keyboard layout

To get Thai in Ubuntu, you need to also install the language support for Thai. I believe that Thai uses "SCIM" instead of the settings in Keyboard Preferences.

To enable Thai support, click System/Administration/Language support, select Thai from the list and click to Apply.
You may need to logout/login to enable. Also, when you login, you have the option to enable the Thai version of Ubuntu (from the options in the Login screen). Give it a try.

Thanks. I installed the Thai language support, but having re-read my question I think I may not expressed it in the right way. Basically, I cannot use some of the symbols on the allocated keys eg the @ sign is indicated as just above the 'W' key, but it's actually just above the right-hand 'shift key'.
I think that it's a case of finding the right keyboard layout; if I can find that then it should then let my swap to Thai when I need to (having acted on your recommendations).

Sorry for the confusion

In the Keyboard Preferences there is an option for Thai, with two keyboard layouts. Did you choose any of these? You do not mention SCIM, so I suppose you used the keyboard layouts from the Keyboard Preferences.

In the Thai keyboard layouts there is no @ sign (in one of the two there is Thai letter that looks vaguely as an @ sign though it is not).
Is the issue when typing English that you cannot get the @ key at the correct place? If that is the case, then you need to change the English keyboard layout (between US, GB, or something else).

Can you send back the results of the command

$ gconftool-2 -R /desktop/gnome/peripherals/keyboard/kbd

This will show your current keyboard settings, just to make sure.

Another thing you can try is to change the "keyboard model" from the keyboard preferences.

Thanks for bearing with me on this one. Unfortunately I'm a little low on Ubuntu knowledge and I've no idea what SCIM means. From what part of the Ubuntu info says I believe that the 'dot prompt' is referred to as 'terminal', but am baffled as to how to input the command you mention. Sorry.

Oh, when you start the Terminal you should get a prompt (flashing cursor where you can type commands, then press Enter to execute them).

You should see something like

andrew@andrew-desktop:~$ _

Where is the underline character (_), is where you start typing.
So, you copy the following (select, then Edit/Copy in Firefox),

          gconftool-2 -R /desktop/gnome/peripherals/keyboard/kbd

then go to the Terminal and click Edit/Paste. You may need to press Enter.
The command should show a few lines that you can read, then Copy and Paste back here.

Thanks again for your patience; here's the result -

andrew@andrew-laptop:~$ gconftool-2 -R /desktop/gnome/peripherals/keyboard/kbd
 layouts = [gb,th]
 model = hpzt11xx
 options = [grp grp:alts_toggle,keypad keypad:legacy]
 overrideSettings = true
andrew@andrew-laptop:~$

Thanks for the layout details.

Now you have to tell me about your keyboard. It only makes sense to me if you have a Thai laptop, so that the stickers of what each key does follows some Thai convention. Could you please post a photo of the keyboard or search on the web for an existing photo of that keyboard? You can post a photo to one of those many image sharing websites, including flickr.com, etc.

Yes it is a Thai keyboard. I have tried to take a photo of the keyboard but unfortunately I just can't get a clear enough image. I am trying to search the web for one. By the way, is it possible to download keyboard specs as you do with printers?

I suppose you can get the official keyboard layout from an standards organisation in Thailand. Another option is to search on google for "Thai keyboard" and look until you find a description/screenshot that resembles the stickers on your own keyboard.

I had a look at the "gb" keyboard layout you have for English. In this layout, the @ sign is indeed over the shift key. Can you please verify that? You can verify visually when you switch to the English layout, then right-click on the Keyboard Indicator application and "Show current layout".

Thanks again for your perserverance.
When I mentioned about the @ sign being above the shift key; I only found it by pressing all the keys. I was looking on another Ubuntu forum for newbies and I've been messing about trying all sorts of keyboards. I've actually found one that seems to work - not sure why.

Many thanks for your help - now it'll take me a while to remember that the @ sign is in the right place again.