STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT OF CULTURAL TOURISM IN THE THAILAND-MYANMAR BORDER OF PRACHUAB KHIRI KHAN PROVINCE.

Abstract

            The development of border cultural tourism, in addition to building international relations, will also sustain the valuable culture of humanity. Prachuap Khiri Khan is a province that has a very high cultural capital and has a contact area with the Republic of the Union of Myanmar that has historically linked together since ancient times. Deserving to have a strategy for developing cultural tourism in the border that is linked in a policy.

            Therefore, this research aims to study ; 1) conditions and problems of obstacles to the development of cultural tourism in the Thailand-Myanmar border, Prachuap Khiri Khan province;  2) To create a strategy to develop cultural tourism in the Thailand-Myanmar border, Prachuap Khiri Khan province; 3) To create a guide for the use of cultural tourism development strategies, Thailand-Myanmar border, Prachuap Khiri Khan province; 4) To evaluate the use of cultural tourism development strategies Thailand-Myanmar border Prachuap Khiri Khan province by using policy research methods consists of 4 steps according to the research objectives. Informational groups are groups of people who are involved in cultural tourism in the area by purposive sampling method, which consisting of representatives from the government, the private sector, the local community leaders, academics and tourists, both of Thai and Myanmar. To conduct in-depth interviews of 40 people, target groups in the group discussion of 18 people and 18 experts in connoisseurship. Performed a SWOT analysis and proposed the development strategy with TOWS Matrix.

            The results of the current conditions of cultural tourism development in the Thailand-Myanmar border of Prachuap Khiri Khan found that the border areas of both countries have cultural and religious tourism sites, history and a unique way of life and low cost of living, especially, Prachuap Khiri Khan province have adequate facilities and accommodation for tourists, but there are the major problems of  tourist guides with the shortage of  the knowledge of cultural tourism site's history and lack of English and Myanmar language skills for communication, In addition, tourism communities in both of the Thailand and Myanmar border are lacking of understanding of the importance about  cultural tourism. There are some obstacles such as, the transportation to tourist areas on the Myanmar border, border security, and the Thai government has not yet opened the Singkhon border as a permanent border crossing point. Causing limitations on the length of stay. Therefor, the important opportunity is the opening of Singkhon as a permanent border crossing point, the strategic plan of Prachuap Khiri Khan province and policies to promote Thailand as a hub for international tourism.

            The results of the Thai-Myanmar border cultural tourism development strategy of Prachuap Khiri Khan Province consist of 6 strategies: 1) the knowledge management of cultural

tourism sites, 2) development of cultural tourism attractions, 3) development of the tourism personnel, 4) management of cultural tourism, 5) creating the persistence of community culture,  6) strengthening border security.

            The creation of a manual for the strategy of cultural tourism development in the Thailand-Myanmar border, Prachuap Khiri Khan province consists of 6 strategies, 35 tactics, 41 operational guidelines and 42 desired success results.

            The evaluation results of the Thailand-Myanmar border cultural tourism development strategy of Prachuap Khiri Khan province by 18 experts agreeing to confirm and certify the 6 strategies, according to a manual for the strategy.

            More important findings from this research are the policy suggestions, the manual for the strategy of cultural tourism development in the Thailand-Myanmar border, Prachuap Khiri Khan province, the storytelling : Moodong Old Singkhon Tanaintaryi Myeik : Thailand-Myanmar Relations, which is the part of the knowledge management strategy, and integrated operational guidelines to strengthen border security in cultural tourism development.