Why Don'T Thais Ask English Speakers To Translate

[glanville63]

It begs the question, why don't Thais ask English speakers to translate their adverts. You must have seen them when you travel around Pattaya. Loads of signs in Thai with what they think is the translation in English. There's a huge advert at the top of Pattaya Klang where it joins the Sukhumvit Road. You'll see it in front of you as you wait at the lights. There's a picture of The Mayor of Pattaya and according to my Thai wife, he's saying come to Pattaya, it's much improved now. There's some English below it but what that says is a load of gibberish. The Mayor must have loads of English speaking people he is in contact with. Why didn't he ask them if the translation made sense. There are loads and loads of similar examples all over the town. Don't they realise that these errors make their adverts cheap and chearful and take away their credibility. If I was to post a Thai advert in the UK I would definitely ask a Thai if it made sense.

[xen]

I have often thought there must be a niche in the market for proof readers , but my experience is that it is loss of face if somebody corrects their work. Have had a tense moments when proof reading menus in our restaurants in Sydney and a had to either correct spelling or rewrite a "Specials" menu when it didn't make sense.

[loong]

Unfortunately, this is due to arrogance of certain people. They believe that they can speak/write English better than native speakers.

A friend of mine runs a business in Pattaya. He had a sign made, which had a few spelling mistakes. The next time that he wanted a new sign he stressed that he wanted the spelling exactly as he wrote. Of course when the sign was finished, they'd used the same old spelling mistakes.

How many times have you looked at a restaurant menu and seen Crap instead of Crab. If only they realised what Crap meant.

[glanville63]

Yes I did think myself that it might be pride. They'll have to bury that if they're going to make any headway in the world.

[basjke]

Unfortunately, this is due to arrogance of certain people. They believe that they can speak/write English better than native speakers.

A friend of mine runs a business in Pattaya. He had a sign made, which had a few spelling mistakes. The next time that he wanted a new sign he stressed that he wanted the spelling exactly as he wrote. Of course when the sign was finished, they'd used the same old spelling mistakes.

How many times have you looked at a restaurant menu and seen Crap instead of Crab. If only they realised what Crap meant.

Probably what they are actually selling but has to pretend to be crab.

[Ulysses G.]

Thais often do ask farangs for help with spelling, but they ask illiterate dirt bags or non-native speakers and do not realize that all farangs are not the same.

[RabC]

Thais often do ask farangs for help with spelling, but they ask illiterate dirt bags or non-native speakers and do not realize that all farangs are not the same.

In ENGLISH that would be realise?

[Ulysses G.]

Thais often do ask farangs for help with spelling, but they ask illiterate dirt bags or non-native speakers and do not realize that all farangs are not the same.

In ENGLISH that would be realise?

British English maybe.

[PhilHarries]

Thais often do ask farangs for help with spelling, but they ask illiterate dirt bags or non-native speakers and do not realize that all farangs are not the same.

Along the lines of my thoughts, a little more robust pehaps but the same drift. There are more than a few native English speakers on TV that have problems with basic spelling and grammar. Sometimes you even see examples of poor English in that English language newspaper we can't mention and if they can't get it right what hope does Somchai and his menu stand?

Of course much of it comes from using a dictionary to translate word by word, it just doesn't work.

But crap translations introduce a little humour into the day and I can usually work out what is meant.

[Rimmer]

One post deleted, I suggest before anyone drops themselves in it on this thread they read the rules and in particular the following.

7) Not to post slurs or degrading comments directed towards any group on the basis of race, nationality, religion, gender or sexual orientation.

8) Not to post extremely negative views of Thailand or derogatory comments directed towards all Thais.

[lonewolf99]

I lub the crab speling, it gifs me ours of funn. Espeshally the Skool boy howlers.......

I did wonder what was going on ...but it must be the stupid loss of face that perpetuates this peristant problem.

I saw one bar sign in Soi 7 Jomtien/Chomtien/Jomtein Chom Thian.....that was I believe THE RELAXED BAR.....But four different attempts later and it was still wrong.

Any one want to hire a Mortar Bike?. Or buy car that is For SAEL....there are 2 on Theprassit road with cardboard signs spelt like this.

One problem is translating the Thai into English as some characters change sound depending on where it is in the Thai word.

This is why there are several housing estates called EAKMONGOL and you hear the Thais say EAKMONGON...the last letter written in Thai script is called "Law Ling" making English speakers assume it is like an 'L' well............... this is Thailand !!!

So if placed at the end of a word it is "sometimes" given a soft 'N' sound. In fact most Thai words the last letter is silent. If you see a Thai letter with a thing like a small sperm above it - this is called a Gharan. Which indicates to the reader it is not pronounced as B in the english word COMB. If you look carefully at Thai script there are lots of letters with this symbol above it. Even in peoples names and many town names. I give up asking why ?????????? No one can tell me - even a REAL Thai teacher with 35 years experience. Just take it as read....The other symbols are tone marks.

Now you might know why Thais say Mowta Sigh, Foot Bon and cut the end of lots of English words Englaaann Scotlaaaann Naw Way Beeah Baaah

I believe someone actually produced a book full of photos with crazy bar names and bad spelling around the Pattaya area ...

My favourite is the UR NET internet cafe in Jomtien.....they can provide you with a LapTop Hooker (should be hook-up).......

God I hope I have not made any spelling errors in this post..........................................

[mamanoodle]

I lub the crab speling, it gifs me ours of funn. Espeshally the Skool boy howlers.......

I did wonder what was going on ...but it must be the stupid loss of face that perpetuates this peristant problem.

I saw one bar sign in Soi 7 Jomtien/Chomtien/Jomtein Chom Thian.....that was I believe THE RELAXED BAR.....But four different attempts later and it was still wrong.

Any one want to hire a Mortar Bike?. Or buy car that is For SAEL....there are 2 on Theprassit road with cardboard signs spelt like this.

One problem is translating the Thai into English as some characters change sound depending on where it is in the Thai word.

This is why there are several housing estates called EAKMONGOL and you hear the Thais say EAKMONGON...the last letter written in Thai script is called "Law Ling" making English speakers assume it is like an 'L' well............... this is Thailand !!!

So if placed at the end of a word it is "sometimes" given a soft 'N' sound. In fact most Thai words the last letter is silent. If you see a Thai letter with a thing like a small sperm above it - this is called a Gharan. Which indicates to the reader it is not pronounced as B in the english word COMB. If you look carefully at Thai script there are lots of letters with this symbol above it. Even in peoples names and many town names. I give up asking why ?????????? No one can tell me - even a REAL Thai teacher with 35 years experience. Just take it as read....The other symbols are tone marks.

Now you might know why Thais say Mowta Sigh, Foot Bon and cut the end of lots of English words Englaaann Scotlaaaann Naw Way Beeah Baaah

I believe someone actually produced a book full of photos with crazy bar names and bad spelling around the Pattaya area ...

My favourite is the UR NET internet cafe in Jomtien.....they can provide you with a LapTop Hooker (should be hook-up).......

God I hope I have not made any spelling errors in this post..........................................

Of course you have made spelling mistakes, being married to a Scot I know the Thais all say Sacotaland. And kudos to all the Thai sign writers because their written English is way,way better than my written Thai. If you go to the restaurant at the Ananya in Naklua they have horse crap on their menu, but this reflects the Thai p pronunciation of b in English. Also the Thai script bears no resemblance whatsoever to the English script, but it does make for some interesting reading sometimes, and we do need to think of how much we could write/translate from English to Thai without raising a laugh from Thais, this is a problem I encounter frequently in my limited conversation let alone writing.

Would you be able to write this post in Thai, I know I never could because the Thai script is far too artistic for me to attempt.

To add further to this post I must admit that the last time we visited the UK there were any amount of bad spellings on notice boards etc. there too and I bet the writers were not Thais either.

[montrii]

>> these errors make their adverts cheap and chearful<<

Hmm . . . actually I enjoy seeing ads for mortar bikes and shopping at the many saels going on. Thailand would be the less chearful--wait a minute, is that "tearful," "fearful," or "cheerful?"--without these. They make me smile, which living in the Land Of Smiles should do often. But if you hear of anybody who wants to pay for some good translation by a guy who reads Thai and actually knows how to spell, hey, I'm available!

[Tokay]

I too think there should be a proof read somewhere in the process, but to agree with another poster, it may cause a lose of face. Who knows, but I get a kick out of all their poorly spelled... everything.

Not only spelling, please... don't tell them that "Porn" is funny to us. I laugh until I cry every time I see "Porn Laundry" or "Porn Furniture."

[lonewolf99]

I lub the crab speling, it gifs me ours of funn. Espeshally the Skool boy howlers.......

I did wonder what was going on ...but it must be the stupid loss of face that perpetuates this peristant problem.

I saw one bar sign in Soi 7 Jomtien/Chomtien/Jomtein Chom Thian.....that was I believe THE RELAXED BAR.....But four different attempts later and it was still wrong.

Any one want to hire a Mortar Bike?. Or buy car that is For SAEL....there are 2 on Theprassit road with cardboard signs spelt like this.

One problem is translating the Thai into English as some characters change sound depending on where it is in the Thai word.

This is why there are several housing estates called EAKMONGOL and you hear the Thais say EAKMONGON...the last letter written in Thai script is called "Law Ling" making English speakers assume it is like an 'L' well............... this is Thailand !!!

So if placed at the end of a word it is "sometimes" given a soft 'N' sound. In fact most Thai words the last letter is silent. If you see a Thai letter with a thing like a small sperm above it - this is called a Gharan. Which indicates to the reader it is not pronounced as B in the english word COMB. If you look carefully at Thai script there are lots of letters with this symbol above it. Even in peoples names and many town names. I give up asking why ?????????? No one can tell me - even a REAL Thai teacher with 35 years experience. Just take it as read....The other symbols are tone marks.

Now you might know why Thais say Mowta Sigh, Foot Bon and cut the end of lots of English words Englaaann Scotlaaaann Naw Way Beeah Baaah

I believe someone actually produced a book full of photos with crazy bar names and bad spelling around the Pattaya area ...

My favourite is the UR NET internet cafe in Jomtien.....they can provide you with a LapTop Hooker (should be hook-up).......

God I hope I have not made any spelling errors in this post..........................................

Of course you have made spelling mistakes, being married to a Scot I know the Thais all say Sacotaland. And kudos to all the Thai sign writers because their written English is way,way better than my written Thai. If you go to the restaurant at the Ananya in Naklua they have horse crap on their menu, but this reflects the Thai p pronunciation of b in English. Also the Thai script bears no resemblance whatsoever to the English script, but it does make for some interesting reading sometimes, and we do need to think of how much we could write/translate from English to Thai without raising a laugh from Thais, this is a problem I encounter frequently in my limited conversation let alone writing.

Would you be able to write this post in Thai, I know I never could because the Thai script is far too artistic for me to attempt.

To add further to this post I must admit that the last time we visited the UK there were any amount of bad spellings on notice boards etc. there too and I bet the writers were not Thais either.

AYE yer right aboot the Sacotalan...but they miss the hard D aff the end o' awe their wurds.......By the way....I have learnt to write the Thai Script .....BUT no way can I claim to spell it...AND one I missed off my list is Chol Buri...for Chon Buri.

Might I suggest learning the Thai alphabet...it took me a month using "flash cards" I made up myself and then learnt to write the characters. Some people like SODUKO to keep their brain active...I suggest learning Thai ....its a lot harder.....!!!!

[BB1950]

I too think there should be a proof read somewhere in the process, but to agree with another poster, it may cause a lose of face. Who knows, but I get a kick out of all their poorly spelled... everything.

Not only spelling, please... don't tell them that "Porn" is funny to us. I laugh until I cry every time I see "Porn Laundry" or "Porn Furniture."

I have to say, I get a kick of all the Porn blatantly sold in Pattaya. That was before I knew Porn was a Thai name.

Even now that I know, it still amuses me.

[timekeeper]

Thais often do ask farangs for help with spelling, but they ask illiterate dirt bags or non-native speakers and do not realize that all farangs are not the same.

In ENGLISH that would be realise?

British English maybe.

is there any other English?

i think the name of the language gives away its origins........

[BB1950]

I remember a sign that I always got a kick out of. There was a sign outside a massage parlor in Jomtien that said "Helcome In". Apparently the sign maker could not distinguish the difference between a W and H that someone had written out.

Edited October 19, 2010 by BB1950

[edd]

Some that I like.

Hotel in Udornthani

Menu.

Magot rot chicken ..........Chicken Macaroni

Light on hot tea ...........Lipton’s Tea

Fried Serpent that Leaks...(never did find out)

Airport Hotel Korat

Fried FRIEND .................FRENCH FRIED

Ovaltene .....................Hot chocolate

BUILDING COMPANY NEAR PATTAYA

‘We are CRAP BUILDERS for you’

[Thaddeus]

I too think there should be a proof read somewhere in the process, but to agree with another poster, it may cause a lose of face. Who knows, but I get a kick out of all their poorly spelled... everything.

Not only spelling, please... don't tell them that "Porn" is funny to us. I laugh until I cry every time I see "Porn Laundry" or "Porn Furniture."

I have to say, I get a kick of all the Porn blatantly sold in Pattaya. That was before I knew Porn was a Thai name.

Even now that I know, it still amuses me.

I know a girl called Titiporn, she's a hoot.

[Upnotover]

I think the current message is "Pattaya's been better now" or some such. Personally, the message from this time last year seems much more accurate to me...

[JusMe]

I do also enjoy many of the commercial screw-ups with English, but agree with the OP about something official, such as a mayor's sign.

I remember seeing government signs in Prachuap Khiri Khan explaining something about the town and its history. Loaded with simple basic errors. And that annoyed me much more than I enjoy the commercial bits of confusion or humour.

One of my pet peeves, found often here on TV, is the confusion over taking a number of baths. Or baht? And it's the same singular and plural, like drachma or yen or yuan or ringgit.

[petercool]

I worked for decades in advertising in Thailand and have - where I could - tried to point out these silly errors but conversely I have seen, and still do, many expats whose Thai is just as silly to any Thai as some English may be to the expats. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing etc. etc. but it works both ways .... just a thought.

[kurnell]

I worked for an English language magazine 16 years ago and the editor was Thai. I wrote the articles and he would edit them into Thai-glish. I used to tell him that after he edited the article, it didn't make sense. He would just respond by telling me to fix it up, after which he would promptly fark it up again. I lasted only 1 month before I just had to walk away. The magazine didn't last long.

[eyebee]

Even worse though are native English speakers who can't spell properly or make basic grammatical mistakes. For instance there is a restaurant in Pattaya (that shall remain nameless) run by a native English speaker who wrote the menus. According to the menu you can have "Sausage's Chip's and Pea's"...

[neilf]

good job your not doing it for them then if thats how you think you spell cheerfull

or was everybody else too polite to say anything

[OxfordWill]

The temptation when we see English signs is to believe these are always there for our benefit, but I think many of these "translations" are actually aimed at Thais. English is a PR and branding tool which is very effective on Thais if used correctly.