Pi Ta Khon: A liminal celebration in a bureaucratic framework

Erik Cohen*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

The Pi Ta Khon are masked dancers in the Pha Wet (Vessantara) festival in Dan Sai town, Northeastern Thailand, who in recent decades became a major tourist attraction. This is a case study of the transformation of the appearance and conduct of the Pi Ta Khon, as they were adapted by the national and local tourist authorities for the growing domestic and foreign tourist audience. Taking a Turnerian perspective, the Pi Ta Khon are interpreted as liminal beings, whose liminality, however, is attenuated by the interference of those outside organisational forces. Two modifications of Turner's approach to liminality and pilgrimage are suggested on the basis of this case study.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)241-255
Number of pages15
JournalInternational Journal of Tourism Anthropology
Volume7
Issue number3-4
DOIs
StatePublished - 2019

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © 2019 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.

Keywords

  • Commercialisation
  • Liminality
  • Masks
  • Phra Wet festival
  • Pilgrimage
  • Tourism
  • Vesantara Jataka

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