Hundreds of signboards appearing around the Chiang Mai area can be used to
evaluate this situation. These boards relate to economics, social life and education of
people, both Thai and English speakers, who have traveled or worked in this area. If
the message on the signboards is presented accurately and persuasively, then the
consumers get the message and understand and the persuasion is successful. On the
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other hand, if the signboards are presented with some grammatical mistakes or use
insensitive words toward the feelings of people, it will result in the opposite way.
When communication breaks down, the signboards are useless. Moreover, some
people truly believe that the incorrect words are correct and imitate them in
conversations with foreigners. This can result in misunderstanding and conflicts.