Thai Scrabble ace's supporters say UK's Daily Mail is talking rubbish

[waldroj]

It appears that the censorship is dependent on your internet provider. This may explain why some can access the DM article while others can't.

I can not from my computer at home, but I can from my phone!

[Morakot]

UK's Daily Mail is talking rubbish

[HerbalEd]

Kids game, well suited to Thais

Scrabble is far from a "kids game" and most competitive players are adults.

[Broken Record]

I'm sure you know full well that the Daily Mail (as already noted by others above) is blocked by the Censor here in Thailand, and its article cannot be viewed without a VPN.

Well, I live in Thailand and using TOT I have had no problem accessing the DM for over a year. Without a VPN.

Yeah . just tried it, TOT, no problem.

[HerbalEd]

I last played in the Thailand scrabble competition in Bangkok, sponsored by, amongst others, the "other" Thailand English language newspaper, around 23 years ago..

I was knocked out in the first round, by a Thai, who went on to win the competition 2 days later. He seemigly knew every word in the English dictionary, but could not string more than a few words together to be able to speak to anyone in English.

That was the reason I never played again. How ridiculous having a champion who could not speak English.

Instead of "ridiculous" I find it admirable and amazing that a non-English speaker can become so good at English-language Scrabble. Sounds like you're a sore loser.

[waldroj]

... can't from my phone (bloody predictive text)!

[silent]

Given Thailand has blocked the Daily Mail website, then frankly this is a nonstarter for most readers.

Given there's a story about it in TV right now, how can it frankly be a nonstrarter just because someone thought they might be able to keep all frangies living like mushrooms - too.

Edited July 21, 2016 by silent

[oyster]

Actually the daily mail can be accessed here in Thailand.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/index.html

However the content is usually nonsense, as in this case.

The Daily Mail is not renowned for either sense or accuracy, and taking a swipe at 'johnny foreigner' is accepted and appreciated by most of the raggedy arsed masses that read it........ Just as the people who avidly follow soaps such as Coronation Street, are happy because their lives are not as abysmal and wretched as those portrayed on screen.... so they must be doing alright !!!!! it's only media fiction.

Edited July 21, 2016 by oyster

[MobileContent]

My Mrs was the Scrabble champion runner-up in Isaan and at the time she didn't speak that well English but thankfully she known many words and learning to speak English was not that difficult with me being her teacher for the past 5 years.

[Jonmarleesco]

'"Whilst it is true that Scrabble players do not need to know the meaning of the vocabulary they learn in order to play the game I can assure you that a player like Komol knows not only a great deal more words in English than the majority of native speakers ...' An arrogant presumption, and one he perhaps should now prove, in order to properly lay the Daily Mail story to rest. But I'll accept the lack of needing to know vocabulary; at least the conventional version. After all, Scrabble has its very own, inimitable vocabulary.

[Jonmarleesco]

I last played in the Thailand scrabble competition in Bangkok, sponsored by, amongst others, the "other" Thailand English language newspaper, around 23 years ago..

I was knocked out in the first round, by a Thai, who went on to win the competition 2 days later. He seemigly knew every word in the English dictionary, but could not string more than a few words together to be able to speak to anyone in English.

That was the reason I never played again. How ridiculous having a champion who could not speak English.

Instead of "ridiculous" I find it admirable and amazing that a non-English speaker can become so good at English-language Scrabble. Sounds like you're a sore loser.

Scrabble and the generally accepted notion of English grammar are far from synonymous.

[Celer et Audax]

I'm sure you know full well that the Daily Mail (as already noted by others above) is blocked by the Censor here in Thailand, and its article cannot be viewed without a VPN.

Well, I live in Thailand and using TOT I have had no problem accessing the DM for over a year. Without a VPN.

Agreed I access the DM Online via my phone (true move) or my iPad on my home network (3BB)

[Jonmarleesco]

Actually the daily mail can be accessed here in Thailand.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/index.html

However the content is usually nonsense, as in this case.

Actually, it can't. So I suppose it depends on who is pressing which buttons, both the PC's and the government's IT police end. They are no doubt more alert than the BiB. And I have encountered the problem more than once in the past, as has my son, who is quite IT literate, with other media pages.

[RandolphGB]

Nobody mind when AFP said it three weeks ago...

Thais master Scrabble without speaking English at King's Cup

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-07-01/thais-master-scrabble-without-speaking-english/7561666

[Winniedapu]

Sounds like an impressive achievement to me, so what if his English isn't perfect.

I have a few English friends wot are like that.

Well done to him.

As for the Daily Mail, middle class brain dead drivel.

Agree. I have a friend who is very good as tiddlywinks. A truly world-class tiddler of winks he is.

Wouldn't be my choice of sport to be skilled in, but good on him anyway.

My friend is British, but for all his expertise in tiddlywinks he has not raised the IQ level of the British nation by as much as 1 point, I wish that it were otherwise.

Similarly, for all the hoopla about a single Thai who can speak his country's unofficial second language competently, the blunt truth is that his ability to win a few games of Scrabble doesn't do very much for the actual or perceived IQ level of Thais in general. For this reason, I think it's legitimate to ask what the motivation is for making such a hoo-ha about it, the guy isn't even a champion. Reporting in glowing terms of adulation about Ratchanok the badminton player seems more reasonable because she is a champion, but reporting in glowing terms of adulation about a Scrabble player, or, for that matter, my friend the tiddlywinks player, is probably less so. I suspect the newspaper just wants to create the mistaken impression that Thai people are just smart as other people, by exploiting the principle that the mind fills gaps in its perception from the surrounding area (psychological scotoma). rticles like this also have a conditioning effect.

I would much rather read a newspaper article article about genuine improvements to the Thai education system, recognising that improvements will probably not involve committees, the Education Ministry or this government.

Winnie

Edited July 21, 2016 by Winniedapu

[Glumpy]

''I thought "He who must be obeyed" had banned The Mail online here in Thailand''

I've just been reading today's edition of The Mail on-line ...no problem .

[Winniedapu]

The Daily Mail talking rubbish ?

Here we have a very intelligent Thai.

Interesting comment, not supported by the article. one might as well say that a rainman is intelligent because he can memorise lots of things. The reality is slightly different.

Winnie

Edited July 21, 2016 by Winniedapu

[peterb17]

I last played in the Thailand scrabble competition in Bangkok, sponsored by, amongst others, the "other" Thailand English language newspaper, around 23 years ago..

I was knocked out in the first round, by a Thai, who went on to win the competition 2 days later. He seemigly knew every word in the English dictionary, but could not string more than a few words together to be able to speak to anyone in English.

That was the reason I never played again. How ridiculous having a champion who could not speak English.

Why?

There is a huge difference between competition and just sitting down at home to play Scrabble.

It's just to do with memorising the approved dictionary - don't know which one these days- my Dad always insisted on Chambers.

It's not as if you are re-inventing Shakespeare - just a good memory - and the luck of the tiles.

[Chapelroad]

The Daily Mail talking rubbish ?

Here we have a very intelligent Thai.

Interesting comment, not supported by the article. one might as well say that a rainman is intelligent because he can memorise lots of things. The reality is slightly different.

Winnie

Take a chill pill

Cr.

[cumgranosalum]

How do the Thais know? the Daily mail is blocked in Thailand.....

[bkk75]

1 simple video from the lad of him speaking English would put things to rest.

I am sure next month you will see that vdo! Just as soon as it is rehearsed and practised and edited. Isn't this kind of like YL graduatiNFL an English major in the USA but can't speak a lick?

Why don't you entertain a game with him and see how far you can do. Another TV screen warrior who is so full of bitterness that he can't bring himself to going back where he came from.

[Winniedapu]

1 simple video from the lad of him speaking English would put things to rest.

I am sure next month you will see that vdo! Just as soon as it is rehearsed and practised and edited. Isn't this kind of like YL graduatiNFL an English major in the USA but can't speak a lick?

Why don't you entertain a game with him and see how far you can do. Another TV screen warrior who is so full of bitterness that he can't bring himself to going back where he came from.

It does seem that part of the TV membership reacts pretty poorly to people who express an opinion different from their own. Typically these members find it difficult to construct a persuasive argument against those opinions, and in desperation (or perhaps frustration) choose to be obnoxious and to abuse the person who has the gall to express a contrary opinion. I've noticed that 'bitter', 'bitterness', 'sad', 'old', 'you don't even live in Thailand' etc etc tend to be the favoured iresponses.

Doesn't seem to achieve very much, or to be very helpful.

Winnie

Edited July 21, 2016 by Winniedapu

[JAG]

1 simple video from the lad of him speaking English would put things to rest.

I am sure next month you will see that vdo! Just as soon as it is rehearsed and practised and edited. Isn't this kind of like YL graduatiNFL an English major in the USA but can't speak a lick?

Why don't you entertain a game with him and see how far you can do. Another TV screen warrior who is so full of bitterness that he can't bring himself to going back where he came from.

It does seem that part of the TV membership reacts pretty poorly to people who express an opinion different from their own. Typically these members find it difficult to construct a persuasive argument against those opinions, and in desperation (or perhaps frustration) choose to be obnoxious and to abuse the person who has the gall to express a contrary opinion. I've noticed that 'bitter', 'bitterness', 'sad', 'old', 'you don't even live in Thailand' etc etc tend to be the favoured iresponses.

Doesn't seem to achieve very much, or to be very helpful.

Winnie

'you don't even live in Thailand would score quite respectably at scrabble wouldn't it?

[metisdead]

Posts commenting on moderation have been removed.

[Thomas Hannah]

Ive been going to thailand for over 20 years and lived there in many parts of the country.I have never seen anybody playing scrabble.Or on tv.If they are not working.The women are watching soap movies.and the men are sitting together drinking whisky of some sort.If its so big in thailand ?.To me scrabble is one of those games you buy as a christmass pressent.And it might be played once every blue moon.

[Morakot]

1 simple video from the lad of him speaking English would put things to rest.

At 2:45 min

http://morning-news.bectero.com/social-crime/21-Jul-2016/83587

[lemonjelly]

Imagine the uproar if a non-speaker of Thai won a Thai version of scrabble (if there was one).... the word "outraged" seems to be "in" at the moment. Anyway, maybe the guy can speak/write English ok, better than me I hope... I regularly suffer from grammar ache.

[sambum]

Given Thailand has blocked the Daily Mail website, then frankly this is a nonstarter for most readers.

Not blocked, you can read the article here:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3695715/Man-letters-Thai-computer-programmer-ranked-world-Scrabble-despite-speaking-NO-ENGLISH.html

Can't. It is blocked

Can! Have just read it!

[sambum]

"players like Komol who have encouraged so many youngsters in Thailand and around the world to take up the game and improve both their English and their mathematical skills."

Can't see where mathematical skills are involved?

By the way - love the game!

[Winniedapu]

I am sure next month you will see that vdo! Just as soon as it is rehearsed and practised and edited. Isn't this kind of like YL graduatiNFL an English major in the USA but can't speak a lick?

Why don't you entertain a game with him and see how far you can do. Another TV screen warrior who is so full of bitterness that he can't bring himself to going back where he came from.

It does seem that part of the TV membership reacts pretty poorly to people who express an opinion different from their own. Typically these members find it difficult to construct a persuasive argument against those opinions, and in desperation (or perhaps frustration) choose to be obnoxious and to abuse the person who has the gall to express a contrary opinion. I've noticed that 'bitter', 'bitterness', 'sad', 'old', 'you don't even live in Thailand' etc etc tend to be the favoured iresponses.

Doesn't seem to achieve very much, or to be very helpful.

Winnie

'you don't even live in Thailand would score quite respectably at scrabble wouldn't it?

Ah. Assuptions 'r' us.

Perhaps I'm Thai at heart...

Winnie