6

26 ..2558

Identity of Thai Chinese People in Udonthani Municipality, Mueang,
Udonthani
* . **
Kittipat Kurasee and Police Colonel Dr.Garoon Buapheun

20








8 11

: ,

; E-mail: cmu-kittipat@hotmail.com
; E-mail: garoonb@hotmail.com

**

[46]

Abstract
The research's objective is to study about the identity of Thai Chinese people in UdonThani
Municipality, Mueang District, UdonThani Province. The research is classified as qualitative type which
gathers in-depth interviews from 20 key informants comprising the Thai Chinese scholars with thorough
knowledge in Thai Chinese' identity along with presidents, deputy presidents, treasurers, and secretaries of
the Chinese organizations and associations concerned. The data from the in-depth interviews are
classified for analyzing and synthesizing using the expressive strategies and show that, in terms of these
Thai Chinese' individual identity, they have slanted, single-eyelid eyes. They like to emphasize on their
Chinese traits by dressing in Chinese style. They usually live in commercial shophouses where they
conduct their business downstairs and use the space upstairs for living quarters. Also, their preference of
Chinese food reflects their effort in trying to adhere to their Chinese identity. The majority of these Thai
Chinese people speak Teochew dialect followed by Hakka. These people lead their lives on the basis of
diligence, perseverance, honesty, simplicity, and frugality and usually they perform a merchant profession
using their live-in shophouses as the place for business. Thai Chinese people are best known for their
gentle, honest, and sincere characters in which many of them are intelligent. Their main life rule is to
uphold the value of gratitude as the highest moral. What can best sum up these Thai Chinese descents'
social identity is unity and a high sense of bonding among themselves which is in the form of the
gathering known as the Eight Organizations of the 11 Family Names. Most of them perform merchant
profession or independent business. They meanwhile carry on the worshipping rituals to the gods, sacred
beings, and their ancestors, including the 'Gongde' (offering rite for ancestors) to send the spirits to
Heaven. In addition, the Chinese New Year festival in UdonThani Province is the biggest one in which a
perfect blend of Thai and Northeastern cultures are mixed in. Moreover, these Thai Chinese people
manage to blend in their lifestyle into the local way of life as well as showing their great respect in the
specific Buddhist method focusing on meditation practice.
Keyword: Identity, Thai Chinese people

5 (
, 2523)

5 ..2505
[47]



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(Qualitative Research) (In-depth Interview)

1.

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20

[48]

3. 2557 2558 6

(cultural studies) identity


(postmodernism)

identity ( , 2543)
(identity) identitas idem
(the same)

( ,
2547: 32-33)
(Erving Goffman)
2 ( , 2543: 23)
1. (personal identity)

2. (social identity)
(virtual
identity)

[49]


(Qualitative Research ) (In-depth
Interview) 1. (Documentary Study) 2.
(Field Study)


(Qualitative Research)


20

(Qualitative Research)
1.

2.
(Individual depth interview)



3.

3.1

3.2

3.3

[50]







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(virtual identity)

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[53]

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[54]