The Journal of the Siam Society Vol. LXXI, Part 1-2, 1983 - Khamkoo

90 David L. Gosling
market and financial center for a wide range of light industry ( eg. furniture and bricks),
commercial agricultural products (tobacco and tea), and handicrafts (silk, woodcar,ving,
and silver work). The city is also the fo~al pohit of contact between Thai economic
and political officialdom and the chao khao or hill tribes· (to use a term which effectively
challenges the conventional notion of distinct ethnic tribal groups.< 4))
According to the 1970 Census 94% ofthe 84, 000 inhabitants of Chiang Mai
municipality declare themselves to be Buddhist. There are approximately 70 wats within
the municipality, of which about 35 are located inside the walls of the old city. According
to a survey conducted by Charles Keyes between 1972 arid 1974 an average wat
in the Chiang Mai municipality (thetsaban) contains five monks and 12 novices. Average
congregation sizes vary from about 50 at the weekly wan phra (Sunday) services
during Lent to 70 at major holy day festivals (eg., Songkran, Og Phansa, Khao Phansa).
Keyes maintains that "not more than ten per cent of the "Buddhist" population ·or
Chiang Mai city are members of the "supporting congregation" of any wat", and that
"secular influences have strongly challenged the role which the wat traditionally filled".