Disappearing Nomads - Livelihood Transformations and Impacts of Development on Maniq People in Phatthalung Province, Thailand
(2025) SGEM08 20251Department of Human Geography
- Abstract
- This thesis examines the transformation of livelihood strategies and cultural landscapes of the Maniq ethnic group, the only Negrito indigenous community in Thailand who live a nomadic lifestyle based on hunting and gathering in the Banthat mountain range, Phatthalung Province. Drawing on qualitative fieldwork, the study analyzes the impacts of state development policies, environmental change, and spatial dynamics on Maniq people's lifestyle and adaptation in Kong Ra and Pa Bon districts,. The theoretical framework brings together Political Ecology, Cultural Ecology, the Sustainable Livelihood Framework (SLF), and the concept of Everyday Resistance. The study results reveal that the decline in natural resources and legal limitations on... (More)
- This thesis examines the transformation of livelihood strategies and cultural landscapes of the Maniq ethnic group, the only Negrito indigenous community in Thailand who live a nomadic lifestyle based on hunting and gathering in the Banthat mountain range, Phatthalung Province. Drawing on qualitative fieldwork, the study analyzes the impacts of state development policies, environmental change, and spatial dynamics on Maniq people's lifestyle and adaptation in Kong Ra and Pa Bon districts,. The theoretical framework brings together Political Ecology, Cultural Ecology, the Sustainable Livelihood Framework (SLF), and the concept of Everyday Resistance. The study results reveal that the decline in natural resources and legal limitations on forest rights have led Maniq people to rely more on external resources. This has shifted their reliance primarily on Natural Capital to Financial and Human Capital through wage labor, state welfare, and adaptation in education, language, and consumption practices. Although gaining Thai citizenship and personal status has improved opportunities for access to rights and welfare, it has also placed pressure on Maniq people to settle permanently, which has affected their traditional nomadic lifestyle. Moreover, there are notable differences in responses to policies and their impacts among Kong Ra and Pa Bon communities, reflecting inequalities in access to resources, differing trust in the state and diverse social capital. The study recommends that future policy development should be flexible, culturally sensitive, and grounded in meaningful community participation. It should support internal capacity building through the promotion of Human and Social Capital, while aligning development efforts with local cultural contexts to safeguard ethnic identity, protect cultural diversity, and foster inclusive and sustainable development in the long term. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9194023
- author
- Krahomvong, Krittaboon LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- SGEM08 20251
- year
- 2025
- type
- H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
- subject
- keywords
- Maniq people, Livelihood transformations, Political ecology, Sustainable livelihood framework, Cultural change, Thailand
- language
- English
- id
- 9194023
- date added to LUP
- 2025-06-09 10:33:57
- date last changed
- 2025-06-09 10:33:57
@misc{9194023,
abstract = {{This thesis examines the transformation of livelihood strategies and cultural landscapes of the Maniq ethnic group, the only Negrito indigenous community in Thailand who live a nomadic lifestyle based on hunting and gathering in the Banthat mountain range, Phatthalung Province. Drawing on qualitative fieldwork, the study analyzes the impacts of state development policies, environmental change, and spatial dynamics on Maniq people's lifestyle and adaptation in Kong Ra and Pa Bon districts,. The theoretical framework brings together Political Ecology, Cultural Ecology, the Sustainable Livelihood Framework (SLF), and the concept of Everyday Resistance. The study results reveal that the decline in natural resources and legal limitations on forest rights have led Maniq people to rely more on external resources. This has shifted their reliance primarily on Natural Capital to Financial and Human Capital through wage labor, state welfare, and adaptation in education, language, and consumption practices. Although gaining Thai citizenship and personal status has improved opportunities for access to rights and welfare, it has also placed pressure on Maniq people to settle permanently, which has affected their traditional nomadic lifestyle. Moreover, there are notable differences in responses to policies and their impacts among Kong Ra and Pa Bon communities, reflecting inequalities in access to resources, differing trust in the state and diverse social capital. The study recommends that future policy development should be flexible, culturally sensitive, and grounded in meaningful community participation. It should support internal capacity building through the promotion of Human and Social Capital, while aligning development efforts with local cultural contexts to safeguard ethnic identity, protect cultural diversity, and foster inclusive and sustainable development in the long term.}},
author = {{Krahomvong, Krittaboon}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Disappearing Nomads - Livelihood Transformations and Impacts of Development on Maniq People in Phatthalung Province, Thailand}},
year = {{2025}},
}