Chiangkhan: Cultural Commodification for Tourism
and its Impact on Local Community
Nattapon Meekaew 1, Dr.Somsak Srisontisuk 2
1. MA. Student, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Khon Kaen University
2. Associate Professor, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Khon Kaen
University
Abstract
This paper concerns the patterns of cultural commodification for tourism, and its
impact on local communities. The research was conducted using a qualitative approach.
Research/semi-research documents, semi-structured interview guidelines, participatory/nonparticipatory observations and focus group discussions are used. The informants consist of
villagers, government/non-government officers, tourism entrepreneurs, and tourists. The
research area scopes a community that is a famous tourism destination in the Chaingkhan
District, Loei province, Thailand.
Research results show that when tourism in Chiangkhan is at its peak, changes occur
in the community. Local cultures have been used as commodity to serve tourism. The famous
cultural products in Chiangkhan consist of quilt production, home-stays, giving food to monk
ceremonies, and the old wooden buildings. These cultural products have been commoditized
through production, distribution, and consumerism to serve the tourism industry, which
spread rapidly to the local community. Commodification of culture also affects the
community in economic, social, and cultural ways. These impacts can be both negative and
positive.
The above phenomenon reflects the adaptability of people in the Chaingkhan District
as tourism ebbs and flows. Finally, the findings can be applied and used as a guideline for
local community development in conjunction with the development of sustainable tourism in
local areas.
Key words: tourism, cultural product, commodification, impacts
Proceedings- Management, Agroindustry and Tourism Industry-004
4th International Conference on Humanities and Social Sciences
April 21st , 2012 Faculty of Liberal Arts, Prince of Songkla University, Thailand
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Background
Tourism is now considered an important aspect of Thai society, especially cultural
tourism. Cultural tourism is arguably the oldest of the new tourism phenomena, and some
argue that all travel, indeed, involves a cultural element (McKercher & du Cros, 2002). In
Thailand, cultural tourism has been widely applied as a process of developing local tourism
by displaying cultural heritages in communities for visitors. This culture has been produced
as a commodity for economic consumption and exchange. Nowadays, it has been found that
local communities in Thailand have tried to use tourism as a strategy for sustainable locality
development. In order to use tourism as a selling point in developing locality, the community
must rely on culture and its cultural symbols as a selling point to attract tourists; for instance,
folk tales, arts, traditions, heritages, and even local geography can be tourist draws (George,
2004; Suwan, 1996). These resources play important roles in local tourism development. In
each community, rich and unique cultural resources are applied to widely advertise tourism,
which makes local culture an object and a product to be sold. The commodification of Thai
culture has been extremely successful, as shown by countless tourists who are enthusiastic to
have new cultural experiences (Noywangklang, 2005).
Chiangkhan dDistrict in Loei Province is considered an important tourism destination
in Northeast Thailand, and is currently a very popular tourist Destination. With the
geographic advantages of Mekong riverside area, Chiangkhan District is idea for tourists
seeking relaxation as well as a cultural experience. The selling point of Chiangkhan
nowadays is its simple lifestyle as well as its evocation of the past from over 100-year-old
towns along the Mekong River. The old wooden buildings that line the river, especially in the
community of Chai Khong Road (Mekong Riverside Road) are considered highlights in the
Chiangkhan District., ocated along the river, has seen substantial economic growth in the last
few years. The town is also advantageously located opposite Sanakham City of Lao PDR,
allowing the communities to benefit from one another economically and culturally. The trail
of successful schools, hotels, and cinemas affirm the prosperity of Chiangkhan
(Leawpenwong, 2010).
Chiangkhan is rich with cultural heritage. Local culture is a worthy resource for a
community to promote, as it allows for sustainable development in locality. Local culture is
presented through different lifestyles of the locals in multiple areas, and through their
traditions, inventions, and cultural displays. When tourism in Thailand boomed in popularity,
the antiquity and historical aspects of Chiangkhan were deserted, resulting in rapid
Proceedings- Management, Agroindustry and Tourism Industry-004
4th International Conference on Humanities and Social Sciences
April 21st , 2012 Faculty of Liberal Arts, Prince of Songkla University, Thailand
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development to satisfy the needs of the increasing number of tourists. Facilities such as
convenient stores, hotels, restaurants, and public utility systems were constructed to handle
the burgeoning industry.
The unique locality, culture, customs, and lifestyle of the Chiangkhan townsfolk and
the architecture of the town are simple, but the historical feeling appeals to outsiders. These
aspects of the culture have been commoditized in response to the needs of tourists at the same
time, and have greatly benefited entrepreneurs. Local culture has also become a product for
sale. Still, the evocation of the past, which is a significant identity of Chiangkhan, has been
revived by both tourists and locals who are fond of consuming antiquities. Local people do
not produce objects for their need of household use as in they once did; rather, they are able
to take advantage of the tourism industry by producing items specifically to sell. Those
products are produced not with the intention of usefulness, but to illustrate culture and satisfy
tourists’ consumption. Accordingly, these factors have hastened the already rapid changes in
Chiangkhan.
This study focuses on the patterns of cultural commodification through the trend of
tourism in Chiangkhan, including the effect on the community caused by using culture for
profit.
Objectives/Research Questions
1. To study the patterns of cultural commodification for the benefit of tourism in the
Chiangkhan District
2. To study the impacts on the community due to cultural commodification to support tourism
rapidly flow into Chiangkhan
Research Methodology
This research uses a qualitative approach by focusing on the patterns of cultural
commodification for tourism to understand the origin and describe phenomenon in the area,
and understand the economic, social, and cultural impacts on the community. The specific
research area was a community located on Chai Khong Road inside Chiangkhan sub-District
Municipal area, Chiangkhan District, Loei province, an important tourism destination of
Chiangkhan District with the most tourism activities. This study collected data from
academic and semi-academic documents, semi-structured interview, participatory and nonparticipatory observations, and group discussion. The informants were community residents
Proceedings- Management, Agroindustry and Tourism Industry-004
4th International Conference on Humanities and Social Sciences
April 21st , 2012 Faculty of Liberal Arts, Prince of Songkla University, Thailand
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nearby Mekong riverside, government and private officers related to tourism, tourism
entrepreneurs in the area, and tourists. Then the data was examined by triangulation process;
that is, the data was considered from its source, duration, and location to find similarity and
differences in the data. After examination, if the data went to the same direction, it could be
concluded that the data was reliable. In contrast, if the data was different, it would be
examined by triangulation process: examining the data from the first and the second source
with the third one. If two among them were similar, they were considered credible. After data
examination finished, the data was categorized as the issue studied. After that, the data was
analyzed and compared in each issue to find the conclusion. Then content analysis was done
to interpret and inductive conclusion was created. Finally, description analysis was used to
present the data by describing the facts found based on the theoretical framework.
Findings
1. Cultural commodification for tourism in Chiang Khan
Tourism in the Chiangkhan District has existed for so long from Kaeng Khudkhu, the
original selling point with beautiful views.Once both government and the private sector
recognized cultural tourism as significant, the tourism strategies of Chiangkhan changed.
Tourism areas moved from natural locations to cultural ones: inside Chiangkhan municipal
area or Chai Khong (Mekong Riverside) community, for example, which both have varied
and unique cultures. This unavoidably has affected the quiet community, and it has turned
into something new, with different tourist attractions and activities. Cultural products of
Chiangkhan communities were made available for sale to tourists, including home stays, quilt
production, sticky rice alms giving, and the old wooden houses alongside Mekong. Each
activity is considered to be in production mode, production relation, and product distribution
for tourists, and aimed at tourists’ consumption.
Home Stay: Tourists are given an alternative to hotels with the option to District stay
in refurbished old houses. This is just one example of how tourism has affected local people’s
lifestyle, especially in production mode. In the past, most villagers spent their time in their
cultivated areas. After night stay activities became popular, villagers opened their houses to
tourists and managed accommodations themselves. In production relation, activity duties
were divided; for instance, accommodation care and bedding cleanliness. Aside from the
unique selling point of home stay, the friendliness and warm hospitality of the local people in
Chiangkhan add a more personal element to overnight stays, Tourists’ positive impressions of
Proceedings- Management, Agroindustry and Tourism Industry-004
4th International Conference on Humanities and Social Sciences
April 21st , 2012 Faculty of Liberal Arts, Prince of Songkla University, Thailand
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home stays advanced the popularity of the lodging option
through wide-spread
recommendations both among tourists and in travel magazines.
Quilt Production: Thai quilts are made from cotton, which historically was planted
primarily in Chiangkhan District; however, there is no longer enough cotton to support
demand for quilts, and so the fabric must be imported, often at the expense of quality. In the
past, quilts were made by gatherings of housewives and by single households. Quilts are
produced using looms and industrial sewing machines. Currently, quilt production still relies
on skilled laborers, but production technology has also been put to use in order to speed up
production to meet the demand from tourists. Because of this, the quilt designs now last the
diverse designs of the past and quality has been compromised.
Sticky Rice Alms Giving: The tradition of sticky rice alms giving in Chiangkhan
District came by way of Luang Prabang, Lao PDR. At first, alms giving meant only putting a
pinch of sticky rice in the begging bowl, and the foods and flowers were offered to monks at
a temple in the late-morning. But when tourism came to the area, the pattern of almsgiving
changed. The purpose of alms giving became commercial. The activity’s value was reduced
to serving the desires of tourists. Some tour operators and home stay owners offer packages
for sticky rice alms giving for tourists consisting of sticky rice, other foods, and flowers.
Monks used to use handcarts to carry the alms offered by the villagers and the tourists. The
routes for receiving food offerings of the monks in each temple were different; the monks
mostly used the routes within the zone close to their temples. But now it has been found that
the number of monks who stay in the temple around Chai Khong Road community has
increased over the last three to four years. The availability of sticky rice alms giving packages
from home stay owners and hotels has diminished the meaning and worth of the ceremony,
turning it into yet another commodity for tourism. Fortunately, the relationship between
monks and locals is still intimate, and temples still remain places for community activities as
before.
Chiangkhan’s Old Wooden Houses: The hundred-year-old wooden houses located
on the Mekong riverside are regarded as one of the most valuable selling points of
Chiangkhan. The style of the houses and buildings are a mix of Thai, Laos, and China due to
cultural integration from the past. Chiangkhan was once the commercial center of its region.
Because of their popularity with tourists, the houses have been conserved thanks to efforts
made by both government and private sector agencies. New houses have also been
constructed in the tradition of the old wooden houses, using the same patterns of their
Proceedings- Management, Agroindustry and Tourism Industry-004
4th International Conference on Humanities and Social Sciences
April 21st , 2012 Faculty of Liberal Arts, Prince of Songkla University, Thailand
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predecessors to appeal to nostalgia. The community collaborated with the government to
maintain the town’s historic image, with the community responsible for the upkeep of old
houses, and the agencies responsible for giving advice and information to tourists.
2. Impacts on the community due to cultural commodification
Economic: Commodification of local culture is the primary byproduct of tourism.
Tourism was a gold mine for the community of Chiangkhan because most of its cultural
products were still in the possession of people in the community, bringing money to the
community.
Mass production of cultural products, such as quilts, has begun to meet the demand of
tourists. Reproduction of historical artifacts has also become prevalent, such as constructing
new buildings in the old style. This has resulted in better economic conditions for the people
in the community; villagers now have a significantly higher incomes thank to tourism..
However, the result from rapidly progressive economic system in Chiangkhan District
has caused a scramble to meet the demand for tourism resources and services, including the
appearance of 24-hour convenience stores, and the rush-purchases of land on the Mekong
riverside to construct new hotels. At this point, it is easier to earn money from the tourists
instead of falling back on the community, but it was shared to the outside investors, and
resulted in the locals finally becoming employees of their own community.
Social: Due to the rapid growth of tourism, it was necessary to develop public utilities
to support increasing number of visitors. This resulted in the continuous development of the
Chiangkhan Community; however, it was found that the problems in tourism policies and
operations at the community level were inconsistent.
Furthermore, the progression of tourism also had an effect on on the community
production system. For instance, quilt production ordered the cotton from outside because
cotton producers were unable to meet the demand for fabric. Homeowners began to host
tourists in their homes, offering an alternative to hotels known as home stay. The tourism
industry has brought a far greater economic success to the community than agriculture, which
was relied upon in the past.
It has been found that the form of industrial production has had an effect on the
relationships among people in the community, causing high competition for consumers,
which has led to conflicts Labor employment in the community, in the form of employer and
Proceedings- Management, Agroindustry and Tourism Industry-004
4th International Conference on Humanities and Social Sciences
April 21st , 2012 Faculty of Liberal Arts, Prince of Songkla University, Thailand
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employee, has also created more formal relationships among people, replacing tradition
casual relationships of the past.
Cultural: It was found that commodification of culture resulted in value of local
culture products. The values of culture products developed due to the tourist industry that
blossomed along the Mekong River, and resulted in local culture becoming a tangible and
saleable product. In addition to the economic benefits, cultural commodification has spread
more Chiangkhan culture to other societies around the world. It has also encouraged people
to learn about the culture and identities of the Chiangkhan people.
Discussions
The cultural products and services of Chiangkhan, including home stays, quilt
production, sticky rice alms giving, and old wooden houses along the Mekong River, have
different production processes, distribution, and consumption patterns, but the production
modes have changed for all of them, from traditional production to manufacturing using
modern technology. As a result of cultural tourism, Chiangkhan’s economy has experienced a
boom, and the Chiangkhan culture has been dispersed to the other societies around the world.
However, if you have looked to the negative side, tourism has reduced the value of
Chiangkhan’s traditional culture. It is now simply a commodity for tourists’ consumption
(Adorno & Horkheimerr, 2002; Sawangchot, 1995; Cohen, 1988; Turner, 1998; Kelly,
1986). Although the manufacturing industry can create socioeconomic progression, the
change in cultural procession has become more quantitative and less qualitative, reduced to a
commodity (Kaewthep & Hinwiman, 2008).
Nevertheless, the street along the Mekong River was held to be potential cultural
attraction in strong local culture including the development policies got into the area due to
the progression of tourism. Therefore, it was important to try to understand between
community owner, institutes, and tourists in the issue of the tourism development, the effects
and the development of cultural products to the economic results called “creative economy.”
The traditional culture has been still remained its values completely in order that the
community could move on and would be strong and sustainable among globalization
interfering in the local community in the future.
Proceedings- Management, Agroindustry and Tourism Industry-004
4th International Conference on Humanities and Social Sciences
April 21st , 2012 Faculty of Liberal Arts, Prince of Songkla University, Thailand
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Recommendations
This study has reflected on the relation and connection among local community,
productivity, local culture, and local tourism, and found that the cultural commodification
caused by tourism has both positive and negative impacts on communities. So, it is necessary
to continue study to find that how local people keep their valued culture and make the
balance between their way of live and rapid development in local area. Guidelines for cultural
sustainability should be researched and the results should be applied for community
development.
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Proceedings- Management, Agroindustry and Tourism Industry-004
4th International Conference on Humanities and Social Sciences
April 21st , 2012 Faculty of Liberal Arts, Prince of Songkla University, Thailand
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