Korat Song: From Local Wisdom to Cultural Heritage

Abstract

          Korat songs are folk performing arts of Nakhon Ratchasima Province without use of the music but a sense of singer. The songs were regularly used in ceremonies to convey stories of people from the town of Nakhon Ratchasima dating back to ancient times. Due to the passage of time, appreciation of the Korat song has decreased, and the folk performing arts considered as cultural heritage are diminishing accordingly. Therefore, Korat songs have to be preserved as a cultural heritage of Nakhon Ratchasima by using marketing mix concept based on marketing theories for promoting cultural tourism as follows: product - creating a wide variety of Korat songs touching audiences’ heart, price – restrictions on the prices, place – online distribution channels, promotion – playing Korat songs in festivals and promoting them through online media, physical evidence – increasing parking capacity, tour bus numbers and facilities for listening to the songs, process – offering lyrics of Korat songs and product payment service through smart phone application and people – educating and training new generation as to singing Korat songs in educational institutes as well as increasing numbers of lecturers in delivering information of Korat songs.