A STUDY OF THAI’S FANCLUB CASE STUDY: "ONE DAY TRIP WITH GULF IN THONBURI"

Abstract

This research is qualitative research. The objective of this study was to 1) study the context of the content and the location context on the travel decisions, and 2) study behaviors of Thai fans in celebrity-induced tourism: The Case of "One Day Trip with the Gulf in Thonburi." A phenomenal research method was used. Data was collected through in-depth interviews with "Gulf" Kanawut Tripipattanaphong’s Thai’s fanclub who traveled in the footsteps of the "One Day Trip with Gulf in Thonburi" campaign. Research questions, videos, and audio recordings were collected and used for the research tools. The data was analyzed by using descriptive analysis techniques.

The results of the study found that 1) content context and location context influence motivation and affect the decision to travel to follow in the footsteps of their favorite actors. In order to visit the places where the actors traveled, they were promoted through various media and also did activities to imitate the actors, such as taking pictures, eating the same food, etc. And 2) for the celebrity-inducted tourists' behavior, their initial inspiration came from being fans of the actor and wanting to show their loyalty by supporting what the actors have as presenters. Moreover, the Thai fans believed that if an artist receives full support from fans, he or she will get more employment from various agencies, both in the public and private sectors. In addition, from the study of fan groups who like to travel, according to the actors are female, most are teenagers and working age. Their happiness is enjoying the activities that follow the roles of the actors and also relieve stress from their daily lives. It can be concluded that the actors have a huge influence on Thai fans’ travel behavior.