Authors : Hongsarodha Somarsa, Prathom Hongsuwan, Saisak Walliphodome, Sawitree Rattanopas Suwannee and Winyoo Sata
Abstract: Boa Phankhan area, Suwannaphum district, Roi ET province was an unimportant area of academics because of deterioration in water, forest and soil resources flowing saltwater in agricultural areas, drought and flood problems and deforesting for fuel so as to produce salt industry and difficulty to grow of trees in salt affected soil. A community relied on saltiness of soil and water for producing salt. Power of Brahmanism and Buddhism spirits supported to roles and literature story leading to beliefs in substantial power and supernatural power. Causing the spirit of Boa Phankhan, local hero spirit in Thung Kula Ronghai had become power influencing on a community in an economic boundary: rice, fish and salt. The purpose of this study was study on supernatural power influencing over people paths in Boa Phankhan community touching natural resource management: water, forest and soil. Areas chosen for study were communities in Tanen, Yah Nong Villages, Champakhan sub-district, Suwannaphm district together with Den Rat sub-district, Nong Hi district, Roi ET province. Using a qualitative research method by means of documentaries and field data: structured and unstructured interviews in company with participant and non-participant observations from samples of populations giving data for 32 samples: 8 formal leaders, 2 monks, 5 spiritual leaders, 5 farmers, 5 salt farmers, 2 fishermen, 2 weavers, 2 cattlemen and 1 sample from private organization. The study results were presented in terms of descriptive analysis.The results of the study found that supernatural power was the power of Chao Phao Boa Phankhan, the spirit of Boa Phankhan, taken place from power of beliefs in local hero spirit that built a community. There was power on control using water, forest and soil resources. Boa Phankhan community paid respect to the spirit of Boa Phankhan. People in a community had held the same ceremony to ask for using boiled salt water resource, rain for agriculture, holy water to remedy disease, forest for firewood, soil to mix with salt water and rice farming. A community had held a ceremony to the spirit of Boa Phankhan in a season on the 3rd, 6th and 11th months every year. In order to be fertile of rice, fish and salt, all people in community had rights to use natural resources equally. If anybody used natural resources without asking or granting, the power of the spirit of Boa Phankhan would punish him getting trouble including his family. Recommendation of this study are as; people in a community should take traditional concepts to restore, adapt and integrate for leading to bargain patterns for circularly natural resource management.
Hongsarodha Somarsa, Prathom Hongsuwan, Saisak Walliphodome, Sawitree Rattanopas Suwannee and Winyoo Sata, 2009. Supernatural Power of the Spirit of Boa Phankhan with Natural Resource Management in Thung Kula Ronghai, Thailand. Pakistan Journal of Social Sciences, 6: 121-124.