"Yahkur", an ancient Mon community, Ban Wang Ai Pho, Ban Rai Subdistrict, Thep Sathit District, Chaiyaphum Province

Abstract

The objective of this research article is to study the history and current conditions of the “Yahkur”, an ancient Mon community located in Ban Wang Ai Pho, Ban Rai Sub-district, Thep Sathit District, Chaiyaphum Province. This study employs a qualitative research methodology, collecting both documentary data and field data from Ban Wang Ai Pho, Ban Rai Sub-district, Thep Sathit District, Chaiyaphum Province. The target group consists of five local residents of Ban Wang Ai Pho, Ban Rai Sub-district, Thep Sathit District, Chaiyaphum Province; two local scholars who are government teachers; and one local sage from the same area. The research instruments include survey forms, observation forms, and interview guides. The collected data were analyzed within the contextual framework using the structural-functional theory. The findings are presented through descriptive analysis. The Research findings reveal that

          the “Nyah Kur” community, an ancient Mon people’s settlement in Ban Wang Ai Pho, Ban Rai Subdistrict, Thep Sathit District, Chaiyaphum Province, has a history that predates the formal establishment of the settlement. Originally, the ancestors of the people of Ban Wang Ai Pho spoke an ancient Mon-Khmer language and lived together in groups that frequently migrated. Their original settlements were located in the Phang Hoei and Phetchabun mountain ranges, which extend across three provinces: Phetchabun, Nakhon Ratchasima, and Chaiyaphum.

          The Nyah Kur people’s way of life has long been closely connected to nature, with livelihoods traditionally based on hunting, foraging, and shifting cultivation. The term “Nyah Kur” literally means “mountain people,” reflecting their settlement patterns in highland areas. Locals in surrounding regions have therefore referred to them as “Chao Bon” (highland people) or “Khon Dong” (forest people).At present, the Ban Wang Ai Pho community exhibits a lifestyle similar to that of other rural communities, yet continues to preserve certain distinctive cultural traits and local wisdom, such as the use of the ancient Mon language, traditional tools and utensils, indigenous clothing styles, and customary beliefs and rituals. The community has also adapted these traditions to align with contemporary environmental and social conditions.