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Northumbria Research Link Citation: Wongwilatnurak, Nattawat (2018) The construction of social reality through the supernatural in Thai television drama programmes and the perspectives of Thai audiences. Doctoral thesis, Northumbria University. This version was downloaded from Northumbria Research Link: http://nrl.northumbria.ac.uk/id/eprint/42370/ Northumbria University has developed Northumbria Research Link (NRL) to enable users to access the University’s research output. Copyright © and moral rights for items on NRL are retained by the individual author(s) and/or other copyright owners. Single copies of full items can be reproduced, displayed or performed, and given to third parties in any format or medium for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-profit purposes without prior permission or charge, provided the authors, title and full bibliographic details are given, as well as a hyperlink and/or URL to the original metadata page. 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The full policy is available online: http://nrl.northumbria.ac.uk/policies.html THE CONSTRUCTION OF SOCIAL REALITY THROUGH THE SUPERNATURAL IN THAI TELEVISION DRAMA PROGRAMMES AND THE PERSPECTIVES OF THAI AUDIENCES NATTWAT WONGWILATNURAK PhD 2018 THE CONSTRUCTION OF SOCIAL REALITY THROUGH THE SUPERNATURAL IN THAI TELEVISION DRAMA PROGRAMMES AND THE PERSPECTIVES OF THAI AUDIENCES NATTWAT WONGWILATNURAK A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the University of Northumbria at Newcastle for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Research undertaken in the Faculty of Arts, Design & Social Sciences April 2018 Abstract In the Western entertainment industry, supernatural television dramas are created to provide a form of entertainment that can be read as postmodern pastiche without explicit religious ideology or any emphasis on communicating social values to the audience. Thai supernatural television dramas, in contrast, are employed as an effective resource for promoting Thai Theravada Buddhism. This study examines the role of Buddhist teachings in the television dramas Ngao (2014) and Nang Cha Da (2015) which were the most-watched television programmes in Thailand in those respective years. This research examines the processes of production and consumption of certain television tropes to provide an understanding of the ways in which Buddhist teachings are constructed, represented, and perceived through television dramas. It analyses the textual features of the shows by comparing the content of the dramas with Buddhist scripture, examines the attitudes of the text producers, and analyses the viewer’s perceptions of Buddhist material in the shows. This study adopts qualitative research methods, including textual analysis, in-depth interviews with the text producers, and focus groups with the audiences. The contribution of this study is to demonstrate that Thai supernatural television dramas, functioning as a Buddhist classroom, are utilised by Thai ruling class as a tool in promoting Theravada Buddhism within modern Thai society and culture. Buddhist teachings presented in the dramas are in line with the strongly held beliefs of the producers and with Thai government policies. The results of this study demonstrate that Buddhist teachings embodied in the dramas are intended to encourage audiences to think and behave as good Buddhists and to establish a unified moral community. I argue Thai supernatural television dramas are intimately connected with the promotion of Buddhist teachings. Keyword: television dramas, ghost stories, karma, Buddhism, nationalism and religion in Thailand i Contents Introduction .............................................................................................................. 1 Background of the study ................................................................................................. 1 The research project ...................................................................................................... 5 Outline of the thesis ....................................................................................................... 6 Chapter One: The Notion of Ghosts and Spirits ............................................................ 8 1.1 An overview of social beliefs about the paranormal ................................................ 10 1.1.1 Definitions of ghosts ......................................................................................... 10 1.1.2 The appearance and objectives of ghosts ........................................................ 11 1.2 The social functions of the supernatural in accordance with the framework of Émile Durkheim and Geoffrey K. Nelson ................................................................................ 14 1.2.1 The purgatorial elements of ghosts .................................................................. 14 1.2.2 The social functions of beliefs in reinforcing social solidarity ............................ 16 1.2.3 The social functions of Spiritualist beliefs as a mental anchor .......................... 17 1.3 The social beliefs about supernatural beings in Thai context .................................. 20 1.3.1 Definition of ghosts in Thai culture ................................................................... 21 1.3.2 The relationship between Buddhist principles and supernatural beliefs ............ 22 1.3.3 The social functions of supernatural beliefs in Thai society .............................. 25 Conclusion ................................................................................................................... 27 Chapter Two: Supernatural Media Products ................................................................ 29 2.1 Media construction of the supernatural ................................................................... 30 2.1.1 Non-fiction and fiction ...................................................................................... 31 2.1.2 Postmodernism and Western supernatural programmes ................................. 35 2.1.3 Buddhist teachings and Thai supernatural programmes .................................. 38 2.2 History and supernatural media programmes ......................................................... 40 2.2.1 Western supernatural television dramas .......................................................... 43 2.2.2 Thai supernatural television dramas ................................................................ 45 ii 2.3 Media semiotics ..................................................................................................... 49 Conclusion ................................................................................................................... 52 Chapter Three: Research Methodology and Design.................................................... 54 3.1 Research methodology .......................................................................................... 54 3.2 Research design .................................................................................................... 56 3.2.1 Textual analysis ............................................................................................... 56 3.2.2 In-depth interviews ........................................................................................... 59 3.2.3 Focus groups ................................................................................................... 61 Conclusion ................................................................................................................... 69 Chapter Four: Ghosts and Mediums in Thai Television Dramas ................................ 72 4.1 Types of ghosts represented in Thai television dramas .......................................... 73 4.1.1 The ghosts mentioned in Buddhist Scripture .................................................... 75 4.1.2 Vengeful ghosts ............................................................................................... 88 4.1.3 Slave ghosts .................................................................................................... 95 4.1.4 Guardian Spirits ............................................................................................... 98 4.2 The types of mediums represented in Thai supernatural television dramas .......... 100 4.2.1 Buddhist monks ............................................................................................. 101 4.2.2 Shamans ....................................................................................................... 104 Conclusion ................................................................................................................. 106 Chapter Five: Concepts Represented in Thai Television Dramas ............................ 108 5.1 Types of concept presented in Thai supernatural television dramas ..................... 108 5.1.1 Buddhist Concepts ......................................................................................... 110 5.1.2 Black magic ................................................................................................... 121 5.1.3. Thai myths .................................................................................................... 127 5.2 The importance of Buddhism in Thai supernatural television dramas ................... 134 5.2.1 State power ..................................................................................................

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