Toward deployment of public service interpreting and translation in Thailand: The Japanese case from a comparative perspective

Abstract

     One of the economic and social disparity issues caused by rapid economic growth and global mobility of immigration is how to promote the empowerment of powerless social groups and minority ethnic communities. Shedding light on the setting in Thailand, regarded as a middle-developed country, this study explored the direction of public service provision by the communicative means of interpreting and translation for foreign residents in Thailand. For that purpose, key issues were revisited in the policy framework and implementation for promoting a multicultural society through the Japanese case. A case involving non-developed-countries has been rarely discussed and is relatively unexplored in the field of public service interpreting and translation (PSIT) within the discipline of Translation Studies. The findings obtained by reviewing the relevant literature revealed two views. First, local authorities in Japan have attempted to overcome the challenges of budget constraints and securing human resources, especially due to the limited diffusion of university-trained language interpreters and translators. Secondly, PSIT in Thailand has not been deployed based on language policy because of political instability. Given the above, this study recommended sophisticated literacy surveys for migrants to plan deployment of PSIT in Thailand and education specialized for PSIT providers at the tertiary level.