Tourism in Thailand–Authenticity as “Insta-bae” for Japanese Tourists: A Case Study of Wat Paknam Bhasicharoen
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Abstract
The Thai temple or wat is regarded as one of the most salient features of Thailand tourism. Some Thai temples are likely to be well known by a specific tourist grouping. Wat Paknam Bhasicharoen (also known as Wat Paknam Phasi Charoen) is one of these places, having drawn a number of Japanese tourists in recent years. This article aims to study the social construction of authentic experience for Japanese tourists at this temple. The research also intends to look at how Japanese tourists interpret the functional objects it contains, and to draw upon Baudrillard’s theory of “the system of objects” in the context of Thai temple tourism. To conceptualize authenticity, Baudrillard’s ideas about functional objects were used extensively, especially those regarding interior design and atmosphere. Methodologically, I conducted qualitative research, employing a documentary research technique in which I researched Japanese tourists’ Instagram and Tripadvisor posts. The findings indicate that authenticity, here, refers to the interpretation of the temple as “Insta-bae,” which renders it authentic for Japanese tourists without affecting its Buddhism-related function. What Japanese tourists view as authentic are the interior design and atmosphere, which are functional objects in the temple. I argue, therefore, that authenticity is socially and differently constructed for Japanese tourists, in that their interpretations and experience regarding this temple differ from those of Thai Buddhists.
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