The Hidden Scripts Used in Thailand

The Hidden Scripts Used in Thailand
(อักขระลึกลับใช้ในไทย)

[Edited 12/6/2566 to add 'Google Translate';  Edited 11/6/2566 to add info and links.]

In the suite of 'เรียน กข', a learning aid package for Thai children (more info and try at [https://sr12zar.github.io/KoKho/ ] เล่น > หาเพื่อน ), there is a game to help with learning many scripts currently being used in Thailand. (official) Thai, Lanna (ลานนา/ตั๊ว or ไทธรรม Thai Tham), Lao, Khmer, Myanmar (aka  Burmese, Mon), and Jawi (Arabic) but not Chinese scripts are included in the tool set. Chinese is at present beyond my skills and resources.

There are two other scripts in use in Thailand. They are 'Thai Braille' for the visual impaired and 'Modern Thai Sign Language (MTSL)' for the hearing impaired. Tools for learning both scripts are being developed and added to เรียน กข (more details and code at [ https://github.com/sr12zar/KoKho ].)

A simple conversion from Thai script to ThaiBraille script is available https://sr12zar.github.io/KoKho/ThBraille.html  . MTSL is a (hand) Thai sign language and many images are now being worked on (if you can help please let me know).

While building these tools, many communication issues come up and some are worth talking about and sharing so that we can appreciate the learning difficulties in some circumstances. For examples:

==How would a blind person talk to a deaf person?
Speech is not useful. Sign language is not useful. ThaiBraille is not useful. We need an interpreter who can make sign language for the deaf from spoken speech and vice versa - from signs to speech. 
[Note. NECTEC has developed a 'printer' device that prints (Thai) text in Braille so the blind can read with their fingers. There is also an idea on OCR device converting Text (script) to Braille script (and vice versa?). See more of Thai Braille (อักษรเบรลล์) and Lao Braille (ອັກສອນເບຣລລ໌) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thai_and_Lao_Braille  ]  

There are a number of Text-to-Speech apps that can read (Thai) text out loud - Google Accessibility Menu is available on all Android phones. And there are speech-to-Text apps on smart phones too. So we can talk, send text/voice, email and send document to the blind. And they can talk, send text/voice,... to us.

Similarly, we can speak to an app speech-to-text on our phone and show or send the text to the deaf. (There are visual notifications of events that we can set in 'settings'.) They can speak, or type in text and have it read back to us in voice. So the sign language is less of a barrier.

What if one is blind and one is deaf? the blind can hear but not see. The deaf can see but not hear. We have technologies to convert voices (audio speech) to visual images (text) and vice versa. Some communication is possible. But gestures, body expressions and most visual attributes cannot be verbally described for the blind. Likewise, audio attributes (say of a song) cannot be described in videos. Thus in this kind of communications and conversion processes, emotional and personalized expressions may be lost.

==How would we talk to people of different cultures/languages?
The situation is not much different from the one above. Though both parties have audio-visual ability but the languages (or sets of words and alphabets) they know are different. An interpreter is still needed. 'Google translate' has advanced considerably but still far from 'good' for many languages (like Thai or Lao). Many other online translation services of different models and capacities are also available.

Knowing languages is useful in connecting people. One world language would be ideal but not reality. Second and third languages (even a few phrases) can with friendliness and patience bridge the language gap. But both parties will have to learn the other's language for deeper and richer relationships. in a  multicultural society. people usually learn to tolerate and understand different expressions of culture (or humanity). Like diversity in Nature, relations among people (of different cultures) are stronger if there are mutual benefits from the relations.

[Added 1 Aug 2566: เจ้าหน้าที่สถานทูตญี่ปุ่นพูด ‘คำ-ประโยค’ เนื่องในวันภาษาไทย https://www.dailynews.co.th/news/2581960/ This is a show of friendship that is well received.       

"นายโจ แจอิล" ผู้อำนวยการศูนย์วัฒนธรรมเกาหลีกล่าวว่า “แม้ว่ากระแส K-pop จะเป็นที่นิยมอย่างมากในหมู่วัยรุ่นไทย แต่พวกเขาแทบจะไม่เคยทราบถึงความเสียสละของทหารผ่านศึกไทยในสงครามเกาหลี ที่รัฐบาลไทยให้การสนับสนุนช่วยเหลือเกาหลีในครานั้น” https://www.thaipost.net/columnist-people/423882/ A show of gratitude goes beyond words.]

[Google has a free online webpage translation service. To use it 

• (1) open a new tab or window and goto https://translate.google.com/?sl=en&tl=th&op=websites ;  
• (2) copy and paste the url of the webpage into the ‘website’ slot in Google Translate; 
• (3) select the options above the website slot then press the ‘arrow’ (go) button. ]

Ask ourselves, if we have impairments and not realized the benefits?