The study of local history is a study about the flow of community change and the story is often times based on the oral tradition of times long ago. The academic study of history however often focuses on topics such as economics and macro-level social stories of local people. This however often times overlooks the rich tradition and education which can be gained from a less academic perspective with the study of local traditions which often fade from the memories of society.
Although local history is a small segment of society in a local community, it is nevertheless important to remember and study due to its knowledge about local life and traditions, spiritual ways of being and the manner in which people are assimilated into their respective cultures and societies.
Today unfortunately, too many are focused on the material aspects of life and the supposed need for ‘more’. As such, they have acquired little to no knowledge about their own communities and traditions while allowing inappropriate influences in their localities. It is therefore felt that in studying local history, one must also raise the awareness of it while engaging the community in its value to the community as a whole.
With the advances of globalization into Thai society, also comes the disadvantage. With the advent of consumerism, materialism and capitalism, one of the first victims to fall is the spiritual value of a society. This often times leads to the loss of integrity, corruption and crime and a society’s ‘core’ values. These problems accelerate amongst the youth and become more severe and even more obvious. As such, a society’s spiritual development needs to be undertaken, particularly among children and young adults to ward off the potential for what could potentially become a national security issue.
Although local history is a smaller part of a society’s history, it nevertheless is a window into showing the traditions of a society and their way of life, spiritual thinking and behavior. The lives of people in Thailand have changed due to the influence of globalization, leaving little opportunity to learn traditional ancestral ways of life. Additionally, it has become even more difficult to learn the ancient’s ways due to the rising tsunami of materialism.
Chachoengsao is a community near Bangkok which is located on the eastern boundary of the central region. The area is full of diversity because the land is rich and fertile. These people have formed a culture near Bangkok and have diversified themselves into numerous entrepreneurial occupations. As a result, as they are mostly home based, the transmission of historical stories relevant to their lifestyles takes place as oral tradition.
Of the issues mentioned above, the researcher was interested in researching ‘Thailand’s rural community history of Sao Cha-ngok Village, in Bangkla District of Chachoengsao Province by comparing the changes in society and culture, past and present and the causes and proposed solutions to help in adapting to changes in society of people.