Talking Thai <> English Dictionary for Windows PCs

Talking Thai <> English Dictionary

Talking Thai <> English Dictionary

for Windows PCs
for Windows PCs

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Features Questions:

Q: Wow! How do I use this?
Q: Can I look up both English and Thai words?
Q: Will I see actual Thai characters?
Q: Will I see actual Thai script?
Q: Will I see the Thai alphabet?
Q: Do I have to read Thai script to use this app?
Q: Do I have to be on the Internet to use the app?
Q: Does the dictionary talk?
Q: Can I speak to the dictionary?
Q: Can I translate whole sentences or paragraphs at once?
Q: Can I translate web pages automatically?
Q: Can I have a look at the product's manual?

Phrasebook vs. Dictionary Questions:

Q: How can I decide whether to buy phrasebook or the dictionary?
Q: How are the phrasebook and dictionary different?
Q: Are all features of the phrasebook also in the dictionary?
Q: Can I upgrade from phrasebook to dictionary?
Q: Can I add phrasebook features to my dictionary?

Requirements/Compatibility Questions:

Q: What kind of device or computer do I need?
Q: What kind of operating system (e.g. iOS, Android, Windows) do I need?
Q: What platforms does this run on?
Q: How much space do I need on my device or computer?
Q: Does this work on iOS?
Q: Will this run on my iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch?
Q: Does this work on Android?
Q: Will this run on my Android phone or tablet?
Q: Does this work on Windows?
Q: Will this run on my Windows laptop or desktop PC?
Q: Will this run on my Mac?
Q: Will the dictionary run on Windows Phone?
Q: Will the dictionary run on PocketPC / Windows CE / Windows Mobile?

Purchase Questions:

Q: How can I purchase the dictionary for my Windows laptop or desktop PC?
Q: Can I purchase the Windows product using a credit card?
Q: Can I purchase the Windows product without a PayPal account?
Q: Can I try the dictionary before I buy?
Q: What is the return policy?
Q: Is there a money-back guarantee?

Reinstall, Upgrade, Transfer Questions:

Q: Do I get free lifetime upgrades to later versions on the same platform?
Q: If I bought on iOS, do I get free upgrades to later iOS versions?
Q: If I bought on Android, do I get free upgrades to later Android versions?
Q: If I bought on Windows, do I get free upgrades to later Windows versions?
Q: Is one purchase good for multiple devices/computers?
Q: How do I install the app on additional devices/computers?
Q: Do I get free lifetime upgrades to other platforms?
Q: Can I get a discount for upgrades to other platforms?
Q: Can I trade in my older version on another platform for this platform?
Q: How often do you update the app?
Q: What is added in updates?
Q: Do you offer an academic discount?
Q: Can I get a discount for bulk purchases in our business/school/institution?
Q: What changed in each version of the software?

Windows Installation Questions:

Q: How do I install the dictionary on my PC?
Q: Where do I go to upgrade the dictionary on my PC?
Q: Where is the download site?
Q: Does my PC have to be on the Internet during activation?
Q: Do I ever have to activate again?
Q: What happens when I switch to a new PC?
Q: Can I Order the Software on CD-ROM?
Q: How is the "Free Limited Trial" different from the full product?
Q: Can I install the software on more than one PC at a time?
Q: What if I upgrade my computer?
Q: What if my PC dies?
Q: Can I Back Up the Program In Case I Have to Reinstall My Computer?
Q: Help! I can't download the software from your website.
Q: During download I get a "corrupt file" error. What is this?
Q: During download I get a "file could not be saved" error. What is this?
Q: During download I get a "lost connection" error. What is this?
Q: During download I get a "incomplete download" error. What is this?
Q: Why does my anti-virus program report malware in our software?
Q: Why does ESET (2012), AVG (2011), or Avira (2010) report a virus?
Q: How can I verify my download of your app is correct and unmodified?

Using the Dictionary Questions:

Q: Can I have a look at the product's manual?
Q: How do I run the dictionary?
Q: What are the basic steps to look up a word?
Q: How do I choose my dictionary section (English, Phonetic, Thai)?
Q: How do I enter all of the Thai letters?
Q: How exactly do I need to enter my word?
Q: How do I change the font, font size, or colors?

Keyboard Questions:

Q: What keyboards can I use in the app?
Q: Can I use the system keyboards?
Q: Can I use third-party keyboards?
Q: Do you support Swype?
Q: Why do I have problems searching for the Thai letters ฃ ฅ ข ช ซ ค ด ต?
Q: How can I type the Thai letters ฃ ฅ?

Reference Questions:

Q: What pronunciation guide systems does the dictionary support?
Q: What are the parts of speech / symbols / abbreviations used in the dictionary?
Q: What's up with that app icon?

Companion Material Questions:

Q: What other Thai learning materials are available?
Q: What else does Paiboon Publishing produce?
Q: Which Thai books work best with the dictionary?

Features Questions and Answers:

Q:

Wow! How do I use this?

A: Talking Thai <> English Dictionary This Talking Thai <> English Dictionary is an app that runs on laptops and desktop PC computers running the Microsoft Windows operating system.

This dictionary is also available for

To use the dictionary, you simply run it and start typing letters of the word or phrase you are looking for. As you enter each letter, the dictionary jumps closer and closer to your desired word or phrase, and typically after only a few letters, you have found your word or phrase.

Each entry contains English, Thai written using Thai Script, and Thai written using a convenient English-like Thai Sound pronunciation guide. So you can read and search for Thai words even if you don't read Thai Script.

We have lots more information about the dictionary on our overview page. Also see the exact requirements for your device.

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Q:

Can I look up both English and Thai words?

A: Yes. Most dictionaries and phrasebooks let you look up English words, and some also let you look up Thai words using Thai script. But Paiboon's revolutionary three-way design bridges the gap for English speakers by introducing a third method where you can look up Thai words that you hear by their sound, using an easy-to-read, English-like Thai Sound pronunciation guide:

Search-by-Sound

Search-by-Sound™ has been a hallmark of all Paiboon dictionaries since 2002.

For more information on Search-by-Sound™ and why it's so useful for Thai, see this section.

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Q:

Will I see actual Thai characters?

Q:

Will I see actual Thai script?

Q:

Will I see the Thai alphabet?

A: Yes you will. Our dictionary comes with highly readable Thai fonts and allows you to set the font size as big as you want. You don't need any extra software to display Thai Script or even to search for Thai words. We provide a handy on-screen keyboard to help you type Thai words by their sound, or you can use your favorite third-party keyboard.

If you don't read Thai script, our dictionary is still just as useful! Every time a Thai word appears, it's written in Thai Script, but also in an easy-to-use, English-like Thai Sound pronunciation guide, so you can read and sound out Thai words without needing to read Thai script. And thanks to our indispensable Search-by-Sound™ feature, you can even find Thai words by their sound!.

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Q:

Do I have to read Thai script to use this app?

A: No. Our dictionary is equally useful to casual travelers who don't read Thai and serious students who do, because every time a Thai word appears, it is written both in Thai Script and in an easy-to-use, English-like Thai Sound pronunciation guide. So you can read and sound out Thai words without needing to read Thai script. And thanks to our indispensable Search-by-Sound™ feature, you can even find Thai words by their sound!

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Q:

Do I have to be on the Internet to use the app?

A: No. When you purchase our app and download it from the app store, you have everything you need right on your device. All the dictionary entries and sounds are built-in, so you can look up words and play all the high-quality sound recordings of each Thai word without being connected to the internet or incurring any data charges. Works on a plane or on the train.

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Q:

Does the dictionary talk?

A: Yes. You can tap on any Thai word, phrase, or complete sentence in the dictionary to hear a high-quality sound recording of a native Thai speaker.

Tap the buttons to hear some sample sounds:

Say goodbye to robot voices and limited sound sets: our comprehensive sounds set a new standard in the industry.

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Q:

Can I speak to the dictionary?

A: Yes. You can speak English words right into the software to search the dictionary (see dictation requirements).

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Q:

Can I translate whole sentences or paragraphs at once?

Q:

Can I translate web pages automatically?

A: No. At this time, our app contains 150,000+ words, phrases, and complete sentences, but it does not attempt to translate complete sentences (that are not already in the dictionary), paragraphs or whole webpages.

Currently, for translating sentences or paragraphs from Thai to English or English to Thai, the only tool available is Google Translate, but as many people have noticed, it's really not so good. The output is so full of errors that it is often impossible to understand, or easy to misunderstand. Translation of complete sentences is a very difficult problem because the computer has to understand the text in order to choose the right translation (e.g. "glass" pane vs. drinking "glass") and in all but a few isolated subject areas, that is beyond the ability of modern software. Other language pairs, such as English-Spanish Google Translate, work much better than English-Thai because in those more closely related languages, multiple meanings tend to be shared across the two languages more often. So Google Translate's guesses are correct a much greater percentage of the time.

Having said that, we are thinking of implementing a feature where you can paste a bunch of text, or perhaps specify a website URL, and our app will find and show all the words in your text that are in our dictionary, with an easy way to see the definitions. Contact us if this interests you.

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Q:

Can I have a look at the product's manual?

A: You can find a detailed explanation of all app features on our overview page.

Our product manual, which includes both detailed instructions on using every app feature and a comprehensive guide to speaking and understanding Thai, is built into the program. It's even interactive, with icons you can tap to hear sounds.

To see the Windows product manual now, you can download our free, limited trial version right now to get full information on using the program and its features.

You can buy the product with full confidence knowing we offer a 100% money-back guarantee.

If you have a specific feature question, you can contact us and ask.

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Phrasebook vs. Dictionary Questions and Answers:

Q:

How can I decide whether to buy phrasebook or the dictionary?

Q:

How are the phrasebook and dictionary different?

Q:

Are all features of the phrasebook also in the dictionary?

Q:

Can I upgrade from phrasebook to dictionary?

Q:

Can I add phrasebook features to my dictionary?

A: All these questions are answered on our Thai phrasebook and dictionary app product comparison page.

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Requirements/Compatibility Questions and Answers:

Q:

What kind of device or computer do I need?

Q:

What kind of operating system (e.g. iOS, Android, Windows) do I need?

Q:

What platforms does this run on?

A: This Talking Thai <> English Dictionary is an app that runs on laptops and desktop PC computers running the Microsoft Windows operating system.

For all the important details on requirements, see the requirements page.

This dictionary is also available for

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Q:

How much space do I need on my device or computer?

A: Because our app includes more than 19 hours of high-quality sound recordings, we require about 350 megabytes (350 MB, or 0.35GB) of free space on your device or computer.

For more details, see our requirements page.

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Q:

Does this work on iOS?

Q:

Will this run on my iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch?

A: Yes. See our overview page for purchase info and also see requirements for your device/computer.

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Q:

Does this work on Android?

Q:

Will this run on my Android phone or tablet?

A: Yes. See our overview page for purchase info and also see requirements for your device/computer.

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Q:

Does this work on Windows?

Q:

Will this run on my Windows laptop or desktop PC?

A: Yes. See our overview page for purchase info and also see requirements for your device/computer.

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Q:

Will this run on my Mac?

A: We do not plan to develop a Mac version of this dictionary software at this time.

However, we have many customers who use our Windows product on a Mac via CrossOver Mac, Parallels and VMWare Fusion.

See our overview page for more info on the Windows product.

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Q:

Will the dictionary run on Windows Phone?

Q:

Will the dictionary run on PocketPC / Windows CE / Windows Mobile?

A: No. This Talking Thai <> English Dictionary is an app that runs on laptops and desktop PC computers running the Microsoft Windows operating system.

This dictionary is also available for

We have heard there might be demand for a PocketPC/Windows Mobile/Windows Phone port. If you are interested, send us mail at windowsphone@word-in-the-hand.com.

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Purchase Questions and Answers:

Q:

How can I purchase the dictionary for my Windows laptop or desktop PC?

A: Simply click here:

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Q:

Can I purchase the Windows product using a credit card?

Q:

Can I purchase the Windows product without a PayPal account?

A: Here at word-in-the-hand.com, we use PayPal as our payment processor for Windows purchases, but in most cases you do not need a PayPal account in order to purchase our product.

You can always purchase our product using a credit card (Visa/Mastercard/Amex/Discover/etc.).

If your computer is physically located in the USA, Europe, or most other countries at the time that you purchase our product, then you will be able to directly enter your credit card number and complete your purchase immediately, without needing to provide or create a PayPal account.

However, due to restrictions placed on all vendors by PayPal, if your computer is physically located in Thailand at the time that you purchase our product, then PayPal might require you to create a PayPal account first, and add your credit card to that PayPal account, before you can purchase our product. This is true regardless of whether your credit card was issued by a Thai bank or a non-Thai bank: the key factor is where your computer is physically located at the time of purchase.

Fortunately, it costs you nothing to create and maintain a PayPal account, and once you have created the PayPal account, you can add any credit card or debit account you want to your PayPal account to use for payment.

We apologize for this inconvenience for some users based in Thailand: PayPal claims that this is necessary for "fraud prevention," but we fail to see how this is relevant and we feel that PayPal is just taking advantage of the situation in order to get more customers. We have made multiple pleas to PayPal to relax this restriction, but PayPal is adamant. We are currently investigating alternate payment providers who will not impose this restriction on users located in Thailand, but it will take several months to set up alternate systems.

So, if you are in Thailand and you wish to purchase, here are some options that you have:

  • Use PayPal, if you already have a PayPal account.

  • Create a PayPal account and add your credit card to it. You can then pay with your credit card.

  • Ask a trusted friend who is based outside of Thailand to visit our website and enter the credit card number and other purchase info for you. PayPal will not require a PayPal account since the purchase is coming from a computer outside of Thailand.

  • If you work for a company/organization based outside of Thailand and you have the ability to log into their network (e.g. via VPN or other corporate firewall), then make the purchase through their network. PayPal will see this as a purchase coming from outside Thailand, and offer you the choice to enter your credit card number directly.

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Q:

Can I try the dictionary before I buy?

A: For all of our products on all platforms, we offer a 100% money-back guarantee, so you can buy the product with full confidence.

See our support page to find out how the guarantee works on each platform.

For our Windows product, we additionally offer a free, limited trial version of the dictionary that allows you to experience the look and feel of the program: its fonts, features, and sound quality. The limited trial version has around 150 words per section.

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Q:

What is the return policy?

Q:

Is there a money-back guarantee?

A: For all of our products on all platforms, we offer a 100% money-back guarantee, so you can buy the product with full confidence.

See our support page to find out how the guarantee works on each platform.

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Reinstall, Upgrade, Transfer Questions and Answers:

Q:

Do I get free lifetime upgrades to later versions on the same platform?

Q:

If I bought on iOS, do I get free upgrades to later iOS versions?

Q:

If I bought on Android, do I get free upgrades to later Android versions?

Q:

If I bought on Windows, do I get free upgrades to later Windows versions?

A: Yes! We are constantly improving the dictionary by adding new features and adding more vocabulary. By purchasing the dictionary now, you will be entitled to download free upgrades on the same platform (e.g. Apple iOS, Google Android, Microsoft Windows) as new features and vocabulary become available.

Existing Windows customers can download the latest Windows release free here.

Each platform is sold separately, so upgrades do not apply across platforms.

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Q:

Is one purchase good for multiple devices/computers?

A: If you purchased for Microsoft Windows PC (laptop/desktop):
No. A single purchase of our Windows product entitles you to install and use the dictionary software on one Windows computer. If you uninstall the software from one computer and then install on another, that is ok. If you wish to use the software on more than one computer at a time, we kindly request you to purchase another copy and you will receive additional Purchase Codes which you should use on those other computers.

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Q:

How do I install the app on additional devices/computers?

A: If you purchased for Microsoft Windows PC (laptop/desktop):
A single purchase of our Windows product entitles you to install and use the dictionary software on one Windows computer. If you want to install on two or more computers at once, you will need to purchase again so that you have a separate Purchase Code for each computer.

If you uninstall the software from one computer first and then install on another, that is ok.

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Q:

Do I get free lifetime upgrades to other platforms?

Q:

Can I get a discount for upgrades to other platforms?

Q:

Can I trade in my older version on another platform for this platform?

A: No. When your purchase our product on one platform (e.g. Apple iOS, Google Android, Microsoft Windows), you get free lifetime upgrades on that platform but you must purchase again if you change platforms.

Currently there is no way to transfer a purchase or get a discount for a new purchase across platforms.

One reason why we cannot do transfers or discounts is that Apple, Google, and PayPal are mortal enemies and they don't give us any way to transfer the licensing permission. Apple and Google also do not give us any way to offer discounts for individual customer purchases.

But there is another, more fundamental reason why we do not offer free license transfers or discounts: each time we have moved to a new platform (from Palm OS to Windows desktop to Apple iOS to Google Android) we had to completely re-write the app from scratch, because each platform uses a software development system that is completely incompatible with the previous platform. In some cases, we even had to rewrite our app in a completely different computer language! Unfortunately, platform designers like Microsoft and Apple and Google do this on purpose in a futile and counter-productive attempt at locking developers onto their platform, and this trend is almost certain to continue as new platforms emerge.

The net effect of this reality is that each time we move to a new platform, it incurs massive development costs (at least 3 and often 6 months of full-time software engineer labor).

The simple financial reality is that we need to recover those development costs so that we can continue to provide free upgrades for everyone on every platform, both existing and new! Because we have a large base of customers who also upgrade their devices to each new platform, we cannot fund continued development of all our supported platforms using only the purchases of new users on the new platforms. The numbers simply do not add up, and we would not be able to continue to support you if we did not charge across platforms.

You may have noticed that some app vendors do offer free upgrades across platforms (by making most app features exclusively available through in-app purchases, on which Apple and Google place fewer restrictions). In those cases, the vendor has factored the large additional cost of new platform development into initial purchase price of their app, making the app more expensive for you if you do not happen to jump to every new platform. We do not want to incur cost for all customers when only some customers switch between platforms. Also, nobody can predict when and how often new platforms will become popular, so we feel it is both more fair and more safe to price each platform separately.

We understand that from your point of view, you can only use one platform/device at a time, so it seems like you should only pay once. We hope you will understand that from our point of view, we need to pay for our programming time so we can continue to develop the app and add new features and new vocabulary for you and all our other users on all platforms.

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Q:

How often do you update the app?

Q:

What is added in updates?

A: Although we have no fixed schedule for updates, we typically update apps on all our platforms about once a year to add a large batch of new entries (for our Thai dictionary product, we started at 42,000 entries in 2009, increased to 100,000 in 2010, increased to 150,000 entries in 2012, increased to 195,000 in 2016, and we are continuing to add more year after year) and then we occasionally release additional updates to add new features or address issues with new devices.

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Q:

Do you offer an academic discount?

A: Not at this time.

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Q:

Can I get a discount for bulk purchases in our business/school/institution?

A: Our dictionary is a dream come true for large institutions who employ large numbers of expat workers. With a single easy centralized purchase, you could have the world's leading Thai-English dictionary for English speakers on every employee's device, smoothing their transition to Thailand and saving you both work and training costs. If your business, school, or institution is interested in purchase of a large number of units (say, 3000-5000 units over the multi-year course of our business relationship), please contact us and we can discuss creating a customized version of our software that is easy to deploy across your entire institution.

For those who wish to make smaller bulk purchases, we would love to be able to offer bulk purchase discounts, unfortunately at this time, both Google and Apple control pricing and does not give us the opportunity to offer different prices for different quantities.

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Q:

What changed in each version of the software?

A: To see a list of all software versions so you can find out what changed, visit this page.

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Windows Installation Questions and Answers:

Q:

How do I install the dictionary on my PC?

A: We give you step-by-step guidance on downloading and installating the dictionary in our pages about the free, limited trial version and also in the final page you reach when you purchase the dictionary.

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Q:

Where do I go to upgrade the dictionary on my PC?

Q:

Where is the download site?

A: Existing customers can download their free app upgrades on our Download Page. You will need the Purchase Code you received when you first bought and activated the app.

You can download the free, limited trial version of our app on this page.

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Q:

Does my PC have to be on the Internet during activation?

A: Yes. After installation, our software requires one-time activation over the internet, which means that the computer running the software must be on the internet for a few seconds.

After that initial activation is complete, all the dictionary entries and sounds are stored on your computer, so you can look up words even when you are not connected to the internet.

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Q:

Do I ever have to activate again?

A: Once you have installed and activated your software once, the only cases where you would have to activate your dictionary again is if:
  • you switch PCs,
  • you reinstall your operating system (for example, after a disk crash or OS upgrade), or
  • you perform a major hardware upgrade to your computer.

If reactivation is necessary, you will see a window pop up when you run your dictionary, asking you for your Purchase Code. As long as you are using the dictionary on only one PC at a time, you will be able to complete the activation smoothly and at no additional cost to you.

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Q:

What happens when I switch to a new PC?

A: Your license agreement entitles you to run one copy of the full dictionary on one Windows PC at a time.

When you switch PCs (for example, when you buy a new one), you need to uninstall the dictionary from our old PC, and then install the dictionary on your new PC.

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Q:

Can I Order the Software on CD-ROM?

A: No, we no longer order a CD-ROM version. Instead, a few hours after you purchase online, you will get a Purchase Code by email that lets you immediately download the latest version of the software to your computer. Your Purchase Code also lets you get free upgrades by download each time we update the app.

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Q:

How is the "Free Limited Trial" different from the full product?

A: The free, limited trial version allows you to experience the look and feel of the program: its fonts, features, and sound quality. The limited trial version has around 150 words per section. The limited trial version comes with a complete set of Help pages on using the program, and on pronunciation guide systems, but does not include the detailed introduction to the Thai language that is found in the full product.

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Q:

Can I install the software on more than one PC at a time?

A: No. Your purchase of our software entitles you to run the software on one PC (one Microsoft Windows laptop, desktop, netbook, or tablet) at a time. If you uninstall the software from one computer and install on another, that is ok. If you have two computers (e.g. a desktop and a notebook), you will need to purchase two licenses so that you have two different Purchase Codes that you enter at installation time.

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Q:

What if I upgrade my computer?

Q:

What if my PC dies?

A: If your computer dies or if you purchase a new computer, you are welcome to install the software on the new computer provided you are no longer using it on the old computer.

If you want to use the software on more than one computer, you will need to purchase two licenses so that you have two different Purchase Codes that you enter at installation time.

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Q:

Can I Back Up the Program In Case I Have to Reinstall My Computer?

A: If you like, you certainly can take the installer file that you downloaded from our website, and either burn that file to a CD-ROM or save that file on any type of removable storage device (such as a USB flash drive) for safe keeping.

But you don't have to. If your computer crashes or otherwise needs to be reinstalled, you can always return to our website and download the installer again on this page, free of charge.

Important: In order to reactivate the software on your new (or newly reinstalled) computer, you must still have your original Purchase Code that we emailed to you at the time of purchase. If you haven't already, write down and save your Purchase Code today (outside your computer!). Your Purchase Code is what entitles you to activate the software. It also entitles you to free upgrades to later Windows versions. Without your Purchase Code, you will need to purchase a new copy in order to get the software working again.

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Q:

Help! I can't download the software from your website.

Q:

During download I get a "corrupt file" error. What is this?

Q:

During download I get a "file could not be saved" error. What is this?

Q:

During download I get a "lost connection" error. What is this?

Q:

During download I get a "incomplete download" error. What is this?

A: If you have a slow or unreliable Internet connection, especially in Thailand (and especially if you use mobile connections such as EDGE, GPRS, CDMA, 3G, LTE, or 4G) it is possible that you may experience "corrupt file," "lost connection," "file could not be saved" or "incomplete download" problems that prevent you from getting the complete file.

You might see this when downloading our small free, limited trial version (which is around 7 MB in size), or our full version (which is around 350 megabytes (350 MB, or 0.35GB) in size).

When downloading the full version of our software from a computer located in Thailand, you might find that choosing our Singapore server gives you a faster and more reliable download. However, often the problem is with your local Internet provider so you will see problems no matter which server you choose.

Unfortunately, such problems often happen when downloading any large file on the internet, including our installers, over slow or unreliable connections.

Your connection may work just fine for doing email and viewing normal web pages (which consist primarily of small files), yet you may experience this problem when downloading larger files.

These problems are caused by severe, willful incompetence in the way that many of the world's internet service providers (ISPs) deal with internet traffic that goes beyond their planning or expectation. These incompetent providers have decided to intentionally terminate any connection that's been open for "too long" (which they decide themselves, without your permission). They usually use euphemisms like "traffic shaping" to describe how they abruptly and randomly cut off your connections, preventing you from downloading a complete file. In some countries, this "traffic shaping" is actually illegal, but the providers do it anyway as a last-ditch workaround for their own lack of proper provisioning. In the long term, internet providers who do "traffic shaping" need to be penalized in the market and eventually pushed out of business. Please help this effort if you can.

In the short term, however, you want your dictionary! So here are our tips on how to get a complete and correct download with unreliable connections:

  • The simplest method, if possible, is to download the file from a more reliable connection. Find a friend or internet cafe that has a reliable, land-based connection such as a DSL, ADSL, cable modem, or fiber optic connection. It's even okay to use Wi-Fi wireless internet, as long as the station transmitting the Wi-Fi signal is connected to the internet by a reliable connection such as one of the above.

  • The next easiest thing to try is to download our installer using the Firefox web browser, instead of the inferior Internet Explorer web browser that comes with Windows. If your download stops in the middle due to connection problems, or if you need to turn off your computer for a while, you will generally be able to re-start the download where you left off by using the Pause, Cancel and Retry buttons in Firefox's Downloads window (Tools...Downloads):

    Retry Button

    The retry feature doesn't always work properly in Firefox, but it works more often than other web browsers.

    If using Firefox alone doesn't help, here is a simple but cool idea from one of our users. If you use the Firefox buttons shown above to intentionally pause and restart the download a couple of times at evenly-spaced intervals during the download (say, pause for 5 seconds every 20 minutes or so), this may bring you victory over the incompetent ISPs and deliver a complete file. This trick works because you are effectively splitting your long file request into three or four shorter requests, and the ISP traffic shaping misfeature is more likely to cause problems with long requests.

  • Finally, if not even Firefox works for you, and you must use an unreliable internet connection, then your only resort is to use a "download manager," also known as a "download accelerator." These are third-party software packages that you install on your computer that can reliably re-start any failed download where you left off, and generally increase your download speed as well.

    Warning: the legitimate download managers are safe and work well, but there are hundreds, if not thousands, of so-called "download managers" on the internet which contain malware that will secretly install viruses and spyware on your computer, violating your privacy and potentially putting your data at risk. Some download managers are free and some cost money. Obviously, the free ones are more likely to contain malware, but this is not always so. When choosing a download manager, you must seek out a recent recommendation from a source that you trust. Not only are there lots of malware-infested download managers, but there are also fake download manager review websites pushing malware-infested download managers to unsuspecting users. Only trust a review from a source that you recognize, and be sure to check the user comments on more than one site, remembering that the Bad Guys will also place (usually very obviously) fake user comments on review sites.

    Here at Word in the Hand we have had good experiences with one package called Internet Download Manager (this product is free for 30 days and then costs USD $25-$30 as of March 2010). We have no affiliate relationship with or financial gain from this company whatsoever.

    We have also had a very good experience making extensive use of the free, open-source Firefox browser extension called DownThemAll and have not yet heard any accounts of it containing malware of any kind, as of January 2012. Again we have no affiliate relationship with or financial gain from DownThemAll whatsoever (it's free!).

    We believe there are other, completely free download managers that are effective and also malware-free, but we have not yet evaluated any of them ourselves.

    And if you are reading this long after the dates of our reviews, remember that good, honest software tools sometimes get bought out by unscrupulous businesspeople who essentially hump their good name into the dirt by adding malware and taking advantage of your trust in their formerly trustworthy name. So even with the software we mention above, be sure to find a recent review that you trust.

  • If you are more technical and are comfortable with command lines, you can also use the free command-line tool called wget, because wget is able to reliably re-start a failed download where it left off. The command-line to use is:

    wget --continue [URL]

    Where you replace [URL] with the URL of the file to be downloaded, and you run the command as many times as are needed to get the complete file.

We at Word in the Hand apologize for the hassle involved in downloading over the internet but sadly this is our current state-of-the-art as the internet evolves faster than internet service providers can handle it.

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Q:

Why does my anti-virus program report malware in our software?

Q:

Why does ESET (2012), AVG (2011), or Avira (2010) report a virus?

Q:

How can I verify my download of your app is correct and unmodified?

A: In the rare event where we receive notification from customers of viruses reported in our software or its installation files, we always take such notifications very seriously and we double-check the integrity of files on our servers (in addition to the regular virus checks that we always perform in our build and distribution process).

We receive such a notification about once a year, and in each case it turns out to be a "false positive:" a case where the virus checker thinks it founds a virus but none is there. In these cases, the anti-virus vendors typically update their virus databases in a few days to correct the false positive.

For example, in 2010 there was one report with Avira, in 2011 there was one with AVG, and in 2012 there was one with ESET.

If you are at all suspicious that the copy of our dictionary installer that you downloaded is corrupt, we recommend that you check the integrity of the file on your computer by computing its checksum. Here are the correct checksums for our latest version installer, using several different checksum systems:

(regular UNIX checksum)
% sum ThaiDict_1_6_full.exe
28962 359383

(MD5 checksum)
% md5sum ThaiDict_1_6_full.exe
1155c2280e40ac76bd4b5c13cd9f17fe ThaiDict_1_6_full.exe

(SHA1 checksum)
% sha1sum ThaiDict_1_6_full.exe
7ed0a6b06a2bda8fc74cb0041ffcafab6110fe6f ThaiDict_1_6_full.exe

Unfortunately, Microsoft Windows does not come with a checksum utility built-in (it should). Fortunately, there are a large number of free programs you can download, or websites you can use, to compute checksums for any file. Be sure to choose a tool or website that you trust.

The exact size of the file ThaiDict_1_6_full.exe should be: 368,007,849, but be aware that viruses often infect your .exe files while keeping their file size the same, so using the checksums above is a much stronger method of checking the file.

For the sake of completeness, we should mention another more sinister possible source of your virus report, though keep in mind this is extremely unlikely. You may have malware on your computer that your virus checker is not able to detect, but which is infecting other files on your computer (including our dictionary or its installer) whose infection your virus checker can detect. Viruses like to infect installer programs because when you install any piece of software (including ours), the installer also copies an uninstaller program that you will later run if you uninstall the software. That is a perfect opportunity for a virus to hide out and reappear at an unexpected later time (when you uninstall some software). So if ours is the only software you recently installed, that would explain why the virus report seems to single out our software. Again this scenario is unlikely (your problem is almost always a false positive) but if you suspect your computer is infected you could try installing an alternate anti-virus program to get a second opinion (typically you can only have one anti-virus program installed at once).

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Using the Dictionary Questions and Answers:

Q:

Can I have a look at the product's manual?

A: You can find a detailed explanation of all app features on our overview page.

Our product manual, which includes both detailed instructions on using every app feature and a comprehensive guide to speaking and understanding Thai, is built into the program. It's even interactive, with icons you can tap to hear sounds.

To see the Windows product manual now, you can download our free, limited trial version right now to get full information on using the program and its features.

You can buy the product with full confidence knowing we offer a 100% money-back guarantee.

If you have a specific feature question, you can contact us and ask.

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Q:

How do I run the dictionary?

A: Just double-click on the ThaiDict icon, which you can find on your desktop and in your start menu:

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Q:

What are the basic steps to look up a word?

A: Our visual tour shows how you can look up a word, usually with just a few keystrokes.

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Q:

How do I choose my dictionary section (English, Phonetic, Thai)?

A: Use the menu at the top right to choose your dictionary section (English, Thai Sound, or Thai Script):

Choosing Section

See our visual tour for more info.

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Q:

How do I enter all of the Thai letters?

A: You can easily type Thai (and the special letters used by pronunciation guides) by bringing up our handy on-screen keyboard:

On-Screen Keyboard

You can use the on-screen keyboard in two ways:

  • You can click directly on the "keys" of the keyboard with your mouse.

  • You can use your keyboard, and as you press keys, the corresponding "keys" of the on-screen keyboard will flash. Using this tool you can rapidly teach your hands to touch-type the right keys.

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Q:

How exactly do I need to enter my word?

A: In general, you can skip upper/lower case, spaces, punctuation, and (for Thai) you can skip tone marks. For all the details on how to enter words, download our free, limited trial version and check out the Help pages on "Finding Entries."

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Q:

How do I change the font, font size, or colors?

A: You can make the Thai or English text use any font, any font size, and any colors, using our Settings window. For all the details, download our free, limited trial version and check out the Help pages on "Choosing Fonts" and "Choosing Colors."

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Keyboard Questions and Answers:

Q:

What keyboards can I use in the app?

Q:

Can I use the system keyboards?

Q:

Can I use third-party keyboards?

Q:

Do you support Swype?

A: Yes! Our app works with all other system and third-party keyboards just like any other app. Plus we offer a custom-designed Paiboon Keyboard that gives you many advantages when using our app. For more detail, see the product overview.

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Q:

Why do I have problems searching for the Thai letters ฃ ฅ ข ช ซ ค ด ต?

Q:

How can I type the Thai letters ฃ ฅ?

A: You have fallen victim to one of the craziest idiosyncracies of the Thai language: there are several obsolete letters ฃ ฅ that are not used for any word in the dictionary at all, but that look nearly identical to the common letters ข ช ซ ค ด ต. The difference is so small you need a magnifying glass to see it:

Obsolete ฃ ฅ
Common ข ช ซ ค ด ต

These decoy letters appear on most Thai keyboards and they are always fooling people into typing them, causing people not to find the words they are looking for.

The letters ฃ ฅ are so obsolete that arguably, there are no longer any words in the Thai language that use these letters, including proper names and place names (which have all been changed to use the more modern letters), though occasionally you will see street signs for "old fashioned" festivals using the old letters in order to give an "old" feeling as in English "ye olde shoppee" in fake old-fashioned shopping areas (and like "ye olde shopee," the usage of the archaic Thai letters is often wrong historically!).

Our app includes a custom-made Paiboon Thai Script keyboard frees you from this nightmare by leaving out the useless letters and using the new space to make the keys for common letters bigger and more readable. For more, see the product overview.

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Reference Questions and Answers:

Q:

What pronunciation guide systems does the dictionary support?

A: In addition to our signature Paiboon+ pronunciation guide system, the same system used in all Thai learning materials from Paiboon Publishing, this software lets you choose from 11 other pronunciation guide systems:

Pronunciation Guide Systems

With a single tap in our Settings screen, all pronunciation guides transform into your chosen system, including those in our comprehensive, interactive guide to Thai. You can even look up Thai words by sound using your chosen system.

You can find all the details on each system, including where it comes from and exactly what symbols it uses, in our comprehensive app Help screens under "Pronunciation Guides." If you have a specific question about a supported system you can contact us.

For our Windows product, you can download our free, limited trial version right now and look under "Pronunciation Guides" in Help.

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Q:

What are the parts of speech / symbols / abbreviations used in the dictionary?

A: All of these details are documented in our app's comprehensive Help screens under "Speaking and Listening." Pay particular attention to the sections called "Register" and "Parts of Speech."

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Q:

What's up with that app icon?

A: To learn the story of our dictionary/phrasebook app icons, see this page.

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Companion Material Questions and Answers:

Q:

What other Thai learning materials are available?

Q:

What else does Paiboon Publishing produce?

Q:

Which Thai books work best with the dictionary?

A: Paiboon Publishing The Talking Thai <> English Dictionary was developed by Paiboon Publishing and Word in the Hand™ Inc.

Paiboon Publishing is the world's leading producer of South-East Asian language learning materials, including the famous Thai for Beginners and the Thai for Beginners App. There's even an audio companion to the learning books, a guide to pronunciation, and a multi-volume series on how to Speak Like a Thai. Paiboon Publishing also created leading offerings for the Burmese, Vietnamese, Lao, and Cambodian languages.

Paiboon Publishing has recently expanded into the Chinese language learning space with disruptive apps full of industry-first innovations, such as the Talking Chinese–English–Chinese Phrasebook and Survival Chinese for English Speakers.

The Talking Thai <> English Dictionary and Paiboon's other Thai language materials, both printed and electronic, work perfectly together because they share a common teaching method and a common set of pronunciation guide systems (for more detail on pronunciation guide systems, see Search-by-Sound™).

If you have a mobile device, don't miss out on this indispensable Thai learning app from Paiboon Publishing:

Paiboon Publishing

Thai for Beginners App

Thai for Beginners App

by Benjawan Poomsan Becker
and Dominique Mayrand

Buy Now for iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch from the Apple iTunes App Store

Buy Now for Android from the Google Play Store

Learn Thai from Thai language expert Benjawan Becker

Version 2.0 features include: Increase text size: small, medium, large; autoplay an entire lesson; show or hide English text; added English voice, which can be turned on or off. Teaches speaking, listening and reading Thai with a native speaker and over 3,000 clearly recorded words and phrases. Follows the format of the best selling Thai for Beginners book. Provides examples of the five tones in Thai. Test your knowledge with build in exercises. Detailed Help section within the app. After downloading it works without an Internet connection: no data charges.

For more info on Paiboon Publishing products, see www.paiboonpublishing.com. Here are just some of the titles:

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