CGU 114 Connections Between Biodiversity and Culture in Thailand

Thailand's rich geographical biodiversity makes it a unique country one that receives a lot o! !oot tra!!ic !rom visitors both near and !ar" #n !act Thailand has one o! the richest biodiversities in $outheast %sia"Thailand is split between two very ma&or biogeographical regions in %sia' the north is part o! the #ndochinese region and the south is part o! the $undiac" #t's climate which is hot and humid is the per!ect home !or a variety o! ecosystems mostly tropical" (eciduous !orests evergreen !orests rain !orests shrub !orests etc you name it Thailand has it" These make up the largest portion o! Thailand's biodiversity but not !ar behind are the other numerous ecosystems !ound there) coastal !reshwater marine and agricultural" The wide range o! ecosystems allows !or immense diversity in the biological li!e" The various plants animals !ish etc that can be !ound in Thailand make it a must see destination" Biodiversity and culture are proactively intertwined" #t is a natural correlation humans adapt to a way o! li!e that is in accordance to the particular environment they !ound themselves in" They draw upon the resources in their environment to sustain themselves and this holds true whether it's in icy tundras dry deserts or tropical !orests" % Thai saying that re!lects the role the environment plays in li!e in Thailand simply states *+an not only bene!its !rom nature but also has the duty to look a!ter and preserve the natural environment with humility and a deep sense o! gratitude, -The .!!ects o! Tourism on Culture and the .nvironment/" 0ature is a very important aspect o! the Thai culture" Thus the biodiversity o! Thailand directly impacts the cultural diversity" Because o! its biodiversity Thailand has become a very popular tourist destination" .very spring Thailand's beaches are covered in !oreigners in bikinis celebrating spring break" 1r perhaps they are riding an .lephant through the &ungle watching animal shows where monkeys are taught to ride bikes snorkeling the ree!s in the clear blue water or even having !ish suck the dead skin o!! their !eet

while they eat 2ad Thai" Tourism has impacted Thailand's culture in many ways" This is both good and bad" Tourism helps Thailand !inancially it helps their economy thrive" Tourism provides the !inancial resources needed to invest in the rehabilitation o! historic buildings and conservation areas and also serves as a reason !or important parts o! the Thai culture to be showcased including art architecture !ood and religious practices" But on the other hand many !ear it takes away !rom the traditional Thai culture" The Thai people want tourism to contribute to the preservation o! the region3s environments cultures and traditions not undermine them" 4egardless many Thai businesses have become so dependent on tourism !inancially that it is an everyday part o! their lives they could not do without" There are also speci!ic aspects o! Thailand's diverse plant and animal li!e that have deeper historical and cultural value" 1ne e5ample much like the 6aguar and its importance to %ncient %7tec is the elephant" #t has been an icon o! Thai tradition culture and royal power !or many centuries" .lephants are everywhere in Thailand and not &ust live elephants roaming around though that is common too" They are incorporated in paintings and architecture spoken o! in literature and old tales sold as !igurines on every street corner and used in per!ormances and ceremonies" This !ascination with elephants began hundreds o! years ago when they were considered an ob&ect o! royalty" The kings would hunt and capture them but not kill them" 1ccasionally royals presented white elephants the most symbolic o! the elephants to other countries as mark o! diplomacy" 2resident 8incoln was once o!!ered elephants by 9ing +ongkut as evidenced by a letter in which he wrote *#! on the continent there should be several pairs o! young male and !emale elephants turned loose in the !orest where there was an abundance o! water and i! the climate there should prove !avorable to an elephant we are o! the opinion that a!ter a while they will increase till the inhabitants o! %merica will be able to catch them and tame and use them as beasts o! burden making them o! bene!it o! the country, -8enae5pat/" $adly though honored 2resident 8incoln knew that the climate o! the United $tates was not one !or elephants" .lephants are particularly symbolic in Buddhism and Thailand's culture is impacted heavily by

Buddhism" %n old story tells that :ueen +ayadevi dreamed that a white elephant descended !rom heaven and entered her womb and then became pregnant right a!ter" This son whom she gave birth to was none other than Buddha the !ounder o! Buddhism" There are many legends similar to this that also demonstrate the importance o! the elephant in Thai culture' because they represent luck they are o!ten used !or superstitious reasons" %n interesting e5ample is that many Thai's believe i! a pregnant woman walks under the belly o! an elephant she will have an easy and painless delivery like :ueen +ayadevi" %side !rom metaphorically the importance o! elephants has only increased over time due to tourism" ;hen traveling to Thailand tourists e5pect to see elephants and o!ten ride them too<

;ork Cited 8enae5pat C" -=>>?/" The #mportance o! the .lephant in %sian Culture" expatclic.com" 4etrieved 0ovember 1= =>1@ !rom http)AAwww"e5patclic"comAinde5"phpB optionCcomDcontentEviewCarticleEidC1>FG)theHimportanceHo!HtheHelephantHinHasianH cultureEcatidC?I)generalHarticlesHonHe5patriationE#temidC1G@ElangCen -=>1=/" 0ational 4eport on the #mplementation o! Convention on Biological (iversity) Thailand" Convention on Biological Diversity 2 1F" 4etrieved 0ovember 1@ =>1@ !rom http)AAwww"cbd"intAdocAworldAthAthHnrH>1Hp=Hen"pd! $antasombat J" -=>>@/" Biodiversity 8ocal 9nowledge and $ustainable (evelopment" Regional Center for Social Science and Sustainable Development 1" 4etrieved 0ovember 1@ =>1@ !rom http)AAwww"google"comAurlBqChttp)AArcsd"soc"cmu"ac"thAv=>1=AbackadminAdownload"php K@L!ilenameK@(B>>>>@"pd!EeiC!Me.Uq2NCa9r&%8so4C%BgE The .!!ects o! Tourism on Culture and the .nvironment" -=>>4/" Impact" 4etrieved 0ovember 1@ =>1@ !rom http)AAwww="unescobkk"orgAelibApublicationsA#+2%CTD8uang2rabangAimpact"pd!