As a preferred Thai translation partner to many of the Fortune 500s, over the past 15 years EQHO has built up a highly versatile group of translators able to translate in a variety of subject disciplines. From standard business translations through to the most complex of technical disciplines, EQHO has the linguistic talent to ensure that your translations satisfy audience expectations. In addition to Thai translation and localization, EQHO provides comprehensive solutions for Thai in desktop publishing, web, software, voiceover, multimedia, including Flash, Articulate, Lectora and video localization.

In-country Thai translators

Following industry best practices, EQHO works with professional in-country Thai linguists. Not only does this eliminate potential issues related to language evolution which can become a problem when working with linguists who have been away from their native country for prolonged periods of time, it also allows EQHO access to the widest possible pool of professional Thai translators.

Thai language services

• Translation, editing & proofreading
• Terminology glossary & style guide creation
• In-country linguistic review
• Machine translation post-editing
• Desktop publishing
• Voiceover & dubbing
• Subtitling & closed captions
• Flash & multimedia localization
• Linguistic & functional testing

Some of EQHO’s Thai experience

   

   

Thai Translation & Localization Challenges

• Due to the absence of spaces between words, line-breaking cannot be performed properly by a non-native DTP operator. In addition, many DTP programs cannot properly support the multi-level positioning of vowels and tone markers.
• The Thai language has multiple registers; i.e., different vocabulary is used depending on the situation and social context, as well as on the age, sex, and status of the speaker / writer and the listener / reader. There are four major registers – royal, ecclesiastical, written, and spoken – with written and spoken each having multiple sub-registers.
• Technical and scientific terms are often transliterated rather than translated, but there are few reference materials that define the “standard” spellings of such transliterations.
• Thai has a very rich system of grammatical aspect; i.e., elaboration of the manner in which an event transpires and progresses over time. This can result in considerable text expansion / contraction when translating from / to Thai.

Best practice processes

Successfully setting up Thai translation projects not only means assigning linguistic resources with the appropriate subject matter expertise, it also involves implementing the best process. Depending on the type of content and its intended use, for example, internal memorandums, technical manuals, software GUI or marketing copy; processes may be customized to include terminology glossary development, creation of multilingual corporate style guides, and implementation of client review stages, to name just a few.

While EQHO has documented processes for all generic project types, one size does not fit all. Our experienced project managers and account managers are ready to discuss with you which elements which are best suited to your projects. Here is a typical translation/ edit workflow with provision for glossary creation and desktop publishing (DTP).

Translation tools

EQHO’s Thai translators are able work with a wide range of localization industry standard translation and localization tools. EQHO does not promote proprietary tools which are sometimes intended to ‘lock’ you in to a localization provider. The choice of technology depends on client and project requirements.

The use of translation tools provides many key benefits, including leveraging of repetitive text and previous translations stored in translation memory (cost), whilst also ensuring consistency of style and terminology use among translators and editors (quality & efficiency).

EQHO only uses tools that comply with Translation Memory eXchange (TMX), a global localization standard.

Primary CAT tools

• SDLX
• Trados
• SDLX Trados Studio 2011
• Wordfast
• Star Transit
• Idiom
• Across
• MemoQ
• Passolo
• Catalyst
• HyperHub
• LocStudio

About the Thai Language

The Thai language is now generally considered to be a member of the Tai group of the Tai-Kadai language family, although in China it is still classified as a member of the Sino-Tibetan language family. Other significant members of Tai group include Lao, Shan, and Zhuang; of these, Thai is most closely related to Lao, and for the most part, the two languages are mutually intelligible.

Tradition holds that the initial form of the Thai script was created in 1283 A.D. by King Ramkhamhaeng, who modeled it on the Old Khmer script. The script was modified in 1357 A.D. during the reign of King Li Thai, and again in 1680 during the reign of King Narai.  The latter modification is still in use today.  The character set is not actually an alphabet, but rather an abugida – a writing system in which the consonants may include a vowel sound which is not explicitly written.

The Thai script comprises 44 consonants, 2 of which are obsolete; 19 distinct vowel glyphs, which are used both individually and in combination with other vowel glyphs and certain consonants to form more than 60 vowels, diphthongs, and triphthongs; 4 tone markers, and a number of other glyphs which affect pronunciation or indicate duplication or abbreviation.  Although Western numerals are now in common use, Thai numerals continue to be used in formal writing.  Thai is written from left to right with no spaces between words; spaces are used primarily to separate clauses, sentences, and items in lists.  Although Thai has no punctuation marks per se, periods are used to indicate abbreviations and ? and ! are now occasionally used in advertising and marketing copy.

Consonants

Vowel Glyphs*

Tone Markers^*

Other Glyphs^*

Numerals

* For technical reasons, in order to ensure that vowel glyphs, tone markers, and other diacritical glyphs are displayed correctly in all browsers, they are shown as paired with the consonant ก.  (The 4 vowel glyphs which are only used in Pali and Sanskrit loan words are shown independently.)

Speak to us today!

For more information on how EQHO Communications can assist you with your Thai translation & localization requirements, please don’t hesitate to contact us through our website, call us at +66 2 6378060 (Asia), +420 605 44 11 26 (Europe), +61 02 8003 3521 (Australia), +1 408 823 6353 (U.S.A.), request a call back, or send files and complete our request a quote form.