How Important are English Subtitles in Thai GL — and What We Really Lose With Bad Subs
- rachwrites25
- 3 hours ago
- 7 min read
Updated: 2 hours ago
As an international fan ('interfan') in Thai GL, I consider English subtitles the lifeblood of any show.
On the surface, subtitles might seem like a simple technical element. But for interfans, subtitles shape how we experience the story, characters, and even the genre itself.
This isn’t just about translation, but about interpretation, care, and respect for the original work.
How Good English Subs Bridge Thai GL for Interfans
Table of Contents:
Disclaimer
Please note that the examples I provide are what I perceive to be excellent subs as an interfan who doesn't speak Thai.
I rely completely on subs to understand what I'm watching. These subs resonated with me for various reasons, such as allowing me to connect more with the story, or if I felt like it bridged Thai culture for foreign fans.
All views reflected are from my own analysis, and aren't meant to represent the experience of all interfans.
Why Good English Really Subtitles Matter
English subtitles are one of the most important elements that allow Thai GL to reach global audiences. I'd even argue that it's the most important.
At the end of the day, we connect with stories — not just actresses, culture, or visuals — so shows that want to reach us must allow us to connect with dialogue even if we don’t speak Thai.
When subtitles are done well, they allow interfans to fall in love with Thai GL in the same way Thai audiences do. Done poorly, they flatten the experience into something hollow, confusing, or simply not worth watching.
My Experience With Subtitle Quality in Thai GL
After watching several Thai GLs, I’ve seen the spectrum of subtitle quality, and the difference is impossible to ignore.
I believe the quality of English subtitles in Thai GL generally falls into four categories: excellent, good, bad, and worst.
Excellent
Excellent subtitles don’t just translate dialogue — they interpret it.
Excellent subs:
Capture tone, emotional weight, and character voice
Adjust phrasing to sound natural in English without losing meaning
Preserve flirting, tension, and other emotional subtext
Reflect cultural context and nuances in the story rather than erasing them
When subtitles are this good, you forget you’re reading them. The dialogue feels alive, and the emotional beats land exactly when they should.
You'll know subs are excellent when interfans quote them in social media posts. While those words didn't exist in the spoken dialogue, it very much exists in how we experienced the show because it brought the scene to life for us.
For example, in the social media post below, I gushed about how romantic I find the lyrics for Runaway's soundtrack ('Runaway' by Miusic) because they appeared in the original post.
The original lyrics are in Thai, so "Can I have another lifetime by your side?" doesn't exist, but it was what deeply moved me because it provided the link between the melody and the Thai lyrics, which I didn't understand.
Good
Good subtitles are understandable and mostly accurate, but slightly limited.
Good subtitles:
Get the general meaning across
Occasionally miss nuance or soften emotional intensity
Feel a bit stiff or overly literal - For example, when a situation calls for slang and a more formal expression was used. Or the subs don't match the character's status or age, such as if the characters are young, but the subs make them sound like an older person.
With good subtitles, you still enjoy the series, but certain moments don’t hit as hard as they should. You can sense that something was lost in translation, even if you can’t fully explain what it is.
Bad
Bad subtitles start to actively interfere with the viewing experience.
Common issues include:
Awkward sentence structures
Inconsistent naming - One series I watched confused two characters' names because they sounded similar. Thankfully, it wasn't confusing due to context, but it still felt weird to see and removed my immersion from the story.
Typos/misspellings that don't really affect the story, but removes you from immersion
Inconsistent honorific usage that doesn't serve a narrative purpose
Emotional lines reduced to blunt statements or a mismatch in characters' emotions - For example, a character is shouting or already aggressive, yet the subtitles use words that don't match the character's emotional intensity.
Runaway: I appreciate the use of "piss off" because it matches Khwan's intensity in this scene. As she was already hysterical, a less vulgar way of saying it (i.e. "go away") wouldn't have worked. Based on her tone and gestures, she was already being rude, which is exactly what came across in the translation.
With bad subtitles, characters may come across as flatter than intended. Misunderstandings may feel confusing rather than heartbreaking, and romantic tension loses its spark.
This is when fans start focusing on confusion instead of emotional connection.
Worst
This is likely where AI-generated or rushed subtitles often land.
The worst subs:
Are overly literal or completely incorrect
Incorrect pronouns or relationship terms (see my Brother Korn example below)
Miss sarcasm, flirting, and emotional subtext entirely
Translate words but not the meaning
Turn intimate scenes into unintentionally comedic ones
The story doesn’t just lose nuance, but starts to lose coherence as well. Characters feel out of character, relationships feel shallow, and emotional scenes fail to resonate.
Worst Case Scenario for Bad Subtitles
In my opinion, the worst-case scenario is when poor translation makes a scene worse, especially if it turns something offensive or derogatory.
"I once saw an AI transcribe a word for ghost into a completely different obscene word." -Ploy, RABSUB Thailand CEO, in an interview with Girls Love Info
Even if creators never intended harm, interfans who don't speak Thai wouldn’t know right away because we rely entirely on subtitles.
This can lead to backlash that could've been avoided if subtitles were treated as a priority instead of an afterthought.
Subtitles may seem small, but those one-inch words at the bottom have the power to cause real damage to a show and the people involved.
Great Examples of Excellent Subtitles
These are some of the subtitles that really made me appreciate subbing teams.
These subtitles go beyond taking words from one language to another, managing to bridge cultural gaps and allowing the nuances of the story shine through.
Queendom - "Ick"
This line from Queendom bridged Thai dialogue with Gen Z slang (true to the character of Rey (Arhoung Nattawadee), who’s presumably Gen Z) by using“ick.”
Queendom - "Nepo Baby"
Another great example from Queendom is the effective use of the slang “nepo baby.” Had a more formal word been used, it would’ve felt off, especially since the characters are kids.
Good subtitles must reflect how characters speak, not just what they say.
Runaway - "My Korn"
RABSUB’s, and the Runaway production team's, decision to translate “P’Korn” as “My Korn” in Runaway moved beyond literal translation into narrative translation to perfectly capture Jomkhwan’s (Piano Nichapat) obsession with Korn (Miusic Praewa).
This narrative approach to the translation was made possible because a human translator recognized that Khwan’s use of Phi isn’t affectionate — it’s possessive.
While characters from other series use Phi lovingly, Khwan’s use turns it into something darker. Rather than being endearing, it felt like a threat and a hint that Khwan will never let Korn go, which made this horror GL even scarier.
As a side note, when I tried translating this myself using Google Translate, it came out as “Brother Korn.” That single word, “brother,” completely changes the meaning.
Had this been the translation, I would’ve gotten confused or lost trust immediately. I would've wondered if Korn was male or if the translation team made a mistake, thus making me doubt all of the subtitles, not just that one line.
What We Lose With Bad Subs
When subtitles are poor, we don’t just lose “nice details” because interfans, who rely solely on subtitles, lose core elements of storytelling expressed through the dialogue.
Subpar subtitles can affect how interfans perceive Thai GL as a whole, making a series seem weaker than it actually is, which isn't fair to the creators, actors, or the fandom.
What Subtitling Teams Mean for Interfans
Subtitling teams like RABSUB Thailand don’t just provide subtitles, but also act as cultural interpreters.
Subtitling teams can serve as a bridge for interfans because they're in the unique position of understanding Thai culture through lived experience and the unique subculture of GL fandom.
They understand:
Fandom language and expectations
Cultural nuances and differences rooted in lived experience
The emotional cadence of GL dialogue
How to translate emotions, not just text
For interfans, these make the difference between watching a show and connecting with it.
These details matter to us, especially when we’re already navigating cultural and language barriers alongside fast-moving storylines.
Great subtitles allow us to enjoy the story without having to constantly pause to research meanings or confusion caused by bad subtitles. Fans who don’t have the time or patience may simply drop the show.
Replacing subtitles with machine translations could compromise quality. This isn’t just a technical downgrade, but a loss of artistry and shared experience for interfans.
AI may be able to translate words, but it can't understand human emotions and relationships, which is the core of Thai GL.
Further Reading on RABSUB Thailand
If you want to learn more about RABSUB Thailand’s work and why they’re so beloved in the fandom, check out Girls Love Info's interview with their CEO.
