Penfold's South East Asian Odyssey

The post about English language mistakes in Thailand proved extremely popular and I have received numerous pictures and emails with examples of "Tinglish" and I shall endeavour to post these at a later date. But......today's post is courtesy of a chum who has spent time in Beijing and has come across plenty of rib-tickling examples of "Chinglish". This has been a source of great embarassment for Chinese authorities since increasing numbers of English-speaking tourists have been visiting the country since the 2008 Olympics. They have actually set up a special task-force in Beijing who are responsible for eliminating these poorly worded signs and there is a hotline for people to call when a Chinglish blooper is spotted!!! More worryingly though, the people responsible for originally translating the sign will be searched out and made to "correct their mistakes". This is more likely to mean they will be taken to a Soviet-style gulag and made to break rocks...

The town of Pattaya better known as "Disneyland for Adults" has long been the heart of Thailand's "naughty nightlife" scene and is associated with wanton debauchery, on a scale that would make Gary Glitter blush. It's entertainment venues are known the world, over for allowing patrons to party into the wee small hours. The current "official" closing time for nightime entertainment venues is 4am, but if the local politicos have their way then everyone will be expected to be home in bed, with a cup of cocoa and a copy of Razzle, by 1am...... According to the Bangokok Post (24/08/09) - "nightspots in entertainment zones have to shut at 2am while those outside the zones must close at 1am". Whilst I might not necessarily want to party in nightclubs or Bar beers until 4am, there are plenty of tourists, young and old, male and female who like to let their hair down. And the majority of the tourist related services in Pattaya are geared towards s...

The theme of todays post is "Thai logic"....... But for those of you that have visited the Kingdom this may seem like a contradiction in terms, because the chances are, you have been in situations where there seems to be a lack of "logic" applied. You may think I'm being anti-Thai or trying to create an unfair cultural stereotype but this is not the case at all..... My current girlfriend is Thai as was my ex-girlfriend and I have nothing but good things to say about the majority of Thai people that I have encountered across all walks of life. I believe that the Thai's are the warmest and friendliest people you are ever likely to meet anywhere in the world....however, many lack, what we in the West would call, "common sense". Or as the late grandma Penfold might have said "some of them are as green as cabbage looking". My favourite example is when I checked into a small Bangkok hotel in Soi 4 Sukhumvit and was told the shower in my room wa...

I hope my loyal readership is in rude health and not striken with any nasty diseases like monkey influenza or rabbit measles .....the only thing I'm worried about with the current swine flu outbreak is that I actually won't contract it and will therefore be ineligible for a week off work.....but hey what's a guy to do...... Anyway.... let's move on to the theme of today's blog, which is the use of the English language in Thailand. My favourite Bangkok Blogger, the inimitable but now defunct "Mango Sauce" coined the phrase "Tinglish" to describe this melange of English and Thai.....to read some of Mango Sauce's classic examples here's their link.... http://www.mangosauce.com/ . We all know that Thailand is renowned for it's little mishaps with the Queen's English or should that be the Queen's Engrish!!! Anyone who has holidayed in the Kingdom will have seen numerous examples on restuarant menus of "Sticky Lice", ...

Yes yes, I know I've been away for a while.....but worry thee not..... I haven't been abducted by kiddy fiddlers or detained at her Majesty's pleasure!!! Although it might be quite amusing being detained, together with her Maj and seeing the look on Prince Phillip's face when he finds out that all we have for entertainment is a copy of the Koran and an audio tape of the selected works of Osama Bin Laden.......!!! The reason for my absence from the "bloggersphere" is slightly more boring and mundane.......I have been trying to work my up the "greasy corporate pole" which requires "application, diligence and hard work" as my employer would say. Or, in the inimitable words of Jim Carey, I'm required to "bend over and take it up the tail-pipe" and be grateful for the mediocre pay cheque that I receive at the end of the month. Before any unemployed people start getting their knickers in a twist and saying that I'm lucky to stil...