TOURIST EXPERIENCES OF HEALTH TOURISM AT NATURAL HOT SPRINGS AFFECTING THAI TOURISTS’ SATISFACTION IN THONG PHA PHOOM, KARNCHANABURI PROVINCE

Abstract

 The objectives of this research article were to study: 1 ) the experiences of Thai tourists at the natural hot springs in Thong Pha Phum District, Kanchanaburi; 2) the satisfaction of Thai tourists who visited the natural hot springs in Thong Pha Phum District, Kanchanaburi; and 3) the influence of the tourism experience at the natural hot springs on the Thai tourists’ satisfaction. The sample group comprised 400 Thai tourists who had visited the natural hot springs in Thong Pha Phum District, Kanchanaburi Province, at least once. The statistics used for the data analysis included frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, t-test, ANOVA and Multiple Regression Analysis.
The findings revealed that the aspect that Thai tourists experienced the most when visiting the natural hot springs in Thong Pha Phum District, Kanchanaburi, was relaxation. Moreover, the aspect that had the highest level of satisfaction from Thai tourists was the fun and relaxation at the natural hot springs. The hypothesis testing results showed that gender, age, education, occupation and income did not influence differences in the tourists’ experience whereas marital status yielded a difference at the statistical significance of .05 level. Amenities and benefits also influenced the satisfaction of Thai tourists.