"Local Narratives" : A study of Cultural History and Tourism Development in at Samat Sub-district Mueang District Nakhon Phanom Province

Abstract

This research consists purposes were 1. to study the local history of At Samat Sub-district Mueang District Nakhon Phanom Province 2. to analyze the significance of local narratives in At Samat Subdistrict and 3. to examine guidelines for tourism management in At Samat Subdistrict based on local narrative knowledge. This study employs a qualitative research approach integrating historical and anthropological methods. The research process is divided into two parts. The first is documentary research, which involves collecting data from documents, legends, folktales and previously published academic works. The second is field research, which includes data collection through semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions and observation. The target group consists of 50 participants, including local residents, tourists, representatives of government agencies, and private-sector stakeholders involved in tourism. All collected data were analyzed using content analysis to examine the significance of community history and the value systems embedded in local narratives. The findings reveal that 1) At Samat Subdistrict was once an ancient community during the Sri Kotrabun Kingdom period, approximately the 11^th-15^th centuries B.E. It later became a town of the Tai Saek ethnic group between B.E. 2380 and 2436, serving as a defensive outpost protecting the Mekong border of the Thai state. (2) At Samat Subdistrict contains three types of local narratives: (2.1) legends concerning the origins of settlements, religious sites, and sacred objects, such as the legend of Phra That Ban Samran and the legend of Ban Kham Koem Village (2.2) narratives related to the origins of natural resource bases, such as the legend of the Naga creating the Mekong River and (2.3) narratives related to local beliefs and rituals, such as the ancestral spirit worship practiced by the Tai Saek people and 3) The study of tourism management guidelines in At Samat Subdistrict based on local narrative knowledge indicates that tourism development can be promoted through the management of legendary sites and the strengthening of existing social capital within the community. This includes age-based groups, ethnic groups, and religious groups, which can serve as key mechanisms for driving tourism development.