Just like in English where you can say to persuade, to convince, to talk someone into doing something, to get someone to do something, etc. In Thai, these words which express a similar idea also come in different intensities.

In this blog, we will learn all the words, from the least intense to the most intense form of persuasion.

1. ชักชวน chák chuan

This is the least demanding type of persuasion.

It’s has a little more of a persuasive effect than just แนะนำ (náe nam) which is to suggest.

In fact, ชวน means to invite. When you ชักชวน someone, you invite them to do something. Hey, let’s go vote! Let’s party at my house tonight! These are all ชักชวน.

• My friend convinced me to go to church.
  เพื่อนชักชวนให้ไปโบสถ์
  pêuan chák chuan hâi bpai bòht
  
  
• The government convinced the people to wear masks.
  รัฐบาลชักชวนให้ประชาชนใส่หน้ากาก
  rát-tà-baan chák chuan hâi bprà-chaa chon sài nâa gàak

2. ชักนำ chák nam

This word is a little more intense than ชักชวน because the word นำ (nam) means lead or to bring. So you can imagine someone who takes an active role in persuading/convincing somebody to do something.

• Drugs will lead you down the wrong path.
  สิ่งเสพติดจะชักนำให้หลงผิด
  sìng sàyp dtìt jà chák nam hâi lŏng pìt 
  
  
• The mob leader persuades people to trust their government.
  ผู้นำม็อบพูดชักนำให้คนไม่ไว้ใจรัฐบาล
  pôo nam móp pôot chák nam hâi kon mâi wái jai rát-tà-baan

3. ชักจูง chák joong

This word is similar to the previous one. จูง (joong) also means to lead/bring but by holding hands (for kids), and holding the string (animal). Again, with this image, you can see someone actively leading you to the destination he wants you to go.

• The politician uses his words to convince people to vote.
  นักการเมืองใช้คำพูดชักจูงให้ชาวบ้านไปเลือกตั้ง
  nák gaan meuang chái kam pôot chák joong hâi chaao bâan bpai lêuak dtâng
  
  
• You have to talk to persuade other people to think like you.
  เธอต้องพูดชักจูงให้คนอื่นคิดตามเธอ
  ter dtông pôot chák joong hâi kon èun kít dtaam ter

4. โน้มน้าว nóhm náao

This word is interchangeable with the previous word (ชักจูง).

The meaning is the same but only the image is a little different. โน้ม itself means inclined, slanted. You can imagine someone trying to talk or do something in a way that your opinion slants toward their objective.

• My mom persuades me to keep studying.
  แม่พูดโน้มน้าวให้เรียนต่อ
  mâe pôot nóhm náao hâi rian dtòr
  
  
• He does everything to persuade everyone to believe him.
  เขาทำทุกอย่างเพื่อโน้มน้าวให้ทุกคุนเชื่อเขา
  kăo tam túk yàang pêua nóhm náao hâi túk-kun chêua kăo

5. เกลี้ยกล่อม glîa-glòm

This word is a very strong type of persuasion with lots of effort. It’s used when the matter at hand is important. Not everyone is able to เกลี้ยกล่อม others to do something. You really need good talking skills.

The word กล่อม (glòm) itself means to put someone to sleep. I like to imagine it as the type of soft persuasion, constant sweet talk that turn people’s opinion toward what you want them to think.

• The police convinced the robber to place his gun down.
  ตำรวจเกลี้ยกล่อมให้โจรวางปืนลง
  dtam-rùat glîa-glòm hâi john waang bpeun long
  
  
• The wife convinced the husband to do what she wants.
  ภรรยาเกลี้ยกล่อมสามีให้ทำตาม
  pan-rá-yaa glîa-glòm săa-mee hâi tam dtaam

6. หว่านล้อม wàan lóm

This word is interchangeable with เกลี้ยกล่อม.

In fact, many times you can use them together as a double word and the meaning will be intensified. However, when I think of this word I think of a more strategic persuasion since the word ล้อม means to circle around something. The best way to catch a chicken is to circle around it in a group so that it has no way of escaping. That type of circling around something is called ล้อม.

• The nurse convinced a patient to not kill himself.
  พยาบาลพูดเกลี้ยกล่อมหว่านล้อมให้คนใข้ไม่ฆ่าตัวตาย
  pá-yaa-baan pôot glîa-glòm wàan lóm hâi kon kâi mâi kâa dtua dtaai
  
  
• I tried to persuade my boyfriend to live in a different country.
  ฉันพยายามพูดหว่านล้อมแฟนให้ตัดสินใจย้ายไปอยู่ต่างประเทศ
  chăn pá-yaa-yaam pôot wàan lóm faen hâi dtàt sĭn jai yáai bpai yòo dtàang bprà-tâyt

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Most Thais, don’t breakdown these words so deeply like I just did. I wanted to give you a detailed explanation of each word and the imagery involved.

To summarize, I like to break them down into 3 levels.

Level 1: ชักชวน chák chuan – The least intense form.

Level 2: ชักนำ chák nam, ชักจูง chák joong, โน้มน้าว nóhm náao – Second most intense. These can pretty much be used interchangeable.

Level 3: เกลี้ยกล่อม glîa-glòm, หว่านล้อม wàan lóm – The most intense form of persuasion.

I hope you now know how to properly say to persuade and to convince in Thai!