Abstract

As coastal communities face the challenges of change, Ban Bu Boi Ecomuseum in southern Thailand was created to answer these problems and impacts. Participatory action research was conducted with the museum’s seventeen community-ecomuseum-working group committees and other stakeholders, following a process derived from ecomuseum research synthesis. This process included community consultation meetings, ecomuseum concept learning, exploration of cultural and natural heritage, and the creation of the ecomuseum. Data was collected through interviews, participant and non-participant observation methods, and the use of exploration and data recording forms. Qualitative data were analyzed, summarized, and reported in a descriptive manner. The results showed that the Ban Bu Boi Ecomuseum exhibited sixty cultural and natural heritage items, with three major groups of the community’s way of life and identity boasting ten exhibition points. The first group reflects the community’s traditional fishing, such as local food cooking and preservation, fishing tools, fishing boats, fishing management process, and jellyfish catching. The second group showcases ways of life related to agriculture and animal husbandry, with two exhibits dedicated to these practices. The last group highlights the community’s natural areas, with three exhibition points dedicated to beaches, mangrove forests, and Rapon. This ecomuseum stands as a shining example of how communities can come together to preserve their way of life for generations to come. The findings will benefit anyone managing cultural and natural heritage sites, including a museum curator, a conservationist, or communities interested in preserving their shared stories.