Clusters of men and women in traditional Arab garb wait restlessly in a sprawling patients' waiting lounge of a posh hospital situated in the heart of Bangkok.
Somchai Lateef, an Arabic interpreter, has been translating for half his life.
Standing besides a male patient dressed in a long white cloak and multi-coloured head scarf and his wife, who is covered from head to toe in an abaya, is a well-groomed Thai gentleman who's translating instructions by the nurse for them in fluent Arabic.
The Arab couple is told to proceed to the X-ray room after having seen their doctor. The couple nod their head in agreement, signifying what has just been translated is understood.
The aforementioned scenario has become increasingly common at a number of private hospitals in the last decade _ so has the demand for local Arabic interpreters as the Kingdom experiences a steady growth in the number of Middle Eastern medical tourists flocking here for treatment. Arabic has never been a top choice in Thailand's education of foreign languages, and that's probably a missed opportunity.
"There is such an urgent call for local Arabic interpreters in the medical tourism sector that the right candidate can expect an attractive remuneration package," said Somchai Lateef, an Arabic interpreter with Siriraj Piyamaharajkarun Hospital, the facilities of which are considered on par with private hospitals.
A Thai Muslim, he began his career more than three decades ago. First by arranging visits to the doctor for Arab clients he had gotten to know through his work as a tourist guide, and later by setting up his own network of clients. Expounding on the reason for translators in this line of work, he said: "From my experience, the level of English of most Arab patients that I have come across is not up to par for them to understand the details involved in understanding their aliment and getting it treated. This is why most would opt to rely on the services of interpreters.
"On that note, I should mention the urgent request I often get from Arab women for female interpreters. This is due largely to the fact that they feel comfortable in their presence when undergoing a physical examination, and also because it is in accordance with their culture.
"To address this growing demand, I believe it is crucial to have more local educational institutions teach Arabic for anyone who is interested in this career. To my knowledge, the Arabic language is only taught to Muslims at both local Islamic schools and universities in the Middle East.
"But non-Muslims should realise that the language isn't just for Muslims." To become a competent interpreter, he said, it is not sufficient to just master the language, but also be emphatic towards the patient's culture and traditions. Arabs can come across as being loud and boisterous in their mannerism, which in fact is considered normal practice in their culture.
Arabic interpreter Husein Hajihamar.
As it is a male dominated society, the man of the house makes all the decisions.
He suggests the best method to work around this cultural glitch is to keep one's composure. He cautions not to interrupt them when they are airing their grievances _ reason with them only after they are done.
Once you understand the Arab mentality, Somchai is pretty certain people will find them rather pleasant to be around.
Back in the good old days, the old timer had to self-learn common medical conditions and parts of the human anatomy in Arabic.
One has to be well-rounded to be able to pull it off, he says in retrospect, because translating a diagnosis requires the interpreter to garner sound knowledge of the illness.
Arabs began travelling to Thailand for medical reasons because of word of mouth. Somchai explained: ''Thai private hospitals first gained recognition in Arab nations because of the good reports they received from friends who had been treated here. As they were already dissatisfied with the state of medical services back home, they began trickling in to experience for it themselves. Prior to Thailand, they used to go to India for treatment.
''Their biggest complaint about medical services back home was lack of commitment and diligence by doctors, and having to wait for long periods to get test results.
''They believe we offer them value for money. Thailand's natural beauty and friendly people is an added bonus.''
Judging from the huge demand for local Arab interpreters, Somchai estimates that approximately 60% of Middle East people visiting Thailand are medical tourists, while the rest come for business and tourism purposes.
If you observe closely, the seasoned interpreter said, a number of private hospitals have their ambulances parked and ready to go at Suvarnabhumi International Airport. Come rain or shine, they are adamant to get treated in Thailand, as long as our airports are open there is nothing that will keep them from coming.
For Husein Hajihama, 42, working as an Arabic interpreter for Bumrungrad International Hospital comes with a new set of challenges compared to Somchai, because for one, he has to often deal with the rich and famous.
A Thai Muslim from Pattani province, Husein was born in Saudi Arabia, where his father worked as an interpreter for the Thai embassy in Jeddah. Having lived in the Middle East gave him a headstart in his ensuing career path.
Husein said the hospital offers all their interpreters a year-long crash course in medical terminology. This provided a solid foundation to develop the necessary skills to best accurate translations.
There is much more to being an Arabic interpreter than meets the eye. Husein explained: ''As males in the family make all the decisions in most Arab families, I have to sometimes use psychology for them to look beyond cultural norms. The stiffest opposition I get from a male is when a female has to be treated by a male doctor.
''To convince him, I have to find all the reasons in the book to allow her to be treated by a male doctor because we might not have a lady doctor on duty at the time the patient is wheeled into the emergency room.
''In one such case, a 70 year-old woman was brought to the hospital with complications that alerted the doctor to prescribe a test for breast cancer. However, the son refused to allow the male doctor to touch his mother, which prompted me to plead with him to change his mind for the sake of the patient. Eventually, he did relent, but demanded to be in the room with his mother when the tests were being conducted.''
Husein has also found himself at a loss for words when facing certain situations which seem volatile from the onset, but end on a positive note.
Recollecting one such case, he said: ''Once I was at my station, and a visibly upset looking gentleman demanded to know which interpreter had spoken with his father earlier in the day when he was not in his room.
''While I was the one he was looking for, it took me a few seconds to compose myself. When I did, he suddenly flashed a big smile, saying how happy he was to hear from his father that the old man finally understood his medical condition after having spoken with me. Whenever the son explained to his father about the diagnosis, the father could never completely understand it. Of course, he thanked me and what a relief that turned out to be!''
His dedication towards the patients is often reciprocated, as was in the case of a 55 year-old man who required long term physiotherapy.
''For seven months, I was with him every day, encouraging him to go through his exercises,'' said Husein. ''The prescribed exercises probably were very painful for him so he often used to throw tantrums. However, I never gave up on him, and continued to offer encouragement and lend a sympathetic ear till he recovered and flew back home without the aid of a wheelchair.
''He thanked me before being discharged from the hospital, and after a couple of months, visited Bangkok as a tourist. He visited me at the hospital during his stay, and surprised me with an expensive watch. I was reluctant to accept his gift, but he insisted, saying that if it was not for me he would have never been able to walk again.''
