Errors in translation from Thai to English made by English major students at Phuket Rajabhat University

This study examined types of translation made when translating Thai into English, identified the most common types of translation errors, and established explanations for the causes of these errors. The participants of the study were 73 third-year English major students who took the course 6305327 (Translation I) at Phuket Rajabhat University, 10 high school English speaking teachers in Phuket, and 10 English speaking teachers at Phuket Rajabhat University. They were purposely sampled to answer questionnaires and participate in an interview. The data was collected from the students’ translation tests. Questionnaires and interviews were also used to answer all three research questions. The data was analyzed for frequency, percentages, arithmetic means, and standard deviations. The results showed that the most common types of translation errors were incorrect verb groups, misusing phrases, misuse of articles, and wrong tenses. Explanations of the causes of the errors included students’ low English proficiency, stress and anxiety, word for word translation, and differences in structure between Thai and English.