Mâi láew vs Mâi loey - Speak Thai Naturally

Mâi láew ไม่แล้ว vs Mâi loey ไม่เลย - Speak Thai Naturally

If you're learning Thai and want to sound more natural in everyday conversations, knowing when to use "ไม่แล้ว" (mâi láew) and "ไม่เลย" (mâi loey) is very helpful. These two phrases may look similar, but they’re used in different situations and express different ideas.

Let’s look at how Thai people use them in real life.

ไม่แล้ว (Mâi láew)

This phrase is used when something used to happen or be true, but no longer is. It often comes at the end of a sentence and sounds very natural when you want to talk about a change over time.

ฉันไม่กินกาแฟแล้ว
Chǎn mâi gin gaa-fae láew
(I don’t drink coffee anymore.)
เขาไม่อยู่ที่นี่แล้ว
Kháo mâi yùu thîi-nîi láew
(He’s not here anymore.)
พวกเรามาเรียนทุกอาทิตย์ แต่ตอนนี้ไม่มาแล้ว
Phûuak-rao maa rian thúk aa-thít, dtàe dton-níi mâi maa láew
(We used to come study every week, but now we don’t.)

You’ll often hear this when people talk about habits, routines, or changes in their lives.

ไม่เลย (Mâi loey)

This is used to strongly deny something. It means “not at all” and adds emphasis. You can use it to express surprise, disagreement, or to make your answer clear.

ผมไม่เหนื่อยเลย
Phǒm mâi nèuay loey
(I’m not tired at all.)
เธอไม่โกรธเลยเหรอ
Thoe mâi gròot loey rǒoe?
(You’re not mad at all?)
แม่ไม่กินเผ็ดเลย
Mâe mâi gin phèt loey
(My mom doesn’t eat spicy food at all.)

You can say this after ไม่ mâi + verb/adjective to make the meaning stronger. It’s great when you want to be clear or show your true feeling.