This One Sentence Translation Could Save My Life

[MontrealFarang]

The title's a bit melodramatic but I need this sentence translated and I don't trust the free online translators (mostly because when I re-translate it back to English I get weird results).

"I'm allergic to shellfish but I can eat fish and mollusks"

I want to put this on business cards and use them at restaurants, food stands, etc...when i'm gonna be in BKK in a few weeks. Thanks for reading this. If you need to negotiate a small fee for the help, please PM me.

[a51mas]

ผมมีโรคแพ้อาหารทะเลจำพวกกุ้งและปูแต่สามารถกินปลาและหอยได้

I'm allergic to seafood like shrimp & crab but can eat fish & clam

[MontrealFarang]

ผมมีโรคแพ้อาหารทะเลจำพวกกุ้งและปูแต่สามารถกินปลาและหอยได้

I'm allergic to seafood like shrimp & crab but can eat fish & clam

You have gained +1 internets karma

Thank you!

Anyone reading this thread, feel free to include variations, clarifications or confirmations i'm only gonna go get the cards printed in a few days and i'll need at least one more Thai speaker to confirm this because Google translate can't (i.e.: it wrongly translates the above statement as "I had a seafood allergy shrimp and crab species, but can eat fish and shellfish have.").

[beano2274]

Remember that the translation might use another tense, but Thais only have one tense.

[teddysbuttons]

ผมมีโรคแพ้อาหารทะเลจำพวกกุ้งและปูแต่สามารถกินปลาและหอยได้

I'm allergic to seafood like shrimp & crab but can eat fish & clam

You have gained +1 internets karma

What a brilliant idea MF, I live in fear lol in Asia because of this .. do you think someone could translate for me ....

I am allergic to all seafood excepting fish

Thank you

Teddy

[a51mas]

ผมมีโรคแพ้อาหารทะเลจำพวกกุ้งและปูแต่สามารถกินปลาและหอยได้

I'm allergic to seafood like shrimp & crab but can eat fish & clam

You have gained +1 internets karma

What a brilliant idea MF, I live in fear lol in Asia because of this .. do you think someone could translate for me ....

I am allergic to all seafood excepting fish

Thank you

Teddy

ผมมีโรคแพ้อาหารทะเลทุกอย่างนอกจากปลา

I'm allergic to all type of seafood except fish

Edited January 29, 2011 by a51mas

[teddysbuttons]

You have gained +1 internets karma

What a brilliant idea MF, I live in fear lol in Asia because of this .. do you think someone could translate for me ....

I am allergic to all seafood excepting fish

Thank you

Teddy

ผมมีโรคแพ้อาหารทะเลทุกอย่างนอกจากปลา

I'm allergic too all type of seafood except fish

a51mas, another Karma point, thank you so much .. and thank you MF for the idea

[Scottish Thailander]

Good idea but don't become overconfident. Just be aware, as in any country, not being able to read is embarassing and people can fake understanding so as to save that embarassment. In Thailand, many, especially older and/or poorer Thais can not read. This is exactly the type of person that might end up working on a food stall. Keep your wits about you and do not get complacent. Having said that, it will reduce the odds and is a good idea. Have a great visit here.

[Peppy]

I can confirm that a51mas's translations are accurate.

As for illiteracy, I think you'd really have to go out of your way to find somebody unable to read that sentence anywhere in Thailand. It's true that a lot of extremely poor or very old people might have difficulty with high-level reading and writing tasks, but just about everyone knows the alphabet and can read simple words. Printing out what you want to say on cards is an excellent idea--I don't think there'll be any misunderstandings.

[jdinasia]

Good idea but don't become overconfident. Just be aware, as in any country, not being able to read is embarassing and people can fake understanding so as to save that embarassment. In Thailand, many, especially older and/or poorer Thais can not read. This is exactly the type of person that might end up working on a food stall. Keep your wits about you and do not get complacent. Having said that, it will reduce the odds and is a good idea. Have a great visit here.

Agree --- BUT with a caveat --- the cardholder should have someone help them learn how to pronounce this in Thai clearly. Only saying it may lead to many issues including the message not getting to the kitchen even if it is understood.

edit --- Peppy. In a critical situation it is best to be as clear as possible. Folks from upcountry, or not ethnically Thai, or foreign staff all may be unable to read Thai at a level that makes it clear that an allergy could be life threatening.

Edited January 29, 2011 by jdinasia

[a51mas]

I can confirm that a51mas's translations are accurate.

As for illiteracy, I think you'd really have to go out of your way to find somebody unable to read that sentence anywhere in Thailand. It's true that a lot of extremely poor or very old people might have difficulty with high-level reading and writing tasks, but just about everyone knows the alphabet and can read simple words. Printing out what you want to say on cards is an excellent idea--I don't think there'll be any misunderstandings.

Thank you Peppy, for the confidence you have in me, I truly am appreciated.

[desi]

Peppy. In a critical situation it is best to be as clear as possible. Folks from upcountry, or not ethnically Thai, or foreign staff all may be unable to read Thai at a level that makes it clear that an allergy could be life threatening.

Agreed.

One of my friends is allergic to shellfish. She had an excellent driver who took special care of what she ate out. One road trip we were on together was extended due to the many enforced stops after an unfortunate lunch.

As Thailand is mai bpen rai culture, besides staying home I see only two options in the case of a life threatening situation.

1) Forgo eating all fish/shellfish products on your visit, or...

2) Get the above translations recorded for your smart phone.

And even then you might run into problems - mai bpen rai.

[jdinasia]

additional possibilities include -- ONLY dining in 5 star international places and making sure your needs are known. It is not that uncommon, particularly in street stalls etc for the woks etc NOT to be washed between cooking up dishes. Someone with a life-threatening food allergy could be exposed even if they did not order anything with seafood.

[lannarebirth]

Is oyster sauce or shrimp paste a problem? Both show up in a lot of non seafood dishes.

[Rikker]

I'd add the caution that non-Thai servers (Burmese, Khmer) are not uncommon in Bangkok, but also elsewhere in Thailand, especially near borders. Many can speak Thai, to some degree or another, but are frequently unable to read Thai.

Just another reason to follow Desi's excellent suggestion of having a native speaker record the phrase in a sound file you can play back from your phone.

[teddysbuttons]

Is oyster sauce or shrimp paste a problem? Both show up in a lot of non seafood dishes.

Shrimp paste can be a bit of a worry, but you'd have consume an awful lot of it .. oyster sauce doesn't seem to have any effect on me, both only make up a small percentage of what's actually in a bottle ....

[LivinLOS]

My wife is highly allergic to lobster shrimp and soya products.. Plus less so to a whole bunch of other stuff, egg yolks, wheat gluten, some pulses and nuts.

Even her, as a Thai, communicating in Thai.. Thais often just dont get it.. The curry pastes commonly have shrimp in them, but more than that ingredient issue cooks just dont think 2 steps ahead.. They get told, nod and agree, all seems totally understood, and bring it back with those items in cos they just 'forgot' while cooking.. Or other times it would appear that they simply dont want to cook something that isnt how 'they cook it', they agree when taking the order but then just do it anyway once cooking. We have had cooks say things like "well how am I supposed to cook it without xxx" AFTER they have cooked it. Even one cook when asked if there was egg in a batter, before ordering, reply "you want it or not either buy it of fuc_k off' effectively. Looking in from the outside it would appear that questioning the dish for health reasons can imply questioning the cook, even when done as politely as possible.

Its tough going with allergies and hard work for my wife. She even went as far as getting a sort of Doctors note to explain shes not being picky about the taste its a legit medical issue.

[featography]

Remember that the translation might use another tense, but Thais only have one tense.

Here lies my confusion in understanding Thai when they speak. How do you figure out the tense in a statement they make? I never know if (example) they WENT TO, ARE GOING NOW, or WILL GO to the market.

[Suradit]

ผมมีโรคแพ้อาหารทะเลจำพวกกุ้งและปูแต่สามารถกินปลาและหอยได้

I'm allergic to seafood like shrimp & crab but can eat fish & clam

You have gained +1 internets karma

Thank you!

Anyone reading this thread, feel free to include variations, clarifications or confirmations i'm only gonna go get the cards printed in a few days and i'll need at least one more Thai speaker to confirm this because Google translate can't (i.e.: it wrongly translates the above statement as "I had a seafood allergy shrimp and crab species, but can eat fish and shellfish have.").

Just be a little cautious because the waiter or cook may not think about all the ingredients that go into a recipe, especially the various forms of "fish sauce." Even if the dish you are being served does not include shrimp or crab, it may include an ingredient that contains traces of those or it may be prepared on the same cutting board, using the same bowls or wok that was just used for a shrimp dish.

[powderpuff]

Good luck

Edited January 30, 2011 by powderpuff

[tgeezer]

Remember that the translation might use another tense, but Thais only have one tense.

Here lies my confusion in understanding Thai when they speak. How do you figure out the tense in a statement they make? I never know if (example) they WENT TO, ARE GOING NOW, or WILL GO to the market.

It normally doesn't matter because the context, door open, shopping bag empty or full etc. will give it away but the simple past, future, present, is shown with just one word placed before the verb or behind the subject depending on how your mind works, normally the subject is dropped so it appears to apply to the verb.

have been ได้ไปตลาด will go จะไปตลาด going now ไปตลาด . if you meet someone en-route then both of you are กำลังไป somewhere; I don't know why กำลัง does this; อยู่ placed after the verb shows present; ไปตลาดอยู่

Edited January 30, 2011 by tgeezer

[Peppy]

Just to make your cards as clear as possible, maybe you could add pictures of a shrimp and a crab with a red circle with a slash through it over top, like a no smoking sign, and next to that, pictures of a fish and a clam with a green circle around them. Along with the explanation written in Thai, it should be enough to get the message through.

[thommo46]

Maybe have the phonetic spelling on the card as well . Get someone to teach you the right pronunciation of the the phrase . In the nor/east a lot of the older folk cannot read Thai.

Thommo.

[jdinasia]

Remember that the translation might use another tense, but Thais only have one tense.

Here lies my confusion in understanding Thai when they speak. How do you figure out the tense in a statement they make? I never know if (example) they WENT TO, ARE GOING NOW, or WILL GO to the market.

Time statements usually precede the verb

[SoftWater]

My wife is highly allergic to lobster shrimp and soya products.. Plus less so to a whole bunch of other stuff, egg yolks, wheat gluten, some pulses and nuts.

Even her, as a Thai, communicating in Thai.. Thais often just dont get it.. The curry pastes commonly have shrimp in them, but more than that ingredient issue cooks just dont think 2 steps ahead.. They get told, nod and agree, all seems totally understood, and bring it back with those items in cos they just 'forgot' while cooking.. Or other times it would appear that they simply dont want to cook something that isnt how 'they cook it', they agree when taking the order but then just do it anyway once cooking. We have had cooks say things like "well how am I supposed to cook it without xxx" AFTER they have cooked it. Even one cook when asked if there was egg in a batter, before ordering, reply "you want it or not either buy it of fuc_k off' effectively. Looking in from the outside it would appear that questioning the dish for health reasons can imply questioning the cook, even when done as politely as possible.

Its tough going with allergies and hard work for my wife. She even went as far as getting a sort of Doctors note to explain shes not being picky about the taste its a legit medical issue.

I'm reminded of the time I told my father I'd turned vegetarian (this at the tender age of 16), and his genuine reply of concern: " So do you just want one sausage instead of two?" (I kid you not, that is verbatim).

Sometimes the problem is not language, just a willingness to listen and understand.

That said, I agree with the suggestions above (and the Thai translations). There are many non-Thais in Thailand working the food carts and in other service industries. Most can speak Thai fairly comfortably, but reading is another issue. Go with the card AND sound file if you can get one. Better still, steer clear of all seafood if the consequences of a mistake are really that serious.

[bifftastic]

Another small point, if you're female, the personal pronoun would be ดิฉัน

making the sentence ดิฉันมีโรคแพ้อาหารทะเลทุกอย่างนอกจากปลา ค่ะ

Edited January 30, 2011 by bifftastic

[MontrealFarang]

Thanks for all the replies.

I have one last question to get this task done. How does text wrapping/Line breaks work in Thai?

This sentence (ผมมีโรคแพ้อาหารทะเลจำพวกกุ้งและปูแต่สามารถกินปลาและหอยได้) won't fit on a business card in a readable size so I need to split it into 2 or 3 lines.

Also one comment regarding the audio file for the phone. It crossed my mind before I made this thread but my next thought was that Bangkok is probably loud in many places (this will be my first time). Phone speakers are not very loud so a food stall vendor or waiter in a busy restaurant might have trouble hearing it without you handing him the phone which then becomes a whole ordeal. Much simpler with a card. I will probably memorize the sentence as well but I will avoid using it because when you speak one sentence to someone they expect you to know more which can create confusion. I'm also a pretty good cook and I can usually tell you the ingredients in a dish, that's why I can feel comfortable just relying on the card.

Here's the logo/pic I will put on the card in case any of you need it as well

If I can upload the finished product I will but I may not be able to because the printer uses a online editor.

[featography]

Thanks for all the replies.

I have one last question to get this task done. How does text wrapping/Line breaks work in Thai?

This sentence (ผมมีโรคแพ้อาหารทะเลจำพวกกุ้งและปูแต่สามารถกินปลาและหอยได้) won't fit on a business card in a readable size so I need to split it into 2 or 3 lines.

Also one comment regarding the audio file for the phone. It crossed my mind before I made this thread but my next thought was that Bangkok is probably loud in many places (this will be my first time). Phone speakers are not very loud so a food stall vendor or waiter in a busy restaurant might have trouble hearing it without you handing him the phone which then becomes a whole ordeal. Much simpler with a card. I will probably memorize the sentence as well but I will avoid using it because when you speak one sentence to someone they expect you to know more which can create confusion. I'm also a pretty good cook and I can usually tell you the ingredients in a dish, that's why I can feel comfortable just relying on the card.

Here's the logo/pic I will put on the card in case any of you need it as well

If I can upload the finished product I will but I may not be able to because the printer uses a online editor.

Actually, if your phone speaker playing a recording is the same volume as when talking to someone on it, no problem with surrounding noise. I often hand mine to vendors to talk to my translater at home(wife), whenever I have difficulty communicating what I want. You might try it with the card. I'm finding more Thai have eyesight problems than hearing problems. It may in most cases be easier to hear the message than reading a card. I have never seen a Thai balk at taking a cell phone when you offer it to them. They seem used to the translating by phone for farang.

[a51mas]

Thanks for all the replies.

I have one last question to get this task done. How does text wrapping/Line breaks work in Thai?

This sentence (ผมมีโรคแพ้อาหารทะเลจำพวกกุ้งและปูแต่สามารถกินปลาและหอยได้) won't fit on a business card in a readable size so I need to split it into 2 or 3 lines.

Also one comment regarding the audio file for the phone. It crossed my mind before I made this thread but my next thought was that Bangkok is probably loud in many places (this will be my first time). Phone speakers are not very loud so a food stall vendor or waiter in a busy restaurant might have trouble hearing it without you handing him the phone which then becomes a whole ordeal. Much simpler with a card. I will probably memorize the sentence as well but I will avoid using it because when you speak one sentence to someone they expect you to know more which can create confusion. I'm also a pretty good cook and I can usually tell you the ingredients in a dish, that's why I can feel comfortable just relying on the card.

Here's the logo/pic I will put on the card in case any of you need it as well

If I can upload the finished product I will but I may not be able to because the printer uses a online editor.

Here is a short version:

ผมมีโรคแพ้กุ้งและปู

แต่กินปลาและหอยได้

[MontrealFarang]

Here is a short version:

ผมมีโรคแพ้กุ้งและปู

แต่กินปลาและหอยได้

That one is considerably shorter. What does that one say?

Edited February 2, 2011 by MontrealFarang