THE ROLES OF COMMUNITY IDENTITIES IN FOSTERING SUSTAINABLE CREATIVE TOURISM IN BANG SADET, ANG THONG PROVINCE

Abstract

Introduction: The Roles of Community Identities in Fostering Sustainable Creative Tourism in Bang Sadet, Ang Thong Province. Objective: 1) to study for outstanding “identities” of the communities which are based on communities’ history, cultural tradition, local communities’ wisdom, communities’ way of living and communities’ local products. 2) to propose a guideline for the creative tourism development based on the community identities of Bang Sadet Sub district, Pa Mok District, Ang Thong Province. Methodology: This research uses qualitative research methods, including interviews. The primary data are provided by government officials from the subdistrict administrative organization, the committee responsible for community attractions, and local scholars. It is activating as content analytic methods. As a result, the finding indicates that there are two outstanding identities of this district. These two outstanding identities have come about from the community’s history, local communities’ wisdom, the community’s way of living, and the community’s local products. The first notable identity is rooted in the community's history, which indicates that this sub-district was closely connected to the capital city of Ayutthaya, as it was on the route that Thai armies used to go to fight the Burmese. Notably in 1592, King Naresuan the Great halted his army at this subdistrict before crossing the Chao Phraya River. The important archaeological remnant of that historical event is the Tha Sutthawat temple. The second outstanding identity is the wisdom of local communities and their local products, as the Bang Sadet subdistrict is known for producing court dolls. The villagers have received the royal favor of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit. The Queen Mother helped the people by sending teachers to instruct them on how to mold court dolls and by establishing the Court Doll Center as a supplementary way to increase income for the residents of Bang Sadet sub-district and to help preserve Thai cultural heritage for future generations.        

Proposing a guideline for the development of creative tourism based on the community identities of Bang Sadet sub-district involves: 1) Creating a strategy for developing tourism routes in the area that highlight the community's identity by linking main tourist attractions with other nearby sites and services; 2) Establishing strategies to promote and develop stories that reflect the area's identity through the creation of a local museum that preserves the community's important history; 3) Implementing communication strategies for marketing by increasing the use of information technology to enhance the sub-district's creative tourism brand and raise its profile. Communities should adopt information technology tools, including various social media platforms and artificial intelligence (AI), to efficiently share information about creative tourism activities at the Court Doll Center for both Thai and international tourists. Additionally, social media and AI can help promote and add value to local wisdom while fostering awareness and conservation efforts, ultimately supporting tourism sustainability.