Interpreting Cultural Heritage towards Sustainable Tourism in Si Phanom Mat, Laplae, Uttaradit, Thailand

Abstract

This dissertation seeks to interpret the values of cultural heritage and create a plan to help the town of Si Phanom Mat in Laplae, Uttaradit province in Thailand, move towards sustainable tourism. The research objectives for the dissertation were to investigate and interpret values of cultural heritages to specific groups of stakeholders and form plans for sustainable tourism that can benefit the local community, tourists, and local government, as well as create a framework for future research on community participation in sustainable tourism development.

The scope of this dissertation includes information on Si Phanom Mat related to tourism and cultural heritage. These are divided into two groups: values of cultural heritages, and cultural heritages and tourism. The research focuses on qualitative methods, with primary data collection using focus groups, in-depth interviews, participant observations, informal conversations, and surveys. The secondary data collection involves analyzing maps, journals, case studies, online resources, and documents.

The research discovered that for local people, food ranked first as the most important tangible cultural resource, followed by traditional customs and old houses. In relation to intangible cultural assets, the local story of the Widow of Laplae ranked as the most important asset, followed by local beliefs and the personalities of local people. The research also uncovered some issues and challenges in tourism development, including a lack of community participation due to the local government employing a top-down approach. In addition, local people tend to focus on a ‘slow’ life so some feel that involvement in tourism development may change their lifestyle which leads to a lack of participation. Some issues and challenges in heritage conservation and interpretation include having only one tour guide and lack of English translation in heritage places. To assist Si Phanom Mat move towards sustainable tourism, the proposals include establishing a local Sustainable Tourism Council and developing a living cultural heritage performance about the Widow of Laplae.

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