Homestays and the Construction of the Idealized Countryside of Urban People: A Case Study of Northern Thailand

Abstract

Although homestays in Thailand have objective to develop local residential areas for tourist especially urban people who want to experience of the local life, Homestays construct the idealized countryside by adhering to urban people. Homestays construct the idealized countryside to respond to nostalgia, perspectives, and lifestyles of urban people. This article will propose a case study in the northern region of Thailand, which is often perceived as the idealized countryside. Besides, this article proposes that the construction of the idealized countryside by homestays is rigid and not have dynamic change. This contradicts with the fact that local communities are transformed by the influence of homestays.