7th International Conference on Humanities and Social Sciences “ASEAN 2015: Challenges and Opportunities” (Proceedings) La Sang : A Belief and Ritual of Tro Kaen Community amidst the Unrest Situation of the Southern Thai Border

1. Nootchanart Naulyai, Graduate Student in Human and Social Development, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai Campus, [email protected] 2. Kettawa Boonprakarn, Ph.D., Asst. Prof., Department of Educational Foundation, Faculty of Liberal Arts, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai Campus, [email protected].

Abstract

The objective of this study was to investigate a belief and ritual of La Sang amidst the unrest situation in the Southern Thai border. The study area was Tro Kaen Community, a Buddhist community in the middle of Muslim communities. The data of this phenomenology study were gathered through in-depth interviews with 12 informants, and the data were then categorized, interpreted, concluded, and presented with analytical description. The results of the study revealed that La Sang ritual is held after is harvested in either the fifth or sixth lunar month. The purposes of the ritual are to give thanks to Chao Mae Phosop or the of Rice, who has made their crops abundant, and to enjoy themselves after the harvest. Later modern culture started to flow in and gradually weakened traditional culture; La Sang ritual eventually faded away. Nevertheless, in 2007, a group of elderly people in the community brought back the ritual to unite people in the community, gather their cooperation in conducting their farming occupation, restore their rice farming way of life, and make it a mechanism to cope and negotiate with their fear and pain so as to heal their minds amidst the unrest situation.

Keywords: Belief, La Sang Ritual, unrest situation in the Southern Thai border

Faculty of Liberal Arts, Prince of Songkla University, June 5-6, 2015 513

7th International Conference on Humanities and Social Sciences “ASEAN 2015: Challenges and Opportunities” (Proceedings) Background The Thai way of life has been attached to rice farming for such a long time that there are many traditions related to rice farming, and most important of all is the royal ceremony called the . This ceremony consists of two rites: Phithi Phuetchamongkon or prosperity for plantation rite or the harvest festival, and Phithi Raek Na Khuan or the royal ploughing ceremony marking the auspicious beginning of the rice growing season. In the ceremony of Phithi Phuetchamongkon, many kinds of cereal grains such as rice, millet, corn, pea, sesame, etc., and food roots such as cassava, sweet potato, etc. are used in performing the rite with an objective for them to be without diseases and yield good crops for farmers. For the Phithi Raek Na Khuan or the royal ploughing ceremony, the soil is ploughed and rice grains are sown as a sign of the beginning of the rice growing season. The Royal Ploughing Ceremony is held in May of each year (Khuanhathai Chitphithak, 2008, p. 4). In the Southern part of , people have had rice farming as their occupation for a long time until nowadays. In the past, the main labor used in the rice field was humans and animals, and most people grew rice for their own consumption rather than for sale. The rice growing methods and tools as well as beliefs, traditions, and rituals related to rice and rice farming in the Southern part of Thailand are similar to those of other parts of the country with a few differences in some local areas. Most rice growing areas in the Southern part are on the east coast because its geographical characteristics are suitable for rice farming. In the three Southern border provinces, rice farming is mainly in these : Panare, Ma Yo, Saiburi, and Mai Kaen where most farmers lead their lives in the self-sufficiency way and grow rice only once a year called Na Yam or Na Pi for which rainfall is needed. Thus, rice is grown only in the rainy season or during May – June depending on how soon it starts to rain, and how much rainfall there is. If there is not enough rainfall, farmers cannot grow rice or if they do, their rice may get dry and damaged, and they get no rice for the year. If there is too much rainfall, rice is damaged and they also get no rice. Therefore, their lives depend on the amount of rainfall and on the breed of rice they use. The farmers’ way of life, especially in the Southern part of Thailand, after the rice harvesting season is that women grow vegetables for family consumption and for sale in the community while men harvest and make palm sugar, also for family consumption and for sale to earn extra money, if there is enough sugar left. Some farmers raise buffalos and cows for

Faculty of Liberal Arts, Prince of Songkla University, June 5-6, 2015 514

7th International Conference on Humanities and Social Sciences “ASEAN 2015: Challenges and Opportunities” (Proceedings) more income or for use of labor, and dung can be sold as manure for rice farms and vegetable gardens. Others go out to fish in the sea for shrimp and fish after the rice harvesting season (Khuanhathai Chipthithak, 2008, p. 4). Rituals related to rice farming are mostly the same over the country. However, nowadays local wisdom has faded away which may be because people overlook rice farming as an occupation and turn to other occupations instead. However, there are still some traditions left until now. For example, in the central part of the country, there are traditions called Prapheni Hae Nang Maew Kho Phon or taking a female cat in a procession asking or praying for rainfall, Long Khaek Kiew Khao or asking neighbors and friends for help to harvest rice, Tham Bun Lan or merit-making at a rice field where rice grains are gathered, Tham Khuan Khao or comforting rice, Tham Khuan Mae Phosop or comforting and thanking the Goddess of Rice, etc. In the Northeastern part, there are also the traditions of asking or praying for rainfall the same as that in the central part, Prapheni Yon Khrok Yon Sak or throwing the morta, Bun Khao Pradap Din and other rice celebrating traditions such as Tham Bun Khao Sak, and Bun Khao Chi, etc. In the Northern part, there are also rice related rituals such as Phithi Haek Na, Tham Khuan Ton Khao, and Su Khuan Khuwai. In the Southern part, there are similar rice related rituals such as Suat Na, Raek Pak Dam, etc. Thais believe that rice plants have a sacred thing call Mae Phosop dwelling in them and taking care of them and make them strong and productive. Thus, rice farmers pay respect to Phra Mae Phosop. It can be seen that Thais have been attached to the rice farming occupation for such a long time (Prasit Rattanamani and Chanit Chuluean, 2008, p. 1). Tro Kaen is a community in Paen Sub-, Saiburi District, where people’s lives are attached to agriculture. On the two sides of the road, there are green rice fields all along the way alternate with coconut orchards or other fruit orchards. Most people in this community are Buddhists and grow rice which makes their way of life encompassed with rice that helps reinforce the philosophies concerning rice they teach their children. They teach them to be grateful to rice and Mae Phosop, the Goddess of Rice. Hard work from rice farming and natural disasters create philosophies of living in a balanced way with nature, and various local rituals originated from rice and nature. Some of these rituals include Phithi Raek Kep (first harvest), Suat Thong Khao (praying for young rice), Sa Hua Wua (washing cows’ heads), etc. They are rituals that signify farmers’ respect and gratitude for nature that is behind the success

Faculty of Liberal Arts, Prince of Songkla University, June 5-6, 2015 515

7th International Conference on Humanities and Social Sciences “ASEAN 2015: Challenges and Opportunities” (Proceedings) in rice farming. Moreover, there are other rituals concerning beliefs in ghosts and spirits such as Phithi Wai Thang (paying respect to the trails), Wai Phum Chao Thi Na (paying respect to the god of the rice field), Wai Phum Chao Ban (paying respect to the spirit of the house), etc. Therefore, paying respect to nature, believing in ghosts and spirits, and practicing religion are all in rituals that indicate the local identity of the community. The last ritual of rice farming season is La Sang Ritual which has been passed down from generation to generation for about a century. “La” means saying goodbye; “Sang” means straw, thus, La Sang means saying goodbye to rice straws that will be ploughed up and over for the next rice growing season. After harvesting rice, farmers burn the rice straws, and therefore, they see the need to apologize Mae Phosop, the Goddess of Rice. This is the last ritual of each rice growing year that rice farmers have inherited for generations. La Sang Ritual communicates two meanings: comforting rice, and showing gratitude to Mae Phosop, the Goddess of Rice (Prasit Rattanamani and Chanit Chuluean, 2008, p. 60). In 2004, the unrest situation began in the three Southern border provinces and the severity of the situation started to increase in 2006 (Phichamon Chirakan, 2012, p. 2) forcing locals of the community who used to do rice farming to go and work in the town of Pattani. Many of them commute between their community and Pattani every day and some face with an incident of the situation making locals frightened and worried about their life and property. Consequently, a group of elderly people who have been doing rice farming, and used to performed La Sang ritual, saw it appropriate to restore the ritual to encourage and comfort residents of the community so that they have the courage and can better cope with their fear of the situation. In 2007, Phithi La Sang was performed again in the community to unite people and get cooperation in conducting their occupation and revive the way of rice farmers’ life. Therefore, as can be seen, La Sang Ritual is an activity that is created to be a mechanism to cope and negotiate with fear and pain, and to heal the minds of locals who live amidst the unrest situation at the same time. The abovementioned phenomena prompted the researcher to be interested in exploring the belief and ritual of La Sang of Tro Kaen Community amidst the unrest situation in the Southern border because La Sang is a ritual that enables locals to adapt themselves to the situation under the context of daily incidents. It is also interesting to find out how locals manage their living in an area that is without unrest situations and

Faculty of Liberal Arts, Prince of Songkla University, June 5-6, 2015 516

7th International Conference on Humanities and Social Sciences “ASEAN 2015: Challenges and Opportunities” (Proceedings) bring back La Sang ritual to the community so that other communities can use it as a guideline and as a way to return to their normal peaceful living again.

Objective of the study To investigate the belief and ritual of La Sang that is significant to locals of Tro Kaen Community in Paen Sub-district, Saiburi District, Pattani Province amidst the unrest situation in the Southern Thai border.

Research question How the belief and ritual of La Sang are significant to locals of Tro Kaen Community in Paen Sub-district, Saiburi District, Pattani Province amidst the unrest situation in the Southern Thai border.

Research Methodology This qualitative study aimed to investigate the belief and ritual of La Sang which is significant for locals of Tro Kaen Community in Paen Sub-district, Saiburi District, Pattani Province amidst the unrest situation in the Southern Thai border. Field data were collected through in-depth interviews, participant and non-participant observations, and focus group discussions. The data were collected from 12 informants who had participated in other rice related rituals throughout the rice harvesting season and La Sang ritual as the last one in the season. The informants consisted of the shaman, who performed the ritual, the master of ceremony, the community leader, a group of wise persons of the community (the elderly), and locals who participated in the ritual performance. Data were also collected from related documents and research reports. All the data collected from the field and documents were analyzed by classifying in categories, interpreted, concluded and presented with analytical analysis.

Faculty of Liberal Arts, Prince of Songkla University, June 5-6, 2015 517

7th International Conference on Humanities and Social Sciences “ASEAN 2015: Challenges and Opportunities” (Proceedings) Concepts used in the study This study employed the concepts of beliefs, traditions, and rituals in data analysis. According to Supharat Nimnuan (2012), a rite or ritual is a behavior that humans invent to respond to their belief and transfer such knowledge, and experience to the next generations, and the result of the belief that humans learn from others’ experience together with their own beliefs result in rituals that become more detailed. They help us better understand the way of life and culture of particular society. Hence, rituals did not happen and have not been passed down without reasons but they originated and have existed to respond and correspond to the way of life of particular groups of people, communities, and societies that believe in the same things. Most rituals concerning beliefs are based on local resources of the community that people use together as found by Ratchada Khotchasaengsan et al (2007) from their study on beliefs, rituals and local wisdoms in community resources management that people in the community are attached to and depend on nature in their living and occupation. People believe and have faith in supernatural, and the experiences they have accumulated become community wisdoms that can be usefully applied in many things they do. The beliefs, traditions, and rituals that the researcher has described in connection with behavior, the way of life, and cultures of the community exist to respond to their beliefs and make it clearer that La Sang ritual exists for the same reason. In addition, there is a space for locals to create meanings for the community through La Sang Ritual.

Faculty of Liberal Arts, Prince of Songkla University, June 5-6, 2015 518

7th International Conference on Humanities and Social Sciences “ASEAN 2015: Challenges and Opportunities” (Proceedings) Findings 1. The context of Tro Kaen Community, Paen Sub-district, Saiburi District Pattani Province

Figure 1: Map of Saiburi District, and Figure 2: Rice field in Tro Kaen Community Source: Saiburi District Office, 2014

Paen Sub-district is in Saiburi District, Pattani Province. “In Paen Sub-district, residents consist of Muslims and Buddhists. Everyone in Villages No. 1, 2, 3, and 4 is a Muslim while in Villages 5 and 6, everyone is a Buddhist, and in Villages No. 7 and 8, there are both Buddhists and Muslims living together in a multi-cultural community. Some large families include the Hajibrueraheng, Tahe, Samae, Daengwilai, Ngoenrat, Daeng-ngoen, and others. These family names are often found.” (Angkhana Hajibrueraheng, interviewed on March 12, 2014). “Most ancestors of Tro Kaen people came to settle here and reclaimed land which they passed down to their later generations. Most are extended families living in houses located along the two sides of the road or in rubber plantations. Most houses are made of wood and cement” (Chatphon Ngoenrat, interviewed on March 12, 2014). Observing the geographical environment of the area, the researcher saw that there is a mountain range between Paen and Thung Khla sub-districts of Saiburi District where most people’s occupations are in rice farming, rubber plantations, coconut orchards, and other fruit orchards. The two sides of the road, the main communication route, are lined with rice fields and rubber plantations with rubber trees that are seen to have been tapped for many years. “In Tro Kaen, 100 percent of people are Buddhists (Basic minimum needs indicators (BMNI), 2014) who use Wat Bok Khorani, and Wat Chuthamani or Wat Paen

Faculty of Liberal Arts, Prince of Songkla University, June 5-6, 2015 519

7th International Conference on Humanities and Social Sciences “ASEAN 2015: Challenges and Opportunities” (Proceedings) (whose abbot is Chairman of the District Buddhist Monks) in doing community activities. The community receives cooperation from the temples and government organizations as well as other organizations for community development. Most people in the community take part in activities and give importance to whatever happens in the community. The occupations that most people take include rice farming, rubber plantations, other farming activities and animal raising (Darunee Sakcharoen Na Nakhon Phanom, interviewed on March 12, 2014). “Because it is a village of Buddhists with traditions and cultures related to the Buddhist way of life and , we have to take caution and we have a Cho Ro Bo (Village Security Team) and a Cho Kho Bo (Village Protection Team) on duty. We also have field practice. These are important for us to cooperate. Our community now is not as lively or bustling as it used to be. We have to be careful and cautious when going places because we never know what danger there will be (Pradit Daengwilai, interviewed on March 12, 2014). Talking with locals who still live in the community without thinking of moving away, some of them said, “We don’t know where to move to because this is our home; our ancestors belonged here; we want to live here till we die. But for our children and grandchildren, we want them to be well-educated and move away from this area because we don’t know when the unrest situation will end” (Phin Chunrat, interviewed on February 19, 2014). Some people in the community admit that they used to think of selling their property and go to live outside the three Southern border provinces but they said that it was just a thought for only a moment because after thinking it over about a new beginning in a new place, and a new society, they had no idea what would it be like and how they would make a living. Another reason is that elderly people insist that they want to continue living in this community because it is the place where they are happiest. 2. The belief in La Sang Ritual, a significance for locals La Sang Ritual is a rite to pay respect and to show gratitude to nature that is behind the success in growing rice. La Sang Ritual has existed for about a century and it is a significant ritual for the community. It is a ritual of saying goodbye to the rice straws that are about to be ploughed up and over for the next rice growing season. After collecting the rice grains, farmers will burn the rice straws. Thus, they hold La Sang ritual, the last ritual of the rice growing season, to apologize Mae Phosop, the

Faculty of Liberal Arts, Prince of Songkla University, June 5-6, 2015 520

7th International Conference on Humanities and Social Sciences “ASEAN 2015: Challenges and Opportunities” (Proceedings) Goddess of Rice. “This ritual has been passed down from generation to generation to communicate two meanings: to comfort rice, and to give thanks to the goddess of rice or the spirit of the rice field for the blessing of the harvest. It is believed that this ritual helps rice to grow well and productive. It is also held to celebrate the end of the rice harvesting season” (Serm Srichotchuang, interviewed on March 12, 2014). “The ceremony is held either in the fifth or sixth lunar month. It falls on a Monday of the sixth lunar month of each year. It can be either on a waxing or waning moon day but it has to be on the odd day such as the first day or third or fifth day of the waxing moon or the waning moon period. It is held on the day agreed on by most of the locals (Chatree Chunroeng, interviewed on March 12, 2014).

Figure 3: A few rice straws from every family are tied together; and Figure 4: Making a rice straw man and a rice straw woman Source: Pictures taken by the researcher on May 18, 2014

A few rice straws from the last-harvested field of each family are piled up together and then divided into two piles. Each pile is then tied together to make effigies of persons with a head, a body, arms and legs. One is then smartly dressed as a rice straw man and the other is beautifully dressed as a rice straw woman. “The male effigy is named Chumphuk and the female one is Suntharee. These names have been given to the effigies from the ancient time. They are respected as Phi Chue or ancestral spirits who make rice in the field fertile and productive without pests and diseases” (Boonsee Kaew Rueang, interviewed on March 12, 2014). 3. La Sang Ritual in Tro Kaen Community and the meanings People in Tro Kaen Community live with lives closely bound with agriculture. Along the two sides of the road are green with rice fields. Their way of life

Faculty of Liberal Arts, Prince of Songkla University, June 5-6, 2015 521

7th International Conference on Humanities and Social Sciences “ASEAN 2015: Challenges and Opportunities” (Proceedings) is attached to rice which helps reinforce the philosophy they use to teach their children to be grateful to rice based on their belief in Mae Phosop, the Goddess of Rice. La Sang is a ritual of saying goodbye to rice straws that will be ploughed up and over as a preparation for the next rice growing season. Because farmers will burn the rice straws in the field after collecting rice grains, they hold the ritual to apologize Mae Phosop. La sang is the last ritual of the rice growing season to communicate two meanings. The first one is to comfort rice, and other is to give thanks to Mae Phosop for her blessing of good crops. The procedure of the ritual of La Sang is as follows. 3.1. Setting the date in a meeting attended by the elderly Before La Sang ritual is held each year, a meeting is held attended by the elderly in the community and the community leader to decide on the day of the ritual. “This year, on which day should we hold the ritual? It seems like the sixth day of the waning moon which falls on the 19th of May is suitable” (Suwat Changson, interviewed on March 4, 2014). After the date has been set, they discuss about the steps and ritual procedure to prepare necessary items and all that are needed. Then they announce it for people in the community to know and to participate in the activity. 3.2. Preparing the ceremony “For the ceremony, there are many things to prepare but many people know what to do” (Sunee Yoksakun, interviewed on March 4, 2014). Interviewing people who have participated in the ceremony of La Sang in Tro Kaen Community, the researcher learned that there is a chairman of the ceremony which is the Kamnan or Sub-district Headman, who is well respected by people in the community, a ritual performer, who is a shaman, and local wise men, who are senior and have expertise in performing ceremonies in the community. Participants of the ceremony consist of locals of Tro Kaen Community, President of Paen Administrative Organization, Deputy District Chief, operational team at the sub-district level consisting of officers of different government offices. The places where the rituals are held are a temple and the rice field. For the year 2014, Wat Bok Khorani was where the rice straw effigies were made and celebrated. For the year 2014, the effigies were celebrated on Sunday May 18, 2014, and the ritual of saying goodbye to the rice straws was held at a pavilion in the rice field.

Faculty of Liberal Arts, Prince of Songkla University, June 5-6, 2015 522

7th International Conference on Humanities and Social Sciences “ASEAN 2015: Challenges and Opportunities” (Proceedings)

Figure 5: The rice straw effigies prepared for the ritual; and Figure 6: The pavilion in the rice field where the ritual was performed Source: Pictures taken by the researcher on May 18, 2014

On the day of the ritual which was the sixth day of the waning moon of the sixth lunar month which was Monday, May 19, 2014, necessary items for the ritual consisting of the effigies, oblations, and offerings were hand-carried by a procession to the site of the ritual.

Figure 7: Oblations and offerings; and Figure 8: The oblations procession Source: Pictures taken by the researcher on May 19, 2014

3.3. The ritual performing day It was the ritual performing day which was the sixth day of the waning moon of the sixth lunar month which was Monday, May 19, 2014. “We got up early to get ready to go to the ceremony. To be part of the procession, women dressed beautifully in silk and had their hair done (as if they were on the groom side going to the bride’s place on their wedding day). Elderly people went to wait for the procession at the pavilion in the rice field (as if they were relatives of the bride).” (Prathueang Daengwilai, interviewed

Faculty of Liberal Arts, Prince of Songkla University, June 5-6, 2015 523

7th International Conference on Humanities and Social Sciences “ASEAN 2015: Challenges and Opportunities” (Proceedings) on March 4, 2014). In the La Sang ceremony in Tro Kaen that day, participants were divided into two sides: the groom’s relatives and the bride’s relatives. The rice straw man and the rice straw woman were taken away from each other. The female effigy was taken to wait at the pavilion in the rice field where the ritual was to take place while the male effigy was in the procession with all the oblations and offerings just like a groom in the offerings procession. When the auspicious moment arrived, elderly people lifted the trays of offerings for the 11 persons who would carry them to the ritual site. The number of tray carriers can be different from this depending on the number of tray they have prepared. Besides the carriers of the tray of offerings, there were people who carried a banana tree and cane-sugar plants. A percussion band consisting of drums, cymbals, and small cup-shaped cymbals was playing as part of the procession. When the procession arrived at the pavilion, a few people there set up a few barriers for the groom to pay his way to the bride. The male and female effigies were placed next to each other in the pavilion, and each family placed on trays their offerings such as steamed rice, steamed sticky rice, boiled sticky rice wrapped in banana leave, boiled eggs, other kinds of savory, incense sticks, candles, etc. Then the shaman said words of offering all the items that people brought, and words to marry the effigies. “The shaman teaches the bride and groom to be grateful to Phra Mae Phosop and to their ancestors who grew rice for them to eat. After marrying the effigies, the shaman takes a bit of food that each family brought and put in banana leave containers and place them on the rice field, and each family also take back some food home to offer and pay respect to the spirit of each house, too.” (Sunee Kraidam, interviewed on March 4, 2014). After that the two rice straw effigies were taken to the rice field, their abdomens are opened for ritual participants to put offerings in, and that is regarded the effigies have eaten. The rest of the offerings are to be taken back home for the spirit of the house. That is the end of the ritual.

Faculty of Liberal Arts, Prince of Songkla University, June 5-6, 2015 524

7th International Conference on Humanities and Social Sciences “ASEAN 2015: Challenges and Opportunities” (Proceedings)

Figure 9: The offering ritual; and Figure 10: The abdomens of the effigies are opened and offerings put in Source: Pictures taken by the researcher on May 19, 2014

Discussions Regarding the area context, Tro Kaen Community is an area where rice farming and rice are the way of life and therefore, the belief in Mae Phosop, the Goddess of Rice, has made them initiate a ritual to perform as a way to pay respect and gratitude to nature that is behind the success in their rice farming. Phithi La Sang or La Sang Ritual is thus a rite directly related to their rice farming occupation that has been passed down from generation to generation to communicate two meanings: comforting rice, and giving thanks to Mae Phosop for her blessing in the rice crop. Concerning La Sang Ritual, it is a ritual performed in Tro Kaen Community and originated from a belief concerning rice growing. Each step of the La Sang ritual corresponds and responds to the way of life of people of Tro Kaen Community where people’s lives are attached to and depend on nature in terms of living and occupation. They believe and have faith in supernatural, and they have accumulated experiences in life that become a ritual called La Sang which is based on their belief. According to Supharat Nimnual (2012), a ritual is a behavior that humans invent to respond to their belief, and transfer the knowledge and experience to the later generations while Ratchada Khotchasaengsan et al (2007) also found that there are beliefs and rituals that are related to people’s living, occupations, and how they spend their lives. In terms of belief, locals of Tro Kaen Community believe that after they finish harvesting rice for the season, they must apologize Mae Phosop and pay respect and show their gratitude to nature that is behind the success of their rice farming. It is

Faculty of Liberal Arts, Prince of Songkla University, June 5-6, 2015 525

7th International Conference on Humanities and Social Sciences “ASEAN 2015: Challenges and Opportunities” (Proceedings) human nature to want to have something to hold on to make them feel secure; they need something sacred to protect them. Consequently, they believe that if they make a vow and pay respect to such a thing, they will be safe and out of troubles in their rice farming. This corresponds and responds to the way of life of people in Tro Kaen Community whose lives are attached to and depend on nature. They believe that if they do not perform the ritual, they could be punished by sacred things that people pay respect to. They, therefore, make the rice straw man and woman and give a name to the male effigy, Chumphuk, and the female one, Suntharee. The two names have been passed down from the ancient time, and they have meanings. In the male’s name, “Chum” means putting together referring to the action that they tie rice straws from each family together to signal their getting together to perform the ritual, and “Phuk” means to rot, deteriorate, and gradually disappear. The name Suntharee of the female effigy means to loosen knots or problems by doing auspicious things or performing auspicious rites to make things return to normal, and so that farmers do not owe anything to the rice caregiver or the spirit of Mae Phosop in hope that Mae Phosop will take care of their rice in the next season. The belief in Phi Chue or ancestral spirits who make their rice farm fertile and without pest and diseases makes them hold a wedding ceremony for the two effigies that are made of rice straws means that they will give births to many children; in other words they will make the rice plants productive. If without the marriage, the effigies would be singles and would not have any heirs or offspring. They also believe that performing the ritual will make their rice grow well and yield good crops. The spiritual leader can attract experienced people who have the same beliefs to get together in performing the ritual which is a way of creating identity that can strengthen their living together and uniting people in Tro Kaen Community to be one. Modern culture had weakened traditional culture and caused La Sang to disappear for some time until 2007 when a group of elderly people of Tro Kaen restored it to unite people of the community and for them to cooperate in their occupation and revive the way of life of rice farmers. Moreover, La Sang has been an activity that is used as a mechanism for coping and negotiating fear and pain, and for healing the minds of locals who live amidst the unrest situation at the same time.

Faculty of Liberal Arts, Prince of Songkla University, June 5-6, 2015 526

7th International Conference on Humanities and Social Sciences “ASEAN 2015: Challenges and Opportunities” (Proceedings) Recommendations Recommendations related to policy 1. The government sector should promote local rituals that are related to and correspond with the way of life of the community to upgrade their quality of life. 2. People in the community should manage bodies of knowledge of ritual performing to pass down to the next generation. Recommendations for further studies 1. Studies should be conducted on tendency for future change of La Sang Ritual amidst the unrest situation in the Southern border provinces. 2. Studies should be conducted on the way of life that changes along with social change that is related to ritual performing in the community

References

Khuanhathai Chitphithak. (2008). Tradition of Ok Pak Kin Wan in rice farming of farmers in Rattaphum District, Songkhla Province. Minor thesis, MA in Thai Studies, Faculty of Liberal Arts, Thaksin University, Songkhla.

Phichamon Chirakan. (2012). The way of life of Buddhist Thais in the unrest situation in Rusamilae Sub-district, Mueang District, Pattani Province. Minor thesis, MA in Human and Social Development, Faculty of Liberal Arts, Prince of Songkla University, Songkhla.

Prasit Rattanamani & Chanit Chuluean. (2008). La Sang tradition-The wedding of To Chum Phuk in Khuan Sub-district, Panare District, Pattani Province. Pattani: Kalayanivadhana Cultural Institute, Prince of Songkla University.

Ratchada Khotchasaengsan et al. (2007). The spirit of the mountain: Belief, ritual and local wisdom in natural resources management of communities around Namtok Yong National Park: A case study of Ron Phibun District, Nakhon Si Thammarat Province. Cultural Research Department, Research and Development Section, Culture Studies Institute, Office of the National Culture Commission, Bangkok.

Faculty of Liberal Arts, Prince of Songkla University, June 5-6, 2015 527

7th International Conference on Humanities and Social Sciences “ASEAN 2015: Challenges and Opportunities” (Proceedings) Supharat Nimnuan. (2012). Inheritance of the ritual of paying respect to ancestral spirits of Ban Khlong Chik, Tha Kham Sub-district, Hat Yai District, Songkhla Province. Minor thesis, MA in Human and Social Development, Faculty of Liberal Arts, Prince of Songkla University, Songkhla.

Interviewees Angkhana Hajibrueraheng. (2014, March 12). At Tro Kean Community, Paen Sub- district, Saiburi District, Pattani Province. Boonsri Kaewrueang. (2014, March 12). At Tro Kean Community, Paen Sub-district, Saiburi District, Pattani Province. Chatphon Ngoenrat. (2014, March 12). At Tro Kean Community, Paen Sub-district, Saiburi District, Pattani Province. Chatree Chunroeng (2014, March 12). At Tro Kean Community, Paen Sub-district, Saiburi District, Pattani Province. Darunee Sakcharoen Na Nakhon Phanom. (2014, March 12). At Tro Kean Community, Paen Sub-district, Saiburi District, Pattani Province. Pradit Daengwilai. (2014, March 12). At Tro Kean Community, Paen Sub-district, Saiburi District, Pattani Province. Prathueang Daengwilai. (2014, March 4). At Tro Kean Community, Paen Sub-district, Saiburi District, Pattani Province. Phin Chunrat. (2014, February 19). ). At Tro Kean Community, Paen Sub-district, Saiburi District, Pattani Province. Serm Srichotchuang. (2014, March 12). At Tro Kean Community, Paen Sub-district, Saiburi District, Pattani Province. Sunee Kraidam. (2014, March 4). At Tro Kean Community, Paen Sub-district, Saiburi District, Pattani Province. Sunee Yoksakun. (2014, March 4). At Tro Kean Community, Paen Sub-district, Saiburi District, Pattani Province. Suwat Changson. (2014, March 4). At Tro Kean Community, Paen Sub-district, Saiburi District, Pattani Province.

Faculty of Liberal Arts, Prince of Songkla University, June 5-6, 2015 528