Type of Participation of Local Community in Sustainable Tourism Development in Ban Ruammit, Chiang Rai, Thailand

Abstract

     This paper presents the sustainable tourism development in Ban Ruammit, Chiang Rai, Thailand, which focused on the type of participation including the factors affecting it. A total of 140 respondents were selected by purposive random sampling method. The individual interview was also conducted to seek deeper information. The results show that participation in tourism development was involved in every step in planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, and sharing of benefits. In the planning, implementation and sharing of benefits generally typified genuine participation, while in the monitoring and evaluation typified pseudo-participation. Factors such as main occupation, length of residence, interdependency, social sensitivity, sharing of benefits from natural resources, and non government assistance related to the type of participation.