Khráp and Khâ are a final particles in Thai, which are said at the end of almost every sentence in order to be polite and formal.
khráp (for men)
khâ (for women)
If you want to say "mâi bpen rai" (never mind / you're welcome). You should say "mâi bpen rai Khráp/krâ" to show politeness
.
When should you use Khráp/Khâ?
- Thais use Khráp / Khâ when talking with someone who they respect.
Monks
Parents
Relatives
Teacher
- Thais use Khráp / Khâ when talking with someone who is higher in social class or older than them, such as
Elder brothers / sisters
A boss
The minister
etc.
- Thais use Khráp / Khâ when they want to be polite. Everyone loves politeness, so a service person always says Khráp / khâ and it is good if you do so.
*However, politeness can make people feel like it is not close and this is a reason why we shouldn't use Khráb / Khâ with friends.
*The alternate form among close friends might be ‘jâ’.