Analysis of Image Reflection and Thai Linguistic Strategies in Keywords Round Responses of the Queen of the Wax Castle Pageant, Sakon Nakhon

Abstract

This research aims to 1) analyze the image reflection of Sakon Nakhon province through keyword round responses in the Queen of Wax Castle beauty pageant during 2023-2025, and 2) analyze Thai linguistic strategies employed in keyword round responses. This qualitative research utilized content analysis and discourse analysis methods, collecting 30 keywords from three consecutive years and transcribing responses from 30 contestants.

The findings reveal that keywords can be categorized into five dimensions: natural resources and tourist attractions (30 %), local products and economy (26.70 %), local wisdom (16.70 %), religion and cultural heritage (16.70 %), and royal projects and sustainable development (10%). This balanced distribution reflects a layered communication strategy that begins with attracting attention through natural beauty, extends to creating added value through local products, and deepens into cultural values. Contestants employed six linguistic strategies: 1) selecting vocabulary that conveys grandeur and sacredness, 2) using rhetorical expressions, 3) employing metaphors and similes, 4) persuading and inviting, 5) storytelling, and 6) utilizing diverse sentence structures. These strategies function as strategic tools to elevate the symbolic value of local resources.

The Queen of Wax Castle pageant thus represents a communication approach that integrates cultural platforms with strategic communication mechanisms by transforming contestants from subjects of judgment into powerful communicators of local identity. This model serves as a prototype that can be developed as a guideline for promoting provincial Soft Power and building sustainable strength in local communities