‘Not just London and New York’: is ‘ PAKTANI English ’ a gateway or a wall in conflict-affected Thai secondary ELT?

The PAKTANI English textbook was developed to incorporate regional identities, local histories, and everyday cultural practices into English instruction for secondary schools in Thailand’s Deep South (TDS). This study examines the textbook’s transformative role in supporting learner motivation, affirming cultural identity, and fostering meaningful engagement. Data were collected through focus group discussions, classroom observations, and reflective journals involving 30 English teachers and 30 students from 30 private Islamic secondary schools. Inductive qualitative content analysis reveals that the textbook supported learner motivation, affirmed cultural identity, and fostered cross-cultural understanding. With content reflecting familiar places, foods, and regional figures, students experienced English as a meaningful part of their daily lives. Teachers built on students’ cultural familiarity to create more inclusive, dialogic classrooms where learners participated actively and expressed their perspectives with growing confidence. However, concerns arose regarding the textbook’s limited alignment with national high-stakes examinations, leading to additional workloads and apprehension about academic preparedness. This study addresses a documented gap in the literature on culturally responsive English teaching in education systems shaped by political conflict. It also contributes to practice by offering a model for hybrid textbook design that reimagines English instruction as a space for equity, cultural relevance, and learner voice.