Migrants’ language uses and social identities in Bangkok, Thailand

Introduction Due to the monolingual Thai language policy and planning (LPP) in Thailand, migrants who live in Thailand for an extended period encounter different situations pertaining to the language use in intercultural communication. The aim of this study is to investigate the coping strategies in the language use of multilingual migrants living in Bangkok, Thailand. It also explored the multilingual migrants’ constructions of social identities while living in Bangkok, Thailand. Methods In total, 25 migrant participants who had been living in Bangkok, Thailand were involved in this research. The online focus group discussion was used for the data collection, while a post-structuralist discourse analysis (PDA) was used for the analysis. Results and discussion The results revealed that the participants had different strategies pertaining to the language use in intercultural communication, such as the use of English, the use of the participants’ first languages (L1s), and translanguaging between the English and Thai languages. Moreover, the participants constructed various social identities, including being a foreigner, and identities based on situational roles, multicultural identities, and global citizenship. The results suggested that migrants developed multiple methods in language use while they also needed to consider developing their Thai language ability and understanding more about Thai culture. The findings of this research, guided by PDA, revealed the participants’ positive encounters with the monolingual Thai LPP, while the marginalization of the participants’ lived experiences was also noted. Accordingly, this research ascertained the benefit of using PDA in the study of social identity from the linguistic perspective.