homeless person
A native Thai recording for this word is on the way. Please check back soon.
- 1 homeless person、unhoused person
It refers to a person who has no stable place to live and may stay on the street, in public spaces, or in temporary accommodation.
homeless person、unhoused person
A person who lacks stable housing, rather than someone who is merely away from home temporarily.
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ศูนย์พักพิงสำหรับคนไร้บ้าน sǔun phákphiŋ sǎmràp khon ráy bâan a shelter for people experiencing homelessness ศูนย์พักพิงสำหรับคนไร้บ้าน details
Learning notes
Explanation
The expression consists of คน “person,” ไร้ “to lack or be without,” and บ้าน “home.” Its literal sense is “a person without a home.” It describes someone who lacks stable housing, not someone who is simply away from home while traveling or going out. It is a relatively neutral term used in news coverage, public policy, social services, and everyday conversation. The form does not change for the plural. For example, คนไร้บ้านหนึ่งคน means “one homeless person,” while คนไร้บ้านหลายคน means “several homeless people.”
Usage
This term is common when discussing shelters, food or medical assistance, housing policy, poverty, and people living on the street. Common phrases include ปัญหาคนไร้บ้าน “homelessness” or “the homelessness problem” and ช่วยเหลือคนไร้บ้าน “help people experiencing homelessness.”
Caution
This is not synonymous with คนจน “a poor person,” since someone can have a low income while still having housing. Directly labeling someone คนไร้บ้าน may also feel reductive or insensitive, so avoid defining a person solely by their housing situation when that information is unnecessary.