Dynamics and the ways of thinking in creating the Songkran-Wan Lai Festival in the Eastern Region of Thailand

Authors

  • Chonticha Nisaisat
  • Poramin Jaruworn

Keywords:

Songkran–Wan Lai Festival, Dynamics of folklore, the ways of thinking, Eastern region of Thailand

Abstract

This article aims to study the ways of thinking in creating the Songkran–Wan Lai festival in the eastern region of Thailand and to analyze the dynamics of the Songkran tradition resulting from the ways of thinking of such creation. The study reveals that the Songkran-Wan Lai festival is a cultural occurrence to which various folklore in the locality has been applied, especially local traditions, rituals, beliefs and plays, to be a part of a tourist festival of the eastern region. There are various characteristics of creation, namely, transmission of existing traditions and rituals, revival of traditions and rituals, the combination of Songkran tradition with rituals in the fifth month to be the same festival, and a combination of rituals found in the eastern region to become a tourist festival, giving rise to the dynamics of the Songkran tradition from a rite of passage that focuses on fertility and peacefulness of communities to become a ritual with performance in the context of tourism and the creative economy.

Author Biographies

Chonticha Nisaisat

Ph.D. Student, Department of Thai, Faculty of Arts, Chulalongkorn University and Assistant professor in program of Thai Language for Foreigners, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Rajabhat Rajanagarindra University

Poramin Jaruworn

Associate Professor, Department of Thai, Faculty of Arts, Chulalongkorn University/Thaivithat Research Unit for Thai Language, Literature and Folklore

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Personal Interview

Charoenphon, S. (2020, December 23). Personal Interview.

Homhuan, A. (2020, November 26). Personal Interview.

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Published

14-03-2023

How to Cite

Nisaisat, C., & Jaruworn, P. (2023). Dynamics and the ways of thinking in creating the Songkran-Wan Lai Festival in the Eastern Region of Thailand. Journal of Thai Studies, 18(1), 61–92. Retrieved from https://so04.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/TSDJ/article/view/264265

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Research article

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