Navama Bhumindra Building

This is a concrete, gable-roof building constructed in celebration of the 50th anniversary of His Majesty King Bhumibol ' s reign, and to complete and update the folklore museum.


History and Ethnology Room

This room displays historical and archeological data, showing archeological objects created by the wisdom of local people as well as those designed and made after contact between native southerners and foreigners such as Chinese, Indians, Malays, Arabs, and those from western countries. The display also shows the South ' s ancient realms, such as Tamparaling at Nakornsrithammarat, Lankasuka at Pattani – Yala, Sri Vijaya at Chaiya – Suratthani, and Sathingpura – Pattalung, which was the cultural hub around Songkhla Lagoon. The display also has accounts of minority groups in the South, such as the Sea Gypsies and the Sakai or Wild Negritos.


Beads and Ornaments Room

The room displays data about ancient beads found in the South, showing materials used to make beads, the production process and technique, bead shapes, and samples of beads found at various sites at Chumpon, Suratthani, Nakornsrithammarat, Pang-nga, Ranong, and Krabi. Also on display are items of jewelry worn in the South, such as earrings, hairpins, buttons, bracelets, belts, Japping (a baby girl ' s Eve ' s Leaf), and small bells worn around the ankle or neck.


Weapons Room

The room displays knives and weapons used in the South and show various descriptions, forms, production techniques, beliefs, and cultural significance, concerning livelihood, treatment of illnesses, and weapons as indicators of economic and social status, as seen in the culture of using the Gris (dagger). The room also displays weapons carried on the personage: knives of various types such as Mortar knife (Crock knife), flag-edge knife, rooster-tail knife, and hidden-tiger ' s claw knife.


Animal Traps Room

The room displays tools for catching land and sea animals, tools of various forms by their utilitarian purposes, reflecting the folk wisdom in catching and confining animals. The tools are, for example, a fowl trap, bird trapping cage, fish-catching tools, traps for small animals, and a tiger trap.


Pottery Room

The room displays pottery production equipment, techniques of adorning the surface of pottery products with patterns, samples and forms of prehistoric containers found at Ton Riang Cave in Krabi Province, pottery containers from various furnace sites in the South (for example, Klong Pa-o, Sathingmaw, Koh Yo in Songkhla Province, Ma-yaw in Pattani Province), and Chinese pottery from various dynasties, such as Tang Dynasty, Song Dynasty, Yuan Dynasty, Ming Dynasty, and Cheng Dynasty. In addition, there is a display of Western pottery from countries such as Holland, England, and France. The display also includes China tea sets in five master colors.


Locally Woven Cloth Fabric Room

The room displays local cloth fabric from various locations in the South, for example, Koh Yo, Pumriang, Na Muen Sri, Nakornsrithammarat, Pattani, Koak Pai, as well as from abroad. Also on display are tools and equipment for weaving, along with models showing native southern dress for various occasions.


Local Literature Room

This room houses locally written literature of the South in traditional Thai-style book form, with paper made from tree bark or palm leaf, as well as edited local literature. A database service is provided for visitors who wish to conduct research on local literature.

Computer System and Database Room

This is the control room for the computer system. The computerized database collection regarding southern Thai studies is linked with databases of other cultural institutes and centers. The system includes an Internet information program, a multimedia program, and a database program, as well as providing computerized data services.


Picture Museum Room

Data on southern Thai studies are stored here pictorially in various forms including photographs, prints, silkscreen prints, slides, videotapes, and films. Audio-visual programs are produced about southern Thai studies on both videotape and CD – ROM. Access to the data is provided for academics, researchers, college students, and interested persons

The Group of Gable-roof Houses

It is believed that this style of house has been influenced by the Thai house of central Thailand. It is found very much in traditional communities, for example, Tanyong Luloh Village and Bangpoo Village. It differs from the central style in that the piece that closes the end of the backbone board takes the shape of a bird ' s wing under the influence of Malaysian architecture, in contrast to the Thai-style backbone board. The southern way of life is also on display here.

House #1

On display are the statues of three exalted monks: Somdet Chao Pakoh (Holy Father Tuat under whose feet salt water turned fresh), Somdet Chao Koh Yo, and Somdet Chao Koh Yai. Also on display here is the custom of parturition of old with a midwife taking charge and involving the new mother being warmed by a fire. In relation to this, utensils for baby care are displayed, for example, a model of a child learning how to walk with the aid of a circle of cylinders.


House #2


Models of children at play are shown here, involving games such as hitting a row of targets, kite flying, sculpting miniature oxen and water buffaloes. Actual objects of southern playthings are also on display, such as kites, flower blowing, and spinning top.


House #3

Shown here are the act of presenting a new pupil to a teacher, the act of sealing camaraderie, and the contribution of common labor. Models are used to illustrate how a child is presented to a monk at a monastery, how individual's spirit of good-fellowship results in camaraderie, and how an activity of labor contribution, so called “ pitching in, ” is carried out, as in pitching in to build a house.


House #4

The custom of Buddhist ordination is on display here. Models show the young man ' s act of taking leave of his parents to enter the monk hood, head shaving, the procession celebrating the monk-to-be, the ordination ceremony inside the chapel, and the new monk going on his first alms round of accepting food offered by the faithful.


House #5

On display are three topics: beliefs concerning fortune telling and horoscopes; the culture of health care, with models showing treatment of an illness by massage, nursing care for the elderly; and the custom of asking for your neighbors ' labor with meals offered. Models here show the preparation of meals for neighbors who come to contribute their labor, the collective effort of harvesting rice in a field, and the storage of rice in a barn. Furthermore, there is an exhibit of the custom of offering to bathe community seniors on a pavilion, showing a spire-top pavilion, a water pipe carved in the shape of the great serpent Naga, and a water-carrying boat, all miniature replicas of the real thing. Also shown are the clothes worn after bathing consisting of two sets: monks ' robes and new clothes for seniors respected by the community people.

The Bla-naw-roof group of Buildings

The Bla-naw roof is a blend of the Panya roof and the gable roof, also called “ Manila gable roof, ” the roof being of Panya style with gable at the top for ventilation and prevention of rainwater seepage around the backbone of the roof. This kind of roof is believed to have been influenced by Dutch architecture.

Carpentry Tool and Artistic Handicraft Room

The room displays carpentry tools of various kinds, such as saw, shaping and boring tools. For handicraft, there are woodwork engravings for building and boat decoration, dessert molds, carving and engraving of shadow-play characters with patterns and steps shown, jute-mat weaving and weaving of Lipao climbing plant. There are also woven products from many different kinds of material. All these highlight the handicraft wisdom and craftsmanship of southern people in utilizing local plants.

Education Room

The room displays education in the ancient tradition of southerners centering around the wat (Buddhist monastery), and the management of education under the province-group administration whereby a province-group school was set up in the Fifth Reign of the Bangkok period. Furthermore, there are aspects of education involving vocational teacher education, university, and education for Thai Muslims in the South.

Recreation Room

The room displays model equipment and pictures about southern forms of entertainment and sport, such as KrueToh , Bla-naw , ball spiraling, top spinning, casting of delicacy pieces, seed dropping, hitting a row of targets, kite flying, bull and goat fighting, water-buffalo horn locking, and cockfighting. Some of these forms are meant to entertain, while others involve gambling as well.

Lighting Room

The display here involves light generators and lights themselves to show the evolution of lighting of southerners, such as flints and lamps of various types, such as toad-shaped and egg-shaped lamps, hurricane lamp, moonlight lamp, lotus-leaf lamp, kerosene lamp, and cylinder lamp.

Glassware Room

Displayed is the glassware found and used in the South. Glass had been used to make ornaments, such as beads and bracelets, from prehistoric times. Glass containers for household use of various types are displayed by color. These are containers for cosmetics and things of fragrance, bottles of various shapes, as well as glass buoys for sea fishing nets and toy glass balls.

Metal and Metal Alloy Culture Room

Displayed are utensils made of metals or alloys, such as silver, lead, copper, bronze, gold-silver-copper mixture, brass, and engraved-and-filled ware. Some kinds of containers are shown in connection with their uses, such as betel-nut bowl and betel-nut set, and noodle compressing cylinder.

Islamic Study Room

The room displays the history, development, and spread of Islam in the South, including the culture, customs, and way of life of southerner Muslims.'

Folk Entertainment Room

On display are forms of folk entertainment and music of the South, such as shadow play, Nora, Ka-law, and wild Likay . Also displayed are model shadow-play house, shadow-play characters, models acting out Nora postures, models of Nora musicians, folk musical instruments, and biographies of national artists who are southerners.

Coin and Currency Room

On display is the evolution of coins and currencies in use in Thailand and the southern region, including coins and currencies from other sources found in the South, such as Chinese coins of various dynasties, Javanese and Malay coins, as well as coins of European countries in use in their colonies.

Religious Room

The room displays Buddhism and Brahmanism in the Sounth by means of original and copies of religious objects, paintings and photographs, such as Shiva Lingam base, Buddhist chapel boundary marker, Buddhist-monk pulpit, photographs of mural paintings of Matchimawat Monastery in songkhla, Chontarasinhe Mpnastery in Naratiwat, and Wang Monastery in Pattalong. Besides, there are paintings of the revered monks Buddhadasa Bikkhu and Panyananda Bikkhu.

The Institute for Southern Thai Studies

The folklore museum is located within the Institute for Southern Thai Studies. It is a folk museum displaying data about southern Thai studies in connection with the way of life of southern people and unique local customs. Furthermore there are displays on history, archeology, and artistic handicraft of the South that demonstrate the wisdom of the people residing in the South of Thailand. The folklore museum officially opened on September 22, 1991, with His Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn presiding at the inauguration of the gable-roof, Panya -roof, and Bla-naw – roof group of houses. Later on September 6, 1996, His Majesty the King graciously designated His Royal Highness the Crown Prince to preside on His Majesty ' s behalf at the opening of the Navama Bhumindara building. The folklore museum is equipped with approximately 49,000 actual objects, along with models, sound representations, pictures, videotape, and multimedia that accompany the displays. The exhibits are permanently housed in the four groups of buildings in a total floor area of about 3,000 square meters.

The Bla-naw-roof group of Buildings

The Bla-naw roof is a blend of the Panya roof and the gable roof, also called “ Manila gable roof, ” the roof being of Panya style with gable at the top for ventilation and prevention of rainwater seepage around the backbone of the roof. This kind of roof is believed to have been influenced by Dutch architecture.


The Group of Gable-roof Houses

It is believed that this style of house has been influenced by the Thai house of central Thailand. It is found very much in traditional communities, for example, Tanyong Luloh Village and Bangpoo Village. It differs from the central style in that the piece that closes the end of the backbone board takes the shape of a bird ' s wing under the influence of Malaysian architecture, in contrast to the Thai-style backbone board. The southern way of life is also on display here.

Navama Bhumindra Building

This is a concrete, gable-roof building constructed in celebration of the 50th anniversary of His Majesty King Bhumibol ' s reign, and to complete and update the folklore museum.

Food Preservation of the Southerners

Knowing food preservation is an indicator of the civilization because it is getting started in seeking and managing. Knowing the way to collect food replaced living from hand to mouth, to love a habitat and a thing, to teach each other are the cause of trade and other cultures later. Preservation Processes can help to keep food longer while maintaining a good quality, to have some kinds of food for eating out of season, and to preserve the natural resources also.

People in the South of Thailand have various ways to preserve food; fresh food, cooked food, meat dish and desserts, both main food and supplementary food.

Methods of Food Preservation

The southerners always use the following 5 methods of food preservation;
1. Controlling moisture and temperature
2. Drying
3. Being Smoked
4. Pickling
5. Sugar

1. Food preservation with controlling moisture and temperature

The southerners have known the food preservation with controlling moisture and temperature for a long time. It is the easiest and the most economical method. In addition, it helps to keep food in good condition the most. For example, burying “Look Nieng or Look Rieng” (local vegetables of the South) is in a pile of sand or chaff or ashes, which have enough moisture to grow so slowly in order to have a shoot without a leaf. “Look Nieng Poh or Look Rieng Poh” can be kept to eat freshly for a period of months. Preserving the paddy in the form of “Khang Lieng” is another method of the food preservation. A farmer cuts paddy heads with gae (a harvesting tool), tie up to be a sheaf and then pile it up on a barn in order. Straws at the paddy heads will help to ventilate the heat. The suitable moisture and temperature can maintain the quality of the paddy for many years.

The southerners have the method to preserve a boiled water bug for 2 – 5 months by keeping in the bucket of tablet salt, which has the stable moisture and temperature.

The above methods indicate that the southerners have known to preserve food with controlling moisture and temperature before storing in a refrigerator and a freezer for many hundred years.

2. Food preservation with drying

Food preservation with drying is the process, which reduces water activity sufficient to delay or prevent bacterial growth. It is the most economical method.

Before drying, it must be clean by washing. If they are vegetables, they are soft boiled with hot water in order to stop a chemical reaction. Some people like to be smoked fruits with light sulphur before drying because it helps to make colour and a good taste. Moreover, it can also prevent an acid taste and to be bitten by insects.

Food which the southerns like to preserve by drying are vegetables, fruits and meat, such as, chilli, pepper, some types of mushroom (Kraeng growing on the dead tamarind tree etc.) a dried betel nut (cut into pieces before drying) a dried banana (a ripe banana peeling and drying) Dialium cochinchinensis (peeled and dried) Som Khaek (a type of fruit is round, cutting into a thin piece and drying, used for cooking) the salty meat, the salty fish etc.

Drying food especially meat always uses the salt to prevent the food from spoiling and help the taste better, such as, a dried shell (a type of fresh water shell like a cockle but smaller, likes in a lake. It may be boiled with very hot salty water or mixed with the salt and dry. Mostly, people like the second way, so it is called hoy tak) a striped fish (a big snake-head fish cutting into the strips and drying) a dried fish (a salted fish) dried meat (salted meat) shrimp paste.

Some types are boiled thoroughly and dried, such as, dried shrimp, shrimp crisp rice, fish crisp rice etc.

3. Food preservation with being smoked

Being smoked does not only make food dried but also helps to keep longer because being smoked with a high temperature of more 25 – 45 degree Celsius will destroy bacterias. Smoke can change the smell and flavor of food.

Although being smoked is more difficult and wasteful than drying, it can do every season. For drying, when it is a rainy season without hot sun, food may not be dried and it is spoiled at last.

The 2 methods of being smoked by the heat in order to make food cooked are

* Smoked by open way, burn smoked materials, eg wood, spathe of coconut trees, saw dust, paddy husk, corncob etc , which gives the quantity of smoke, color and smell differently. And then, hang or make a stall to put food down above the bonfire. It is better if the smoke can spread easily. This method is used for a lof of food and not need much smoke.
* Smoked by close way, use a bucket or a big tin without a lid and a base to cover smoke, not spreading. It helps food get double smoke and be equal. The period of time is shorter. Howerer, food used by this method is not much a time. If need the big amount, maybe build a fume cupboard or a cottage for only being smoked.

Food is smoked to preserve for a long time, eg. a roasted ray, a roasted shrimp, a roasted banana.

The southerners have another way of being smoked by putting food down “Pra” above a stove. It makes food without dampness and helps to prevent an ant and a weevil, eg. chilli, garlic, shallot, salted fish, salted meat etc.

Some food look tasty and have good smell when they are smoked, eg. stirred durian, or food is wraped with leaves (banana leaves, leaves of a screw pine, spathes of a betel palm) and smoked lightly etc.

4. Food preservation with pickling

Food preservation with pickling has many different processes from the common one by changing itself to the complicated one by placing it or cooking it in a substance that inhibits or kills bacteria and other micro-organisms. These processes can preserve food longer and change the smell and flavor differently, becoming the new food with some nutrients, such as, protein, vitamin, mineral etc. Moreover, they can make the poison or raw food be eaten and decrease the sourness and bitter of some fruits to be tastier.

Sometimes, drying is not necessary for pickling. The southerners only mix salt for the fresh food or soak it in salt water and then keep in the close place which is called “Aub”, for examples, making salted mackerels, Jing Jung (a type of small fish, called “Look Mei or Mli”, soaks in salt water), salted crab.

Preserving food by pickling often uses the chemical reaction, for examples, preserving thick sweet liquid (e.g. sugar from a fan-palm and boiled) for use all the year will use scraps of Kiem wood which is very harsh in order to stop the sour flavor or greatly slow down spoilage.

Pickling may decrease the value of nutrition in some food and increase in the others more because it makes some useful bacteria which are in air, around us or at the skin of fruits grow fastly as well as stops the growth of the other bacteria which spoil food. The right process of pickling can change the condition and element of food, going with food preservation.

The southerners have various methods of food preservation by pickling. For examples, cooking Nang (mix the salt with the sugar for pork, beef, buffalo, fish, added up banana stalk or bamboo shoot and then pickle them about 6 – 7 days, ready for cooking food) Paeng Daeng (mix the clean fish with the salt, sugar and boiled sticky rice and then pickle about 10 – 15 days) Bo Do and Kung Som (sour shrimps) etc.

Some substances that the southerners like to fill in for stimulating the reaction of pickling are salt (for making fish sauce or shrimp paste etc.) sugar (for making Nang or sour meat etc.) water from washing rice (for pickling vegetables etc.) cooked rice (for making Paeng Daeng etc.). Sometimes they add some types of bacteria in, for examples, making fish sauce, salted soya beans, pickle bean curd etc.

The well – know pickled products are Sa – tau (a local vegetable) salted eggs Chaiya (Chaiya district, Suratthani Province) pickle bean curd (Mueng district, Songkhla Province) Bo Do (Yaring district, Pattani Province) salted mackerels and salted crabs (Pak Panang distric, Nakonsithammarat Province) shrimp paste (Ranong, Pang-Nga, Chumporn etc.) and so on.

5. Food preservation with sugar

The preservation being maintained by the sugar content can be classified in 3 methods as following,

The first method is a simple form, only boiling sugar to almost dry. The sweet liquid is absorbed into the skin of preserved products and the rest is used to coat on them again, such as, bananas, sakes, fruits of the sugar palm, jackfruits etc. Another way is to boil continuously until the sugar is very sticky and dry. When colder, it becomes solid.

The second method is always used for bitter or very sour fruits. Before soaked in sugary water, they are made to be flavorless by salt water or clear lime water or alum etc.. And then, add syrub in order to be sweet enough to eat, such as, mangoes in syrub.

The third method is to be sugar-coated, the preserved products must be cooked. The sugar is boiled until dry and solid. The southerners like to fill some lard in the syrub in order to look delicious more. This method is called “La Nam Pheung” or “La Nam Taan”, such as, sugar-coated crisp rice etc.

It is noticed that the food preservation of the southerners by the above methods, although they know how to do and have done for a long time, they only use for eating in household, not developing in the process for trade or being a small industry. Therefore, These methods can not help to solve a problem or increase more income for agriculturists.

Religious festival at the tenth lunar month

Religious festival at the tenth lunar month, Sart Duen Sib is one of essential Southern people festival, has continuously done since ancient time to present day. According to Buddhist belief that in the end of month tenth there are parent, grandparent and relatives whom passed away, especially sinners in hell called “Pred” are temporary permitted by the King of Hell to leave there, to reunion or meet their children or relative on the earth in Thai lunar calendar waning moon 15 evening, month 10 and return to hell in waning moon 15 evening, month 10.

The tenth lunar month festival beyond make merit for passed away family, relatives or other, there is an essential part of the offering set, the 5 confections. These 5 confections are the symbolic of the tenth lunar month festival, each of it have its belief significations, besides these confections are proper provisions for monks through the rain season.

- Khanom Pawng or Pawng confection symbolizes the raft or float to cross the ocean between hell and earth.- Khanom La or La confection symbolizes clothes or costumes.
- Khanom Dee Sam (Joh Hoo) or Dee Sam (Joh Hoo) confection symbolizes money.
- Khanom Bah or Bah confection symbolizes Sa-ba, Thai recreation, for the deaths play in Songkhran day (Thai New Year).
- Khanom Gong (Khai Pla) or Gong (Khai pla) confection symbolizes the ornaments.