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Local Wisdom and Traditional Knowledge Research in Thailand: Publication Growth, Scholarly Networks, and Emerging Themes

Manavavee Mamah 1 TH , Badriyah Yusof 2 BN , Khalilah Hassan 3 MY
1 Department of Malay Language for Business, Yala Rajabhat University, Thailand
2 Department of Malay Language and Malay Linguistics, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Brunei Darussalam
3 Sustainability, Urban Design and Well-being Research Group, Universiti Malaysia Kelantan, Malaysia
Published 2026-06-30
Vol. 2 No. 1 (2026) Pages 76-101
DOI https://doi.org/10.65508/df5v0v86
Views / Downloads 107 46
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Abstract

Local wisdom, indigenous knowledge, and traditional knowledge are increasingly important to research on biodiversity conservation, public health, food security, cultural continuity, and sustainable development. In Thailand, however, scholarship on these knowledge systems remains fragmented across disciplines and publication outlets, limiting an integrated understanding of the field. This study mapped the growth, intellectual structure, influential contributors, geographical relationships, and thematic evolution of relevant research published between 2017 and 2026. Bibliographic records were retrieved from Scopus using a TITLE-ABS-KEY search combining “local wisdom,” “indigenous knowledge,” or “traditional knowledge” with “Thailand.” After PRISMA-guided screening, 303 English-language documents were analyzed using Microsoft Excel, VOSviewer, and Biblioshiny. Analyses covered publication and citation performance, source and author productivity, PageRank centrality, country collaboration, keyword co-occurrence, thematic mapping, and thematic evolution. Publication output increased markedly, especially after 2023, while papers published from 2019 to 2021 showed the strongest citation impact. Plants, Biodiversitas, and Sustainability were among the most productive sources, while Thailand dominated corresponding authorship and occupied the central position in the international bibliographic network. Ethnobotany, medicinal plants, biodiversity, traditional food systems, and community-based knowledge formed the mature conceptual core, whereas sustainability, food security, cultural heritage, and knowledge management emerged as developing themes. By integrating conventional performance indicators with network centrality and temporal thematic analysis, this study provides a country-level map of a fragmented literature within Thailand and its international scholarly connections. The findings establish a systematic baseline for future scholarship and support broader interdisciplinary collaboration, ethical knowledge governance, community participation, and greater attention to education, language, cultural rights, and intergenerational knowledge transmission.

Keywords: Bibliometric analysis Indigenous knowledge Local wisdom Thailand Traditional knowledge

How to Cite

Mamah, M., Yusof, B., & Hassan, K. . (2026). Local Wisdom and Traditional Knowledge Research in Thailand: Publication Growth, Scholarly Networks, and Emerging Themes. Journal of Local Wisdom in Education, 2(1), 76-101. https://doi.org/10.65508/df5v0v86
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Copyright (c) 2026 Manavavee Mamah, Badriyah Yusof, Khalilah Hassan (Author)

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