How do you spell that in English?

When I first arrived in Bangkok last year, little did I know about the Thai language (well, actually my phasa Thai is not much improving now).

All I know it was a tonal language that one word can have multiple meanings depending the tone you say it. If I remember correctly, there are five tones, ie. high tone, raising tone, low tone, falling tone and middle flat tone.

Honestly, I could not really distinguish the five of them. I could only perhaps differentiate or pronounce three of them, the flat, raising and falling tone. The rest will be somewhere in between. I just could not imagine how an emotional Thai will be able to manage her or his tone when speaking angrily to someone? wouldn't that be in all high raising tones?

Nevertheless, there is one secret about Thai language that I don't know until a few months later...

That there is no exact and standardised translation from Thai alphabet to English/Latin! And yet Thailand is among the biggest western tourist destination in Asia.

What does it mean? It means among Thai people themselves, they have several version of writing Thai words, including the name of places, address, in English, except the English writing for several few big cities, like Bangkok itself.

However, many other places are spelled differently. Even though they are quite famous for tourists and located in central Bangkok.

For example, the famous weekend market in Bangkok are spelled Jatujak and Chatuchak. The famous Sukhumvit road is also spelled Sukumvit, Asoke and Asok, Aree and Ari, Ratchadamri and Rajdamri, Rachathevee and Rajdewi, Ekkamai and Akamai, Phetburi and Phetchaburi etc.

One of the main reason is I guess that there is no exact match pronunciation of the Thai alphabet in English. Thai have consonants which are pronounced in between 'p' and 'b', 'k' and 'g'. 'l' and 'r', 'j' and 'ch' etc.

So that's why the famous Thai phrase 'mai pen rai' which loosely means "it's all right" is also written as 'mai ben lai'.

Ok, so now you know the secret, hence next time you try to look for a Thai address in the map, don't be confused if you dont find the same English spelling, Srinakarin and Srinagarinda are the same place!

In my experience, 95% they are the same place if their pronunciation is similar. Except for some exceptions like, Charoenkrung and Chalongkrung are in fact 60km apart.

Then, how can you be certain? if you are in doubt, well there is only one way to do, ask your local friends!!