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ABSTRACT
The objectives of this study were to investigate: 1) impact of Thai social change towards
local tradition; 2) tendency of the maintenance of local tradition in South-Eastern; and 3)
comparison of the result of Thai social change towards local tradition in South-Eastern. Boon
Bung Fire tradition of Thai – Lao ethic group living in Kaen Dong sub-district, Burirum province
and Saen Don Ta tradition of Thai-Khmer ethnic group living in Khukhan district, Srisaket
province were investigated in this study. The following were revealed.
Boon Bung Fire tradition is an important merit of E-Sarn people. It is popularly held in
the sixth or seventh month of the year. This ritual ceremony is related to ways of life of
agricultural communities; particularly among groups of people who need the rain. This can be
something like moral support for villagers. Boon Bung Fire tradition has bees hiding with the
beliefs and faith for a long time. It is the transfer of feeling and folk wisdom of the community.
Villagers choose bamboo to make Bung Fire (bamboo rocket). The act of putting gunpowder into
the bamboo is one aspect of local wisdom that has been accumulating long time ago up to the
present. Presently, however, it is the age of social change such as objects, beliefs, and values. This
causes impact towards local tradition like Boon Bung Fire in terms of religions ceremonies and
beliefs which gradually fade away. Grambling begins to be involved in Boon Bung Fire tradition
due to social and economic changes in the age of globalization. Nowadays, grambling plays
important role in Boon Bung Fire tradition due to the occurrence of various changes in the society
until it cannot be separated from Boon Bung Fire tradition. Thus, grambling can be seen widely in
many areas where there are Boon Bung Fire tradition. The objective of Boon Bung Fire tradition
at present is focused on the economic improvement which there are change and it is different
from the past such as changes in materials, equipment, decoration, Bung Fire lighting ,
entertainment activities, and various rules and regulations. This is because local raw material are
scarce and then villagers begin to use modern technology in Boon Bung Fire tradition. The
preparation of Boon Bung Fire tradition of Kaen Dong sub-district at present is aimed to ask for
the rain and to make Kaen Dong be a tourist place of both Thais and foreigners. The procession
has a lot of activities including E-Sarn dancing and this can attract a lot of tourists to visit. This in
contrast to Boon Bung Fire tradition in the past which aimed to ask for the rain only.