Safeguarding or Governing Culture?

This study examines the safeguarding of Phra Pradaeng Songkran (a Mon community festival in Thailand) and proposes guidelines for its sustainable continuation. Using qualitative methods, data were collected through in-depth interviews with four stakeholder groups: cultural bearers, government agencies, private organizations, and educational institutions. Findings indicate that safeguarding is implemented through four principal measures: transmission and dissemination, research and documentation, promotion and recognition, and conservation and protection. Beyond these technical measures, the study reveals that safeguarding operates simultaneously as support for cultural continuity and as a form of cultural governance, translating living practices into administratively legible forms through educational programs, inventories, media representations, and institutional frameworks. Community actors engage strategically with these processes to secure recognition and resources while negotiating control over meanings and representations of their heritage. The study recommends the development of participatory strategic plans grounded in intangible cultural heritage (ICH) management and sustainable development principles, emphasizing genuine community involvement across all stages of safeguarding. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) recognition is therefore interpreted as a new phase of negotiation over authority, representation, and the future viability of the tradition.