Communication of Southern Identity in Provincial Costume Narratives: A Case Study of Miss Grand Thailand Pageants, 2016 - 2024

Abstract

This research aims to examine how southern Thai identity is communicated and how meaning is semiotically constructed through provincial costume narratives presented at the Miss Grand Thailand pageants from 2016 to 2024. This narratives play a significant role in expressing local cultural identity within the digital media environment. Using a qualitative research design, the study collected 111 provincial costume narratives from 14 southern provinces via  the YouTube channel “Beam Nattapong, Grand TV” through purposive sampling. Data were analyzed using content analysis and Barthes (1957) semiotic framework. 
The findings identify six major of southern identity represented in the costumes: local culture, tourist attractions, religious beliefs, local traditions, dialects, and local cuisine. Local culture emerged as the most prominent category (49.54%). Semiotic analysis further demonstrates that these narratives communicate identity across three layers of meaning denotation, connotation, and cultural myth, revealing how southern identity is negotiated at the intersection of tradition and modernity. The study concludes that beauty pageants operate as contemporary public spaces where local identities are negotiated and disseminated via digital media, thereby contributing to the preservation and reinterpretation of cultural heritage.