The Design of Thai Cultural Tourism Activities: A Case Study of Tha Phrachan and Bang Lumphu Areas

Abstract

This article aims to 1) explore the potential of Tha Phrachan and Bang Lamphu areas to serve as Thai-style tourism routes and 2) develop a prototype walking tour through activities designed to stimulate all five senses - sight, taste, smell, sound, and touch - based on the concepts of Creative Tourism and High - Value Tourism. A mixed - methods approach was employed, including document analysis, field surveys, activity design, and the implementation of prototype tours for a purposively selected sample of 25 participants. Data collection methods included questionnaires and Focus Group discussions. The findings reveal that Tha Phrachan and Bang Lamphu possess significant historical and cultural value, allowing for effective integration of local heritage storytelling into immersive tourism experiences. In particular, Bang Lamphu demonstrated strong community engagement and the ability to develop sustainable tourism initiatives rooted in local knowledge.

The research results found, 1) the Thai way of life tourism route in the case of the Tha Phrachan and Bang Lamphu neighborhoods represents a high-potential cultural learning area with significant academic value, distinctive historical identity, and a favorable geographic location with convenient access. However, it lacks integrated tourism management at the neighborhood area. If local communities actively collaborate with government agencies, there is potential to enhance and elevate tourism in the future. 2) The sample group expressed the highest level of satisfaction with the prototype tourism route across five key dimensions: physical environment, image, emotional experience, knowledge acquisition, and cultural value. They also reported a high level of satisfaction with social interaction along the route.