Faith-based Power and Grassroots Economic Revitalization: Bo Phan Khan Cultural Market, Roi Et Province

Abstract

This research aimed to 1) examine the dynamics of local history and collective memory in the Bo Phan Khan community; 2) analyze the role of faith in Chao Pu Phan Phuwong as a social mechanism for revitalizing community relationship networks; 3) investigate the process through which the Bo Phan Khan Cultural Market Assembly was formed to manage cultural capital in an active and dynamic way; and 4) assess its impact on the community’s grassroots economy. The study employed a qualitative research methodology, combining documentary research with participant observation. Economic value was assessed through gross circulation revenue. The findings revealed that 1) the Bo Phan Khan community selectively drew upon collective memories of the prosperous period before 1981 as a cultural foundation for reviving local identity; 2) faith in Chao Pu Phan Phuwong continues to function as a symbolic center linking a network of nine villages through their shared status as descendants of the same ancestral spirit; 3) this descendant-based network gave rise to the Bo Phan Khan Cultural Market Assembly, which manages cultural capital through agreed rules, regulations, and a central community fund; and 4) in economic terms, the seven market events generated approximately 11.40 million baht in gross circulation from an investment of 750,000 baht, representing a return of 15.21 times the initial investment. In conclusion, the power of faith can serve as a form of dynamic cultural capital that connects memory, participation, and the sustainable development of the grassroots economy.