Martial arts legend Jet Li Lianjie’s frail appearance in a Tibet temple has shocked many fans around the world, but it wasn’t too long ago the 55-year-old actor looked a picture of health – at least on the silver screen.

BESIDES THE words kha and krab, which are used in Thai to connote a sense of politeness, the language also has many pronouns or titles that indicate social status and seniority – be it age, social position or job rank – for people involved in a conversation.