Thai Rath Cartoon

[kokesaat]

In the first block of today's Thai Rath political cartoon (http://www.thairath.co.th/column/pol/chaicartoon/39553), the man declares

"ตลกไหม ปีนี้แค่ 10 เดือน รถไฟตกราง derail แล้ว 80 ครั้ง!"

The cartoonist ends the sentence with an exclamation point, making me think the sentence would translate to:

"Isn't it ridiculous that there have been 80 train derailments in just 10 months this year!"

It seems to me to be one of those sentences that uses a question word (Isn't it) when, in fact, the speaker isn't really asking a question, but making a statement.

My dictionary says that ไหม is an interrogative used at the end of a question, implying a lingering doubt. That seems to fit this particular sentence, except that it's a statement, not a question.

Thai Reference Grammar doesn't offer any clues.

Anyone have any other possible translations?

[DavidHouston]

In the first block of today's Thai Rath political cartoon (http://www.thairath.co.th/column/pol/chaicartoon/39553), the man declares

"ตลกไหม ปีนี้แค่ 10 เดือน รถไฟตกราง derail แล้ว 80 ครั้ง!"

The cartoonist ends the sentence with an exclamation point, making me think the sentence would translate to:

"Isn't it ridiculous that there have been 80 train derailments in just 10 months this year!"

It seems to me to be one of those sentences that uses a question word (Isn't it) when, in fact, the speaker isn't really asking a question, but making a statement.

My dictionary says that ไหม is an interrogative used at the end of a question, implying a lingering doubt. That seems to fit this particular sentence, except that it's a statement, not a question.

Thai Reference Grammar doesn't offer any clues.

Anyone have any other possible translations?

I think you have the correct translation. There are two separate sentences here, both in Thai and in English. The first is an interrogator sentence, "ตลกไหม", "Isn't it amazing?" The second sentence is the balance of the utterance, "ปีนี้แค่ 10 เดือน รถไฟตกราง derail แล้ว 80 ครั้ง!" This is a complete declarative sentence.

[kokesaat]

Two separate sentences! That makes it so much easier. Thanks.