Abstract

The community of Thai native textiles plays an important role in the cultural heritage of Thailand and serves as appreciable symbols in the human investigation of philosophy and cultural values. In a context of a changing world, it has automatically affected the ways in which Thais are developing their cultural heritage. With the purpose of preserving their original cultural framework, while confronted with modernization, such that they still enjoy happiness within a sustainable livelihood, the textile-community development paradigm was investigated. The Thai native textile, full of creativity and with its own identity, was continuously produced throughout Thailand. An interesting community model leads to management for preservation and use of cultural heritage applying community-driven development without loss of well-being in the context of the present. However, the factors that cause or contribute to the living of people in the community that still maintains its cultural heritage were not found. In order to achieve this aim, a study of how the sufficiency economy philosophy (SEP) and Buddhist concepts affect the Thai native textile community was undertaken. The objective of this study was to discover the impact of the sufficiency economy (SE) and Buddhism on the livelihood of Thais in the native textile community. The main purpose of this study was to find a holistic approach in which essential obligations that can affect the textile community’s sustainable development have been applied to the daily living of the local people, influencing their continued happiness and sustainability. A case study was taken up in the native textile community in Mae Chaem District of Chiang Mai Province in northern of Thailand, where empirical evidence was found that many communities around this area translated the principles of Buddhism into their ways of living. The SE and Buddhist concepts have an effect on the relationship between human individuals, their social norms and nature itself that leads to the textile production which this study explored in terms of design, production, and practical application. The textile patterns were inspired by allegorical stories that characterize their design features. Their production did not encroach upon the environment. Textiles used in daily life were epitomized by the concept of impermanence in Buddhism. The concept of moral economies was applied, and traditions of giving, helping, and sharing provided self-sufficiency and happiness while emphasizing the protection of nature from human encroachment.