This article is a study of Likay Wik, a
traditional Thai theatrical drama
examined through stage performances and
social activities that are shared commonly
by Likay performers and the groups of
regular audiences. The study aims at
acquiring a comprehensive insight into the
contemporary life of people in Bangkok
society between 2006 and 2007. The
conceptual framework is based on
Tanabe’s “imagining community”
(Tanabe 2008). The findings reveal a type
of community that belongs to lower class
people and their main method of creating
a social network to open space for
themselves in city living. There is fictive
kinship creation which has emerged within
3 types of social space: 1) the interaction
space in the daily life of the performers
and the audience, 2) the performance
space at the front of stage, and 3) the
ritual space.
Introduction
Since the time of the transformation