[Tlc] T-lecture

[justinm at ucr.edu]

Forwarded from Dr. Charnvit Kasetsiri.
Thanks,
justin

Pridi Banomyong International College

Thammasat University, Bangkok Thailand

 

PBIC Public Lectures

 

Topic

Border of Mind: Nationalism, Tourism, and Competing

Meanings of the Thai-Cambodian Borderline

 

Speaker

AKKHARAPHONG KHAMKHUN

Southeast Asian Studies Program, Faculty of Liberal Arts

 

Date/Time

11.00 – 12.00, Thursday 18 September 2008 

Pridi Banomyong International College

8th Floor Anekprasong 1 Building

 

 

Abstract: Prior to and during the ‘Cold War’ period the border between Thailand and Cambodia was more or less closed; only the military mission and local people were able to cross it. Then, with the political changes in Cambodia during 1990s and Thailand ’s policy of ‘turning the battlefield into a market place’, the border became more open, and began to attract tourists. This paper argues that the advent of border tourism has become a pivotal force which efficiently penetrates through the national territory – traditionally considered as barrier between countries. Consequently, border tourism manifests the juxtaposition of the national territory and the daily life practices of both regular visitors and border residents. The paper then attempts to reveal the competing meanings of the Thai-Cambodian borderline as expresses through Nationalism and Tourism. On the one hand, the border is a symbol of separation between ‘us’ and ‘them’, ‘here’ and ‘there’, or ‘inside’ and ‘outside’; on the other hand, it can be argued that opening of the border can weaken people’s antagonisms and prejudices. This paper concludes that for regular visitors and border residents, the borderline has lost its significance as a barrier between nation states and instead has taken on characteristics of a tourist gateway representing the convergence of the two countries. This empirical study is based on evidence that was collected during a 20-day trip along the 800-km Thai-Cambodian borderline. The survey was conducted mainly along the Thai side of the border, but several visits were also made to locations on the Cambodian side to gather information from there as well.

 

Keywords: Cambodia , Thailand , border, boundary, borderline, Nationalism, Tourism

 

 

Contact: (+66) 026133701 – 3 (3 numbers), email: thaistudies at tu.ac.th

FREE OF CHARGE

Mr.Akkharaphong Khamkhun 

Junior Lecturer

Southeast Asian Studies Program,

Room No. 206A Faculty of Liberal Arts,

Thammasat University, Tha-Prachan Campus

Bangkok 10200, Siamthailand       

Tel. 0-2613-2672, Fax.0-2613-2599,

Mobile Phone. +66-6621-6153

 

______________
Dr. Justin McDaniel
Dept. of Religious Studies
3046 INTN
University of California, Riverside
Riverside, CA 92521
951-827-4530
justinm at ucr.edu