MAKING ENGLISH EXPLANATION HANDBOOKS ON MURAL PAINTINGS FOR TOURISM COMMUNICATION: A CASE STUDY AT TEMPLES IN SONGKHANONG SUB-DISTRICT, PHRAPRADAENG DISTRICT, SAMUTPRAKAN PROVINCE

Abstract

The research aimed to make the English explanation handbooks on the mural paintings relating to Buddhist stories, and to study the mural paintings installed inside the Uposatha halls of the temples in Songkhanong Sub-district, Phrapradaeng District, Samutprakan Province, Thailand. The population used in the study was the Buddhist stories depicted on the wall within the Uposatha halls in the target area, i.e., Wat Paket temple and Wat Chakdaeng temple. The informants to be interviewed as well as joined in a focus group discussion were the abbot and monks in the temples and local learned people in the community who could illustrate the importance of the mural paintings in the research area, teachers in the schools nearby, local tour guides and tourists who visited the mural paintings. The research instruments consisted of observation form, photography, structured interview form, and focus group discussion. All of the qualitative data collected was analysed through content analysis. The research results were as follows: the English handbooks on the Buddhist stories depicted on the wall of the temples developed were very useful for the community and tourism in the area. The meanings and significance of local heritage that contained in the English handbooks were revealed to the people in the community, and could be used as tools to communicate with the visitors from around the world. Moreover, the English handbooks helped inspire people in the community in conserving their local wisdom and cultural heritage. The mural paintings of first temple depicted the six main excerpts from the stories of the ten Jatakas, defeating Mara and his army, assembly of gods, assembly of ascetics, demi-gods, and animals, Tribhumi, and the Gate-god protectors, while the second temple depicted the excerpts from the stories of the Bodhisattas, life of the Buddha, the episode of Buddha descending from heaven, the pictures of outstanding pagodas in Buddhist countries around the world, and symbols of Abhidhamma principles.