Abstract:
The purposes of this research were: (1) to study the history and way of life
of Chanthaboon waterfront community, (2) to study the application of Sufficiency
Economy Philosophy of Chanthaboon waterfront community and (3) to propose way
of life model according to Sufficiency Economy Principles of Chanthaboon waterfront
community.
The research methods were mixed methods between qualitative and
quantitative research: (1) qualitative research assigned 11 key informants selected by
purposive sampling from the experts. Data collecting instrument was a structured in-
depth interview. The data were collected using face-to-face in-depth interview and
analyzed using descriptive interpretation and (2) quantitative research collected data
from 190 samples of 364 population using a questionnaire. The data were analyzed
using descriptive statistics such as: frequency, percentage, mean and standard
deviation.
The results found that:
1. The history and way of life of Chanthaboon waterfront community
showed that Chanthaboon waterfront community was an ancient community that
had a long history since the Ayutthaya period. In the past, it used to be a
prosperous commercial center, a community that had a perfect blend of religions,
cultures, traditions and arts and people who lived together harmoniously. When
traveling, the tourists would gain knowledge as well, which meant traveling together
with learning. Chanthaboon waterfront community was an economic and cultural
route community that reflected strength and good vision, which made it was
interesting to drive this cultural community to be a strong community.
2. The application of the Sufficiency Economy Philosophy of Chanthaboon
waterfront community found that:
2.1 The way of life in terms of economy showed that the community
had community enterprises to trade goods as appropriate without expecting for
excessive profits in order to make the tourists satisfy with the community to promote
sustainable tourism in the community. Eating sufficiently, saving, not being
extravagant, Chanthaboon waterfront community had exhibited the carried-on
methods in accordance with the needs of the province and regularly made income-
expense account in the family, participated in saving activities.
2.2 The way of life in terms of society showed that it was an urban
society. People in the community were harmonious, helping each other. The
development process mainly focused on the form of mutual respect. It was an
operation and mutual learning that both the villager leaders and the villagers
interacted to each other, which included villagers and villagers, villager leaders and
the province and the villager leaders and other organizations as well as shared things
or helped colleagues when needed according to individual strength and condition.
2.3 The way of life in terms of natural resources and environment
showed that "Chanthaboon River" was the heart of commercial area, an urban
community. People depended on Chanthaboon waterfront. Community garbage had
to be put in the black plastic bag. In the morning and in the evening, there was a
garbage truck to pick up the garbage. There were municipal waste bins waiting to
service. It was the improvement format, but not a change of the original condition of
an ancient community and way of life of waterfront people. Keeping originally
natural way by conserving and improving, but not changing much and making edible
fence by growing home-grown vegetables or potted vegetables.
2.4 The way of life in terms of cultural showed that the restoration of
traditional community way of life in the community to be a walking street
"Traditional Way of Life Street" inherited according to the way of life was a
combination of religious culture. It was a combination of three cultures including
Thai, Chinese and Vietnamese cultures and a new style that focused on cultural
tourism, way of life tourism and ecotourism. Chanthaboon waterfront community still
decently inherited the arts and cultures in the past, which were not exhibited or
demonstrated to the tourists, and participated in the conservation of good local
traditions, followed and inherited good traditions in the community such as
participated in tradition activities that conducted in the community.
3. The way of life model according to the Sufficiency Economy Principles
of Chanthaboon waterfront community showed that Chanthaboon waterfront
community was a community that had diversity of culture, nationality and religion
until these became the unity of Chanthaboon waterfront community, which was
considered as its social and cultural capital because most of lifestyle in the past
focused on boat transportation whether it was trading, selling or contacting with
others. Whereas, present lifestyle focuses on land transportation which changes
from the past condition that depended on boat to land transportation or by car
instead. In the past, it was a community that people lived there for trading.
Nowadays, there is latent population who rents or leaseholds the businesses or
shops. Trading and investment, the format that Thai tourism market required, the
needs for conservation and presentation of community dimension in its own style,
Provincial Commercial Office had proposed the tourism plan in the form of
economic and cultural route, which would be a good way to attract people into the
province.