The direct translation of ‘Intangible Cultural Heritage’ (ICH) into Thai is ‘มรดกทางวัฒนธรรมที่จับต้องไม่ได้’. However, the government felt that this term did not translate well, and had the potential to be misunderstood (Department of Cultural Promotion, 2015, p. 5). Various alternatives were suggested, including ‘abstract cultural heritage’ (มรดกวัฒนธรรมเชิงนามธรรม), ‘spiritual cultural heritage’ (มรดกวัฒนธรรมทางจิตใจ), and ‘non-material cultural heritage’ (มรดกวัฒนธรรมที่ไม่เป็นวัตถุ) (Department of Cultural Promotion, 2015, p. 5). However, it was felt that each of these options had issues when translated back into English (Department of Cultural Promotion, 2015, p. 5). Due to this debate, the National Culture Mission used ‘cultural heritage’ (มรดกภูมิปัญญาทางวัฒนธรรม) in lieu of intangible cultural heritage until 31 August 2009, after which the preferred translation of มรดกภูมิปัญญาทางวัฒนธรรม (morodok phumibanya thang wattanatham), or ‘cultural wisdom heritage’, was decided upon (Department of Cultural Promotion, 2015, p. 6). Morodok phumibanya thang wattanatham is not an exact translation of intangible cultural heritage. For example, when referring to the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, the government opted to use the literal translation, มรดกทางวัฒนธรรมที่จับต้องไม่ได้ (Department of Cultural Promotion, 2015, p. 6).
Furthermore, where UNESCO divides ICH into five domains, the Thai government divides this heritage into seven parts. This is because the Ministry of Culture “believe that Thailand has intangible cultural heritage that is distinctive and unique”, and accordingly, requires more categories to encompass it, thus making it “more consistent with the cultural context of Thailand” (Department of Cultural Promotion, 2015, pp. 6–7).
The seven categories of ICH in Thailand are (with numbers 3 and 4 being additions to UNESCO’s domains):
1. Performing arts
2. Traditional craftsmanship
3. Folk literature (วรรณกรรมพื้นบ้าน)
4. Thai wisdom sports (กีฬาภูมิปัญญาไทย)
5. Social practices, rituals and festivals
6. Knowledge and practices about nature and the universe
7. Language
กรมส่งเสริมวัฒนธรรม [Department of Cultural Promotion]. (2558) [2015]. คู่มือการเสนอขอขึ้นทะเบียนมรดกภูมิปัญญาทางวัฒนธรรมของชาติ [Guide for submittion applications for the registration of national cultural heritage]. Bangkok: สำนักงานกิจการโรงพิมพ์ องค์การสงเคราะห์ทหารผ่านศึก [Printing Office, War Veterans Organisation].
ลงรักปิดทอง/Long Rak Pit Thong, or ‘lacquering and gilding’, is both a Thai conservation technique and an act of worship and a way of making merit wit...
គេតែងតែគោរពពពួកអស់នឹង ព្រោះពពួកអស់នឹងគេតាមបីបាច់ថែរក្សាយើង ហើយខ្លះទៀត ពេលណាដែលម្ចាស់ផ្ទះមានគ្រោះ មានភ័យ មានអន្តរាយអ្វីមួយកើតម...
អញ្ចឹងពពួកភូមិទេវតា តាមការពារ និងថែរក្សាម្ចាស់ផ្ទះនឹង ទាល់តែម្ចាស់ផ្ទះនឹងជាអ្នកមានទាន មានសីល មានសេចក្តីល្អ ប្រព្រឹត្តសេចក្តីល្អដែរ...
ម្រេញគង្វាល គឺជាភពអមនុស្ស ដែលជាកញ្ចក់ឆ្លុះបញ្ចាំងពីភពរបស់យើង ដែលភាគច្រើនយើងតែងតែហៅក្មេងឃ្វាលគោ ឃ្វាល ក្របី។ ដោយសាររឿងហ្នឹងវាទាក់ទងបាយសំណុំ ទឹកបំពង់ ដែ...
ព្រះភូមទេវតា ឬរានទេវតានេះ គេដាក់នឹង គឺភាគច្រើនគេដាក់សម្រាប់ឱ្យពពួកភូមទេវតារស់នៅ មានដូចជាអរុក្ខទេវតា ភូមិទេវតាដែលយើងហៅថាម្រេញគង្វាល ។ ហើយការដាក់ទាំងអស់...
អ្នកដែលមិនជឿលើព្រះបិតា លោកតាស្នាប់ បានជួបប្រទះអភ័យហេតុផ្សេងៗគ្នា៖ ម៉ូតូរបស់ពួកគេខូចនៅពេលបើកចូលព្រៃ ខណៈដែលមនុស្សខ្លះវិលត្រឡប់មកវិញបានដួលចេញពីម៉ូតូ បាក់...
บวชต้นไม้/buat ton mai, also known as 'tree ordination', is a method of conserving trees in Thailand rooted in Buddhism. The practice emerged as a res...
วัฒนธรรม/Wattanatham (meaning ‘culture’) is one of over one thousand terms coined by Prince Wan Waithayakon. In a 1975 interview, Prince Wan, who atte...
ธรรมชาติ/Thammachat, meaning ‘nature’ in Thai, was a term coined as part of a larger language policy spanning the late-19th and 20th centuries, involv...
ปะกำ (ภะษากูย) หรือ ผีปะกำ (ภาษาไทย) เป็นวัฒนธรรมที่พบได้เฉพาะในกลุ่มกูยอาจีงหรือกูยเลี้ยงช้างเท่านั้น เป็นวิญญาณของบรรพบุรุษกูยเลี้ยงช้างที่เป็นหมอหร...