CULTURAL LANDSCAPE OF HOT SPRINGSTOWARD HEALHT TOURISM AND RECREATIONIN KANCHANABURI, THAILAND

Abstract

The dissertation examined the significance and focused two hot spring sites: Hin Dad and Lin Thin hot springs in the watershed called ‘River Kwai Noi Watershed of Thong Pha Phum’ in Kanchanaburi. The study connected between physical environment factors and socio-economic factors. Natural settings are physical environment factors which involved waterscape or/and landscape, animals or/and plants, and topography. Social settings are socio-economic factors that related to accessibility, community and culture within Thong Pha Phum, Kanchanaburi. Both natural and social settings around the hot springs determine good living environmental conditions for community that have the quality of health tourism and recreation in the area. Using its own advantages of natural and social settings, it may become the driving force of health tourism and recreation with concern on sustainable tourism development. The main purpose was to investigate the potential of the hot spring cultural landscape to cater for health tourism and recreation in Kanchanaburi. There were four research objectives: (1) to gather historical development of hot springs as tourism destinations in other continents, (2) to identify settings where natural hot spring and its surroundings are integrated in health tourism and recreation, (3) to explore the cultural landscape of hot spring as a tourism resource, and (4) to propose recommendations for sustainable development of hot spring destination toward health tourism and recreation. The significance was identified through five values: aesthetic, historic, scientific, social and spiritual values. The research studied by combination tools of qualitative research methodology: field study, semi-structured interview, focus group and participant observation. The author’s personal interest on hot spring and spa sectors may motivate its tourism industry in some degree and gain more useful information to drive Thai hot spring tourism, spa business and community-based tourism as well. The ‘Therapy Town’ model recommended for hot spring tourism destination could be as a signature of Thong Pha Phum or elsewhere in the future.

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