Beliefs and Rituals : A study of Development Model of Buddhist Temples in Bangkok Metropolitan and Vicinities for Cultural Tourism Sites

Abstract

Nowadays cultural tourism in temples are very popular among the people who search for merit making and cultural learning. This study aimed at: 1) discovering the historical aspects of  beliefs and rituals of the temples in Bangkok Metropolitan and vicinities; 2) investigating the contemporary situation, problems, and the uses of beliefs and rituals in Bangkok Metropolitan and vicinities for the development;  and 3) exploring the model of using beliefs and rituals  in the temples of Bangkok Metropolitan and vicinities for cultural tourism sites. Five temples in Bangkok Metropolitan and five temples in its vicinities were studied. Data were collected through documenting, interviews and observations between September 2013-September 2014. The data were checked for their accountability with triangulation techniques, analyzed. The results of the study showed that  each temple has its own  uniqueness in terms of religious building, religious objects, and rituals which are considered as dominant things that attract  tourist attentions. Regarding the problems, they were about information distributing, personnel, environmental scenery, health, and misunderstanding.