Ethnic Identity, Language Revitalization, and Intercultural Education among the Urak Lawoi in Thailand

Abstract

This article examines a long-term, community-based effort to strengthen ethnic recognition and address educational inequity among the Urak Lawoi, an indigenous Austronesian-speaking community on Lanta Island, Southern Thailand. Situated within a complex interethnic context involving Thai Muslims, Thai Chinese, and Southern Thai populations, the study explores how language revitalization, Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE), and Intercultural Education (ICE) have been integrated over more than fifteen years through participatory action research guided by the Mahidol Model. Drawing on ethnographic documentation, educational interventions, and reflective analysis, the article demonstrates how the use of a Thai-based Urak Lawoi orthography, culturally grounded curricula, and intercultural learning spaces contributed to strengthening ethnic identity, cultural confidence, and social inclusion. At the same time, it critically examines ongoing tensions related to language maintenance, assimilationist pressures, and the sustainability of community-based educational initiatives. By foregrounding education as a key site for recognizing and embracing ethnic identity within broader interethnic relations, this case contributes to social science debates on educational justice, interculturality, and minority recognition in Southeast Asia and beyond.