A Comparison of Pragmatic Competence of ‘Mai-Pen-Rai’ between Learners of Thai as a Second Language and Artificial Intelligence (ChatGPT)

Abstract

Pragmatic differences between second language learners of Thai and artificial intelligence (AI) have significant implications for the effectiveness of language teaching and intercultural communication. This study aims to compare pragmatic competence in the use of the expression “mai-pen-rai” between Thai language learners and AI, by employing a Discourse Completion Test (DCT) designed to cover four major pragmatic functions of “mai-pen-rai” (Panpothong & Phakdeephasook, 2014): a response to apologizing and thanking, a refusal strategy in the face of an offer, a remark of consolation, and a strategy to terminate verbal conflict. Participants were 25 international students and the AI system ChatGPT-4o. The results revealed that the Thai language learners demonstrated marked improvement in pragmatic competence after instruction, especially in contexts involving a refusal strategy and a strategy to terminate verbal conflict, as well as showing a greater tendency to use combined strategies to promote emotional support and relationship building. In contrast, while AI was able to use “mai-pen-rai” accurately in all scenarios, it lacked the subtlety and adaptability required for interpersonal appropriateness and situational nuance. The findings suggest that, despite AI’s accuracy in language form, pragmatic understanding and interpersonal competency remain human strengths, particularly when supported by targeted instruction within Thai cultural contexts. Therefore, Thai language teaching for second language learners of Thai should integrate pragmatic competence development and utilize AI as a supplementary tool to enhance effective pragmatic skills.