Investigating public signage in the border area of Nong Khai: Multilingualism at a crossroads

Abstract

Nong Khai, a border town between Thailand and Laos and a major land crossing between the two nations, has increasingly experienced the changes driven by ongoing economic development. With the introduction of Asean Economics Community (AEC) where the border crossing is friendlier and more welcoming, the once laid-back province has witnessed the economic boom, the rising trades as well as the influx of visitors on both sides of the border. Inevitably, to accommodate the changing economic and hybridised demographic landscape of the area, the language on display in the province, especially around the border area, has been affected. As linguistic landscape is arguably determined by societal demands and needs, the changing linguistic landscape of Nong Khai calls for an in-depth investigation. This research therefore aims to study the public signage in the border area of Nong Khai in order to 1) identify the languages appearing on those signs and their functions and 2) language order on the signs. The data for this study came from a field survey to the First Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge, Tha Sadet Market (Indochina Market), official and non-official establishments surrounding the border post where 247 signs were collected and analysed. Findings suggest that at least 5 languages can be spotted on the public signs in the border areas and Tha Sadet market, the extent of which varies. English is the most preferred language on the signs in all the areas investigated.