Tourism and Local Development in Thailand

The book examines the relationship between tourism and development with a particular focus on the effects of development on the historic town of Chiang Saen, located in northern Thailand which is currently undergoing profound social, political, and economic change due to the rapid growth of the tourism industry in the region and government plans to promote Chiang Sean as a business hub as part the "Greater Maekong Sub-Region" (GMS). The book also illustrates how these changes affect the local community, such as impact of tourism and changes to the local identity of the community as an historic town, its culture and way of life. It documents local resident's reactions directed at minimising and reducing negative impacts by proposing forms of development such as community-based tourism such as home-stay tourism, cultural tourism, and historical tourism which they perceive to be more appropriate because they have less impact on the community and consume fewer resources. The book also illustrates that community involvement and participation in development are perceived by local residents to be key in achieving successful community development.