THE TRADITION OF TAN KUAY SALAK: IT’S SIGNIFICANCE IN MODERN SOCIETY

Abstract

This academic article examined data derived from documentary sources and various scholarly works, employing interpretation, analysis, and participant observation. Data were collected from key informants, including Buddhist monks, academics, local residents, and individuals who played significant roles in the preservation of the Kin Khao Salak tradition in Lampang Province. The findings indicated that the Kin Khao Salak tradition referred to the Lanna Thai practice of Salakaphat merit-making. In the Lanna context, this merit-making tradition was known as Tan Khao Salak, Tan Kuai Salak, or Kin Khao Salak, and had been observed continuously over a long period of time. The primary purpose of this tradition was to dedicate merit to deceased ancestors, to oneself in future lives, or to deities, the heavens and earth, as well as to karmic creditors. The tradition was typically performed during the middle of the Buddhist Lent, around late August, September, and October.
However, in light of cultural change, the Kin Khao Salak tradition had been affected in terms of family and kinship structures and community contexts. Many areas had increasingly developed into urban societies, resulting in changes to traditional family structures. The transmission of cultural values and traditions had weakened, and interpersonal relationships within communities had declined. Furthermore, economic and social changes, particularly the rise of consumerism and materialism, had had a significant impact on the Kin Khao Salak tradition, which was fundamentally rooted in family and kinship institutions. Consequently, this tradition had gradually disappeared from some communities in various provinces of Northern Thailand. To ensure the sustainable preservation of the Kin Khao Salak tradition, it was essential to foster a shared cultural identity through processes of knowledge creation and understanding among local people and tourists. This approach aimed to raise awareness of the value and significance of the tradition and to promote a shared sense of identity by transmitting the Kin Khao Salak tradition to local communities and temples in each province.