South Thai Word For "customer"

[MrHerb]

G'day,

I think I've normally heard ลูกค้า as the word for customer. But.. I was in Hat Yai, taxi driver was on the phone to someone and I heard him refer to me as something like kàek, แขก (but maybe a bit shorter). I'm an Aussie and farang looking, not Malay or Indian looking. So I asked him and he explained it meant "Customer". Just wondering if it's a Southern Thai word for customer, or.....

Regards,

MrHerb.

[meadish_sweetball]

My Southern Thai is pretty much non-existent, but for what it's worth when it comes to central Thai:

The basic meaning of the word แขก is guest, so it is not rude if used with that meaning - it is the commonly used word by hotel staff for hotel guests, for example.

[sbk]

Yes, its the same word in the South, except the ending K sound is nearly silent. It generally means guest of a hotel but I can see how it could be used as customer in this situation.

[DavidHouston]

How interesting that you raise this question! Turns out that the usage of the word "แขก" to mean "customer" has been included as a secondary definition within the new Royal Institute "Dictionary of New Words." Here is what the dictionary says:

"แขก . . . ๒. ลูกค้าที่มาใช้บริการในร้นเสริมสวย ร้านอาหาร สถานบันเทิง โรงแรมเป็นต้น . . . "

"Kaek . . . definition 2. A customer who comes to obtain services in a beauty parlor, restaurant, place of entertainment, [or] hotel, for example . . . "

So, from being a "Southerism" perhaps, the word has now become a recognized Central terms. BTW, the etymological reference in the New Words Dictionary says that the word comes from the Chinese word, "แขะ". The dictionary does not mention (and I have never seen the RID doing so) is identify whether the Chinese origin is Taejiew or Hokkien. If the former, then the origin tends to be Central; if the latter, than the origin is likely Southern. Perhaps some of our linguists can tell us if this presumption is generally accurate.

Thanks.

Edited November 28, 2007 by DavidHouston

[AjarnP]

How interesting that you raise this question! Turns out that the usage of the word "แขก" to mean "customer" has been included as a secondary definition within the new Royal Institute "Dictionary of New Words." Here is what the dictionary says:

"แขก . . . ๒. ลูกค้าที่มาใช้บริการในร้นเสริมสวย ร้านอาหาร สถานบันเทิง โรงแรมเป็นต้น . . . "

"Kaek . . . definition 2. A customer who comes to obtain services in a beauty parlor, restaurant, place of entertainment, [or] hotel, for example . . . "

So, from being a "Southerism" perhaps, the word has not become a recognized Central terms. BTW, the etymological reference in the New Words Dictionary says that the word comes from the Chinese word, "แขะ". The dictionary does not mention (and I have never seen the RID doing so) is identify whether the Chinese origin is Taejiew or Hokkien. If the former, then the origin tends to be Central; if the latter, than the origin is likely Southern. Perhaps some of our linguists can tell us if this presumption is generally accurate.

Thanks.

Definitely used througout the country from my experience. Actually some might even say its more polite than ลูกค้า too

Also nothing derogatory as far as I can tell

AjarnP

[DavidHouston]

Definitely used througout the country from my experience. Actually some might even say its more polite than ลูกค้า too

Also nothing derogatory as far as I can tell

AjarnP

Sorry, my typing error. I meant to type: "So, from being a "Southerism" perhaps, the word has now become a recognized Central term."

[stateman]

BTW, the etymological reference in the New Words Dictionary says that the word comes from the Chinese word, "แขะ". The dictionary does not mention (and I have never seen the RID doing so) is identify whether the Chinese origin is Taejiew or Hokkien.

Taejiew uses แขะ.

แขก is often used to mean "guest". Example someone visiting your home, one member of the household would inform another that "มีแขกมา". This means roughly "has guest (come) here".

So it shouldn't be a surprise that in a business, especially in a more intimate setting like barber, massage parlor, tailor, etc., you can say แขก. It sounds more intimate than ลูกค้า, which can be used here in a more business sense.

In a monolithic business building, say IBM, you may not call a customer who comes to buy a pc แขก. However, in the same IBM building, a face to face visit to an IBM manager may be announced as "มีแขกมา".

[sabaijai]

"แขก" is quite commonly heard throughout Thailand with reference to customers of virtually any tourism service. It's less formal than ลูกค้า and there's nothing Southern Thai about it.

[Jeddah Jo]

"แขก" is quite commonly heard throughout Thailand with reference to customers of virtually any tourism service. It's less formal than ลูกค้า and there's nothing Southern Thai about it.

I was told though it is the same word used to refer to guests/customers as to Indian/Arab looking people who can and do take offence when Thais use the word even if no offence was intended.

[Joel Barlow]

"I was told though it is the same word used to refer to guests/customers as to Indian/Arab looking people who can and do take offence when Thais use the word even if no"offense was intended.

Persians were long very important to Ayuddhaya etc... and it seems likely they brought the local root to the term Farang!

I've read that the Hakka Chinese are "guest" people, so, in some form of Chinese, Hakka = Guest...