📖 Topic guide
How do you say sorry in Thai?
Use ขอโทษครับ (kho thot khrap)ขอโทษค่ะ (kho thot kha) to apologize or say “excuse me.” The same core phrase can acknowledge a mistake, get someone’s attention politely, or help you pass through a crowded space.
How to pronounce kho thot
RTGS writes the phrase as kho thot. A tone-marked learner spelling may appear as kɔ̌ɔ-tôot. Listen for two clear syllables and copy the full phrase from the audio above.
You may see variants such as kor tod or kaw toht online. They are different attempts to write the same Thai phrase in Latin letters, rather than instructions to pronounce it differently.
Common school situations
- Apologizing after misunderstanding a colleague.
- Getting someone’s attention before asking a question.
- Passing in front of someone or moving through a narrow space.
- Softening the start of a request in the staffroom.
When kho thot is not enough
ขอโทษ can introduce an apology or get attention, but it may not make clear that you want something repeated. If you did not hear, add a request such as ช่วยพูดอีกครั้งได้ไหม (“Could you say that again?”)