Hello all,

I always confuse with sawadeeka and sawadeekrap, also kap kun ka and kap kun krap...

HOw do I use them?

Kap kun ka/krap

In your profile you did not set your gender. Anyway, gender is the answer.

ka is used by females and krap by males.

If you are a male and use 'ka' somebody might wonder where you learned it.

As Axel said:

'kha' is the polite particle used by females (and transgender people).

'khrap' (or 'khap' without the 'r' in most people's casual speech) is the polite particle used by men.

As Axel said:

'kha' is the polite particle used by females (and transgender people).

'khrap' (or 'khap' without the 'r' in most people's casual speech) is the polite particle used by men.

Sorry, I'm a male.

Ok, means if I say thank you to a female or a male, I will say "kap kun khap" and " sa wa dee khap" right?

Yes, it is your gender that is important and not the gender of the person with whom you are speaking.

Khrup or Ka can also be used standalone such as acknowledging someone or as an affirmative to a question.

As Axel said:

'kha' is the polite particle used by females (and transgender people).

'khrap' (or 'khap' without the 'r' in most people's casual speech) is the polite particle used by men.

Sorry, I'm a male.

Ok, means if I say thank you to a female or a male, I will say "kap kun khap" and " sa wa dee khap" right?

sawatdee khrap means hello

kawp khun khrap means thank you, remember this is very polite.

As Axel said:

'kha' is the polite particle used by females (and transgender people).

'khrap' (or 'khap' without the 'r' in most people's casual speech) is the polite particle used by men.

Sorry, I'm a male.

Ok, means if I say thank you to a female or a male, I will say "kap kun khap" and " sa wa dee khap" right?

sawatdee khrap means hello

kawp khun khrap means thank you, remember this is very polite.

Thanks all for the advice

Generally speaking, you put "krap" or "kha" at the end of the sentence to make it more polite. For example, You can say "Khop Khun" which means "thank you" and you can make it more polite by adding "krap" if you are male. So you can say Khop Khun Krap.

However, you might hear some women say "krap" when they talk to a boy or some men say "kha" to a girl. You do not need to know why they say that. In these two cases, they can speak it that way but it is not really correct.

As Axel said:

'kha' is the polite particle used by females (and transgender people).

'khrap' (or 'khap' without the 'r' in most people's casual speech) is the polite particle used by men.

Sorry, I'm a male.

Ok, means if I say thank you to a female or a male, I will say "kap kun khap" and " sa wa dee khap" right?

But if you are a feminine gay male you can say 'kha' as well.

However, you might hear some women say "krap" when they talk to a boy or some men say "kha" to a girl. You do not need to know why they say that. In these two cases, they can speak it that way but it is not really correct.

When I was first learning Thai, a female would often say "krup" at the end of her sentences. I found it annoying and confusing; like she was making fun of me.

But now I am guessing that was not her intention. My guess is that it was more like how a mother might speak to her infant son to train him to use krup and not copy the "ka".

However, you might hear some women say "krap" when they talk to a boy or some men say "kha" to a girl. You do not need to know why they say that. In these two cases, they can speak it that way but it is not really correct.

When I was first learning Thai, a female would often say "krup" at the end of her sentences. I found it annoying and confusing; like she was making fun of me.

But now I am guessing that was not her intention. My guess is that it was more like how a mother might speak to her infant son to train him to use krup and not copy the "ka".

When speaking to or 'on behalf' of my 11month old daughter, I always use ka.

Hi Samran,

A male using KA คะ/ค่ะ to a young girl like this. Can I ask, is it used a) to teach the correct particle to the child, b ) to show affection/caring, or c) for both reasons?

Generally speaking, you put "krap" or "kha" at the end of the sentence to make it more polite. For example, You can say "Khop Khun" which means "thank you" and you can make it more polite by adding "krap" if you are male. So you can say Khop Khun Krap.

However, you might hear some women say "krap" when they talk to a boy or some men say "kha" to a girl. You do not need to know why they say that. In these two cases, they can speak it that way but it is not really correct.

If you are using the formal second person pronoun khun you should maintain the level of formality by placing the polite particle at the end of the thanks every time without exception.

Ok, I am not Thai, and not having lived in-country now for nearly 15 years I am the first to admit that my Thai has gone seriously downhill. But I find the following two utterances as almost being ungrammtical:

khop khun

khop cai khrap

Generally speaking, you put "krap" or "kha" at the end of the sentence to make it more polite. For example, You can say "Khop Khun" which means "thank you" and you can make it more polite by adding "krap" if you are male. So you can say Khop Khun Krap.

However, you might hear some women say "krap" when they talk to a boy or some men say "kha" to a girl. You do not need to know why they say that. In these two cases, they can speak it that way but it is not really correct.

If you are using the formal second person pronoun khun you should maintain the level of formality by placing the polite particle at the end of the thanks every time without exception.

Ok, I am not Thai, and not having lived in-country now for nearly 15 years I am the first to admit that my Thai has gone seriously downhill. But I find the following two utterances as almost being ungrammtical:

khop khun

khop cai khrap

I agree ขอบใจครับ sounds weird, but not when it comes to ขอบคุณ ... that sounds fine as an option between ขอบใจ (familiar) and ขอบคุณครับ (polite) - sometimes you need to 'desugar' your speech after a barrage of ครับ ๆ ๆ ๆ

Hi Samran,

A male using KA คะ/ค่ะ to a young girl like this. Can I ask, is it used a) to teach the correct particle to the child, b ) to show affection/caring, or c) for both reasons?

Definetly the intention is to teach her the correct particle. I always use it matter of factly, though I do speak to her in a affectionate way. Having said that I know that people use it affectionately, I am just more aware of the fact that my wife and I both use Aussie/Kiwi English exclusively at home, so when she goes out the front door, I need to make an effort to use Thai, and use it properly.

She is already starting to reply 'ja' to everything, which is a good start for an 11month old! No doubt, by the time she is five, she'll be much better than I ever will be.

Thanks.

I was just talking to a Thai girl about this and she also mentioned the affection angle: from father to young daughter she said it can be used to show "ความใกล้ชิด" and "ความเอ็นดู".