Ethnicity of Tai Dam and creative tourism in Chiang Khan District, Loei Province, Thailand

Abstract

Tai Dam people in Ban Na Pa Nad, Chiang Khan District, Loei Province, Thailand are an ethnic group that migrated from their original base in Laos and Vietnam. The community settled down on the left bank of the Mekong River a hundred years ago. This group of Tai Dam has identities that stand out and are different from other groups in neighboring communities. This paper focuses on studying the way the ethnic identities of the Tai Dam people in Ban Na Pa Nad are presented and used as tourism resources in Loei Province. The research analysis is based on the anthropology of tourism framework. Data were collected from the survey and interview with the Tai Dam people who reside in this community. The main objectives of the study were to point out a way to improve ethnic tourism and to determine the factors affecting the presentation of the ethnic identity of Tai Dam people to be used as a creative tourism activity. The results revealed that Tai Dam people in Ban Na Pa Nad present themselves with more complex and invented identities in terms of language, housing, beliefs, food, arts, traditions and rituals. These elements are used as the “gimmick” in the community tourism areas. Nonetheless, such creations are not only focused on preserving the cultural trajectory of the Tai Dam group, but also on turning the culture into attractions in the tourism areas.