The Inaccurate Use of Transliteration in the Language Landscape of Bangkok's City Center and Its Solutions

Abstract

This paper fully acknowledges transliteration as one of the fundamental translation methods while providing an in-depth analysis of its current usage in the linguistic landscape. Particularly focusing on non-standard translation phenomena in the center of Bangkok. Transliteration is a method that converts foreign words into the target language based on pronunciation. It is widely applied in multilingual environments, such as public signs, commercial advertisements, and cultural exchange venues. Although transliteration plays a significant role in cross-cultural communication, its practical application in Bangkok's linguistic landscape often exhibits deviations. This can be attributed to factors such as linguistic differences, varying cultural perceptions, and inconsistent translation standards. To gain a comprehensive understanding of transliteration usage in the center of Bangkok, a field study was conducted. This study included field investigations and systematically summarized the specific manifestations of non-standard transliteration in both official and unofficial linguistic landscapes. The research found significant differences between official and unofficial signs in terms of transliteration accuracy, standardization, and cultural adaptability. For instance, some official institutions and store signs exhibit non-standard transliteration practices, failing to adhere to established transliteration norms. Specific issues include not referencing dictionary standards or the Thai Prime Minister's Office guidelines for Chinese and Hindi transliteration, neglecting phonetic adaptation (such as vowel matching, syllable structure adaptation, tone alignment, and long/short vowel correspondence), disregarding equivalence principles in transliteration, and deviating from linguistic and cultural connotations. As a result, the pronunciation of transliterated foreign words often significantly differs from the original Thai, leading to inaccurate meaning conveyance or even misunderstandings. Furthermore, transliteration in unofficial signs tends to be more arbitrary and lacks consistency, often failing to consider key transliteration principles. This phenomenon, to some extent, increases the cultural adaptation challenges for tourists or foreigners in Bangkok.