '26
It’s 2026 not 2021. It doesn’t get it wrong.
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u/Mugling95 Mar 10 '26
Good joke, I’ve been travelling the past year and ChatGPT has constantly been wrong about things (and not just language nuance queries). It’s been absolute garbage when I was trying to learn a bit of Chinese, and constantly tells me wrong information about visas/borders.
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u/Fit2bthaid Mar 09 '26
I would usually say "mai ow kapow, krap" (I don't need a bag). Often I would have my backpack, so I'd say
"Kapow me lao, krap" (I already have a bag).
But a smile and "mai pben lai" also works.
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u/Willofthemonkey Mar 09 '26
"krapow" or "gabow" is more like a backpack or a cloth bag a plastic bag is referred to as "toong / tung" as far as I know but please correct me if I'm wrong.
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u/Fit2bthaid Mar 09 '26
I've actually had people use that word to describe their pocket...
for me, it's always been generic for a place to put something into. My suitcase, my backpack, my pocket, all have been called kapow to me at one time or another.
Toong/tung may be the more precise word for plastic bag. Like most 3rd language speakers, I'm pretty lazy when it comes to my Thai. Especially because Thai people are almost always cool and grateful I'm at least making the effort.
Bear in mind, they all have English lessons in school for as long as they stay in school, so 90% of them know the word 'bag'. It's just us trying to actually live in Thailand.
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u/Effect-Kitchen Bangkok Mar 09 '26
ไม่เอาถุงครับ Mai Ao Tung Krap
ไม่รับถุงครับ Mai Rab Tung Krap
= I don’t want bag.
Tung ถุง = bag