Donald Trump sparks debate after pronouncing 'Thailand' as 'Thighland'
Donald Trump has sparked a debate about the pronunciation of Thailand after calling it "Thighland".
The US president was speaking about shifting productions of washing machines to Vietnam and Thailand during a visit to a Whirlpool factory at Clyde in Ohio on Thursday.
He said: "Four or five years ago this place was a disaster. In 2017 Whirlpool won relief from the ITC (US International Trade Commission) once again.
"Once more, your foreign competitors moved their factories to prevent a level playing field, and to avoid liability."
Mr Trump said: "Shifting production to Thighland, and to Vietnam –" before stopping to correct the pronunciation of Thailand.
People were quick to mock the US President for allegedly mispronouncing the country's name on social media.
We saw amazing temples on our last trip to #ThighLand pic.twitter.com/D9JAZrQM5y
— HongKongHawk☝✌ (@dbloomy)
Many Twitter users shared memes and tourist pictures with one saying: "We saw amazing temples on our last trip to #ThighLand".
Once upon a time in #Thighland pic.twitter.com/2ADz2fSyP8
— sab (@saabraahaam)
Our President is Alan from Hangover. #Thighland pic.twitter.com/50ZdSb7dlZ
— I See Thread People (@ScaryJBlige_)
The English language newspaper the Thai Enquirer even changed it's name to the Thigh Enquirer on Twitter.
Very good @ThaiEnquirer 👏🏻 #Thai #thigh #Thighland #thailand #TrumpIsALaughingStock #trump pic.twitter.com/dmUW5LKtlI
— The Sober Landlord (@SimonCauston)
Another user joked: "Many Irish people not wanting to agree with Trump on anything but also thinking "Wait - is it NOT pronounced 'thighland'?"
However, American author Dinesh D'Souza defended Mr Trump, saying: "I’m highly amused to see supposedly sophisticated media types snickering at @realdonaldtrump for saying “Thighland.”
"These faux-sophisticates don’t realize Trump’s way of saying it is right. “Tai-land” is the crude lingo of people who have never been to “Thighland"."
People quickly began to hit back with one social media user saying: "I have travelled to 1/7 of the countries on earth including Thailand. I have never - not once - heard an English speaker pronounce it as 'thighland'"
I have traveled to 1/7 of the countries on earth including Thailand.
I have never - not once - heard an English speaker pronounce it as ‘thighland’. https://t.co/wC8qAqOVmX— The Hoarse Whisperer (@HoarseWisperer)
Another said: "I’ve been to Thailand, and it’s pronounced Tie-land, not Thighland. Nobody goes to a restaurant and orders Thigh food (except maybe in a chicken joint. D’Souza gives craven toadies a bad name."
I’ve been to Thailand, and it’s pronounced Tie-land, not Thighland. Nobody goes to a restaurant and orders Thigh food (except maybe in a chicken joint.
D’Souza gives craven toadies a bad name. https://t.co/4kX1EsQYRu— Clyde Haberman (@ClydeHaberman)
It came just days after Mr Trump mispronounced Yosemite National Park as ‘Yo-semite’ during an announcement on increased funding for the US National Parks system.
He previously raised eyebrows after misspelling ‘hamburgers’ as "hamberders."