THE TRACING OF TAI WORDS IN INDIA BY PROFESSOR DR. KHUN BANCHOB PHANTHUMETHA: A REFLECTION OF THAI – INDIA RELATIONS THROUGH ARCHIVES AND MUSEUM ARTIFACTS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64186/jsp3856Keywords:
Tai word tracing, Tai ethnicity , Thai-Indian relations , Historical records , Museum studiesAbstract
This article aims to examine Professor Dr. Khun Banchob Phanthumetha’s expedition to investigate the Tai language through the study of archival documents and museum objects preserved at the Chandrakasem Museum, Chandrakasem Rajabhat University. The research employs historical methodology and descriptive analysis based on archival evidence and material artifacts related to Professor Dr. Khun Banchob Phanthumetha’s linguistic field expeditions, including objects received from local Tai communities during his investigations of the Tai language in India between 1955 and 1959. These materials reflect the historical relationship between Thailand and India at the state level. Furthermore, this article highlights the historical, social, cultural, and linguistic connections among Tai ethnic groups, revealing their ways of life, cultural heritage, and the enduring bonds between Thai people in Thailand and Tai communities abroad. These relationships are characterized by mutual friendship among neighboring peoples who share a common cultural heritage. Collectively, these narratives may be regarded as a form of community archive that reflects the identity of the Tai ethnic groups.
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