In Reply to: Help me say "No thank-you" posted by jewels in perth on Monday, 25. April 2005 at 15:20 Bali Time:
Just say terima kasih in such a way that indicates you don't want it -- either with a hint of apology in your voice or with a mild shake of the head. Indonesians virtually never say "no". The closest they get is with the word "belum" which means not yet, or "nanti" which means later.
Terima kasih means "receive love". Tidak terima kasih basically means "you'll get no love from me". It's not quite rude, but it is a bit of a weird thing to say to someone.
Of course, if the person is pestering too much, you can always simply say no in English. Everybody understands that much. Say it firmly, but don't raise your voice or you will look foolish.