6 hours ago, Rockyroad said:

What questions?

If you aren't a bot, you would see what I asked many replies before. If you skim, you are omitting the gist of what people write, which means you automatically dismiss what people say, preferring to go by your own opinions and not their facts.

6 hours ago, Rockyroad said:

Happy to meet you and anyone on here for a language test in Bangkok. The more the better.

I want to remind you of how you sound here, as I already raised 5 teenagers, and used to play against many in online gaming. Understand?

30 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

If you aren't a bot, you would see what I asked many replies before. If you skim, you are omitting the gist of what people write, which means you automatically dismiss what people say, preferring to go by your own opinions and not their facts.

What questions do you have? I don't read all your rants champ.

29 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

I want to remind you of how you sound here, as I already raised 5 teenagers, and used to play against many in online gaming. Understand?

You sound angry and out of your depth.

5 hours ago, JT25 said:

I would imagine this clown RockRoad,Harrisfan,bignok is about to be barred again , so can expect a new user name very soon. What will he call himself next week i wonder.ThaiTalker or ChatGPT.

You got banned as ThShu. You can't speak Thai. You are always negative. I suggest you seek therapy.

39 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

UltimateTroll#1 perhaps?

Why do you troll Fred? Very strange posts you make. Quoting people for months and years. Won't get real. Won't meet in person. Your 1970s story get debunked and deleted. Very strange to lie so much.

42 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

and used to play against many in online gamin

I think your whole identity is online. In real life you shy away from people cause they can see the fake stories. Online you can create an image of strength.

13 minutes ago, Rockyroad said:

I think your whole identity is online. In real life you shy away from people cause they can see the fake stories. Online you can create an image of strength.

If you aren't the most ignorant man on the planet you're definitely in the running. Your memory is terrible at best, or you are just a troll and love to bait. let us know which. You still can't conceive of the concept of, you can't assume what others in this world are doing as you haven't a clue.

In real life, which this is a part of, I have many actual friends. the way you act I'm pretty sure you have very few, if any. I never lied here, and don't have to answer to anyone but God. It doesn't matter what you believe as again, you're meaningless to everyone here. Put succinctly, no one cares what you think.

That you haven't accomplished anything near what I have is plainly obvious.

Again, you have no real woman, meaning one from your country or one you haven't paid for, seeing the P4P is your game.

You have no home, and are a wanderer, with no responsibilities.

You exaggerate greatly, as everyone here can see.

You brag about meaningless things, like a teenager does.

You aren't willing to answer any questions about your life, which means you're hiding something, or things. Online is a part of most people's lives, but I'm thinking it IS your life. If you aren't going to answer these simple questions, don't bother commenting on any of my posts, or replying any longer, as the finger points to FRAUD.

Edited June 16Jun 16 by fredwiggy

2 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

If you aren't the most ignorant man on the planet you're definitely in the running. Your memory is terrible at best, or you are just a troll and love to bait. let us know which. You still can't conceive of the concept of, you can't assume what others in this world are doing as you haven't a clue.

In real life, which this is a part of, I have many actual friends. the way you act I'm pretty sure you have very few, if any. I never lied here, and don't have to answer to anyone but God. It doesn't matter what you believe as again, you're meaningless to everyone here. Put succinctly, no one cares what you think.

That you haven't accomplished anything near what I have is plainly obvious.

Again, you have no real woman, meaning one from your country or one you haven't paid for, seeing the P4P is your game.

You have no home, and are a wanderer, with no responsibilities.

You exaggerate greatly, as everyone here can see.

You brag about meaningless things, like a teenager does.

You aren't willing to answer any questions about your life, which means you're hiding something, or things. Online is a part of most people's lives, but I'm thinking it IS your life.

I live in the real world. Your whole life is online. You are John Wayne on here. In the real world just an uneducated wannabe with anger mgmt issues. Strangest person on the internet.

Why can't Brits say

Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch?

41 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

If you aren't the most ignorant man on the planet you're definitely in the running

You are talking to a computer screen. I'm amazed you can't tell the difference between the real world where 8 billion people exist and a computer screen.

Go visit Chiang Mai. Go visit Phattalung. Go visit Siem Reap. That is the real world.

Otherwise you will have to tell Texans back home you spent a decade sitting in a village having internet arguments and did very little in Thailand.

On 6/10/2026 at 7:05 AM, kwilco said:

Actually it is the other way round.

On 6/10/2026 at 7:05 AM, kwilco said:

Actually it is the other way round.

roo860, you are wrong!

5 hours ago, Purdey said:

Why can't Brits say

Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch?

Brits can – usually the ones from Wales; however, a lot of ENGLISH people have no idea how the Latin alphabet operates in different languages, especially with vowel sounds and in Welsh consonants too.

(I bet you even Googled the spelling!) - They probably can't pronounce "Cymru" either!

This, of course also affects transcription from Thai to the Latin alphabet and explains why some very uninformed people spell "farang" as "farlang"

Anyone who has visited Laos will see that the Lao language, which is very similar to Thai, has been transcribed using a French system and is quite different from the systems used in Thailand.

Edited June 16Jun 16 by kwilco

On 6/13/2026 at 4:41 AM, Bredbury Blue said:

In spoken Thai, thai's often use L for an R, so you do hear both Farang and Falang.

That's not really relevant to the point I was making. The difference between "farang" and "farlang" isn't about Thai speakers substituting L for R; it's about people making up their own spellings when transcribing Thai into the Latin alphabet.

Thai pronunciation rules, regional accents, and transliteration systems are separate issues. "Farlang" is simply a non-standard spelling of ฝรั่ง , which is based on your poor understanding of Thai pronunciation and transcription.

19 minutes ago, kwilco said:

That's not really relevant to the point I was making. The difference between "farang" and "farlang" isn't about Thai speakers substituting L for R; it's about people making up their own spellings when transcribing Thai into the Latin alphabet.

Thai pronunciation rules, regional accents, and transliteration systems are separate issues. "Farlang" is simply a non-standard spelling of ฝรั่ง , which is based on your poor understanding of Thai pronunciation and transcription.

Never heard a Thai say Farlang. Farangs who can't speak Thai say that. Farang sounds like faraang.

18 minutes ago, Rockyroad said:

Never heard a Thai say Farlang. Farangs who can't speak Thai say that. Farang sounds like faraang.

Do you realise that's what I said? ... but also not what I'm talking about.

Edited June 16Jun 16 by kwilco

12 hours ago, kwilco said:

Do you realise that's what I said? ... but also not what I'm talking about.

Yes some make up there own spellings but the spellings are not 100% either as there is no direct translation. Koh is island but it sounds more like goh.

Samet gets spelt Samed too.

I just copy the Thais. A lot of farangs copy other farangs.

18 minutes ago, Rockyroad said:

Samet gets spelt Samed too.

As it should as the last Thai letter is Daw Dek.

14 hours ago, kwilco said:

That's not really relevant to the point I was making. The difference between "farang" and "farlang" isn't about Thai speakers substituting L for R; it's about people making up their own spellings when transcribing Thai into the Latin alphabet.

Thai pronunciation rules, regional accents, and transliteration systems are separate issues. "Farlang" is simply a non-standard spelling of ฝรั่ง , which is based on your poor understanding of Thai pronunciation and transcription.

Not at all correct, I didn't come up with the transliteration of farang falang farlang fahlang fahrang etc, I just use the term often in conversation with my family and expat friends. Whichever way I write, readers of this website, including pedants, know exactly what I mean.

You do seem to make a mountain out of a molehill.

Ps. Another poster was asking about your teaching experience Professor, maybe you want to respond to his post.

15 hours ago, kwilco said:

Brits can – usually the ones from Wales; however, a lot of ENGLISH people have no idea how the Latin alphabet operates in different languages, especially with vowel sounds and in Welsh consonants too.

(I bet you even Googled the spelling!) - They probably can't pronounce "Cymru" either!

This, of course also affects transcription from Thai to the Latin alphabet and explains why some very uninformed people spell "farang" as "farlang"

Anyone who has visited Laos will see that the Lao language, which is very similar to Thai, has been transcribed using a French system and is quite different from the systems used in Thailand.

Brits CAN'T - some Welsh people can. Wikipedia reckons 18% or approx +500k of the population of Wales speak Welsh, with approx another +100k in England. Most Welsh speakers are in North Wales. I believe Caernarfon is the centre of Welsh speaking. I've known many Welsh people in my life but not one of them could speak Welsh.

With regards transliteration of Thai in to English, there obviously can not be a 100% correct system as Thai has different sounds to English.

We're all familiar with the Royal Thai General System of Transcription, the official system for rendering Thai words in the Latin script, and how inaccurate it is for us native English speakers.

On the subject of Wales. I used to work with an American lawyer who thought "Wales is a shire of England". 🤣

5 hours ago, Bredbury Blue said:

I just use the term often in conversation

You've just been writing down !!!- do you even know what transcription is?

Edited June 17Jun 17 by kwilco

4 hours ago, Bredbury Blue said:

Brits CAN'T - some Welsh people can

Welsh are British!

Welsh are British, and welsh speakers are going to be Welsh. Be rare to find any English or Scottish who speak welsh.

47 minutes ago, kwilco said:

You've just been writing down !!!- do you even know what transcription is?

No idea what you now going on about but your post seems angry.

9 hours ago, Rockyroad said:

Yes some make up there own spellings but the spellings are not 100% either as there is no direct translation. Koh is island but it sounds more like goh.

Samet gets spelt Samed too.

I just copy the Thais. A lot of farangs copy other farangs.

Tapuapa or Takuapa in Phang nga. Local road signs say Takuapa so I go with that but most Western people say Tapuapa. I don't read Thai so I don't know. Google maps has Takuapa, actually Takua Pa.

3 hours ago, Bredbury Blue said:

No idea what you now going on about but your post seems angry.

QED.

9 hours ago, Bredbury Blue said:

Brits CAN'T - some Welsh people can. Wikipedia reckons 18% or approx +500k of the population of Wales speak Welsh, with approx another +100k in England. Most Welsh speakers are in North Wales. I believe Caernarfon is the centre of Welsh speaking. I've known many Welsh people in my life but not one of them could speak Welsh.

With regards transliteration of Thai in to English, there obviously can not be a 100% correct system as Thai has different sounds to English.

We're all familiar with the Royal Thai General System of Transcription, the official system for rendering Thai words in the Latin script, and how inaccurate it is for us native English speakers.

I think you're getting distracted by side issues and missing the main point.

Firstly, saying "Brits can't" because most Welsh people don't speak Welsh is a rather odd argument. You appear to be using "Brit" when you actually mean "English". Britain contains several nations and languages, and Welsh is one of them.

As for personal anecdotes, they're not particularly useful. Where I used to live, nearly half the population spoke Welsh. In Gwynedd, around Caernarfon, Welsh speakers account for roughly 65% of the population. In one workplace I was the only native English speaker, and some colleagues spoke little or no English at all. Welsh language use is much lower in much of South Wales, but that's a different discussion entirely.

More importantly, none of this has much to do with the subject under discussion, which is foreign speakers, pronunciation, and transcription systems.

Many non-Welsh speakers can correctly pronounce and spell “Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch”, but that doesn't mean Welsh spelling follows English phonetic rules. Welsh, uses the Latin alphabet but assigns different values to letters and combinations of letters. Sounds such as the unvoiced "ll" and the guttural "ch" simply don't exist in English. The earliest written Welsh dates back to around the 6th century and was written using the Latin alphabet, yet nobody would claim Welsh spelling should be interpreted through English pronunciation rules.

The same principle applies to Thai. There can never be a perfect system for transcribing Thai into English because Thai contains sounds that simply don't exist in English. Various transcription systems attempt to bridge that gap, each with different priorities. The RTGS system used on road signs prioritises simplicity, while academic and language-learning systems often prioritise accuracy and pronunciation.

This brings us back to "farang" and "farlang".

The difference isn't really about Thai speakers substituting L for R in casual speech. That's a separate issue. In informal Thai, many speakers replace the rolled or trilled ร sound with ล or sometimes omit it entirely. That's normal conversational Thai and varies by region and dialect.

The problem with "farlang" lies elsewhere. Your transcription changes the vowel sound in the first syllable. The Thai word is ฝรั่ง. The first syllable contains a short vowel sound, something closer to "fuh" than "far".  It’s like the “schwa” sound...almost….There is no recognised transcription system in which "far" accurately represents that syllable.

So while "farang", "falang" and similar spellings are commonly encountered, "farlang" isn't simply reflecting an L-for-R substitution. It is also introducing a vowel sound that isn't present in the original Thai word.

You asked why it matters if people understand what you mean. The answer is that we're discussing why foreigners mispronounce Thai words and how transcription influences that process. If people invent spellings based on what they think they hear rather than using an established transcription system, they often end up reinforcing incorrect pronunciations.

It's the same issue that arises with "Jomtien". Many foreigners naturally turn the final N into an M because of a normal speech process called anticipatory assimilation. That's understandable. But writing down an inaccurate transcription and then treating it as if it reflects the original Thai pronunciation is a different matter entirely.

Many people don't realise there isn't just one system for converting Thai into the Latin alphabet. Some systems focus on reproducing pronunciation, while others focus on preserving the original spelling. RTGS, ISO 11940, ALA-LC and various language-learning systems all approach the problem differently. As a result, the same Thai word can legitimately appear in several forms depending on the system being used.

What they all have in common, however, is that they are structured systems. They are attempts to represent Thai sounds and spelling consistently. Simply making up spellings based on personal interpretation is neither transcription nor transliteration; it's guesswork.

That's why I pointed out "farlang". Not because people don't understand what you mean, but because it illustrates exactly how inaccurate transcriptions can distort both pronunciation and understanding of the original Thai word.

9 hours ago, Bredbury Blue said:

Ps. Another poster was asking about your teaching experience Professor, maybe you want to respond to his post.

"Professor" isn't an argument. It's what people reach for when they can't refute the point being made. The fact that you've abandoned the subject entirely and switched to commenting on me rather than the argument suggests you've run out of points to make. If you disagree with what I've written, explain why. Personal remarks aren't a substitute for a counterargument.