457
Regarding Table 6, only the word ‘dragon prawn’ is equal to the Standard English item once it
was translated by Guide A. Meanwhile, the remaining words have meanings based on cultural locations
of the tourist places with Thai versions used by the inhabitants, later translated the words into English.
Interestingly, Guide F did not use the loanword ‘Somtam’ to replace the word ‘papaya salad’ due to
loan translation. However, this word still shows its Thai English as papaya salad is very unique to
foreign tourists.
Table 7: Clipping
No. Thai English Words
Excerpts
Standard English Words
1
Seven-eleven
We also have seven-eleven on the island at the PiPi Don. (Guide A)
You can have tea or coffee again. Seven eleven on the right side.
(Guide
E)
Seven-eleven shop
From Table 7, the word ‘seven-eleven’ has been widely used in Thailand. Its full form has
rarely been heard. Guides A and E got used to express this word in Thai by clipping it while speaking in
English.
C.
Syntactic Features
Syntactic features of the mesolectal Thai English used by the guides appear in six categories
conceptually adapted from the simplification features of colloquial Malaysian English (Wong, 1983) and
from previous studies in World Englishes grammar. Though the guides are not of the colloquial variety,
they made these grammatical features distinctively considered as Thai English sentence structure.
(1)
Literal translation
Literal translation refers to particular English sentences in which grammatical elements are
ordered in Thai structure. In this study the four guides performed certain English expressions translated
from Thai.
Table 8: Literal Translation
No.
Thai English Sentences
Excerpts
Standard English Sentences
1
They are also have the bar for cool
drinks.
In case, someone wants to have a drink on the island,
they are also have the bar for cool drinks. (Guide A)
……there are cool drinks.
2
Please not far from the boat because of
the current, not so calm.
If you don’t know how to swim, please not far from the
boat because of the current, not so calm. (Guide A)
….., please be not far from the
boat because of the current
which is not so calm.
Because sea turtle not come every day
Because sea turtle not come every day. (Guide E)
This is because sea turtles do not
come every day.
We not allow anyone
We not allow anyone get on the beach. (Guide F)
We don’t allow anyone to get
the beach.
3
No have the beach.
Number five it’s a small island, no have the beach.
(Guide E)
Island no.5 is a small island; it
has no any beach.
4
From the island number seven to the
island number eight about ten minutes.
From the island number seven to the island number
eight about ten minutes. (Guide E)
It takes about ten minutes from
the island number seven to the
island
5
we spend time here one hour.
Ya, we spend time here one hour. (Guide J)
Ya, we spend one hour here.
6
Leave from
-Before we leave from anywhere, from the place for
snorkeling, from the island, from the pier, ….(Guide F)
Leave
7
Our driver wait you at the office.
- Our driver wait you at the office. (Guide J)
Our driver waits for you at the
office
All the sentences above are constructed using Thai grammar. Firstly, Guide A considered the
verb ‘have’ as it is fully equal to the form ‘mee’ in Thai while the Standard English form, namely the
expletive, ‘there are’, was more complicated. Secondly, Guide A ordered the form ‘not far’ without
using the verb ‘be’ as a main verb since this ordering yields the Thai form ‘mai (not) klai (far)’. This was
similarly used by Guides E and F who placed the expressions ‘not come’ and ‘not allow’ without using
