An Analytical Study of People's Beliefs and Rituals Towards King Taksin the Great Monument in Bangkok

Abstract

The objectives of this research study were to 1) study the background of people's beliefs towards King Taksin the Great Monument, 2) study the pattern of people’s rituals towards King Taksin the Great Monument, and 3) study methods for conserving and inheriting the beliefs and rituals of local people.  The study was conducted using a mixed-methods research approach. The population was 46,549 people, with a sample size of 320 people who were selected using a simple random sampling method.  The qualitative study used group discussion techniques and interviews with 15 key informants, and the quantitative study used a questionnaire with an alpha value of .862.  The basic statistics were used in data analysis.  The results of the study were as follows: 1) The background of people's beliefs towards King Taksin the Great Monument was at a high level overall (mean = 3.74).  2) The pattern of people’s rituals towards King Taksin the Great Monument was at a high level overall (mean = 3.59).  And 3) the study of methods for conserving and inheriting the beliefs and rituals of local people found that (1) Overall, the conservation method was at a high level (mean = 3.83), and (2) the inheritance of the beliefs and rituals of local people was at a high level (mean = 3.75).  The qualitative study found that people were interested in the background of beliefs, history, restoration of independence, and spiritual refuge.  Regarding the pattern of rituals, people were interested in formal and informal rituals according to individual beliefs.  In terms of methods for conserving and inheriting the beliefs and rituals, people usually followed the traditions that their ancestors had passed on.