The Importance and Impact of the cultural commodification of Phra That Phanom

Abstract

This research article aims to investigate the significance and impacts arising from the commodification of Phra That Phanom. This study employs a qualitative research methodology, with a total of 45 key informants divided into four main groups: community leaders, external organizations, local cultural entrepreneurs, and tourists. Data collection techniques included semi-structured interviews, alongside both participatory and non-participatory observations. The research area focused on Wat Phra That Phanom in That Phanom District, Nakhon Phanom Province, and its surrounding vicinity. The findings reveal that the commodification of Phra That Phanom holds significant importance and has the following impacts: 1) it serves as a crucial area for promoting a moral Buddhist system to tourists; 2) it acts as a space for social organization to foster unity among participants in the worship of Phra That Phanom; 3) it creates a social space for cultural owners; 4) it represents a cultural area with global significance due to advocacy for Phra That Phanom to be recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site; 5) it promotes community economic development and trade along the Thai-Laos border; 6) it symbolizes a dominating space for those who come to pay homage to Phra That Phanom; 7) it embodies a hybrid culture that distorts the traditional belief in Phra That Phanom into a symbol of love, connecting it with Western Valentine's Day values; 8) it represents a contested sacred space among believers of spirits, Brahmanism, and Buddhism; and 9) it reflects a dilution of cultural values.