Si Thep as a Historical Park and World Heritage Site: An Analysis of Social Media Content and Public Perception Trends on YouTube

Main Article Content

Sutthiphod Phiranawong

Abstract

The ancient city of Si Thep and related Dvaravati-era archaeological sites in Phetchabun Province have been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, increasing their recognition on social media. Extensive online content has been produced about Si Thep City, and the term “Si Thep City” has been widely searched online. The purpose of this research is to summarize the key content of 68 YouTube videos on Si Thep presented by communicators (i.e., video creators) as well as viewer perception trends through comments. The methods used include summarization and word analysis techniques using Word Cloud. The study found that the communicators presented information on history, topography, urban planning, art, archaeological sites, culture, religion, and beliefs. Meanwhile, the word analysis of the comments reflected topics such as geography, civilization, culture, identity, interest in seeking factual knowledge, as well as the expression of attitudes and emotions. This study uses computer-assisted language analysis to understand thoughts and responses to various issues in online society, which serves as a large repository of language data. The results indicate that although scholars present information based on new evidence to improve knowledge accuracy, the public’s existing understanding from various past sources remains popular and trusted. This is illustrated by the still common misunderstanding of referring to the “Khom” and “Khmer” people and cultures interchangeably, even though they are not the same.

Article Details

How to Cite
Phiranawong, S. (2025). Si Thep as a Historical Park and World Heritage Site: An Analysis of Social Media Content and Public Perception Trends on YouTube. Journal of Humanities Naresuan University, 22(3), 167–192. retrieved from https://so03.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/jhnu/article/view/289572
Section
Research Article / Academic Article

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