Folk Wisdom of Thai Folk Healers Case Study: Muang Samut Prakan District, Samut Prakan Province

Abstract

This study was a qualitative research. The aims of this study were to study knowledge of Thai folk healers and to comprehend what are causes and effects of the patients who received the care services from Thai folk healers in Muang Samut Prakan District, Samut Prakan Province. This research methodology was related to participation observation and in-depth interview. The samples of this study were 10 Thai folk healers in Muang Samut Prakan District as well as 30 care receivers who were serviced by Thai folk healers. The in-depth interview and questionnaire were used as the research tools. The tools were proved by content validity at 0.82 and Cronbach's alpha coefficient reliability at 0.89 respectively. Content analysis was also used for the data analysis. The research found that 1) Ten Thai folk healers were mostly elderly person, both were in female and male who had more than ten years experiences. The supported motivation to be Thai folk healers was their own forefather who passed on the Thai folk technical skills from times to times. The healing practices of Thai folk healer were an integrated medicines, which combined herbal medicine, incantation, methods of blowing, oiling, massage, midwifery, and a traditional method to get rid of glaucoma. In addition, the steps of the folk medicine started from the getting's information, next to observation, physical checking at the pained point, diagnosis, locally traditional oblation also known as "Khai", healing, healing assessment, and Khai's taking off once the patients get well in eventually. Moreover, Thai folk healers did not pass on the Thai folk technical skills to other inheritors, and there were not any note-taking because the knowledge and skills were memorized in their brains. 2) The patients accessed to the folk medicine as the results of ineffectual modern medicine and words of mouth, meanwhile, the folk medicine effects indicated that most of all patients were getting better, inferior to entirely cured, respectively. The percentage of all patients who were getting better was 86.7 percent, and the satisfaction level of the care receivers was in the most level ( = 4.32). This study concluded that Thai folk wisdom of Thai healers was easily accessed, this knowledge was consisted of beliefs and faith in Thai healers who treated the patients both physical and emotional disorders. However, the knowledge was not recorded and educated to inheritors therefore it was unfortunately disappeared and getting old together with the Thai healers.