The term 'อย่างไรก็ตาม (yâang rai gɔ̂ dtaam)' is often used in Thai language to indicate a contrast or an exception to what has previously been mentioned, similar to 'however' or 'nevertheless' in English. It can be placed at the beginning of the sentence to introduce a contrasting idea or statement, and could be equally translated to 'no matter what', 'regardless of', or 'despite that' depending on context. It is typically used in more formal or written Thai.