From Belief to Cultural Capital: The Dynamics of the Mutelu Trend in Thai Society from 2015 to 2024

Abstract

This article aims to Examine the development and influence of the Mutelu trend in Thai society from 2015 to 2024, a period of continuous social, economic, and cultural change. These changes influenced the Mutelu trend’s adaptation patterns throughout the era, contributing to its emergence as a belief system that responds to the needs of people in a constantly changing society. This study used a qualitative method and relied on data sets obtained from documentary research.
The Mutelu trend in Thai society is a social phenomenon that reflects the high adaptability of beliefs and sacred objects in Thai society, regardless of social context. Because this trend has not declined with developments in modern society but has consistently transformed and adapted to the changing social context. Furthermore, it seamlessly integrates itself with capital, technology, markets, and consumption systems. Obvious, from 2015 to 2019, the Mutelu trend clearly emerged and was continuously reproduced through the media, leading to a shift in consumer preferences of beliefs. Subsequently from 2019 to 2022, the Mutelu trend became an important psychological healing mechanisms for people and a source of income for entrepreneurs amid the pandemic. Clearly, it affected society and economy instability. Then between 2022 and 2024, Mutelu has evolved into a cultural product capable of high-value commercialization, and it also represents the social identity of people who still believe in sacred things in the digital age.
Therefore, the Mutelu trend in Thai society represents a transcendence of religious boundaries and the spiritual benefits of belief, transforming it into cultural capital. Its ability to convert beliefs into valuable economic assets makes Mutelu a potential key driver in Thailand’s future creative economy.