Pakistan/Phaak Isaan

[Ombra]

On my Google News feed this morning, there is a story from the New York Times about the building that collapsed in Bangkok after the earthquake. It is written by three reporters: two men with Anglo names and an Indonesian. It includes this sentence:

 

'At the perimeter, the father of a Pakistani worker told reporters people were praying in temples all over Thailand.'

 

I was surprised to read that a Pakistani was working on a construction site in Bangkok and that his father should refer to temples rather than mosques. Isn't it more likely, though, that the interpreter asked the man where he was from, and he said Phaak Isaan? Then the Americans made a mistake that Imade a very long time ago.

 

[jacnl2000]

16 hours ago, Ombra said:

On my Google News feed this morning, there is a story from the New York Times about the building that collapsed in Bangkok after the earthquake. It is written by three reporters: two men with Anglo names and an Indonesian. It includes this sentence:

 

'At the perimeter, the father of a Pakistani worker told reporters people were praying in temples all over Thailand.'

 

I was surprised to read that a Pakistani was working on a construction site in Bangkok and that his father should refer to temples rather than mosques. Isn't it more likely, though, that the interpreter asked the man where he was from, and he said Phaak Isaan? Then the Americans made a mistake that Imade a very long time ago.

 

Foreign reporters unfamiliar with Thai geography and pronunciation might mishear ภาคอีสาน as “Pakistani”:

 

Two of my Issan family members happen to be working at construction sites in Bangkok, so I was worrying too.

[Lorry]

17 hours ago, Ombra said:

On my Google News feed this morning, there is a story from the New York Times about the building that collapsed in Bangkok after the earthquake. It is written by three reporters: two men with Anglo names and an Indonesian. It includes this sentence:

 

'At the perimeter, the father of a Pakistani worker told reporters people were praying in temples all over Thailand.'

 

I was surprised to read that a Pakistani was working on a construction site in Bangkok and that his father should refer to temples rather than mosques. Isn't it more likely, though, that the interpreter asked the man where he was from, and he said Phaak Isaan? Then the Americans made a mistake that Imade a very long time ago.

 

I read the same story and was puzzled about the "Pakistani" worker,  too.

And I also noted the story was written by 2 farang and an Idonesian.

"

At the perimeter, the father of a Pakistani worker told reporters people were praying at temples all over Thailand,"