Sufficiency Economy and a Community in Transition

Abstract

This article analyzed the Golden Land Khoiruttakwa Community, or the so-called Islam Lamsai Community, located in Bangkok. The community has successfully implemented the Sufficiency Economy and is currently undergoing a crucial transition. The aim of the study was to highlight the interlinkage between the community and the philosophy of the Sufficiency Economy. Also, this study analyzed local adaptions as well as the natural and social impacts of the application of the Sufficiency Economy philosophy from 2002 onwards. The methodology was based on secondary data analysis. Results of the study showed that for 15 years, from 2002 to 2017, Sufficiency Economy provided new and valuable options for farming management and uplifted members’ quality of life. The legacy of the philosophy of the Sufficiency Economy has lasted and benefited people until today. However, the Islam Lamsai Community has recently entered a next wave of transition. New challenges facing the community included the de-linking of young people from the local agricultural identity and an increase in urban development, provoking locals to sell their land and move to new places. Last but not least, as the population ages and farmers retired, there was a growing labor shortage. This paper argued that to build up the sustainability of the Sufficiency Economy suitable for an agriculture-based country such as Thailand, both the cultivation of values in the young generation and broad community participation were crucial.