People-to-People Diplomacy and National and Regional Security: A case of Ways of Life, Adaptation, Network of Transnational Social Relation and the Roles in Cultural Diplomacy of Cambodian Student-Monks in Thailand

Abstract

This a qualitative research intends to explain the way of life, adaptation, the network of transnational social relation and the roles in cultural diplomacy of Cambodian student-monks in Thailand by a focus on the transnational Cambodian student-monks at the Mahachulalongkornrajawithayalai University, Ubonratchathani campus. The results of the study show that the transnational Cambodian’s student-monks which come to study in Thailand have both “push factors” and “pull factors” plus the roles of social relation networking which helped them to cross the border. For the adaptation, we found that they have both social and cultural adaptation especially the language’s adaptation. Besides that, as the “alien” they have to face some problems in everyday life, then they have to create the social network relation for changed their social position in 3 types; the social network relation with the homeland, the individual social network relation and the transnational relation via tradition and religious ritual namely “Bon Pachum Ben” which is the social relation network making via “religious space” for reference themselves as the imagine community members like the Thai people in the area. Besides this, the transnational Cambodian’s student-monks in Thailand, especially in Ubonratchathani province have more high of cultural diplomacy roles not less than the government sector in promoting the international relationship between Cambodia and Thailand and making the understanding about Cambodia’s society and culture to Thai people via the cultural and academic activities both in informal and semi-formal forms. This “cultural diplomacy” role of the transnational Cambodian’s student monks can classify as one kind of the “people to people diplomacy” which differs from the “standard diplomacy”.