How Thai businesses utilize English in their product names

Authors

  • Navaporn Sanprasert Snodin Department of Foreign Languages, Faculty of Humanities, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
  • Jirajittra Higgins Chulalongkorn University Language Institute, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
  • Surakarn Yoovathaworn Administrative and Clerical Division, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand

Keywords:

brand naming, code-mixing, Thai local products

Abstract

     This paper investigated the names given to Thai local community products and provides a description of the use of the English language in naming products in Thailand. The business names of Thai local products under the program One Tambon One Product (OTOP) were selected for analysis, focusing on language characteristics and semantic appropriateness by using onomastics to some extent. The data consisted of 1,304 names from five product categories-food, drinks, clothing and accessories, handicrafts and ornaments, and inedible herbs, as provided in the database of tambons and OTOP products. Thai product names in English, some of which only Thais can understand, show language creativity, reflecting Thai identity within English usage in the local setting. One problematic area concerns the lack of semantic appropriateness of some English names, as the names are sometimes not relevant to the product type. Thai entrepreneurs need support in naming their products to achieve international intelligibility if their products are to be marketed to international customers.

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Published

12-04-2017

How to Cite

Sanprasert Snodin, N., Higgins, J., & Yoovathaworn, S. (2017). How Thai businesses utilize English in their product names. Kasetsart Journal of Social Sciences, 38(2), 123–128. Retrieved from https://so04.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/kjss/article/view/242660

Issue

Section

Research articles