Khlong Sip See in Isan Culture

Abstract

This article aims to study the fourteen Khlong in Isan culture. The findings reveals that the traditions of Thai people in the Isan region are practices inherited from ancestors and passed down through generations, reflecting the values, virtues, beliefs, and way of life of Isan people in the past. These are based on the principles of ‘Heet Sip Song - Khlong Sip See’ (Twelve Mores and Fourteen Conventions) which are the traditions of Isan people that have been practiced and transmitted for a long time. Heet Sip Song (Twelve Mores) refers to the mores or merit-making ceremonies corresponding to the twelve months of the year for Thai people in the Isan region. Khlong Sip See (Fourteen Conventions) comprises fourteen precepts or guidelines for Thai people in the Isan region, applicable to individuals of various statuses, including the monarchy, government officials, and citizens. The Khlong Sip See serves as customary law and a tool for social control, defining the roles and responsibilities of people in society, fostering unity and solidarity, preserving local culture and identity, and importantly, instilling moral and ethical values. These principles are fundamental pillars supporting Isan society in the past and continue to serve as valuable guidelines in the present that can be adapted for use in the daily lives of Isan people, enabling them to live together happily, meaningfully, and sustainably. The body of knowledge reveals that Northeastern Thai and Lao traditions are similar, serving as the foundation of local wisdom, beliefs, and crucial lifestyles of the past.