About Computers

The Thai government is now taking the lead in open source promotion by requiring free open source fonts be used for government documents.

The worst thing about widespread software piracy in Thailand may be that it hinders the development of Thai software by Thai software developers. 

If buying a pirated version of software wasn't so easy, Thai computer programmers would have an incentive to create Thai language programs like Open Office.

Open Office already exists as free "open source software" and can be used as an alternative to Microsoft Office for preparing Thai language documents.

Programmer James Clark has been a major force behind the "Thai localization of OpenOffice.org office suite and Mozilla Firefox Web browser, along with other open source software packages" (See Twitter: @james_clark).

The font displayed below in an example is the Microsoft Thai "Angsana" font. This is one of the fonts that will be replaced by the government's open source fonts.

Also make sure to read an important article in this week's Post Database section on how open source is "building momentum in Thailand" (Read article).

Click button to listen to Open Source Thai Fonts and rightclick to download

ICT prescribes Thai typefaces for official documents

The cabinet on Tuesday agreed with a proposal by the Information and Communication Ministry for all Thai government agencies to install and adopt 13 Thai typefaces (fonts) belonging to the Software Industry Promotion Agency (Sipa) and Intellectual Protection Department. The typefaces use the Thai OS (Thai Operating System) which is based on free open source software, Post Today reported.

The ICT Ministry reasoned that several Thai government agencies had adopted Thai typefaces for official documents which are copyrighted by proprietary OS, making it difficult or even impossible to convert these documents into portable documents which are not dependent on an OS. The ICT Ministry cited "Angsana" as an example of a popular Thai typeface belonging to the Windows OS. Use of the typeface might face a copyright infringement lawsuit when converted to another document format.

Therefore, the ICT Ministry instructed Sipa to develop and hold a competition to design Thai typefaces which support open source software, which is free software which does not belong to any OS or any other copyright holder. This would support the Thai digital document standard and the development of Thai-owned typefaces would preserve the Thai identity. Now Sipa has finished the development of 13 Thai typefaces which are copyrighted by Sipa and the Department of Intellectual Protection, they are being distributed freely for official and general use without the risk of any potential copyright infringement.

To make sure all Thai agencies do not infringe on any copyright typeface and to promote Thai typefaces that are independent of any proprietary OS, and to celebrate the 84th birthday of His Majesty the King on Dec 5 next year, the cabinet has decreed that all Thai government agencies must install the 13 new Thai typefaces before then and use them in place of the existing typefaces. They must regard these new typefaces as the standard for all Thai documents.

The 13 typefaces, available in normal, italic, bold and bold italic face are: TH Sarabun PSK, TH Chamornman, TH Krub, TH Srisakdi, TH Niramit AS, TH Charm of AU, TH Kodchasal, TH K2D July8, TH Mali Grade 6, TH Chakra Petch, TH Baijam, TH KoHo and TH Fah Kwang.

(Source: Bangkok Post, ICT prescribes Thai typefaces for official documents, link)

Open Office - "an open-source application suite whose main components are for word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, graphics, and databases. It is available for a number of different computer operating systems, is distributed as free software" (See Wikipedia and website where you can download the free software) 
incentive - a reward that makes people behave in a certain way
open source software - software not owned by a company, computer software for which the source code is freely available, opposite: proprietary, see below (See Wikipedia)
software piracy - illegal copying software without permission of the owner, software "copyright infringement" see below (See Wikipedia)
alternative - one possible "choice" or "option" in a group of choices ทางเลือก
James Clark - an important developer of XML software and promoter of open source software, has lived in Thailand since 1995 (See Wikipedia)
force behind Y - the persons or organizations that worked to make something happen (example: those MPs were the force behind getting the law passed)
localization - software localization and internationalization, changing or adapting computer software so that it works in  different languages and regional differences - (See Wikipedia)
web browser - "a software application for retrieving, presenting, and traversing information resources on the World Wide Web" (See Wikipedia)
Mozilla Firefox - the most popular free and open source web browser (See Wikipedia)
software package - a set of programmers that work together and are bundled together for one easy installation (See Wikipedia)
software application - "computer software designed to help the user to perform singular or multiple related specific tasks. Examples include enterprise software, accounting software, office suites, graphics software, and media players," the short form of the word is "app" (See Wikipedia)
office suite - a set of computer programs used to office related business tasks such as word processor or preparing presentations and spreadsheets
momentum - moving faster and faster, when a project starts moving faster towards achieving its goals
building momentum - increasing its speed and moving faster and faster

take the lead on a project or issue - be the person or organization leading a project and trying to achieve goals 
official - approved by the government or some authority ที่เป็นทางการ
ICT (Information and Communications Technology) - a term for both information technology (IT) and telecom technology (See Wikipedia)
prescribe - officially state what should be done in a certain situation
typeface - a font, an alphabet of letters, numerals, and punctuation marks and symbols following a certain style, in different sizes, that can be typed into computer documents (See Wikipedia)
proposal - a plan or suggestion for a group to consider ข้อเสนอ
install - put a piece of equipment or software somewhere and make it ready to be used ติดตั้งอุปกรณ์
adopt - to accept or to start using something new นำมาใช้
Software Industry Promotion Agency (Sipa) - set up by the Thai government in 2003 to develop and promote Thailand's software industry (See website)
Operating System (OS) - on a computer the software system that connects computer programs and software to the hardware (See Wikipedia)
Thai OS (Thai Operating System) - see entry for James Clark above

copyright - exclusive right to control publication and sale of literary or musical or artistic work (See Wikipedia) ลิขสิทธิ์
proprietary - owned by a company (which sells the product for a profit)
proprietary OS - proprietary operating system, operating system software that is owned by a company (for example, Microsoft Windows)
proprietary software - software owned by a company 
convert - change form one form to another เปลี่ยนระบบ
document - a paper or set of papers with written or printed information, especially of an official type (also includes the same on computers in Word or PDF files, for example) เอกสาร (See Wikipedia)
convert document - change document from one document format to another document format
document conversion (noun phrase)
format - the arrangement, design or organisation of something รูปแบบ
file format - a standard way to organize or "encode" information for storage in a computer file.(See Wikipedia)
document format - a file format for files that contain documents, see above (See Wikipedia)
portable - can carry with you and take anywhere
portable documents - computer documents that can be read on any computer
dependent - needing something to continue existing or operating ต้องอาศัย
cited - mentioned (to support a point you are making or arguing) กล่าวถึง
infringe (verb) - to break or violate a law, agreement or rule
infringement (noun) - the breaking of a law (or agreement or rule)
lawsuit - a case that a court of law is asked to decide involving a disagreement between two people or organisations คดีที่อยู่ในระหว่างการฟ้องร้อง
copyright infringement lawsuit - court case with owner of copyright trying to get money from person who used copyrighted work illegally

support - help สนับสนุน
copyright holder - a person or company that owns a copyright on some work
development - the gradual growth and formation of something
preserve - to keep something as it is, especially in order to prevent it from being damaged or destroyed ทำให้คงอยู่, สงวน, อนุรักษ์
identity - who you are, the characteristics that make you different from other people (for example, "khwam ben Thai" means the identity of being "Thai")
cultural identity - a person's identity as determined by the culture they come, for example "Thai cultural identity" (See Wikipedia)
culture - a set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterizes" a group of people, for example: "Thai culture" (See Wikipedia)
cultural (adjective)
Thai identity - the cultural identity of Thai people
distributed - made available to customers through stores and middlemen
risk - the possibility that something dangerous or unpleasant might happen ความเสี่ยง
potential - possible ความเป็นไปได้
copyright infringement - using copyrighted works or material without permission of owner
promote - to support and enourage something and help it develop
independent - separate and not connect, not influenced or affected by others, not taking help or money from other people พึ่งตนเอง
decree - an official decision or order made by the government 
regard - to consider or have an opinion about something or someone เห็นว่า,ถือว่า
italic - italic type, cursive letters that looks like this: this is italics (See Wikipedia)
bold - letters that are darker than normal letters, that look like this: this is bold (See Wikipedia)

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