Abstract

This qualitative study aimed to investigate the informal learning of Thai Chinese in Songkhla Province through Qingming tradition. The data were collected from in-depth interviews and participatory observations with 30 subjects who were Thai Chinese.
The results of the study revealed that Thai Chinese in Songkhla Province learn Quingming tradition through adults in their family since they were children. Adults teach, practice and take children with them to perform rituals on Qingming Day. Children take part with interest and when they grow up and become teenagers, they participate in the tradition by helping to prepare items that are used in worshiping their ancestors. When they become adults and have a career to earn a living, they are assigned to prepare all the worship items for the rituals every year as their parents get old. Thus, this is the way Qingming tradition is learned by Thai Chinese; they learn it informally as the tradition is passed down from one generation to the next. Therefore, new generations of Thai Chinese will continue learning this tradition into the future and this helps keeping it in Thai society.

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