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International Journal of Sociology and Anthropology Table of Contents: Volume 7 Number 11 November, 2015 ARTICLES Research Traditional festivals: Development of tourism routes for linking cultural heritage sources in the catchment watershed of Mekong River Basin in Thailand 233 Atcharee Chantamool, Sastra Laoakka, and Kosit Phaengsoi China: The quest for identity 246 Alberto Castelli Vol. 7(11), pp. 233-245, November 2015 DOI: 10.5897/IJSA2015.0619 Article Number: 345E00055871 International Journal of Sociology and ISSN 2006- 988x Copyright © 2015 Anthropology Author(s) retain the copyright of this article http://www.academicjournals.org/IJSA Full Length Research Paper Traditional festivals: Development of tourism routes for linking cultural heritage sources in the catchment watershed of Mekong River Basin in Thailand Atcharee Chantamool1*, Sastra Laoakka2, and Kosit Phaengsoi3 Faculty of Cultural Science, Mahasarakham University, Mueang District, Maha Sarakham Province, 44000, Thailand. Received 24 August, 2015; Accepted 22 September, 2015 To investigate the developing tourism routes for linking cultural heritage sources on traditional festival by local, centering and celebrating of communities and traditions in the Northeast traditional festivals’ region in Maekong River Basin were purposed. Associations with celebration and may also provide entertainment, particularly to local communities of cultural heritage sources were linked of tourism routes. These celebrations offered belonging to religious, social, and geographical groups, cultural also seek to inform members of their traditions among families and self-social communities. Collection data approach to surveys, interviews, observations, and focus group discussions with a sample of 85 people who consisted of the key, casual, and general informant groups in Nakhon Phanom, Mukdahan, Amnat Charoen, and Yasothon Provinces to management and promotion with faithful and believable were administered. The original festival are to believable and sanctity of ancient people, practicing inheritance and inherit were admired. The Buddhist temple and religious ceremonies were participated, such as the Illuminated Boat Procession, Nakhonphanom; the Boat Processional Racing, Mukdahan; Bunkhunlan inheritance, Yasothon. As for the development of the tourism routes for linking cultural heritage sources, according to the types of the trips and the requirements of the target tourist groups for 1-5 day trip, amazingly. Key words: Traditional festivals, development of tourism routes, linking cultural heritage sources, the catchment watershed, Mekong river basin. INTRODUCTION Background of Northeast Region on tradition, festival as a whole, and more specifically on the Northeast of the and local culture of Thailand country. Isan (also written as Isan, Issan, Esan or Esarn) is the Northeast Region of Thailand. It is located on the Thailand is an enchanting Buddhist Kingdom with a Khorat Plateau, bordered by the Mekong River to the unique past. As a more detailed background to holiday in north and east, and by Cambodia to the South. To the Thailand, this aims to give further details on the Kingdom West, it is separated from Northern and Central Thailand *Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected] Author agree that this article remain permanently open access under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 International License 234 Int. J. Sociol. Anthropol. by the Phetchabun mountain range (Tourism Authority of The traditional dress of Isan is the sarong. Women's Thailand, 2012). sarongs most often have an embroidered border at the Agriculture is the main economic activity, but due to the hem, while men's are in a chequered pattern. Men also socio-economic conditions and hot, dry climate output wear a pakama, a versatile length of cloth which can be lags behind that of other parts of the country. This is used as a belt, money and document belt, as headwear Thailand's poorest region. The main language of the for protection from the sun, as a hammock, or as a region is Isan (which is similar to Laos), but Thai is also bathing garment. Isan is a centre for the production of widespread and Khmer is spoken in the South. Most of Thai silk. The trade received a major boost in the post- the population is of Lao origin, but the region's war years, Thai silk was popularised among Westerners. incorporation into the modern Thai state has been largely One of the best-known types of Isan silk is mut-mee, successful. Prominent aspects of Isan culture include mor which is tie-dyed to produce geometric patterns on the lam music, Muay Thai boxing, cock fighting and the food, thread. in which sticky rice and chillies are prominent (Figure 1(a)). Isan covers 62,000 square miles (160,000 square km). The Catchment Watershed of Mekong River Basin in It is roughly coterminous with the Khorat Plateau, which Northeast Region of Thailand tilts from the Phetchabun mountain range in the west of the region (the location of several