The role of English in Chiang Rai’s linguistic landscape: a mixed-methods study

English plays a crucial role in the linguistic landscapes of global tourist destinations, yet its role in smaller tourist cities such as Chiang Rai remains underexplored. This study combines qualitative analysis of photographed English signage with Q-methodology to examine the informational and symbolic roles of English in Chiang Rai’s linguistic landscape and tourists’ attitudes toward these roles. Findings reveal four informational functions: navigational, commercial, regulatory, and educational, and four symbolic functions: international, modern, cultural, and lifestyle. Tourists’ attitudes are characterized by three distinct viewpoints: positive and appreciative, reserved and critical, and balanced and practical. These findings demonstrate the diverse functions English performs within a smaller tourism-oriented city and how tourists perceive these functions differently. The study contributes to understanding English in tourism-oriented linguistic landscapes, particularly in less-studied destinations, and offers practical insights for multilingual signage design and tourism communication in destinations where English serves both functional and symbolic purposes.