11.2.6 Record and preserve cultural heritage

Srinakharinwirot University (SWU) delivers projects every year to record and preserve cultural heritage, with a particular focus on intangible cultural heritage such as local folklore, traditions, language and traditional knowledge. These projects cover three groups of heritage: local or regional cultural heritage, national cultural heritage, and the heritage of displaced communities. Through fieldwork, documentation, archiving and hands-on learning activities with schools and communities, the projects record traditional knowledge and craftsmanship and transmit it to younger generations, raising awareness of the importance of safeguarding cultural heritage for long-term sustainability. Evidence of the projects is publicly available on the official Facebook page of the Department of Arts and Cultural Management Innovation, Faculty of Fine Arts, SWU, and in public news media. Examples of projects delivered in 2025 (B.E. 2568) include the following:

1) Preventive Conservation Workshop for Ancient Documents and Photographs

The Department of Arts and Cultural Management Innovation, Faculty of Fine Arts, Srinakharinwirot University, conducted a preventive conservation workshop for ancient documents and photographs on October 2, 10, and 17, 2025, at the Faculty of Fine Arts, Srinakharinwirot University. This training project recognizes the importance of ancient documents and old photographs as documentary heritage that records the knowledge, memory, and identity of communities and society, whether in the form of Thai folding books (samut thai), palm-leaf manuscripts, archival records, official documents, old books, or paper-based photographs. These materials hold value not merely as objects, but also as primary sources linked to local wisdom, local history, and the intangible cultural heritage of communities, and they cannot be replaced once lost. As a department with a mission in arts and cultural management and academic service to society, the Department saw the need to organize a preventive conservation workshop for ancient documents and photographs in order to transfer theoretical knowledge together with hands-on practice to students and interested participants, enabling them to assess condition, store, and carry out preventive conservation in accordance with proper academic principles. This will help safeguard the nation’s cultural heritage so that it can be sustainably passed on to future generations.

Heritage category: National cultural heritage (documentary heritage, including Thai folding books and palm-leaf manuscripts).

Figure 1. Participants practising preventive conservation of palm-leaf manuscripts and documents during the workshop.

Source: Department of Arts and Cultural Management Innovation, Faculty of Fine Arts, Srinakharinwirot University

2) “Sueb Sin Thin Phet” Project: Promoting the Intangible Heritage of Traditional Stucco Art of Phetchaburi

The “Sueb Sin Thin Phet” Project is an initiative to promote and conserve the intangible heritage of Phetchaburi Province’s traditional craftsmanship, with a particular focus on Phetchaburi stucco art (pun pan), a local art form that reflects the skills, knowledge, and artistic identity of the area. The project places importance on collecting and archiving information on traditional craftsmanship in order to ensure that local wisdom endures. The workshop was held on 25 November 2025, 12:40–14:20, at Benchamathep Uthit Phetchaburi School, Phetchaburi Province. Activities included a workshop on making stucco key rings with a traditional phuttan flower pattern and watching demonstration videos of the making process through AR stickers.

The project’s activities include studying and compiling cultural knowledge, as well as developing learning activities centered on Phetchaburi stucco art. These activities give young people the opportunity to learn and practice hands-on, so that they can understand the creative process of traditional stucco work and appreciate the cultural value of this craft.

This project highlights the role of knowledge documentation and the transmission of wisdom in conserving traditional craftsmanship as an important part of Phetchaburi Province’s cultural heritage. The systematic compilation of knowledge, together with encouraging young people to participate in learning stucco art, is one approach to supporting the conservation and transmission of Phetchaburi’s craft wisdom to future generations. This project is part of the teaching and learning of the course MAC 301 Arts and Cultural Project Management and Fundraising, Department of Arts and Cultural Management Innovation, Faculty of Fine Arts, Srinakharinwirot University.

Heritage category: Local or regional cultural heritage (traditional stucco craftsmanship of Phetchaburi Province).

Figure 2. Facebook post announcing the “Sueb Sin Thin Phet” project, Arts and Cultural Management Innovation SWU, 19 November 2025.

Source: Arts and Cultural Management Innovation SWU, official Facebook page – https://web.facebook.com/share/p/1HmAvs541u/

Figure 3. Project poster, project summary poster and stucco learning activities with students.

Source: Department of Arts and Cultural Management Innovation, Faculty of Fine Arts, Srinakharinwirot University

3) “COCO at Bang Prathun” Project: Developing Eco-Cultural Learning Activities in the Coconut Orchards

The “COCO at Bang Prathun” Project aims to promote learning and conserve the cultural heritage of the Khlong Bang Prathun community in Bangkok, an area with a distinctive identity rooted in coconut orchards and a way of life closely tied to nature. The project focuses on transmitting knowledge about the ecosystem and local wisdom through eco-cultural learning activities that give young people the opportunity to experience and learn directly from the community. The project places importance on collecting and transmitting knowledge about the community’s way of life, local wisdom, and the relationship between the community and its environment, in order to raise awareness of the value of cultural heritage and encourage community members to take part in passing on local knowledge. The activity was held on Friday, 7 November 2025, 08:30–15:30, at Khlong Bang Prathun Forest Garden, in what the project describes as the last coconut orchard community in Bangkok, with students from Bang Prathun Nok School. Activities included a guided walk to learn about the way of life of coconut farmers, an animation about coconuts in the community, a traditional Thai game station of walking on coconut shells, making dessert bowls from coconut leaves, and a workshop on making desserts from coconut sugar.

This project highlights the importance of systematic cultural knowledge management as an approach to conserving local wisdom and passing it on to the new generation. It also fosters pride in community identity and supports sustainable development while maintaining a balance between culture and the environment. This project is part of the teaching and learning of the course MAC 301 Arts and Cultural Project Management and Fundraising, Department of Arts and Cultural Management Innovation, Faculty of Fine Arts, Srinakharinwirot University.

Heritage category: Local or regional cultural heritage (way of life and local wisdom of the Khlong Bang Prathun coconut orchard community, Bangkok).

Figure 4. Facebook post announcing the “COCO at Bang Prathun” project, Arts and Cultural Management Innovation SWU, 7 November 2025.

Source: Arts and Cultural Management Innovation SWU, official Facebook page – https://web.facebook.com/share/p/1J5sNtPFs7/

Figure 5. Project poster, project summary poster and eco-cultural learning activities in the coconut orchards.

Source: Department of Arts and Cultural Management Innovation, Faculty of Fine Arts, Srinakharinwirot University

4) Board Game Development Project for Learning About the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Pottery in Nonthaburi Province

The Board Game Development Project for Learning About the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Pottery in Nonthaburi Province aims to promote the conservation and transmission of knowledge about local pottery through learning media in the form of a board game. Traditional craft wisdom is applied in designing the activities, so that young people can engage with and learn about the value of cultural heritage in an interesting way. The activity was held on 28 November 2025, 12:50–14:30, in Room 6101, Building 6, Pakkret School, Pak Kret District, Nonthaburi Province. Participants watched a demonstration video and played the “Clay To Play” board game, and the project compared their knowledge of the pottery-making heritage before and after playing and assessed their satisfaction with the game.

The project’s process includes studying and compiling knowledge about pottery, developing the concept and design of the board game, and organizing trial play sessions to promote learning and evaluate how well the game works. This process links cultural knowledge with learning through experience and youth participation.

This project highlights the role of knowledge documentation and the development of creative media in conserving intangible cultural heritage. Knowledge about Nonthaburi pottery is conveyed through a board game that is more accessible to younger generations, which is one approach to raising awareness of the value of local wisdom and supporting the transmission of cultural knowledge to future generations. This project is part of the teaching and learning of the course MAC 301 Arts and Cultural Project Management and Fundraising, Department of Arts and Cultural Management Innovation, Faculty of Fine Arts, Srinakharinwirot University.

Heritage category: Local or regional cultural heritage (traditional pottery-making wisdom of Nonthaburi Province).

Figure 6. Facebook post announcing the “Clay To Play” board game project, Arts and Cultural Management Innovation SWU, 10 November 2025.

Source: Arts and Cultural Management Innovation SWU, official Facebook page – https://web.facebook.com/share/p/1dQwrakpTU/

Figure 7. Project poster, project summary poster and board game trial play sessions with students.

Source: Department of Arts and Cultural Management Innovation, Faculty of Fine Arts, Srinakharinwirot University

5) Development of Augmented Reality (AR) Media for Interpreting the Khrua In Khong Mural Paintings in the Ubosot of Wat Prot Ket Chettharam

This project, the development of augmented reality (AR) media for interpreting the Khrua In Khong mural paintings in the ubosot (ordination hall) of Wat Prot Ket Chettharam, aims to promote the conservation and dissemination of the value of Thai mural painting, an artistic and cultural heritage that reflects the wisdom, beliefs, and social context of the past. Augmented Reality (AR) technology is applied to convey knowledge about Khrua In Khong’s paintings, making it more convenient and engaging for visitors. The activity was held on 24 November 2025 from 10:00 at Wat Prot Ket Chettharam, Phra Pradaeng District, Samut Prakan Province, and the project also assessed visitors’ satisfaction with the AR media.

The project’s process includes studying historical and artistic information, compiling knowledge about the paintings, developing digital media for interpretation, and reviewing and refining the content so that it is accurate and suitable for visitors. This media helps to archive and convey information about the murals in an easily accessible format, while supporting learning and raising awareness of the value of artistic and cultural heritage.

This project highlights the importance of applying technology together with cultural knowledge management as an approach to systematically conserving and disseminating information on mural paintings, promoting access to artistic heritage among younger generations, and supporting the continued transmission of historical and cultural values. This project is part of the teaching and learning of the course MAC 301 Arts and Cultural Project Management and Fundraising, Department of Arts and Cultural Management Innovation, Faculty of Fine Arts, Srinakharinwirot University.

Heritage category: National cultural heritage (mural paintings by Khrua In Khong, a renowned Thai painter of the reign of King Rama IV).

Figure 8. Facebook post announcing the AR media project for the Khrua In Khong mural paintings at Wat Prot Ket Chettharam, Arts and Cultural Management Innovation SWU, 20 November 2025.

Source: Arts and Cultural Management Innovation SWU, official Facebook page – https://web.facebook.com/share/p/19jDmK7eJp/

Figure 9. Project poster, project summary poster and visitors using the AR media in the ordination hall.

Source: Department of Arts and Cultural Management Innovation, Faculty of Fine Arts, Srinakharinwirot University

6) Klong Craft: Project to Develop Miniature Centipede Flags from Water Hyacinth Paper to Conserve Local Wisdom

The Klong Craft Project aims to promote the conservation of the local wisdom of the Khlong Sam Wa community in Bangkok through the development of miniature centipede flags (thong takhab) made from water hyacinth paper. It takes a natural resource that is a problem for the ecosystem and creates new value from it, while conserving the centipede flag, a cultural symbol of the Mon people used in the Songkran festival and the Mon New Year. The project seeks to link environmental resource management with the transmission of cultural heritage through learning and creative work together with young people in the community. The activity was held on 10 November 2025, 09:30–10:30, at Wat Paen Thong School (Sam Wa Witthaya), Khlong Sam Wa District, Bangkok, where students made miniature centipede flags from water hyacinth paper following Mon tradition, to be offered as a Buddhist offering and for auspiciousness. The activity also aimed to use natural resources wisely and to reduce the water hyacinth problem in the Khlong Sam Wa community.

The project’s implementation emphasizes studying local information, compiling knowledge about processing water hyacinth into paper, and transmitting the wisdom of crafting miniature centipede flags, in order to promote learning about cultural and environmental values. It also archives data and evidence of the project’s activities as a guide for developing future conservation activities.

This project highlights the importance of conserving local wisdom through the creative application of resources. It helps raise awareness of the cultural heritage of the Mon people and supports the transmission of knowledge to younger generations, as well as offering an approach to systematically archiving and disseminating cultural information, so that local wisdom continues to be passed on and retain its value in contemporary society. This project is part of the teaching and learning of the course MAC 301 Arts and Cultural Project Management and Fundraising, Department of Arts and Cultural Management Innovation, Faculty of Fine Arts, Srinakharinwirot University.

Heritage category: Heritage of displaced communities (Mon heritage) and local cultural heritage. The centipede flag is part of the tradition of the Mon people in Thailand, whose ancestors migrated to Siam as refugees from wars in Burma (Myanmar).

Figure 10. Facebook post announcing the “Klong Craft” project, Arts and Cultural Management Innovation SWU, 10 November 2025.

Source: Arts and Cultural Management Innovation SWU, official Facebook page – https://web.facebook.com/share/p/1WMM5cDW8Y/

Figure 11. Project poster, project summary poster and miniature centipede flag making activities with students.

Source: Department of Arts and Cultural Management Innovation, Faculty of Fine Arts, Srinakharinwirot University

7) Tha Chang Digital Project: Developing a Game to Promote Learning About the Cultural Heritage of Tha Chang Subdistrict, Nakhon Ratchasima Province

The Tha Chang Digital Project is a game development initiative to promote learning about the cultural heritage of the Tha Chang Subdistrict community in Chalermprakiat District, Nakhon Ratchasima Province. Local wisdom and cultural information are applied to build a virtual town on the Roblox platform, compiling and conveying knowledge about the community’s cultural resources and way of life in a digital format that is accessible and engaging for young people. The activity was held on Monday, 10 November 2025, at Anuban Tha Chang Chaloem Phrakiat School, Tha Chang Subdistrict, Chaloem Phrakiat District, Nakhon Ratchasima Province, under the theme “Muan Suen Tha Chang, Ngan Wat Hak Ban Hao”. Through a virtual game on the Roblox platform and active learning stations, students learned about the history of petrified wood, ancient elephant fossils, and the community’s traditional wisdom of weaving sedge mats.

The project’s process includes conducting fieldwork to collect data from the community, compiling and organizing cultural knowledge, and then using the information gathered to develop the virtual town and game-based learning activities. This gives young people the opportunity to explore the community’s stories and learn about local wisdom through participatory experience.

This project demonstrates the use of digital technology as a tool for conserving and archiving cultural knowledge, transforming local wisdom into a new form of learning media that aligns with the interests of the younger generation. This approach helps promote access to cultural heritage, raises awareness of the value of community wisdom, and supports the transmission of cultural knowledge to future generations. This project is part of the teaching and learning of the course MAC 301 Arts and Cultural Project Management and Fundraising, Department of Arts and Cultural Management Innovation, Faculty of Fine Arts, Srinakharinwirot University.

Heritage category: Local or regional cultural heritage (cultural resources and way of life of the Tha Chang Subdistrict community).

Figure 12. Facebook post announcing the “Tha Chang Digital” project, Arts and Cultural Management Innovation SWU, 6 November 2025.

Source: Arts and Cultural Management Innovation SWU, official Facebook page – https://web.facebook.com/share/p/19vR6j7DgS/

Figure 13. Project poster, project summary poster and game-based learning activities with students.

Source: Department of Arts and Cultural Management Innovation, Faculty of Fine Arts, Srinakharinwirot University

8) Project to Perpetuate the Wisdom of Making Khanom Khap Mu of the Thai Phuan People, Nakhon Nayok Province

The project to perpetuate the wisdom of making khanom khap mu of the Thai Phuan people in Nakhon Nayok Province aims to promote the conservation of the Thai Phuan’s culinary cultural heritage. Khanom khap mu is an ancient sweet associated with merit-making ceremonies and auspicious occasions in the community’s way of life. However, present-day social and lifestyle changes mean that the wisdom of making khanom khap mu is at risk of fading away. The project therefore seeks to transmit knowledge and perpetuate local wisdom through food-related learning activities for young people, in order to raise awareness of the value and importance of Thai Phuan culture. The activity was held on 28 November 2025 at Anuban Amphoe Pak Phli School (Ban Ko Wai community), Ko Wai Subdistrict, Nakhon Nayok Province. Activities included learning about Thai Phuan culture, a demonstration of making khanom khap mu, folding banana leaves to wrap the sweet, and a game on ordering the steps of making khanom khap mu.

The project’s implementation emphasizes compiling and transmitting knowledge about the history of khanom khap mu, the food culture of the Thai Phuan people, and the traditional process of making the sweet. This is done through educational activities, demonstrations of how to make the sweet, banana-leaf folding for wrapping it, and learning activities that encourage youth participation, together with data collection and evaluation of the results to guide the development of future conservation and transmission activities.

This project highlights the importance of systematic cultural knowledge management, using education and hands-on activities as tools for conserving culinary intangible heritage, as well as promoting learning between schools and the community, so that young people understand the value of local culture and the wisdom of making khanom khap mu of the Thai Phuan people continues to be passed on. This project is part of the teaching and learning of the course MAC 301 Arts and Cultural Project Management and Fundraising, Department of Arts and Cultural Management Innovation, Faculty of Fine Arts, Srinakharinwirot University.

Heritage category: Heritage of displaced communities (Thai Phuan heritage) and local cultural heritage. The Thai Phuan in central Thailand are descendants of Phuan people who were resettled from Xieng Khouang (in present-day Laos) to Siam during the Thonburi and early Rattanakosin periods.

Figure 14. Facebook post announcing the khanom khap mu project of the Thai Phuan people, Arts and Cultural Management Innovation SWU, 24 November 2025.

Source: Arts and Cultural Management Innovation SWU, official Facebook page – https://web.facebook.com/share/p/1C3QpDDn6C/

Figure 15. Project poster, project summary poster and khanom khap mu learning activities with students.

Source: Department of Arts and Cultural Management Innovation, Faculty of Fine Arts, Srinakharinwirot University

9) Cultural Knowledge for Creative Economy and Soft Power: Recording the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Five Communities

In 2025, Srinakharinwirot University (SWU) and the Department of Cultural Promotion, Ministry of Culture, carried out the first year of the project Development of Cultural Knowledge for Creative Economy and Soft Power. The project team went into five communities to survey, record and preserve their intangible cultural heritage, including local traditions, craft knowledge and food wisdom. Working with each community, the team then planned how to design prototype works based on this heritage. The aim is to add value to cultural heritage, help communities earn income, and keep local knowledge alive so that it can be passed on to the next generation.

The five communities and the heritage recorded are:

1) Chok weaving of Lap Lae, Fai Luang weaving community, Lap Lae District, Uttaradit Province

2) Krajood (sedge) basketry, Phanang Tung weaving community, Khuan Khanun District, Phatthalung Province

3) Tai Khrang weaving, Ban Na Thung Chueak community, Ban Rai District, Uthai Thani Province

4) Pla ra (fermented fish), Thai Phuan community, Pak Phli District, Nakhon Nayok Province

5) Palm sugar, Ban Tham Rong community, Ban Lat District, Phetchaburi Province

On 5 March 2025, the project presented its fieldwork at an academic seminar at Asoke Montri Music and Performance Hall 1, 4th floor, Professor Dr. Saroj Buasri Innovation Building, SWU. The Deputy Director-General of the Department of Cultural Promotion opened the event. Representatives of all five communities spoke about their heritage and the role of community participation, followed by a panel of experts from the Senate, a national government agency and SWU. The audience included officials of the Department of Cultural Promotion, community representatives, SWU staff and students, local entrepreneurs and members of the public.

This project shows how SWU works with a national government agency and local communities to record and preserve intangible cultural heritage, and to turn local knowledge into a source of pride and income for the communities that hold it.

Heritage category: Local or regional cultural heritage (weaving, basketry, food and palm sugar knowledge of five communities in Uttaradit, Phatthalung, Uthai Thani, Nakhon Nayok and Phetchaburi) and heritage of displaced communities (Thai Phuan heritage of Pak Phli, Nakhon Nayok).

Figure 16. Guests from the Department of Cultural Promotion, SWU executives and the project team at the academic seminar, 5 March 2025

Figure 17. Exhibition boards presenting the cultural heritage recorded and the prototype designs of each of the five communities

Figure 18. Products inspired by local weaving patterns and other community products displayed at the seminar

Source: Thai Post, news report of 5 March 2025 – https://www.thaipost.net/public-relations-news/750199/