This is an investigation of changes to the nora rong kru ritual in Ban Plai Ramai, a Siamese Malaysian Community in Kedah State, Malaysia. The study examined the experiences of two nora groups in the village and found a number of internal factors that had affected both change and continuity in the traditional ritual style. These were community beliefs, local sociocultural context, and lack of both equipment and practitioners. External factors causing changes were the media, technology, and wider sociocultural context. The major adaptations of the form and culture were: (1) Women are now permitted to be group masters and play an important part in the music and dance of nora rong kru groups; (2) the style has been adapted for modern equipment; and (3) Malaysian groups have begun to hire personnel from Thailand to respond to audience demands for authenticity and to encourage conservation. Whilst the aesthetics of the performances have changed, the ultimate objectives of ritual nora rong kru continue.

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