Guidelines for Bringing the Values of the Elderly to Strengthen the Community Economy: A Case Study of Ban Khao Daeng Community, Kui Buri, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Thailand

Abstract

This research mainly aimed to extract the knowledge from the elderly to create benefits in economic activities under the joint operation of the community and the elderly. Its objectives were to search for knowledge reflecting the values of the elderly in the area and to make strategic recommendations. The qualitative research consisting of the in-depth interview process and the process of organizing group meetings was conducted. The results showed that the values of the elderly in the area could be extracted in two main issues: 1) Value of participation in various activities, especially religious activities and traditions, and 2) Value of being a successor of local wisdom reflected in the form of professional knowledge, such as the recipe for making local shrimp paste, processed seafood, fishery products. These could be processed into products with the participation of the elderly, and the development of the area to be a community-style tourist attraction in order to make the household into an economic market. Tourists could walk and shop for household products within the community, reflecting the community's identity in itself. Therefore, the researcher suggested building strategies for cooperating with the community and creating a community economic market under the Committee of Community Economic Promotion and Development to drive goods and services through a household industry model with the hope of generating income distribution in local areas as this was in line with to the 20-Year Strategic Plan in Thailand.