Localizing for Southeast Asia: a market-by-market field guide
SEA is six very different markets, not one. Practical notes on Vietnamese, Thai, Bahasa, Filipino and Khmer.
Asia Markets
Localization
The pre-localization checklist your dev team should run first
Most localization headaches start in the code, not the translation. Here's what to fix before you send a single string out.
Strategy
Which languages should you localize first?
Don't localize alphabetically or by gut. A simple, data-driven way to prioritize languages and phase the rest.
DTP & Design
CJK & Southeast Asian typography: the DTP traps nobody warns you about
Line-breaking, fonts and spacing behave differently in Chinese, Thai and Khmer. The fixes that keep your layout clean.
Machine Translation
MT + post-editing: when it saves money, and when it burns you
Machine translation is a tool, not a magic button. A practical guide to choosing the right tier for each kind of content.
Process
Building a glossary your translators will actually use
A termbase is only useful if it's used. How to structure one that improves consistency instead of gathering dust.
Tools
The modern localization stack, explained
TMS, CAT, connectors, MT and QA — how the pieces of a modern toolchain fit together, and what each one is for.
Tools
What CAT tools and translation memory actually do
Segments, translation memory, fuzzy matches and leverage — why CAT tools cut cost and lift consistency over time.
Tools
TMS vs CAT: what's the difference, and which do you need?
One manages the project, the other does the translation. A clear comparison and how teams use them together.
How we localize now
Continuous localization: shipping strings on every commit
Treat strings like code: translate in small batches as they land, and keep languages in sync with development.
Software
A field tour of localization platforms
A neutral tour of the platform categories teams use today — what each is good at, and how to pick a fit.
Tools
Localization file formats, decoded
XLIFF, PO, JSON, .strings, .resx — what the common formats carry, and why XLIFF is the interchange glue.
How we localize now
How AI is reshaping localization in 2026
LLM translation, adaptive MT and AI-assisted QA — what AI genuinely changes, and where humans still decide.
Process
Building a localization QA pipeline
Automated checks, in-context review and native LQA — layer your QA so errors are caught before launch.
Software
Localization automation: connectors, CLI and webhooks
Delete the file-shuffling — connect repos, script the CLI into CI, and use webhooks for events. Where to start.
How we localize now
Who does what: the roles on a localization team
PM, translator, reviewer, DTP, LQA, terminologist — who does what behind a localized product, and how it flows.
Industries
E-commerce localization: turning browsers into buyers abroad
Translating the store is table stakes. Currencies, payments, trust signals, sizing and SEO are what lift conversion.
Industries
Game localization: more than translating the text
Dynamic grammar, brutal space limits, performed voice, culturalization and a never-ending Live-Ops stream.
Industries
Video, subtitling & captions: a practical primer
Subtitles, captions, voice-over or dub? The formats, the reading-speed rules, and why auto-captions leak credibility.
Industries
Medical & life-sciences translation: where accuracy is non-negotiable
Specialist linguists, back-translation, locked terminology and regulatory awareness — because the downside is a safety failure.
Industries
Legal & financial translation: precision under pressure
Faithful rendering, certified translation, NDAs and confidentiality — success is measured by how little the meaning moved.
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