Household Altar of Overseas Chinese: Case Studies of Phuket Province

Abstract

Overseas Chinese immigrated to Thailand and brought their cultures, way of life, religion and faith, especially in Phuket. One of the significant culture related to religion and faith of Chinese people in Phuket was the household altars. It was combine with Thai domain culture for political and cultural purposes. The study aimed to observe the household of Overseas Chinese descends and analyze with the related theory of symbolic formation and complex pluralistism. Qualitative research methodology was used to study this phenomenon with in-depth interview and observation. The result of the study found that deities and worship objects of 5 houses were similar such as Guan Yin Bodhisattvas, Guan Yu, and Mazu. In summary, household altar of Overseas Chinese in Phuket responded social and individuals needs in terms of religious belief and created consciousness of Chinese identity in Thai society.