“Nirat Song” : The continuation of The Nirat convention and the Creation of Literature to Promote Tourism in Thailand

Abstract

This research aims to study the popular Thai poetic tradition known as “Nirat”, specifically to explore use of the Nirat convention to promote tourism in Thailand. The research reveals two approaches to song titling: titles based on location of romance and titles based on songs’ setting. The story told by the lyrics is also divided into two groups, the Nirat songs which features travel, or the passage of time along with the manifestation of love or romantic mourning, and the Nirat songs that feature travel or passage of time to present experiences related to that place. The song’s title references the name of the place and the story within the lyrics, encompassing both physical travel and the passage of time - sentiment of loving remembrance and the inclusion of descriptive information about the observed location. These characteristics collectively represent the established literary convention that are preserved in the “Nirat Songs” which demonstrate the continuation, adaptation, and application of the traditional Nirat form to suit the modern era and respond to the tourism industry.