Folk toys in Central Thailand Product development for a creative economy

Folk toys in Central Thailand are a part of local Thai local wisdom. Creative folk toys are a part of cultural heritage and Thai creative and sustainable economic development. So, this research aimed to study 1) the indigenous folk toys in central Thailand, 2) the toy production problems and solution guidelines, and 3) the toy product development for the creative economy. The study employed a qualitative research method. The target group consisted of the selected communities in Nonthaburi Province, Ayutthaya Province and Suphanburi Province and folk toy sources. The informants were: 15 folk toy enterprise presidents, government officers and local experts as the key informants, 45 folk toy enterprise members as the causal informants and 45 customers as the general informants. Data were collected by means of interview, observation, focus group discussion and workshop from field study. Qualitative data were analyzed by inductive analysis method with triangular verification and the research results were presented by a descriptive analysis method. The research results revealed that folk toys in Central Thailand were derived from local indigenous knowledge that was created and transmitted through the generations for at least 700 years. Most of the folk toys in Central Thailand were produced by natural, local and easily found materials, using natural colors. The beauty, styles and quality of natural and man-made children’s toys were based on parental competency. Moreover, creation of folk toys is a form of Thai handicraft. Thai people truly believe that toys are symbols of parental love and attention and the tools to build up children’s growth in terms of lifestyle and creative mind. The findings show that folk toys in Central Thailand are made of special soil, wood, bamboo, lan leaf, tan leaf and coconut shell. Folk toys are categorized in four groups: 1) fun toys, such as krataewien, explosive bamboo, king drum, nangkop drum, rhythm coconut shell, cap gun, nungstrik gun, whistle, pong-pang, bamboo flute, wote and wihoksaipha; 2) pleasure and imaginative toys, such as kanghan, rotated kanghan, airplane, kalong, chackachan, pla-tapian, waling karian bird and flying bird; 3) games, such as kalakaokwai, wooden alligators, wooden swords and arrows; and 4) models, such as talapcap, trucks, tricycles, boats, lookfat, kites, eko, mokawmokeang, dinosaurs, buffalo, tang, motorcycles, jet planes and house models. Nowadays, toys are made as an enterprise, using more external materials, chemical colors, different styles and models. Furthermore, toy production helps to conserve central Thai identity, child growth and Thai lifestyle.

Keywords – Community, creative economy, development, toys, traditional knowledge