Thai conversations with transliterations

Frank:	rûp ní nāilǔang sàdèt nǎi Chāi	รูปนี้ในหลวงเสด็จไหน ชาย	Chai, where is His Majesty in this picture?
Chai:	sǎlā Dùsàdālāi nûeangnāi wān chàlǒem phráchōnphānsǎ	ศาลาดุสิดาลัย เนื่องใน วันเฉลิมพระชนม์พรรษา	At the Dusitdalai Pavilion, on the occasion of his birthday.
Frank:	dū bānyākàt sàbāi sàbāi mâi pēn thāngkān	ดูบรรยากาศสบายๆ ไม่เป็นทางการ	The atmosphere seems low-key and unofficial.
Chai:	châi thûk wānthî sì thānwākhōm phrá-ōng chà hâi klùm bùkkhōn khâofâo thàwǎi phráphōn	ใช่ ทุกวันที่ 4 ธันวาคม พระองค์จะ ให้กลุ่มบุคคล เข้าเฝ้าถวายพระพร	Right, on December 4 every year, the King grants groups of birthday well-wishers an audience.
Frank:	sōng phrárâtchádāmnōen thâkthāi pràchāchōn dûai	ทรงพระราชดำเนินทักทาย ประชาชนด้วย	He walks about and greets the people.
Chai:	châi tàe sìng thî sǎmkhān thîsùt ná phrárâtchádāmràt nāi wān nán	ใช่ แต่สิ่งที่สำคัญที่สุดนะ พระราชดำรัสในวันนั้น	That’s right, but the most important of all is his speech that day.
Frank:	ǒ … phǒm dâiyīn mā wâ thûkkhōn tângtā khōi kān	อ๋อ ผมได้ยินมาว่าทุกคน ตั้งตาคอยกัน	Ah …, I’ve heard that everybody looks forward to this.
Chai:	châi phrárâtchádāmràt tàe lá ōng lúan pēn phrárâtcháwínítchǎi chàk hètkān sǎmkhān nāi pī nán nán	ใช่ พระราชดำรัสแต่ละองค์ ล้วนเป็นพระราชวินิจฉัย จากเหตุการณ์สำคัญในปีนั้นๆ	Right, each royal address is his observations drawn from key events of that year.
Frank:	phǒm khît wâ tông nâfāng mâk	ผมคิดว่าต้องน่าฟังมาก	It must be very interesting!
Chai:	yū phût thùk Fráenk sōng tràt dûai phrá-ārōmkhǎn tràt sòt sòt lōei mâimī sàkhrîp	ยูพูดถูก แฟรงก์ ทรงตรัส ด้วยพระอารมณ์ขัน ตรัสสดๆ เลย ไม่มีสคริปต์	You’re absolutely right. He speaks with humour, and it’s live and unscripted.
Frank:	ngán rǒe	งั้นเหรอ	Is that so?
Chai:	hùe mī bāng ōng thî râth nām pāi pēn náyōbāi	ฮื่อ มีบางองค์ที่รัฐนำไปเป็น นโยบาย	Um uh, the government has adopted his suggestions as policies.
Frank:	ōng nǎi bâng là Chāi	องค์ไหนบ้างล่ะ ชาย	Which ones, Chai?
Chai:	“sàtthàkìt phōphīeng” láe “kàsèt thrítsàdī mài”	เศรษฐกิจพอเพียงและ เกษตรทฤษฎีใหม่	The Sufficient Economy and the New Theory.

Royal vocabulary watch
Some new royal words and phrases to add to your list this week:

1. wān chàlǒem phráchōnphānsǎ = the King’s birthday

2. khâofâo = to be granted an audience

3. thàwǎi phráphōn = to wish the King a Happy Birthday

4. phrárâtchádāmràt = a royal speech

5. ōng = a classifier for items belonging or relating to a member of the royal family

6. phrárâtcháwínítchǎi = a royal observation or analysis

7. tràt = to say, speak

8. phrá-ārōmkhǎn = royal humour

This lesson was prepared by Acharn Sunee Siidao, Educational Specialist.

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Read our other phuut phaasaa Thai columns here.

Welcome back to a new adaptation of Phût Phāsǎ Thāi after our transitional Songkran break. As per the valued suggestions of our readers, the transliterations now follow the Royal Institute's system (http://www.royin.go.th/th/profile/index.php), which includes tone markers. In terms of content, the column will continue to provide you with everyday language on specific topics.

๒๗ mithunayon ๒๕๔๙ ( 27 June 2006)

Phût phāsǎ Thai

The royal speeches / phrárâtchádāmràt

Members of the public pay respects to His Majesty the King during an audience at Chitrlada Palace December 4, 2002, when he made an informal address on the occasion of his seventy-third birthday.

This is the final installment of a six-part series on the celebrations for the Sixtieth Anniversary of His Majesty the King's Accession to the Throne. This week's conversation touches on the royal birthday address, which has always been Thailand's most anticipated speech each year.
While doing some reading as a preparation for writing this lesson, I came across an editorial I can't resist sharing with you. The article was by Kenneth Champeon, writing for the International Herald Tribune, entitled Thailand's King Grows One Year Older, No the Less Wise, first published on December 5, 2001:
"Every year on December 4, the day before the birthday of Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the King makes an address. Only once a year does he address the whole nation, so although he has little formal political power, his words reverberate through the entire Kingdom. Days later, newspapers carry headlines like "Premier urged to heed King's warnings."
As I watched the speech on TV, it occurred to me that this was the first time I had ever seen the King speaking live. Nowadays, if you see him at all — he is 74 years old, and increasingly withdrawn from public life - he is receiving gifts or presiding silently over a state or religious ceremony. But he talks, makes jokes, and smiles. His eyes blink."
The main point of that year's royal speech was the practice of "double standards" by authorities. "The New Theory", "Self-sufficiency" or "Sufficient Economy" are some of the other topics that were delivered on previous December 4 afternoons.