CONSERVATION PATTERNS OF THAI YUAN WOVEN FABRICS IN SAO HAI DISTRICT, SARABURI PROVINCE: A GUIDELINE FOR SUSTAINABILITY IN CONTEMPORARY SOCIAL AND CULTURAL CONTEXTS

Abstract

This research aims to 1) study the history, wisdom, and production process of Tai Yuan woven fabric, 2) analyze the forms and processes of community conservation, and 3) propose conservation models that are appropriate to the contemporary social context and lead to cultural and economic sustainability of the locality. The research employs a qualitative research methodology, including documentary research and narrative study, together with in-depth interviews with key informants and focus group discussions with network partners in Ton Tan Subdistrict, Sao Hai District, Saraburi Province. The data were analyzed and presented descriptively.

The research results found that (1) in terms of wisdom and knowledge transmission, Tai Yuan woven fabric has an important foundation in families and groups of female weavers, who continuously transmit skills, patterns, and symbolic meanings that reflect community identity, with support from educational institutions and local learning centers through digital documentation of knowledge, training, and integration into local curricula; (2) in terms of forms and conservation processes, it was found that the conservation of Tai Yuan woven fabric is characterized by the integration of traditional wisdom transmission with adaptation to contemporary society, involving the development of knowledge into contemporary products, the use of digital technology for dissemination, and linkage with economic and social activities of the community; and (3) in terms of sustainability, it was found that product development to meet market demand, branding, and the use of online media as distribution channels, including standard upgrading such as One Tambon One Product (OTOP) and Geographical Indication (GI), play an important role in increasing value and competitiveness. In this regard, the sustainability of conservation requires cooperation among the public sector, private sector, community, and educational institutions, together with promoting the participation of the younger generation through creative activities and digital technology, which helps Tai Yuan woven fabric maintain its cultural value and develop into the economic capital of the community continuously.