NEW MAGAZINE WITH A 'SPECIAL' PROBLEM
Hotel Gateway is the latest magazine to debut in Thailand - but the first edition of this bilingual, bi-monthly magazine has a rather special problem.
Many Thai language magazines use a fair amount of English language on covers and in headlines, not always correctly. Hotel Gateway has a spelling error - 'specail' instead of 'special' - on its inaugural front cover. To me that's unforgivable, especially when they have an English proofreader listed in the team. In other parts of the world I've seen whole issues of magazines pulped for similar errors.
Anyway, Hotel Gateway does have a fair amount of advertising for a debut issue. It runs to 98 pages and retails for 80 baht. It is published by Bangkok-based The Book Lover Co. Limited.
6 comments:
I see this time and time again in Thailand. I must say I don't think it's a problem relating to proof-reading. I think it's laziness. It's simply too big a mistake. In Thai culture there is not much kudos associated with attention to detail. In Japan, where they speak less English than the Thais, all the free English magazines and signs are perfect. You would struggle to find errors anywhere.
Near where I live on the corner of Phaholyothin Soi 6 in Ari there is a large police training school. On the wall is a huge sign carved in marble with gold embossed lettering. This is a sign that must have costs hundreds of thousands of baht to make. In English the sign reads "Police Trainning School".
I still cannot understand the need for Thai magazines to use English headlines, unless they're translating from an English original and there's simply no Thai equivilent.
Mistakes happen (and this blog has been the source of many) but they simply shouldn't be happening on the front page of a first edition of a magazine.
Maybe the publishers didn't spot it, but if it was my magazine I would have ordered the covers to be pulpued and a new one reprinted pronto.
I believe the reason behind the usage of English headlines on Thai magazines is the Thais perceive English language as a prestigious language. Consequently, the magazines would look somewhat modern and graceful. (I could be wrong, my 2 cents.)
Anyway..I totally agree with Leosia's comment. As a Thai person, We sometimes are too lazy. It may be because of our TOO laid back culture. That's why we overlook that kind of mistake. Or, may be we couldn't care more since it's not our native language. However, I often see some spelling mistakes and line/word breaking in many Thai newspaper websites. And..this is something I couldn't tolerate.
Phisut, thanks for your comments. I agree entirely with what you are saying. I guess any mistakes are treated with the 'mai pen rai' attitude. I spot them because I am English.
The thing is, as an English person I wouldn't dream of using Thai without an experienced Thai editor. Even with a proof reader on the staff this magazine still gets quite a bit wrong - and it's certainly not the only one.
Indeed, in Thailand it's harder to find correct English than the incorrect variety. The greatest lapse I've ever seen was in about 1997 when then Canadian premier Jean Chrétien visited Thailand. In the front section of The Nation there was a big editorial ad reading: "Welcome to Thailand, Prime Minister Chrepjjjjeieteeen!" or something similar. It might have been someone trying to find the e with accent aigu on the keyboard, and they left it standing! Then again, those were the days when Thai Prime Minister Banharn addressed the Queen of England as "Elizabeth Taylor". Amazing Thailand!
In Villa Market there are crates of Leo beer on sale - hundreds of cans and boxes all with the word LEO in massive letters on them.. and yet the staff still managed to make a sign saying 'LIO'.
"Arai gor dai"
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