Hello community.

 

Hoping for some help.

 

Is there a recommended Android Mobile App which I can use to assist me to communicate with non English speaking Thais?

 

I'm looking for an easy to use Verbal Interface, free from bloatware & privacy intrusion.

 

Thanks

 

R

I use Google translate, works well enough.

Google Lens is also useful for reading signs/notices etc written in Thai.

Perhaps you can find an old school

"long haired dictionary"   they were quite cheap and so useful in numerous ways.

 

If you stick to a mobile phone you will unfortunately probably be using something based on Google  with all the "privacy" that it entails.

I use Google translate

 

11 hours ago, Mutt Daeng said:

Google Lens is also useful for reading signs/notices etc

 

Google Translate also has this function.

On 5/1/2025 at 9:06 AM, Upnotover said:

I use Google translate, works well enough.

The Google Translate App is being offered to me in the play store for a subscription of $6.99 a month.

 

Are free subscriptions not a thing anymore?

1 minute ago, rockyysdt said:

The Google Translate App is being offered to me in the play store for a subscription of $6.99 a month.

 

Are free subscriptions not a thing anymore?

I've got it on my phone, tablet and laptop. I don't pay anything. (Play store set to Thailand)

9 minutes ago, rockyysdt said:

The Google Translate App is being offered to me in the play store for a subscription of $6.99 a month.

 

Are free subscriptions not a thing anymore?

 

I don't think that it Google translate. It is free everywhere.

Mine came free with my Samsung Android phone. It's called Google Translate. If anyone can suggest an alternative  that is not Google I would be happy to try it out. I hate Google so much. I dropped their browser years ago and switched to DUCK DUCK GO GO which is far superior.

12 minutes ago, rockyysdt said:

The Google Translate App is being offered to me in the play store for a subscription of $6.99 a month.

 

Are free subscriptions not a thing anymore?

Then it ain't Google translate- it's something else.  Maybe malware. Be careful 

 

On 5/3/2025 at 6:12 PM, Magictoad said:

Mine came free with my Samsung Android phone.

Sorry about my lack of knowledge.

I searched through the apps on my phone, many I have never used, and yes "Google Translate" had already been installed.

 

It seems that when installed on a new device, as part of a suite of google apps you get it gratus, but if you try to install via the Play Store there is a subscription.

Either it's a premium app or maybe Google is trying to squeeze out some income???

 

Once again thanks for your assistance.

 

One thing, the translate is a males voice.

Can a user alter the gender of the translated response?

Mine is a female voice?

Found no setting.

Anyone knows?

 

Whether the synthesized voice will be understood well?

Hardly ever used.

I use only text to text and image translation (OCR) which is now really good compared to 10 years ago.

 

Google could not implement the very unusual Thai feature of male vs female speaker

But people got used to it that "I" am a female ("chan").

And the polite krap/kha is simply left out like at 7/11 door where it simply is "khop Khun".

 

36 minutes ago, rockyysdt said:

 

 

One thing, the translate is a males voice.

Can a user alter the gender of the translated response?

Go to your profile, select >>settings>>region>>English.  Then chose one of the options - I have English (United Kingdom) selected which gives a British female accent for the English and a Thai female accent for Thai. I have to say I can't find any option which gives a male voice so there might some other setting hiding somewhere!

Forgot to mention that voice (recognition) input to text works quite well.