Those who study languages, particularly Thai, might be interested in the article posted at http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala/2011/04/11/reforming-thai-language-structure/#comments (as always, a most informative website).

And since New Mandela have been remiss at linking to the post they are quoting from, here it is: Understanding Kren jai

"desi" I honestly can’t believe they used something word for word off your website and wouldn’t even jump the actual link!! That is extremely poor form.

WOW, when I just checked they did let my more than slightly cranky post get thru! We’ll see if the rebuttal I just made does too.

At least everyone here on T/V already knows I’m far from the most politically correct poster in internet-land!!

Once I wrapped my head around the ‘no spaces in written Thai’, and learned to break words apart solely by sight recognition instead of reading them character by character, I didn’t see it as a negative in any way shape or form. It just became something you need to learn in Thai that you don’t need to do reading engrish. Is it harder, no, not that much once you learn the skill-set. ..

As far as their lame argument about the lack of punctuation in written Thai; there are more than just a few words which give the reader a clue that there is a “,” or a “!”, or even a “?”, in a Thai sentence. Just like there are more than a few words which convey the emotional meaning via the choice of ending particles and/or the tensing of a sentence construct via the use of 'time markers'. I found the better I understand written Thai there is much more richness and diversity in the way things can be expressed. Often-times with subtle differences and nuances you can't always equal in engrish.

Just as an aside because I didn't bother to look it up; does anyone know if there are any languages which were derived from Pali/Sanskrit that are "spaced out" (word by word) in use nowadays?

And since New Mandela have been remiss at linking to the post they are quoting from, here it is: Understanding Kren jai

The link is implicit in the dated reference to the post on 2bangkok.com

Hi Tod, I checked and they do have a wee link in the article but their css is set to have visited urls the same colour as their copy. So if you've previously been to a website, it's easily missed. Yet their other urls are bright blue.

And I got to read your your cranky comment, as well as the reply. When I first started reading Thai I wished they'd break the writing apart too. But it does get easier over time, pretty much a non issue.

What I couldn't mesh together is the aim of the post, Reforming Thai Language Structure, and kreng jai. Where's the connection?

Just as an aside because I didn't bother to look it up; does anyone know if there are any languages which were derived from Pali/Sanskrit that are "spaced out" (word by word) in use nowadays?

Most modern Indic languages are, even those written in Indic scripts. The need for dictionaries to do reasonable line-breaking of computerised text is very much a SE Asian need.

Of course, childish Thai writing is also spaced out, though like Vietnamese the division tends to be by syllable rather than by word.