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Globalization and AEC in the Context of

Local Traditional Healers: A Qualitative

Study of Realities in Surin Province

Chutchawal Choowa*, Luechai Sringernyuang, Nahtani Meemon,
Thammarat Marohabutr

Abstract
The aim of conducting this study was to grasp phenomena in Surin Province regarding folk
healers and traditional Thai masseurs, as well as the staff of NGOs including their awareness of
preparing for the impact the follwing launch of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) at the
end of 2015 and the advancement of globalization. This well-constructed qualitative research
study was conducted using the methods of in-depth interviews, auto-ethnography, and focus group
discussions. The informants were folk healers, traditional Thai masseurs, and NGO staff. The
results revealed that the realities of AEC and globalization are distinctive. NGO staff members
cooperated and provided more useful facts than folk healers, while traditional Thai masseurs
seemed to have no interest in the topic. Folk healers and NGO staff realized that the key mission
in preparation for the launch of AEC is to remind people of their own roots as individuals within
the community, where being localized and self-sufficient are preferred. This is a key to viability
and a factor related to the existence of traditional healers.
It is recommended that traditional knowledge and local wisdom should be revived, deve-
loped and transmitted to new generations in the community, local identity should be recreated
and the use of resources should be managed properly to serve in the process of sustainable deve-
lopment.
Key words: globalization, ASEAN Economic Community, AEC, traditional healers

Introduction many sources, globalization enables people
Globalization has brought about changes to approach new opportunities that affect and
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currently in the society and culture, and in create diversity within the world today. First,
the way people live their lives. As stated in it is a dynamic rather than static process.
Sources and individuals state that globaliza-
*Master of Arts (Health Social Science), Faculty of Social
Sciences and Humanities, Mahidol University, tion has affected the world by bringing about
Buddhamonthon, Nakhon Pathom 73170, Thailand
changes that work exactly like the movement
Corresponding author: choowa.c@gmail.com 2
of a wave. Second, the trend of globaliza-
Received date 21/03/14 Accepted date 27/02/15
tion involves complex interactions between

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