KPRU Celebrates Thai Heritage through Music, Dance and International Cultural Collaboration

Kamphaeng Phet Rajabhat University (KPRU), through Office of Arts and Culture, organised a cultural and local wisdom preservation event to mark Thai Heritage Conservation Day on 2 April 2025 at Kamphaeng Phet Provincial Museum (Ruen Thai). The event featured Thai music, traditional Thai dance and international dance performances in honour of Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn. Supattra Khlaithim, Deputy Governor of Kamphaeng Phet Province, presided over the opening ceremony, while Assistant Professor Dr. Preeyanuch Prompasit, President of KPRU, delivered the introductory report.
The programme featured “Rabam Athitthan” (a traditional Thai dance expressing wishes and aspirations) and “Rabam Dok Bua” (the Lotus Dance), performed by students from the dance club of the Sirindhorn Ethics Education Centre in Kamphaeng Phet. These students come from schools across the province and join the club to learn and practise traditional Thai dance. The event gave local young people opportunities to share their talents with the public, apply their training on stage and contribute to the preservation of Thai cultural heritage. Dance groups from Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Indonesia and Russia also participated, bringing international cultural perspectives to the programme. Another highlight was Khon, Thailand’s traditional masked dance-drama, featuring episodes from the Ramakien, the Thai adaptation of the Ramayana. These included “Phai Nari,” “The Disappearance of Sita,” “Hanuman Captures Suphannamatcha” and “Rama Battles Tosakanth.” The performance brought together current and former dance club members alongside performing arts specialists.

Musical accompaniment was provided by KPRU’s Piphat Mon ensemble, a traditional ensemble featuring percussion and wind instruments, together with lecturer Anulak Asasu and students from the Music Education Programme, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. Their participation enabled university students to apply their musical skills in a live performance setting and contribute to the transmission of traditional artistic knowledge through collaboration with performers and artists.

There were more than 30 performances organized by the university in 2025.