Management of Thai Local Wisdom Related to Pandanus: Learning, Inheritance and Conservation for sustainable

Abstract

              Local wisdom is at risk of being lost because of changes in lifestyle as a result of modern development. Fewer people in communities around Bangkok have the time and motivation to practice traditional crafts and as a result local wisdom is diminished when skills fail to be passed on to coming generations. This paper explores the local wisdom associated with pandanus mat and pillow weaving in a village on the Nakhon Chai Si River in Bangtoei, Sampran District, Nakhonpathom Province. The data are based on interviews and observation with the aims to 1) study Thai local wisdom related to Pandanus in Bangtoei, Sampran, Nakhonpathom 2) study the process of knowledge management of pandanus in Bangtoei, Sampran, Nakhonpathom 3) study conservation, restoring and development of Thai local wisdom related to Pandanus in Bangtoei, Sampran, Nakhonpathom.

               The results indicate that 1) Thai local wisdom related to Pandanus in Bangtoei, Sampran, Nakhonpathom inherited from generation to generation because harvesting and weaving the pandanus are difficult, the local people are forced to cultivate pomelos and some people have to go outside the community to trade which has resulted in fewer households continuing to weave pandanus; 2) the process of knowledge management in Bangtoei, Sampran, Nakhonpathom includes Tacit Knowledge and Explicit Knowledge. Bangtoei Elderly Club encourages elders to volunteer their skills and share their knowledge with the elder in Elderly Club and the teacher at Wat Donwai local school has invited local speakers to transfer knowledge to teachers and students. The teacher has prepared handbooks about the method of pandanus leaf mat and pillow weaving and displays it on the school website; 3) Bangtoei Elderly Club preserves this local wisdom by seeking out new markets for pandanus products produced by members of the Elderly Club. Furthermore, the President of the club encourages elders to volunteer their skills and share their knowledge to students at Wat Donwai local school. Wat Donwai school is the only school in the area that has been teaching the wisdom of pandanus leaf weaving in a subject “home working and technology” in Matayom Suksa III. The teacher and students apply the methods used to weave mat, pillow, shoes, tissue paper boxes, fans and saucers for preserving the wisdom.

               The study also found that other children of the community have not inherited the wisdom of pandanus weaving. The local government should make determined effects to preserve this wisdom. Otherwise, it is likely to be lost from Bangtoei in the near future.