Driving Nong Khai Toward A Creative City: Potentials, Cultural Capital, And Policy Directions

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Kanyaphat Witabut

Abstract

This research aims to examine the cultural capital and creative resources of Nong Khai Province and to propose policy directions for developing the city toward a “Creative Mekong Riverside City” in a sustainable manner. The study employed a qualitative interpretive case study approach, collecting data through document analysis, in-depth interviews with ten key informants, and field observations. The research integrates key conceptual frameworks, including Creative City, Creative Class, Urban Identity, City Branding and Creative Placemaking, to analyze the “creative ecosystem of Nong Khai” as a holistic system.


Findings reveal that Nong Khai is not merely a city of faith and tradition but a city where the power of people, art, and culture intertwines to generate “grassroots creativity.” The city possesses strong Talent local artists, young creators, and new-generation entrepreneurs who connect indigenous wisdom with contemporary innovation. Technology is increasingly used to communicate local identity and enhance cultural value, while Tolerance fosters an inclusive social atmosphere embracing diversity of gender, ethnicity, and belief. Consequently, Nong Khai creative ecosystem demonstrates dynamic interconnections between cultural capital and social capital across its vibrant Mekong riverside landscape.


The policy recommendations emphasize the creation of institutional mechanisms for sustainability, including the establishment of the Nong Khai Creative Hub as a platform integrating Talent–Technology–Tolerance; the development of Living Creative Spaces along the Mekong River and walking streets through participatory design; the cultivation of young creative talents through community-based micro-grants; and the formulation of a Core Narrative that conveys Nong Khai cultural identity as an “experiential city brand” rooted in faith, creativity, and inspiration. The study concludes that Nong Khai is undergoing a transformation from “a city of faith and traditional culture” to “a city of creativity grounded in culture”, with the potential to become a model of cultural-based creative city development in the Greater Mekong Subregion

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