Developing of Stage Ornament Creation for Enhancing Economic Value Added in Isan Community

Abstract

Problem statement: Several communities in northeast Thailand are creative and productive sources of stage ornaments but they cannot expand their markets according to the changes of customer requirements. Approach: This research aimed to investigate 3 point. (1) To investigate the background of stage ornament creation in Isan (northeast) community in the past. (2) To investigate the situation and difficulties of stage ornament creation on Isan community of present. (3) To investigate the development of stage ornament creation for enhancing economic value added in Isan community. A qualitative research was used for this research. The data were collected by a literature survey together with a survey and observation, an interview and a focus group in the field. The sample was 20 key informant, 12 ornament distributors, 28 ornament users and 20 persons consisted of the public, students and scholars. The research instruments were a survey form, and observation form, a structured-interview form and a non-structured interview form. The data were analyzed and presented by means of a descriptive analysis. Results: Results revealed that the background of stage ornament creation in Isan (northeast Thailand) community in the past began with a family or relative group production. In 1997 some stage ornament productive families sent their members to train in new production and designs at Thepakorn Temple, Bangkok; the stage ornament shops have widely established in northeast Thailand since then. At present, the difficulties of stage ornament creation were a lack, of low-cost materials sources, a lack of loan raising sources, a lack of skilled workers, lack of public relations and because of each production group is a small scale so it can hold only northeastern markets. According to the difficulties which affected stage ornament creation each production group should develop both creation and production such as setting creation and production standards, increasing productivity, expending customer groups, searching for loan raising sources. Conclusion/Recommendations: Stage ornament creation is an indigenous which handed down from generations to generations. At present, the changes of customer requirements are different from the past, thus each of creation groups should develop both creative and productive process for enhancing economic value added according to these changes. The research on the ways to enhancing economic value added of stage ornaments should operate seriously in order to encourage the appreciation of this cultural occupation. The concerned organizations both state and private sectors should support this occupation in several ways such as supporting loan raising, supporting productive knowledge, supporting low cost materials, supporting market-places.