<Introduction>
I summarized about activities during the second week in Thailand, especially focused on homestay in Bang Krachao, brief report about filed work, sightseeing in the outside of Bangkok
<Homestay in Bang Krachao>
All participants in PSDT 2011 spend their second week in Bang Krachao with home staying.
(Pic 1.) Homestay for boy students
(Pic 2.) Nature in urban green space, Bang Krachao)
<Summary of the field work in Bang Krachao and Bangkok>
Objective: How will we promote eco-tourism in Bang Krachao?
(How to organize, how to market Bang Krachao as an eco-tourism destination? How to reach out to the proposed visitors, how to attract people, but avoid Bang Krachao to be overrun by visitors?)
Contents: Interview survey…Travel agencies in Kao san road, Eco-tourism operators in Bangkok, Bike cycle operators, Attraction’s operators in Bangkrachao (Floating Market, Homestay)
⇒To obvious the current situation and future plans about promotion of eco-tourism and Bang Krachao.
Result: Tourists from Bangkok (especially families and younger people who are interested in nature or eco-tourism) and from European countries who have been already interested in nature, bike cycle and eco-tourism should be attracted to eco-tourism in Bang Krachao.
In additional to target groups, Channels (Internet, magazine, TV commercial and so on) and messages to promote eco-tourism in Bang Krachao should be chosen by each group.
※The detail of the field work will be presented at the beginning of next semester…
<Sightseeing>Floating markets in Damnoen Saduak and Ampowa, Thailand
Our friend and I went to two different floating markets in the outside of Bangkok, which are called Floating markets in Damnoen Saduak and Ampowa.
1) Floating market in Damnoen Saduak
Almost all of tourists move between each shop with riding a boat and this transportation is famous as the traditional culture in Damnoen Saduak.
(Pic 3.) Floating market in Damnoen Saduak
Shops in floating market sell foods, fruits, clothes (mainly T-shorts, they are very popular in Thailand), some kinds of local products. Prices in this market seemed to be higher than other floating market in Bang Krachao and Ampowa…
2) Floating market in Ampowa
Ampowa is the very famous area in Thailand where many tourists visit every year. The biggest difference from the floating market in Bang Krachao is that the floating market in Ampowa is not eco-tourism destination, there is no nature.
(Pic 4.) Floating market in Ampowa is known as the biggest floating market in Thailand!
Through this study program, I studied about eco-tourism which our research group has not focused on usually and met many international students and local people. This international experience and study will become resources for me to find the research topic for master study and for my life.