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Why is Facebook not translating Thai to English anymore?

FacebookTranslation IssuesThai LanguageSocial MediaUser ExperienceTechnology Issues
Jun 6, 2021
3 years ago
Kathy ****************
ORIGINAL POSTER
Does anyone know why facebook is not translating Thai to English, it started several days ago?
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TLDR : Answer Summary
Users have reported that Facebook has stopped translating Thai to English, with issues occurring for several days now. Many have attempted various fixes, such as checking language settings, but found no resolution. Some believe the translation feature was disabled due to a mistranslation incident involving sensitive content related to the Thai monarchy, which resulted in negative reactions. Users are expressing growing frustration as this issue affects their ability to communicate and access information within Thai social media groups. It appears that the translation problem is a recurring technical glitch that Facebook has yet to address.
Kurt *******
Any updates? Still not working
3 years ago
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Lynnette *******
@Kurt ******
 Nope. Not working. They're still sulking over a translation error.
3 years ago
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Lynnette *******
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Duncan *******
3 years ago
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Lynnette *******
See above comments: "There was a serious problem with a translation concerning a very important person. They shut the translators down as a result."
3 years ago
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Udo *********
Same here, it’s driving me crazy 😜
3 years ago
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Manfred *********
copy pate in google translate app
3 years ago
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Mick ********
ugh. coz someone misspelled salute in reference to the queen the whole world has to copy and paste thai. lololol. worlds gone mad.
3 years ago
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Kathy ****************
ORIGINAL POSTER
Actually it went right over our heads because we thought it was talking about the 21-gun salute not 21 gun slut...
3 years ago
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Lynnette *******
@Mick *******
 it takes too long to cut paste if you're reading a long thread of comments.
3 years ago
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Lynnette *******
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Christian **********
One can still copy and paste posted content into Google Translate
3 years ago
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Lynnette *******
@Ef **********************
 as you can see, it's affected everyone.
3 years ago
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Martin ***********
Having same issue unfortunately.
3 years ago
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Lynnette *******
@Martin **********
 its been removed for thai due to an alleged bad translation.
3 years ago
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Lynnette *******
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Alvin **************************
Same here mate
3 years ago
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Brian ********
I have the same problem I even looked at the settings and discovered the Thai language was not ticked for translation I think FaceBook Needs to sort this if enough of us complain maybe they will sort this problem
3 years ago
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Lynnette *******
@Brian *******
 seems its been removed because of a bad translation that's offended thai "powers that be".
3 years ago
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Lynnette *******
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Brian *****************
Google translate for Thai is horrendous. It doesn’t respect sex, pronouns are bad and verb conjugation is terrible.
3 years ago
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Stan *******
@Brian ****************
 what verb conjugation?
3 years ago
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Brian *****************
Try ask ‘if you sister had come when would we have gone to eat’

Couldn’t get close.

Translating back

‘When my sister comes, we can go eat.’

What did I do wrong?
3 years ago
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Frédéric ******************
@Brian ****************
 That's because your sentence is not correctly structured. A question doesn't start with "if" but with "when".

"When would we have gone to eat if your sister had come?"

Reverse translation: "When can we go eat if your sister comes?"

Now to be closer to the Thai way of speaking, you would have asked "At what time would we have gone to eat if your sister had come?"
3 years ago
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Brian *****************
@Frédéric ****************
The problem was that we were going to eat with the sister in a restaurant, but she was unwell, and all I wanted to know was what time we would have left if the sister came.

After 20 tries I just said

We go and eat now, I never knew what time we were meant to go. 😂
3 years ago
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Frédéric ******************
@Brian ****************
 oh, this is not a translation issue but rather a cultural one. The sister can't come, problem solved. The Thai won't understand that you bother yourself with plans that were changed/cancelled. In your case, a Thai would have asked "She can't come, at what time do we go then?"
3 years ago
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Brian *****************
@Frédéric ****************
 well done. That translates perfectly and is close to what I wanted to say.

Good lesson.
3 years ago
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Frédéric ******************
@Brian ****************
 Just remember that the Thai live the present. They don't care of "what would have happened if that or this."
3 years ago
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Frédéric ******************
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NaTasha ***************
@Brian ****************
 I know a few languages, and thai grammar structure is quite simple but cannot compare to other languages, cannot use perfect tenses (have been, had been, will have been).
3 years ago
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NaTasha ***************
@Brian ****************
 Thai is a different language. Perfect tenses dont exist. Try using the word "already" instead of "had come"
3 years ago
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NaTasha ***************
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Nathan ********
@Brian ****************
 when you structure your English language the same format as thai speak then google translate works perfectly fine.
3 years ago
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Nathan ********
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Joe ********
Same for

Instagram ! No more translation
3 years ago
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Yuri ***********
My Facebook translate... But samtimes funny
3 years ago
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Lynnette *******
It's very annoying as my thai family use thai to post stories and updates, so cannot read them now. I'm missing a lot of news. Same for thai rescue groups. Cannot read.
3 years ago
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Michael ********
@Lynnette ******
***********************************
3 years ago
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Michael ********
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Terry ********
Yes. I was wondering the same. It has occurred before but only lasted a few days.
3 years ago
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Nick ****************
The Thai authorities are trying to close several fake accounts so have tweaked the settings on the control portal in Chang Wattana, it should be resolved soon.
3 years ago
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Ryan ******
@Nick ***************
 Nope...nice try though... If guessing, you really should put something in there like "I am guessing it is..."
3 years ago
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Ryan ******
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Pete *********
Yep, what
@Dennis *********
 said 😁
3 years ago
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Dennis **********
It happens every so often whenever FB has a glitch. It is on Insta as well as FB own them It will be back in a day or so
3 years ago
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Lynnette *******
Same for me no translation option from Thai.
3 years ago
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Mark *************************
Does anyone know what bad translation during the queen's birthday made this happen? Links would be great.
3 years ago
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Michael ********
@Mark ************************
 even posting a link could get you into trouble, you are welcome to use google
3 years ago
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Mark *************************
@Michael *******
 i cant seem to get any result regarding this matter in google... weird.
3 years ago
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Michael ********
@Mark ************************
********************************************************************************************
*****
55/fb-told-to-apologise-for-mistranslation
3 years ago
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Michael ********
@Mark ************************
**********************************************************************************************************
3 years ago
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Kathy ****************
ORIGINAL POSTER
That was last year , just happen often.
3 years ago
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Mark *************************
@Michael *******
 this was last year, that just means fb has screwed up many times before.
3 years ago
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Terry ********
@Mark ************************
 Not surprising as the Thai translations are appalling often with random swear words appearing totally irrelevantly. But one can usually get the gist of what it is being said.
3 years ago
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Michael ********
@Mark ************************
 yes actually i cannot find anything,
3 years ago
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Mark *************************
@Michael *******
 thats weird, because if something like that happened it would be all over the net. Hopefully fb solve this problem quick because many are reliant on these simple but sometimes bad translations
3 years ago
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Michael ********
@Mark ************************
 I have seen it. Its quite rude
3 years ago
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Michael ********
@Mark ************************
 oops yes
3 years ago
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Michael ********
@Mark ************************
 if you are in Thailand its highly doubtful you will.
3 years ago
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Michael ********
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Rowena *****
same here
3 years ago
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Steve **********
Or hang out with Malania, she cant speak 32 languages.
3 years ago
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Steve **********
Your young. Imagine a short time ago when such a feature didnt exist. Now everything is automatically and gramatically translated.

When I first started travelling would either have dictionary or hire a translator.

Now they are both in your cell phone.
3 years ago
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Terry ********
@Steve *********
 "gramatically translated"? The Thai? You must be joking...555.
3 years ago
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Steve **********
@Terry *******
 point taken, after many years you get used to it
3 years ago
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Terry ********
@Steve *********
 You are becoming Thai...grammatically...555.
3 years ago
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Steve **********
Terry Penney.. mai kao jai
3 years ago
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Steve **********
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Ronald *****
Now that I know all are in the same situation as me(no translation)..I feel so much better..😂😂😂
3 years ago
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Michael *******
Down to an innappropriate mistranslation on the queens birthday as I understand 🥺
3 years ago
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Jason ***********
@Michael ******
 what did it say?
3 years ago
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Paul ********
@Michael ******
 seriously?
3 years ago
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Michael *******
@Paul *******
 yes...seriously 👍
3 years ago
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Paul ********
@Michael ******
 actually looked into it yesterday after I saw your post and you’re absolutely right, although it has to be asked how the word “slut” was mistakenly translated TWICE and not spotted 🤔
3 years ago
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Paul ********
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Luc ************
@Michael ******
 correct. One letter made the difference. 🙈
3 years ago
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Luc ************
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Ryan ******
Someone's feelings were hurt by a translation.
3 years ago
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Tod *********
Well
@Ry**
 you'd have to admit that it was kind of a terrible "lost in translation" moment :O :P
3 years ago
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Ryan ******
@Tod ********
3 years ago
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Ryan ******
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Mark *************************
I thought my phone crapped out. I can see translations in other languages like italian and portuguese but no thai. Glad Im not alone. Im in a lot of thai groups and heavily depend on translation. Now I gotta bug my wife every damn time I want to know somethin.
3 years ago
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Angus *********
Yes my translation have disappeared to ?
3 years ago
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Tim *******
Disappointed. I was participating happily in a number of Thai motorcycle groups. Lots of goodwill and information even with the poor translation. Now lost to Thai and foreigner. Even worse for Thai as most of the world uses English. I can always cut and paste but not suitable for casual reading.
3 years ago
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Rollo ************************
I’m glad it’s not just me!! I started to think it was something I was doing wrong until I realized that it translates every language but the one we need... “Thai” 😂
3 years ago
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Kimberley ********
Mine also not working for last 2 days
3 years ago
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Robert *******
I did just about all the above.
3 years ago
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Dev *******
Me too🤔🤔?
3 years ago
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Ben *********
Lost in translations?
3 years ago
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Gene **********
3 years ago
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Tony **********
Me too
3 years ago
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Tony *********
Relax .it will come back

Over the years it's been doing it

Comes and Go's
3 years ago
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Alan *********
This seems to happen every year. FB step up and fix this.😱😱😱😱
3 years ago
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Ric *******
Me too. Only in my messages
3 years ago
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Alexis *********
Check and see if ur set as a beta tester, normally that's why
3 years ago
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Kathy ****************
ORIGINAL POSTER
How do I do that.. It just quit translating one day..
3 years ago
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Kathy ****************
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Gary *******
Same problem here. Did update still the same. Sent message to fb about issue. Response was photo you complained about is within community standards. 3 more messages no response.
3 years ago
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David **********
I've had this for months now with google. Even though I have settings set to translate to English, the Google Search is always in Thai, only changes to English after I make a page selection.
3 years ago
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Michael ********
@David *********
 need setting to google.com not google.co.th with translation, or whatever google you want
3 years ago
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David **********
@Michael *******
 OK thanks I'll try that!
3 years ago
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David **********
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Michael ********
@David *********
 thats nothing to do with this particular instance
3 years ago
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Michael ********
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Mick ********
drivin me nuts
3 years ago
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M *****************
Updated mine is working perfectly
3 years ago
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Mark *************************
@M ****************
 so yours is the only one that is working and its not workin for the rest of the world. Mmmkay.
3 years ago
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Mark *************************
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Jennifer **************
I made that same comment a few weeks ago! The translation is very poor so totally understand!
3 years ago
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Doreen **********
This app may help. Tap Translate Screen.
3 years ago
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Stephen *******
No fix yet
3 years ago
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Thomas ************
I have noticed this also…any fix?
3 years ago
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Michael ********
Apparently it Translated something about the Queen and the English came out very insulting
3 years ago
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William *******
@Michael *******
 Correct. There were articles in many major newspapers worldwide. The translation was very crudely insulting.
3 years ago
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Steve ***********
@Michael *******
 so it translated it accurately?
3 years ago
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Michael ********
@Steve **********
 Not that i am aware of.
3 years ago
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Steve ***********
@Michael *******
3 years ago
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Michael ********
@Steve **********
 aware but the predicament you could put yourself in for answering. Why would I
3 years ago
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Steve ***********
@Michael *******
 I'll be right
3 years ago
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Steve ***********
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Don ********
@Jeffrey ***********
 apparently
3 years ago
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Nigel *********
@Jeffrey ***********
 I take it you're not in thailand... very courageous re posting that if you are. Might get admin in a bit of hot water though.. 😶
3 years ago
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Garrett ***********
@Jef****
 Hahahahhaha, that's awfull
3 years ago
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Garrett ***********
@Mic****
 Hahahaha really?
3 years ago
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Bobby ********
Some Thai-English translations are great!
3 years ago
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Gyorgy ********
Thai language can be very difficult to translate the correct meaning into English. It is also meaning and understanding. I have had lots of problems in the past with incorrect translation.
3 years ago
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Michael ********
@Garrett **********
 yes really its under investigation now
3 years ago
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Michael ********
Someone posted link below
3 years ago
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Michael ********
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Daniel ************
@Michael *******
 please post an official FB statement -
3 years ago
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Michael ********
@Daniel ***********
 someone just posted it
3 years ago
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Michael ********
@Daniel ***********
 notice the start of my sentence "Apparently"
3 years ago
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Daniel ************
@Michael *******
 well that wasnt apparently 😉 -
3 years ago
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Michael ********
@Daniel ***********
 Was to me as that was first time seeing that story, i had only heard about it in Thai language groups
3 years ago
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Michael ********
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Kathy ****************
ORIGINAL POSTER
I have tried all the ways they say to correct it, however it doesn't even show Thai as a language to translate....
3 years ago
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André **********
@Kathy ***************
 Das liegt daram das es nicht mehr übersetzt werden darf. Die genaueren hintergründe kenne ich auch nicht. Es gab scheinbar fehlübersetzungen im zusammenhang mit dem thailändischen government oder königshaus. Gilt scheinbar auch für andere Dienste wie Facebook.
3 years ago
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André **********
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