If you have Thai clients, customers, or employees, you will need Thai translation services in order to reach them in their own language. There are roughly 25 million speakers of Thai living in Thailand. Although many Thai speakers have some facility with English, Web sites, software, and documentation should all be translated into Thai for best results in Thailand.

Thai translation is just one part of a larger process known as Thai globalization. Thai globalization is the process of adapting your products (software, documentation, and Web sites) functionally, linguistically, and culturally for Thai speakers worldwide.

Web sites
Research by IDC has shown that customers are four times as likely to buy if Web site content is presented in their language. Thai translation services for Web sites range from simple (such as a straight HTML-based Thai Web site) to complex (such as a dynamic, database-driven Thai web application). Your Web site translation company should have the capability to translate text from source files such as HTML/XML, applets, database exports, CGI scripts, Java scripts, graphic files, ASP files, or FLASH files.

Software
Thai software translation services, more appropriately called "localization" services, are needed to create an authentic Thai software user experience. Online help, menu commands, and installation instructions should be fully translated into Thai. Your software translation company should have the ability to deal with programming, scripting, and mark-up languages such as Java, VB and ASP, XML and ASP, C/C++, and Visual Basic.

Documentation
Thai document translation refers to the translation of printed materials such as books, user guides, promotional brochures, and financial information. Different industries generate different kinds of documents such as instruction manuals, packaging, and marketing materials, all of which must be linguistically and aesthetically consistent with the original. Common layout applications include QuarkXpress, FrameMaker, Word, and InDesign, while graphics are often created and edited in Illustrator or PhotoShop.