Linguistic Landscapes of Bangkok

The effects of globalization of the world economy on English, now the dominant world language, has been well documented. While increasing attention has been paid to its changing form and to issues of identity and power (Phillipson 1992, Pennycook 1994, 1998, Fishman et al. 1996, McArthur 1998, Bex and Watts 1999, etc.), less attention has been paid to the effects of globalization on the use of other languages for wider communication, particularly in large cosmopolitan urban areas in expanding circle countries. The current paper examines over 600 signs found in fifteen Bangkok “neighborhoods” to explore how the use of language in environmental print distinguishes one area of the city from another, and how English may be influencing the varieties of Thai in Bangkok.