Abstract:
The objectives of this research were: 1) to study the way of life and livelihoods and the following aspects: the environment, economic, social, and culture of the dam community after the dam construction, 2) to analyze of the dam construction project that caused change to the livelihoods and aforementioned aspects of the dam community, to propose a solution to improve the lifestyle of the affected residents that encourages a self-sufficient way of life to meet with the Sufficiency Economy proposed by the current King Bhumibol of Thailand. The study focused on three affected village communities in three different districts of the Nakhon Ratchasima Province: KrabeuangYai, Naimuang, and Taluang. Data were collected by interviews, participatory and non-participatory observation, and focused group. Samples were 39 internal informants and 13 external informants with a total number of 52 key informants, which consisted of community leaders, residents, government officials, and NGO workers. Content analysis was used to analyzed data.The research was found that: 1) Before building the dam, local people agriculture for living. The natural resources were prosperous. Extended-family structure was applied in the social and cultural contexts, focusing on community leaders and Buddhist principles. 2) During the construction of the dam, the community lifestyle started to change because of expropriating the lands for building the dam. the consequences after as follows. The immigration of first the local people to other natural forest arias. Which were cleared and claimed the ownership. there were problems with the manufactory factors. Moreover, it caused the climate change which brought flash floods and drought. the community countered another problem which is related to an economic system depending on market trends. The social and cultural system started to become more independent. 3) and the dam after was found that there were changing of environment system that become deterioration from the governmental sectors policy that lack of community participation. For economic aspect found that the self-efficient economic of the community was shifted to capitalism to response to the country economic system. For social aspect found that there was the changing in way of life to consumerism, the increasing on production factors and the problems on social condition. And for cultural aspect found that belief and value had changing and created the new value and way of life of the young generation was depended up on consumerism. However, there and the awareness on culture and local wisdom of community that have been carried on from their ancestor.The optimal solution proposed is to aim for a self-sufficient community in line with the Sufficiency Economy model proposed by King Bhumibol of Thailand. The residents of the communities should re-adopt the lifestyles they led before the dam construction and synthesize that with the current lifestyles they lead. The people should rely more on nature and organic agricultural means. Expenses can be lowered by forgoing capitalism and reverting back to having agriculture has a means to feed the community rather than as an investment potential. All three communities from the group seminar has agreed that the Phimai Dam is the blood of the Phimai community, flowing to and providing for all who depend on it. The construction of the dam has drastically changed the environment and livelihood of the people, mostly for the worse, community had to faced with adaptation to the western consumerism development. The stance this study takes is that the affected communities should have voice in the matter regarding the Phimai dam. The government should take their stance into serious consideration regarding what must be done, and base their decisions in line with the Kings philosophy of Sufficiency Economy.