Ecological Worldview in Kap Ho Khlong: The Royal Progress to Than Thong Daeng (Kap Ho Khlong Praphat Than Thong Daeng)

Abstract

Background and Aims: The contemporary world is confronting an escalating environmental crisis, a situation that calls for the systematic development of conceptual frameworks and the cultivation of human ecological consciousness toward nature. Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) accordingly seeks to integrate cross-disciplinary knowledge in order to foster a holistic understanding of ecological systems. Within this context, the Thai literary work Kap Ho Khlong Praphat Than Thong Daeng constitutes a text that vividly reflects the relationship between humans and nature, and is therefore examined here through the framework of Ecocriticism. This study aims (1) to propose an approach to environmental learning that analyses the relationships among living organisms as represented in Thai literary composition, and (2) to demonstrate the potential of Thai literature in promoting learners' environmental knowledge and understanding.

Methodology: This study employed interpretive analysis, relating the Thai literary work Kap Ho Khlong Praphat Than Thong Daeng to the framework of Ecocriticism in conjunction with ecological concepts concerning the relationships among organisms within an ecosystem, which are classified into three types: positive relationships, negative relationships, and neutral relationships. The findings are presented in the form of descriptive analysis, supported by illustrative excerpts from the literary text.

Results: The Thai literary work Kap Ho Khlong Praphat Than Thong Daeng clearly reflects the ecological relationships among organisms, which can be classified into three types: positive relationships, such as the relationship between humans and elephants and that of epiphytic plants relying on large trees; negative relationships, such as the predator–prey interaction between snakes and rats; and neutral relationships, such as the coexistence of different species within the same area without mutual impact. The work further reflects the worldview of people in the Ayutthaya period, which was grounded in the observation of nature and can be connected to scientific knowledge of ecological systems. Learning through literature in this manner enables learners to understand the relationships among organisms and to recognise the consequences of natural-resource use; it also demonstrates that Thai literature can serve as a medium for promoting environmental learning and sustainable development.