The Asterix comic series, created by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo, has been published in over 100 languages. However, Thai is not one of the officially licensed languages. Despite this, several unauthorized Thai bootleg editionswere produced and circulated, particularly during the late 20th century. Recently I acquired one of these bootleg publications.
Publisher Information
The Thai bootleg edition featured here was published by Racha Sarn Publishing (สำนักพิมพ์ ราชาสาส์น), based in Bangkok. The company’s logo, RT, appears prominently on the cover and back page. The publisher is listed at:
164/159 เพชรเกษม (14) ท่าพระ โทร. 4670389
Printed by รินบรรณ at 35-37/1 ถนนล้านหลวง ผ่านฟ้า โทร. 282-4753
Each volume was priced at 15 Baht, indicating affordable mass production.
Titles and Translation
The front cover of the book reads:
ยอดไวกิ้ง ตอน ทลายกรุงโรม
Transliteration: Yot Viking Ton Thalay Krung Rome
Translation: Top Viking: The Fall of Rome
The title uses the word “ไวกิ้ง” (Viking), which is unrelated to the actual content. The word ยอด means “top” or “great.” The subtitle refers to the fall of Rome, which is not accurate to the plot.
Cover and Story Mismatch
The cover illustration is taken from Asterix the Gladiator (Astérix gladiateur), however, the story inside is that of Asterix and the Soothsayer (Le Devin), based on analysis of the content and character introductions on the inner pages.
Character Introductions
The introductory page inside the book provides brief character descriptions in Thai:
- แอสเทอริคส์ (Asterix)
- โอบีลิกซ์ (Obelix)
- เกตตาฟิกซ์ (Getafix)
- คาคะโฟนิกส์ (Cacofonix)
- ไวตาลสแตทิสติกส์ (Vitalstatistix)
These names match the English versions, not the French originals, suggesting that the translation was done from an English-language edition.
Other Volumes
The back cover lists additional volumes in the series:
- ยอดไวกิ้ง ตอน ทลายกรุงโรม – Cover from Asterix the Gladiator, content from Asterix and the Soothsayer
- ยอดไวกิ้ง ตอน ผู้หายตัวลึกลับ – Translation: The Mysterious Disappearance
- ยอดไวกิ้ง ตอน ผู้สร้างความแตกแยก – Translation: The Creator of Discord
- ยอดไวกิ้ง ตอน ใช้หนี้แทนพี่ชาย – Translation: Paying the Debt for the Older Brother
These titles do not match official Asterix volumes and only the two lasts ones kind of make sense. For as far as I know, RT never published the other titles.
More Thai Bootlegs
Additional Thai bootleg editions can be found at the fan-maintained website asterix-obelix.nl, which documents unofficial translations and bootlegs from multiple countries, including Thailand. These bootlegs often vary in title, artwork, and content compared to their original French counterparts.
Conclusion
While there are no officially licensed Asterix publications in Thai, bootleg editions such as those published by Racha Sarn Publishing provide evidence of Asterix’s international popularity. These editions frequently feature mismatched covers and storylines and are translated from English rather than French.
For researchers, collectors, and fans, these Thai editions offer a unique glimpse into the unofficial global reach of the Asterix series. Because the dubious status of these bootlegs, I haven’t included Thai as a language on my overview.
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