The Development of 55 Thailand Sub-Provinces Database for Smart Buddhist Tourism

Abstract

This research paper has 3 objectives as follows: 1) to survey and design a database for 55 Thailand sub-provinces in order to promote smart Buddhist tourism; 2) to collect all sorts of field data from 55 Thailand sub-provinces for smart Buddhist tourism; and 3) to develop 55 Thailand sub-provinces database for promoting smart Buddhist tourism. The research methodology was a type of mixed method, integrating documentary research, qualitative research, and action research. The key informants were 79 abbots or custodians of the target tourist and meditation temples, as well as 9 Thai Buddhist Tourism specialists. The research tools were in-depth interview, focus group discussion, observation, and data analysis. The content analysis method was used to analyze the documentary data, and descriptive analysis was used to analyze the field data.

The results revealed that all these tourist places were compatible with the 5 components of tourism, such as accessibility, attraction, amenities, activities, and ancillary services. Tourists will gain values from 5 tourist routes according to similar outstanding characteristics in 2 aspects, which are concrete values or education and recreation aspects and abstract values, or Buddhist teachings and meditation aspects. The database for smart Buddhist tourism from this research will benefit both the government and private tourist sectors in economic, social, environmental, and local income interests. The body of knowledge from this research will be guidelines for standardizing other temples to be smart Buddhist tourist places in the future.