TAF PUBLISHING

Three Southern borders of Thailand are a multicultural society that consists of relationships among three main cultures including Thai-Buddhist, Thai-Muslim, and Thai-Chinese. The unrest has occurred for more than fifteen years which many parties have tried to solve the problem. The understanding was developed from a concept study of multicultural competence. The objectives of this research were included 1) the study of the relationship of acculturation, and 2) the synthesis elements of the Characteristics in three Southern borders of Thailand through theories of Melting Pots and Salad Bowls. The research study is a qualitative method that thirties of past and present secondary data that were connected to cultural relations in three Southern borders of Thailand. Additionally, primary information from ten different cultural people who lived in this area was gathered through indepth interviewing. The results showed that 1) the relationship of acculturation were divided in four aspects that included the deep cultural identity, the two cultural blending, the three cultural integrating, and the cultural sensitivity, and 2) the synthesis elements of the Multicultural Characteristics in three Southern borders of Thailand revealed that it was the triple-stranded Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) of the existent three cultures. They were connected through Melting Pots theory in two cultural blending and three cultural integrating i.e., cuisine, clothing, medication, architecture, occupation, tourist attraction, and recreation while Salad Bowl theory influenced deep cultural identities, such as religious days and religious rites. However, there was a gap between cultures which was part of the cultural sensitivity, for example, the appropriate behavior in the different religious ceremonies that the understanding should be established to connect the triple helix DNA cultures. The results were the research framework that could be applied in the communication process for bridging the gap between multicultural in three Southern borders of Thailand.