Zen Teh
Observational Videos
of Selected Sites
From formal spiritual establishments to informally established sites and everyday spaces, Zen Teh studied these sites through drone videography and observational videos of how local people interacted with these sites. Thailand as a Buddhist country inherently display the prowess of environmental conservation through monk work – the use of holy fabric and ritualistic practices bestows a sense of sacred spirituality to the trees in the selected areas, and sometimes the entire mountain (such as at Wat Phrathat Doi Tung, Wat Phrathat Doi Kong Khao, Wat Phrathat Wang Sang), preventing any deforestation or illegal logging to occur. Perhaps not always applicable to all areas, but the landscapes that Teh observed surrounding non-Buddhist sites don’t always have the same level of environmental conservation, despite the other religious groups interviewed sharing similar appreciation for nature. Land changes due to development plans and private land ownership seems to be more common at non-Buddhist sites. In her site studies using drone videography nearby Pangsa Islamic Mosque, St. Stephen Church and Tupu Monastery/Wat Phrathat Thamtupu, such observations reflected some level of religious political dynamics in Thailand; albeit it does not connote that any religion is less sacred or important.