Snake Snake Fish Fish is an ongoing series based around Thai idioms/phrases/colloquialisms, written about and illustrated by Kiera Hurley and guest contributors.
Kiera Hurley, 135 YinD
If there’s one phrase that sums up the Thai way of life, it’s sabai sabai (สบาย สบาย). On the surface, it’s a casual expression meaning “relax,” “take it easy,” or “everything’s okay.” But spend a little time in Thailand, and you’ll begin to see that it runs much deeper. Sabai sabai is not just a phrase—it’s a mindset, a lifestyle, and a gentle reminder to breathe deeply and let life unfold.
In Thai, sabai can mean you’re feeling comfortable and peaceful where you’re at. Repeat it twice—sabai sabai—and you’ve got a phrase that encapsulates ultimate contentment.
When I first arrived in Thailand, the idea of spending a day doing absolutely nothing was foreign to me. Weekends were for exploring, producing, achieving. I filled my free time with checklists and activities, thinking that was the key to fulfillment. But here, I met people who could sit under a tree for hours, swinging gently in a hammock, simply existing. No rush. No guilt. Just being.
At first, I didn’t understand it. But over time, I began to see the beauty in it—the spaciousness of an unplanned day, the calm that settles in when you let your thoughts wander without distraction. I learned to lean into the stillness. And in that space, I found sabai sabai.
Now, when I think of the phrase, I see lazy Sunday afternoons stretched out on my wooden platform, a warm breeze drifting through the rice fields, the distant hum of life moving slowly around me. I’ve learned that productivity doesn’t always equal peace. Sometimes the most meaningful moments come from allowing yourself to be still.
Sabai sabai has become my weekend mantra, my quiet inner compass. It’s a reminder that it’s okay to let go of control, to stop chasing and start resting. To live lightly, love gently, and trust that happiness often finds us when we stop looking so hard.
Live life the Sabai Sabai way—embrace the calm, go with the flow, and let happiness find you effortlessly.
Sticky Rice 