Strict conditions (ก็ต่อเมื่อ)

Animal shelters carefully screen your background and evaluate your qualifications to ensure rescue pets go to safe homes.

When a strict requirement must be met before an action is permitted, Thai uses the conjunction ก็ต่อเมื่อ. This translates to "only when" or "only if."

Place ก็ต่อเมื่อ directly between the main action and the required condition: [Main clause] + ก็ต่อเมื่อ + [Required condition].

Shelters often have specific physical requirements for your home, like a secure fence to keep the pet safe.

You can use ก็ต่อเมื่อ to establish any formal or legal prerequisite, such as getting a person's consent or passing an official evaluation.

These strict conditions exist because shelters rigorously check for absolute dealbreakers, such as a criminal record, to protect the animals in their care.