This article offers theoretical and ethnographic perspectives on language ideology and autonym preference among bi-lingual urban Malays in Pattani’s provincial capital. The first of its two substantive sections presents a concise summary of the most relevant insights provided by linguistic anthropologists and sociolinguists who have written on language ideology and the role of language in identity formation. The primary purpose of the second section is to explore the heuristic utility of these theoretical insights on a range of ethnographic vignettes where a range of language-related issues have historically represented a significant source of mistrust between the local Malay majority and Bangkok. We develop insights provided by interactionalist perspectives on language and identity formation to Malay identity formation, specifically which autonyms are strategically adopted.