Honorable Mention SouthSense the magical life of Luang Pu Thuad Luang Pu Thuat’s Birthplace Community Enterprise
Songkhla
Brand : Tourism Platform for Community Enterprises
The idea was sparked when Wat Phakho’s Phra Kru Mack noticed that people were fascinated with tales about Luang Pu Thuat, a legendary Buddhist monk in Songkhla in the early 16th century. Luang Pu Thuat is believed to have performed many miracles, including turning salty seawater into fresh drinking water by just touching it with his feet.
So, Phra Kru decided to bring this story to life by volunteering to take tourists to Luang Pu Thuat’s birthplace and showing them how the iconic monk must have performed his many miracles. After doing this for a while, Phra Kru decided that this could be turned into a proper money-making enterprise. So, he proposed that the community establish a tourism enterprise in Luang Pu Thuat’s birthplace. This would not only bring Luang Pu Thuat’s legends back to life, but would also boost the community’s income.
The first step was creating a pilgrimage for tourists to check out all the temples that the legendary monk was involved in. The pilgrimage starts with Wat Ton Liap, where the monk’s baby placenta was buried and where wishes for prosperity come true; Wat De Luang where Luang Pu Thuat was ordained and where people can pray for success in work, studies and finance; the Napuk Play Monastery, where the mythological king of snakes, Phaya Ngu, reportedly released a crystal ball and now apparently grants wishes of health, wealth and peace; and Wat Phakho, where Luang Pu Thuat retreated for Buddhist Lent and where prayers for prosperity are believed to come true.
Apart from the pilgrimage, the celebrated monk’s story is told through augmented reality (AR), while tourists get to journey through places that Luang Pu Thuat visited, culminating at his birthplace. This helps different communities earn an income and tourists are given something off the beaten track.
Luang Pu Thuat’s story can also be followed through Facebook, e-books, brochures and travel websites.
Mr.Bunsiri Suwansri, Chairman of Luang Pu Thuat’s birthplace community enterprise, said this tourism platform taking tourists on journeys in the footsteps of the fabled monk has created jobs and is generating income for families. He said people can work on this platform when they are not farming, and this earns the community about 200,000 baht per year on average.
The plan is to make Luang Pu Thuat’s stories better known through posts on social media and TikTok content, which have already started attracting attention.
InnovationA tourism platform that connects tourists with communities so they can get a first-hand experience of the way of life at Luang Pu Thuat’s birthplace. Tourists can also follow the revered monk’s footsteps and get an idea of life during his time through the use of augmented reality technology. Apart from getting a chance to enjoy local delicacies and shop for souvenirs, visitors also get to soak up the true identity of the place through this story-telling medium, which adds value to Songkhla province.
GrowthTo grow the business three-fold, the community enterprise of Luang Pu Thuat’s birthplace will focus on expanding promotions through social media and TikTok as well as creating more activities for tourists.
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