British resident of Bangkok crowned Senior Scrabble champion

[The manic]

Bangkok has been named on websites as the foremost city in the world for professional Scrabble play

Sure, the country that ranks last in the world for their English proficiency is the most advanced city in the world for an English language game.

Don't they ever stop making these silly announcements?

Oh wait, soon someone will post that I look down on the Thais, and that they are actually first in English proficiency.

It's a fact: Their languages skills are pretty good given their lack of specialised English Language Training. They speak other dialects as well as central Thai. I wonder if you are gifted and are able to read and write other languages such as Thai and Arabic.

[mca]

From the photo looks like Gerry's taking a pop at the world gurning championships as well

[sambum]

I think its ironic that in a competition that requires excellent spelling and knowledge of words that the engraving on the trophy was misspelt as 'SENIOR PIZE"

And it is also quite subtle to use the old "pointing finger" to illustrate that fact!

Anyway, out of all the posts on this thread, only one fleetingly offered "congrats", and quite a few were only too ready to point out the spelling mistake, which I think is out of order, so with the permission of the Mods:-

"CONGRATULATIONS! Well played Gerry Carter"

[Bunnychow]

Bangkok has been named on websites as the foremost city in the world for professional Scrabble play

Sure, the country that ranks last in the world for their English proficiency is the most advanced city in the world for an English language game.

Don't they ever stop making these silly announcements?

Oh wait, soon someone will post that I look down on the Thais, and that they are actually first in English proficiency.

It's a fact: Their languages skills are pretty good given their lack of specialised English Language Training. They speak other dialects as well as central Thai. I wonder if you are gifted and are able to read and write other languages such as Thai and Arabic.

Most on here cant speak, read or write their own native language properly, never mind Thai, Arabic or any other second languge for that matter

[Crossy]

I tried to enrol for this competition but was unable to get a Work Permit. I was also warned off by a friendly bridge player.

pize

/paɪz/

verb

1.

(transitive) ( Yorkshire, dialect) to strike (someone a blow)

So watch out for the winner, he's handy with his fists......

Since he won the pize, he won a smack in the kisser then

[gyrosman]

Cheating for using the Queens English.

[elgordo38]

5 Thai players in the top 10 of a "world" ?? scrabble competition, I'm lost for words...

Don't get ahead of yourself read the names. TAT has just crowned Thailand the hub of Scrabble. I have been scrabbling every day of my life. Google gives an excellent definition. I could really be a serious contender next year. I must dig out my old edition of Funk & Wagnalls and start practicing. Is there any betting allowed or cash prizes?? I would like to back a winner after all.

[Dexlowe]

From the photo looks like Gerry's taking a pop at the world gurning championships as well

Nah, he's always like that. Comes with being a Spurs supporter.

[Doc46]

Don't tell me nobody else has noticed what he won

,,Scrabble Cup,,

[Berty100]

Bangkok has been named on websites as the foremost city in the world for professional Scrabble play

Sure, the country that ranks last in the world for their English proficiency is the most advanced city in the world for an English language game.

Don't they ever stop making these silly announcements?

Oh wait, soon someone will post that I look down on the Thais, and that they are actually first in English proficiency.

It's a fact: Their languages skills are pretty good given their lack of specialised English Language Training. They speak other dialects as well as central Thai. I wonder if you are gifted and are able to read and write other languages such as Thai and Arabic.

No I can't read or write Thai or Arabic, and I also don't have any need for it, since Thai isn't a language used anywhere else than in Thailand and Arabic is also only used in Countries where I don't have an inclination to visit ever.

But for your information, I can read and write 4 languages, from which 3 are major world languages, so I should be able to make myself understood anywhere in the world.

Something that can't be said from 99% of the Thais.

Edited July 4, 2016 by Berty100

[seajae]

has anyone ever seen the words they spell out, many are not words at all, was very surprised when I happened to be at a local comp and saw what they were putting on the board, just put it down to typical thai tinglish. They add letters or remove them to make a word fit or even use just part of a word, more like kids trying to learn to spell than knowledgeable adults playing a game.

[thai3]

Merely requires a good memory, it's a one dimensional game for dullards, chess is far superior. How many chess grand masters in Thailand?

[SOTIRIOS]

...wow...and not arrested and fined for gambling.....???

...or 'working without a permit'.....

...good thing 'brains' is not a protected profession here......

[Jeremy50]

I tried to enrol for this competition but was unable to get a Work Permit. I was also warned off by a friendly bridge player.

pize

/paɪz/

verb

1.

(transitive) ( Yorkshire, dialect) to strike (someone a blow)

So watch out for the winner, he's handy with his fists......

Sounds rather 'Pythonesque' Like dishing out palfreys, to misbehaving schoolboys.

[ratcatcher]

5 Thai players in the top 10 of a "world" ?? scrabble competition, I'm lost for words...

Don't get ahead of yourself read the names. TAT has just crowned Thailand the hub of Scrabble. I have been scrabbling every day of my life. Google gives an excellent definition. I could really be a serious contender next year. I must dig out my old edition of Funk & Wagnalls and start practicing. Is there any betting allowed or cash prizes?? I would like to back a winner after all.

"TAT has just crowned Thailand the hub of Scrabble. "

Are you Funk & Serious?

[macksview]

From the photo looks like Gerry's taking a pop at the world gurning championships as well

Nah, he's always like that. Comes with being a Spurs supporter.

well done gerry

spurs fan who can remember 100,000 words, that puts him alone as the equal of 60,000 at an arsenal game.

[Enoon]

5 Thai players in the top 10 of a "world" ?? scrabble competition, I'm lost for words...

It says nothing about 5 Thai players being in the top 10 of world and this is a " local" competition anyway

The Scrabble offical world Champion is a Nigerian, although a Thai has actually won this competition

A competition may be "local" (not part of a world championship) but highly prestigious and attracting the greatest talents.

Wimbledon, Cowes Week, the IOM TT, The Iditarod.........etc.

Brand's Crossword Game King's Cup - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"The Brand's Crossword Game King's Cup is the Thai national Scrabble competition in the English language. It has also been known as the Thailand International in the past. The tournament has been honoured to accept a trophy from His Majesty the King to award to the winning player in the most prestigious division.^[1] It is the largest tournament in the world, in terms of the number of players, drawing as many as 8000 players."

Incidentally, statistics from 2006 (Scrabble Blog: Strongest Scrabble Nations) show Thailand (together with Britain) as having the greatest numbers of players (21 each) in the worlds top 200.

Also this comment in the article:

"Malaysia and Thailand appear to be the powerhouses of the Scrabble World based on the top ten ratings. Most of us would consider Thailand one of the strongest scrabble nations in the world."

PS You should be wary of seeking to demean a competition in Thailand that bears the name of this one.

Edited July 4, 2016 by Enoon

[Basil B]

So now you tell everybody you are of to Bangkok to play Scrabble.

Beats Golf, SCUBA Diving or playing Bridge...

Edited July 4, 2016 by Basil B

[MaiChai]

Me thinks some people have way too much free time...

[Dexlowe]

From the photo looks like Gerry's taking a pop at the world gurning championships as well

Nah, he's always like that. Comes with being a Spurs supporter.

well done gerry

spurs fan who can remember 100,000 words, that puts him alone as the equal of 60,000 at an arsenal game.

When Gerry left Spurs territory for Thailand, he increased the IQ of both places. Probably in Arsenal territory as well. Likely trebled it.

[Dexlowe]

Merely requires a good memory, it's a one dimensional game for dullards, chess is far superior. How many chess grand masters in Thailand?

There's a lot of mental dexterity involved and strategy. Sure, chess is a hard taskmaster and scrabble might be regarded as the easier intellectual game, but that makes it more accessible to a wider range of people - tournaments in Thailand attract a lot of youngsters, and that can't be such a bad thing.

[sanukjim]

5 Thai players in the top 10 of a "world" ?? scrabble competition, I'm lost for words...

An event held in Thailand with Thais placing this high makes one wonder when knowing how the locals are known to promoting their own.Then I see that Thailand has two players listed in the world top twenty,England four and The US four. So congratulations to the players and winners.

[Mudcrab]

Bangkok has been named on websites as the foremost city in the world for professional Scrabble play

Sure, the country that ranks last in the world for their English proficiency is the most advanced city in the world for an English language game.

Don't they ever stop making these silly announcements?

Oh wait, soon someone will post that I look down on the Thais, and that they are actually first in English proficiency.

It's a fact: Their languages skills are pretty good given their lack of specialised English Language Training. They speak other dialects as well as central Thai. I wonder if you are gifted and are able to read and write other languages such as Thai and Arabic.

No I can't read or write Thai or Arabic, and I also don't have any need for it, since Thai isn't a language used anywhere else than in Thailand and Arabic is also only used in Countries where I don't have an inclination to visit ever.

But for your information, I can read and write 4 languages, from which 3 are major world languages, so I should be able to make myself understood anywhere in the world.

Something that can't be said from 99% of the Thais.

Or 99% of the general population of most countries.

Thanks for the info on you linguistic ability, I'm underwhelmed. Your grammar needs a little work though.