I started to post this in the General forum, but decided it might be more appropriate here since, while it's not a translation question, it does contain Thai script.

My girlfriend SMSed me her address (in Thai) so I could send her a few small items. The problem is the formatting seems to have gotten lost and to the best of my translating abilities it seems to have extraneous information in it anyway. I was hoping to get some help with getting it formatted correctly. Here is the SMS I received:

บ้านดอนเวียงจันทร์ หมู่ 31 บ้านเลขที่ 55 จังหวัดมหาสารคาม รหัสไปรษณีย์ 44150

Thanks for any help you can give!

ลบ

All I can come up with is : Bandon Vientiane Soi 31 house number 55, Mahasarakham Post code 44150

If it is so then it should be something like:

Name.

บ้านดอนเวียงจันทร์ หมู่ 31 บ้านเลขที่ 55

จังหวัดมหาสารคาม รหัสไปรษณีย์ 44150

Name.

Bandon Vientiane Soi 31 house number 55,

44150 Mahasarakham

Thailand

But do not see a Tambon or Amphur?

Get the TG to get a post box at the Post Office, maybe easier.

I would write it like this:

55 Moo 31

Ban Don Vientiane

Maha Sarakham 44150

All I can come up with is : Bandon Vientiane Soi 31 house number 55, Mahasarakham Post code 44150

My translation was:

บ้านดอนเวียงจันทร์

Ban Don Wiang Chan (Village in Maha Sarakham)

หมู่ 31

Moo 31

บ้านเลขที่ 55

House Number 55

จังหวัดมหาสารคาม

Maha Sarakham Provence

รหัสไปรษณีย์ 44150

Zip Code 44150

But the format I found when I researched it was:

XXX/YYY Moo ZZ

T. aaaaaaa

A. bbbbbbb

City, Province, Postal Code

Where XXX= House Group; YYY= House Number, aaaaaa= a tambon? Wahtever that is, and bbbbbb= an amphur? Whatever that is.

Still I don't feel confident that anything I have so far would get to it's intended destination.

Thanks for any further assistance,

ลบ

You can add ampoer (district) and tambon (subdistrict):

T. Khanthararat

A. Kantharawichai

Edited October 10, 201114 yr by Chaam local

Some clarifications: หมู่ 31 does NOT mean soi 31. In the address หมู่ is the same word as 'moo' in 'moo baan' (village). In other words it usually designates an actual village or a gated community/housing estate. เวียงจันทร์ is correct as Wiang Chan according to RTGS which is the most commonly used standard used for transliteration of place names. The spelling 'Vientiane' is used about the Lao capital for historical reasons (the French spelling system being the main reason it is written like that). I think thaipo's suggestion and Chaam local's suggestion can be combined, to create something like this: Ban Don Wiang Chan Moo 31 House Number 55 T. Khanthararat A. Kantharawichai Maha Sarakham 44150

You can add ampoer (district) and tambon (subdistrict):

T. Khanthararat

A. Kantharawichai

Awesome! Where did you get this info? Are they District and Subdistricts of Maha Sarakham or of Ban Don Wiang Chan? My guess is from least specific to most it would be:

Maha Sarakham

Kantharawichai

Khanthararat

Ban Don Wiang Chan?

Some clarifications: หมู่ 31 does NOT mean soi 31. In the address หมู่ is the same word as 'moo' in 'moo baan' (village). In other words it usually designates an actual village or a gated community/housing estate. เวียงจันทร์ is correct as Wiang Chan according to RTGS which is the most commonly used standard used for transliteration of place names. The spelling 'Vientiane' is used about the Lao capital for historical reasons (the French spelling system being the main reason it is written like that). I think thaipo's suggestion and Chaam local's suggestion can be combined, to create something like this: Ban Don Wiang Chan Moo 31 House Number 55 T. Khanthararat A. Kantharawichai Maha Sarakham 44150

I assume it would not be written in a straight line but like so?

Ban Don Wiang Chan Moo 31 House Number 55

T. Khanthararat

A. Kantharawichai

Maha Sarakham, 44150

Thailand

My original question was primarily about formatting, but do you think it would be advantageous to romanize it or leave it in thai? Maybe both?

Thanks Everyone!

ลบ

You don't need to write "house number", just leave it like this:

(Name Last name)

55, Moo 31

Ban Don Wiang Chan

T. Khanthararat

A. Kantharawichai

Maha Sarakham, 44150

Thailand

Ban Don Wiang Chan is indeed the village, then you have the subdistrict, the district and the province.

Romanization is OK (capital letters better, to make sure).

Edited October 10, 201114 yr by Chaam local

I agree it should be written as "Wiang Chan".

As people have pointed out "Vientiane" is used explicitly to spell the name of the capital of Laos and it wouldn't be used for anything else.

Also, just to add, the "จันทน์" in "Vientiane" means "sandalwood" and not the other "chan" or sometimes spelled as "jan" is "จันทร์" from Sanskrit "chandra" which means "moon".

You don't need to write "house number", just leave it like this:

(Name Last name)

55, Moo 31

Ban Don Wiang Chan

T. Khanthararat

A. Kantharawichai

Maha Sarakham, 44150

Thailand

Ban Don Wiang Chan is indeed the village, then you have the subdistrict, the district and the province.

Romanization is OK (capital letters better, to make sure).

Thanks everyone. I went with the address quoted above. I sent the package yesterday. Hopefully it arrives. I'm about 85% certain it will

I'm still curious how you were able to look up the Tambon and Amphur.

ลบ

I'm still curious how you were able to look up the Tambon and Amphur.

I did a Google search, and I think I got it from here. I hope I didn't read too fast...

I found two reference to the village, one of the local school:

บ้านดอนเวียงจันทร์

ตำบลท่าขอนยาง

อำเภอกันทรวิชัย มหาสารคาม

The school, for example, is located at:

โรงเรียนบ้านดอนเวียงจันทร์

ต.ท่าขอนยาง

อ.กันทรวิชัย

จ.มหาสารคาม 44150

But, there may be two villages with the same or similar names in different sub-districts.