Staying in touch

[Shilo 371]

OK so on this last trip I exchanged emails with one of my lady friends and now we seem to be trying to stay in touch.

 

But it is a pain :-/

 

I write to her and she has someone translate and then she writes back and I get the translation of her letter. The translations are a joke ??? There has to be a better way.

 

Suggestions? I remember someone asking about an online translator tool. Is there such a thing as a software package? Has anyone ever tried to use a Thai keyboard on there computer?

 

What works ???

 

Shilo

[Guest]

Shilo.

There is supposedly a translation program available, but it is so bad that it is no use. Maybe some people here have tried it?

[Guest]

Try Learningthai.com. They have a translator you can use with no download needed. Type what you want and click translate, then cut and paste into your email.

[Shilo 371]

Vash

 

I gave it a shot. I sent a short message to my lady friend and copied myself.

 

What I got wasn't Thai but that is because my computer doesn't have the Thai symbols. I'll wait to see what her reply looks like.

 

Do you or anyone else know: if you cut and paste Thai script into an email and send it through Hotmail if the reciever will see the Thai script? Or do they see the gobblygook that I see when I send it to myself.

 

Thanks,

 

Shilo

[Guest]

If you see unreadable crap then so will she. I don't use Hotmail but I have no problem with my email. Have you installed Thai language script support for windows? It should be on your windows cd. I use Myownemail.com for free email. It should not matter what email service you use.

[Daveuk 28]

I keep in touch - gave me e-mail address to a girl i had been with for about 10 days - she could speak English but i was really suprised when i got a e-mail that i could understand well.

 

She told me that an ajoining bar was owned by an English Guy who helped her.

 

Thae girls are resourceful !

[Shilo 371]

I on the other hand get emails with lines like this:

 

I would like to you know I will be your willpower always but you are still have another lady will concern to you same with me and it is good for you.

 

OK guys, any idea what the thought was behind that sentence ???

 

VasH,

 

My windows came installed with my computer so I don't think that I have the CD to download the Thai script. But I have seen a free download of the script on a couple of websites. Could you explain what the download would do to my computer. I'm thinking that it would not change anything except cause the computer to recognise and print the Thai script when I recieved a message. And wouldn't ALL computers in Thailand have this system built in so that if I email a lady and enclose Thai script that I had cut and pasted into the message be readable even over Hotmail?

 

Thanks,

 

Shilo

[Guest]

I think she is saying that it is good if you have another lady that cares about you like she does.

 

Thats what it should do. Your machine should recognize and print or display Thai script. You should have recieved a cd with your computer, a restore cd, to be used to reinstall windows should you have problems. The Thai script support will be on that cd. I would download the software from Microsofts website if possible. All computers may not have this installed in Thailand. If English or another language was chosen at the time of installation Thai script would not be installed.

[RayW 1]

Shilo

 

>>OK guys, any idea what the thought was behind that sentence   <<

 

No I have no idea but why not ask our good friend Mutt he speaks the same language ;D ;D ;D

[Shilo 371]

VasH

 

Thanks for the clear explanation. I do have the restore CD's so I'll take a look at them or visit MS.

 

RayW

 

What good would that do ??? I wouldn't understand his version either ::)

 

Shilo

[JohnnyK 28]

I just happened on this thread while being underemployed....(idle git)

Here's what I do: If you live in a city that has language schools or a university that offers ESL courses, check to see if they have any Thais enrolled.

I teach at a language school so I asked a Thai student if she would translate the occasional e-mail for me.

My TG writes to me in Thai, I forward the e-mail to my friend and she translates and fires it back to me. This way I get my TGs thinking in her own language and not stilted English. It has a different flavour than her first 2 e-mails sent to me in English.

[irishman 0]

Well, this is probably too much trouble for most of you but my lady friend and I email back and forth in Thai.  Although, since she is studying English, she sometimes surprises me with an email in English.

 

I use a Yahoo account to communicate with her because you can encode in Thai and see what you are sending.  You can also receive in Thai.  I couldn't see anything but gobblygook when I used my normal email program to communicate with her.

 

To write, I use a program called ABCThai by Alex Blume.  There is a free light version of this program and also a full featured version for $25 that you can obtain from a pay site.  I don't remember where I originally found it but it works fairly well.  It has a virtual keyboard which can be used to write and also has the advantage of accepting cut and paste words from another handy little program I picked up in Pattaya.  It is called the English Thai Softfare Dictionary on CD.  I think I picked it up at the Royal Garden Bookazine.

 

I compose in the ABCThai notebook pages and then cut and paste the whole thing to the yahoo account.  It looks funny to start but if you have the encoding set right, you can see the Thai script when you look at sent messages.  I'm probably simplifying a bit here but a lot of it is just trial and error and playing with it.

 

Anyway, it is always slow going learning something new but after about 5 months of practice, I find that I can often read her whole email with only needing to look up a couple of words.  Kind of fun and you don't have to worry about tones or mispronouncing a word.  And if a word stumps you, you can always look it up at your convenience.

 

Cheers   ;D