NAKHON SI THAMMARAT MUSLIM BUSINESS CLUB: MANAGING DA'WAH AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP AMONG MUSLIM MINORITIES IN THE SOUTHERN THAILAND

Abstract

Pattani is not a single representation of the Islamic existence in Thailand,
because in reality Muslim societies have been living in various regions. One
place where Muslim societies can form new identities is in the Nakhon Si
Thammarat province, where they are able to transform into an adaptive and
highly competitive group. To examine more deeply this phenomenon, this study
uses a type of qualitative research with a descriptive approach, and emphasizes
the interactive data analysis of the Miles and Huberman models. The results of
field research show that one of the manifestations of Muslim existence is to
establish Nakhon Si Thammarat Muslim Business Club (NMBC). In its
existence, NMBC has two main functions: First, to bridge and unite the power of Muslim entrepreneurs from micro to large scale. Secondly, to become a da’wah institution on Islamic philanthropy based on the belief that the more charity, the more business will develop. NMBC gives direction to the development of Muslim entrepreneurship in two ways: First, positioning the majority group as partners, not competitors. Second, to strengthen the Blue Ocean strategy in which Muslim entrepreneurs must find new business sector gaps that are not controlled by the majority group.