ลูกค้า
customer
A native Thai recording for this word is on the way. Please check back soon.
- 1 customer、client
This is the standard word for a person or organization that buys goods or uses a service.
customer、client
A person or organization that buys from a business or uses its services.
Learning notes
Explanation
ลูกค้า contains ค้า, a word associated with trade and commerce. For practical purposes, learners should remember ลูกค้า as a single word meaning a customer or client. It applies not only to shoppers and restaurant guests but also to users of services such as banking or telecommunications and to corporate customers. It is common in both everyday and business language. The usual classifier for individual customers is คน, as in ลูกค้าสามคน, “three customers.” ราย is also used in statistics and administrative contexts.
Usage
It is commonly used in shops, restaurants, hotels, and service businesses, as well as in discussions of sales, customer support, and marketing. A third party can also use it when describing a business and its customers.
Caution
ลูกค้า refers to someone in a commercial or service relationship. Use แขก for a guest visiting someone’s home. When addressing a customer directly, คุณลูกค้า is often more polite and natural than ลูกค้า alone.
Differences from similar words
1 customer synonyms
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ผู้ซื้อ emphasizes the buyer or purchaser in a transaction. ลูกค้า is broader and can also refer to prospective customers and ongoing users of a service.
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ผู้บริโภค means “consumer” and is relatively formal, focusing on the person who ultimately uses goods or services. ลูกค้า is the everyday term viewed from the business or service provider’s side.