Open AccessA Place to P(r)ay: A Study of Spiritual Rituals in Bangkok Malls
Author(s) -
Nicha Wiboonpote,
Pat Seeumpornroj
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
nakhara : journal of environmental design and planning
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2651-2416
DOI - 10.54028/nj20166984
Subject(s) - phenomenon , buddhism , space (punctuation) , sociology , cultural phenomenon , aesthetics , social science , history , epistemology , art , philosophy , archaeology , linguistics
This research examines the phenomenon of Thai Buddhist elements for spiritual rituals in Bangkok malls.Today, religious settings are not only located in temples or churches, but they are also occasionally relocated to commercial spaces such as malls. This reflects the effort to bring the religion closer to the community and to use religion-related activities as a magnet that draws attention to the mall itself. Accordingly, this research explores the influences behind such happenings, which include spiritual beliefs, cultural practices of commercial spaces and marketing strategies. This phenomenon also leads to a wider aspect regarding the role of a mall in its community and space usages those went beyond commercial purposes.