Local Ethnic Museum: Administration for the Conservation of Indigenous Knowledge in Central Thailand

Local ethnic museums were developed from conservation efforts led by community leaders, monks and teachers. The local museums were used as learning centers, reminding people of their origin and realization of their own culture. Many museums face similar problems such as problems in human resources where staff are mostly community members who have volunteered to help in the conservation efforts of their heritage. Local ethnic museums and their caretakers lack the driving force and confidence to propel their establishment into a true community center for learning and tourism destination. The lack of funding is also a major problem where the community is the only source of funding because the museums have not been fully funded by government agencies and not continuously supported by local organizations. Most museums have artifacts on display that are mostly static. There is also inconsistency among the items where in some categories there is only a single item, while others are too identical and numerous. Development of local ethnic museums must be embarked on in order to survive and prosper in the age of Thailand's industrialization. Development efforts were initially started by conservationists such as Abbots of Buddhist temples, local school teachers and academics that acknowledged the value and knowledge of local ethnic heritage. Establishing local ethnic museums will help create and diffuse the knowledge of cultural heritage and will help newer generations to learn and cherish their traditions. It will also help individuals to understand the livelihood of their ancestors so that they can apply the knowledge and lessons in their current life. The collection of artifacts must also be consistent with scientific processes in regards to the indigenous knowledge of ethnic