Who Is In Charge Configuring Google Translate For Thai Language?

[maidu]

Lately, I've been tooling around with Google Translate. I open two windows on the browser - one for English to whatever foreign language I'm translating to. The other is the other way around, in order to cross-check the accuracy of the translation. I've transferred the same several-paragraph text (on my web index page) to ten different languages. All but one language works well. Guess which one. Yup. It's only Thai which produces compound glitches. There must a Thai person or a group who are working to configure the translations (from Thai to English, for example) for Google. If it was a native English speaker, the translations wouldn't be so screwed up.

I've had a mere few glitches translating English to Chinese, Russian, Japanese, Korean, Arabic, and any European language. Yet the one stickler is, .......you guessed it.

Here's but one tiny example;

English: "do you sell pipes?"

Thai translation: "คุณขายท่อ?"

back to English: "Your sales pipeline?"

English: "do you sell acrylic tubes?"

Thai; "คุณขายหลอดอะคริลิ?"

back to English: "You tube acrylic"

[cdnvic]

I love showing Thai friends some of the Google and Bing translations of their Thai script posts. For comedic reasons I hope it never gets fixed.

[lomatopo]

http://www.google.com/about/company/facts/locations/

Thailand

Google Thailand

Level 29 The Offices at Centralworld

999/9 Rama Rd

Pathumwan

Bangkok 10330

Thailand

http://googlethailand.blogspot.com/

[maidu]

I wouldn't be surprised if Google Thailand has the same sorts of folks employed, who made messes with English/Thai phrasebooks.

You could buy 20 phrasebooks, and all would write their transliterations differently. And maybe one of those books (if you're lucky) would transliterate sensibly (hint: Adventure1.com). Nearly all would include a cascade of unnecessary H's and R's that the others include. Yet more of the 'follow the leader' mentality, even if the leader has his marbles all misshapen and askew. Sorry, a tad off topic.

[Songhua]

Ever clicked the translate button for a property description on ddproperty? Always good for a laugh - bears absolutely no resemblance to english in most cases.

[maidu]

I took a glance at Google offices worldwide, and noticed that all, except Italy (Milan), are in the respective country's capital city. Google is an online entity, so it doesn't need to be based in the capital (usually the biggest) city in each country. Google could use its creative juices to site their centers in more habitable locations, than the center of giant cities. No big deal, just an observation.

[muratremix]

I don't think google is making a mistake here. Whenever I translate a page from thai news paper or similar high quality sources (their language is top notch I believe) it does translate good. Whenever I translate something like pantip cafe or any other forum, translation is very funny. Its because these people use slang or make too much typos.

[Chicog]

back to English: "You tube acrylic"

Sounds like a Gary Numan album.

[endure]

You'd be better off asking this question in the Thai language forum. Prepare to be stunned by the answers

[maidu]

You'd be better off asking this question in the Thai language forum. Prepare to be stunned by the answers

in what ways would one be stunned?

[endure]

With the difficulty of doing what you're asking for. From what I understand (which admittedly is very little) the fact that Thai is written without word breaks makes it much more difficult to translate than other languages. Breaking the same string of letters in different places can lead to completely different meanings. It would be interesting if you posted your query in the Thai language forum to see what all the linguists have to say about it.

[TommoPhysicist]

With the difficulty of doing what you're asking for. From what I understand (which admittedly is very little) the fact that Thai is written without word breaks makes it much more difficult to translate than other languages. Breaking the same string of letters in different places can lead to completely different meanings. It would be interesting if you posted your query in the Thai language forum to see what all the linguists have to say about it.

There are no alternate ways to break the 'string of letters', to give different meanings.

They are all obvious and there is only one way.

[endure]

Just remembered this thread in the Thai language forum:

[ignis]

After you use Google Translate, often find it make no sense, or you need someone to Translate..

When is Kai coming from Bangkok ? translate ... ไก่เป็นเมื่อมาจากกรุงเทพฯ.. translate back again.......... I was on the city. ????????? nothing like the question..

is Kai coming from Bangkok today ?.... = เป็นไก่ที่มาจากกรุงเทพฯในวันนี้,.. and back again...... The chicken came from Bangkok today.

Do I need to pick Kai up at the Bus Station?..= ฉันจะต้องเลือกไก่ขึ้นที่สถานีขนส่ง?....... and back again.......... I will have to pick up a chicken bus?

How far to Bangkok ?....... ไกลเท่าไหร่กรุงเทพฯวันนี้?....... and back again........ How far is New York?

Unless I am doing something very wrong........? Google Translate is a waste of time as you will sure get the wrong translate,, or be totally confused

[bendejo]

Bad translations can be a great form of entertainment.

There was a Thai restaurant in the San Francisco area that had a menu entry

meatball cum sauce

[ignis]

Just looked in Classifieds ............ sure need a translation

Sale Suzuki

many of the new.

have the same same moped, no battery 8 000 start with kick!

13,000 THB

[Rama]

Don't worry! Those google incompetents have gone onto bigger and better things. They were hired by Apple to help with their new mapping application! It's not only Thailand - check out www.engrish.com for some laughs

[maidu]

It's somewhat akin to when Thai universities hire farang to teach English, they can't differentiate between a native Englsih speaker with smarts and good diction, .....and some dude from Upper Slobovia who can bare muddle along in pseudo English. To Thais, all farang (particularly handsome young men, or pretty young gals) are adept English speakers (and teachers).

Similarly, when Google needs to get Thai translations, it will likely hire dynamic Thai folks to do the jobs. Unbeknownst to Google, those Thai folks might be inept at doing the job right. How would Google hiring staff know? They don't read and speak Thai.

They'll do what Thai universities do: hire the young folks with who are most dynamic, attractive, and best at self-promotion.

[ignis]

Also 2 different words = same in Thai..........

I have no idea of the difference, this afternoon one big 3m + and a smaller one was walking/plodding down the Village, Crocodile or Alligator ? both are called the same here จระเข้

Saturday was something different, looked different believe a Water Monitor? got my dogs inside just in-case it climbed over the garden wall .

[maidu]

There are no alternate ways to break the 'string of letters', to give different meanings. They are all obvious and there is only one way.

I'm not much of a Thai speaker/reader, but that sounds rather extreme. From the little I know about Thai, there appear to be many words which are in a gray areas as regards meanings. Similar to English (raize the house / raise the house = two opposite meanings).

In Thai, you can have "kee ma" which, depending on spellings and/or inflection, can indicate one or more of the following:

ride horse

ride dog

poop is coming

dog poop

horse poop